Kingston Field Naturalists (KFN) maintains records in a 50km radius of MacDonald Park, Kingston. Birders using eBird are encouraged to share their sightings with 'Kingston FN'. Alternatively, please email, phone or post records directly to me - contact details below. Please note that some sightings may require review and remain unconfirmed unless stated otherwise.
Highlights: The weather has lapsed back towards wintery these last couple of weeks with lots of northerly winds and even a bit of snow. However, every time it swings back south, new birds continue to arrive. Highlights of the week include: BLACK SCOTER, RED-NECKED GREBE, AMERICAN BITTERN, VIRGINIA RAIL, SANDHILL CRANE, GREATER YELLOWLEGS, LITTLE GULL, and SNOWY OWL. Kingston DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANTS, TREE SWALLOWS, GREAT BLUE HERONS, OSPREYS and SONG SPARROWS are back in force though some more recent arrivals are also beginning to be seen. An AMERICAN BITTERN was seen at Marshlands CA on 5th, and both FIELD SPARROW and EASTERN TOWHEE were seen at Lemoine Point CA on 1st. A YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER was seen at the same location on 27th. Mixed reports have come in regarding the PEREGRINE FALCONS in downtown Kingston, with news that an early nesting attempt may have failed. A SNOWY OWL was seen at the airport on 2nd and a FOX SPARROW was at Marshlands on 3rd. A SANDHILL CRANE was seen on the K&P Trail, near Cataraqui Cemetery on 1st. Wolfe Island IBA SNOWY OWLS were still present as of today (8th), with a single on 4th Line; 3 birds were seen on 5th Line yesterday. Also seen yesterday (7th) were 3 GREATER YELLOWLEGS on 5th Line. No unusual geese, though an immature SNOW GOOSE has been hanging out with the Canadas on 7th Line this last week. A LITTLE GULL was seen near Garden Island on 2nd in the presence of several BONAPARTE'S GULLS. Prince Edward County An IBA waterfowl survey last weekend turned up mainly the expected species but highlights at Prince Edward Point included a couple of LITTLE GULLS, 40+ BONAPARTE'S GULLS, a female BLACK SCOTER and a RED-NECKED GREBE. At Kaiser Cross Road, 4 LITTLE GULLS were seen on 2nd, with approximately 130 BONAPARTE'S GULLS. Other sightings North of Kingston, the first AMERICAN BITTERN of the season was seen at Sydenham on 1st. The first VIRGINIA RAIL was noted at Clear Lake, near Crosby on 2nd and 7th, and a YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER was near Sydenham on 27th. SANDHILL CRANES were noted at near Wilton on 27th and Crosby on 28th. A report of 8 SNOW BUNTINGS near Verona on 2nd is the last of the season. GREATER YELLOWLEGS were first seen near Napanee (6) on 2nd and a LITTLE GULL was at Adulphustown on 5th, when 5 BARN SWALLOWS were also seen. Special note re Amherstview Sewage Lagoons: The property is still undergoing delayed construction work and is strictly off limits to all. It is now predicted to re-open to those with written permission in late summer/early autumn. In order to minimise disturbance to wildlife and property, Kingston Field Naturalists has adopted the KFN Sensitive Sightings Policy <http://kingstonfieldnaturalists.org/birding/KFN_sensitive_sightings_policy. pdf> . Also note that, as requested by the landowners, sightings of owls at the privately-owned Owl Woods must not be shared on the Internet (this includes posting as 'Amherst Island' on eBird) by KFN or anyone who visits. To ensure continued access to this location, please respect their wishes and follow the guidelines posted on-site. To maintain records for conservation purposes, sightings from that location are welcomed through all the traditional channels. As always, thanks to all those who have submitted sightings over the last week. Mark. Mark D. Read 337 Button Bay Road, Wolfe Island, Kingston, Ontario K0H 2Y0 Canada Mobile: +1 (613) 217-1246 Home: +1 (613) 385-1651 Email: [email protected] Blog: "Confessions of a Global Birder" http://markdread.blogspot.com <http://markdread.blogspot.com/> Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/markdread/ eBird Guidelines for Reporting Sensitive Species <http://help.ebird.org/customer/portal/articles/1006789-guidelines-for-repor ting-sensitive-species> _______________________________________________ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to [email protected] For information about ONTBIRDS including how to unsubscribe visit http://www.ofo.ca/site/page/view/information.ontbirdssetup Posting guidelines can be found at http://www.ofo.ca/site/page/view/information.ontbirdsguide
