It has been a week of spring migration locally despite the wintry appearance of the landscape. Flocks of Am. Robins and Red-winged Blackbirds are everywhere and most observers have seen at least a few Common Grackles. There were singleton Brown-headed Cowbirds at Glenburnie on the 14th and at Elginburg on the 17th. An Eastern Meadowlark was found near the Sydenham dump on Wednesday. Several Killdeer arrived; at Elginburg on the 14th, on Amherst and Wolfe on the 15th and in the city on the 17th. A Great Blue Heron flew along the 401 at Hwy 38 last Friday and two more were in Elevator Bay on Saturday. Other harbingers of spring included 2 Turkey Vultures last Sunday and a Song Sparrow on Wednesday.
Waterfowl numbers continue to build. The south shore of Amherst had an excellent variety last weekend with 15 species. Included amongst the 100's of Common Goldeneye and Greater Scaup were 30 Ring-necked Ducks, 12 Hooded Mergansers, 6 Redheads, 3 Wood Ducks, 2 Lesser Scaup, 2 Green-winged Teal and a Canvasback. There was also a Pied-billed Grebe at Millhaven. Besides the ubiquitous Mallards and Canada Geese, Hooded Mergansers have moved inland finding those few spots of open water; there were 2 at the Cataraqui Conservation Area on Sunday and another at Elginburg on Wednesday. There are still lots of Common Redpolls visiting feeders and both islands reported many Rough-legged Hawks. Other indications that winter is still with us were 8 Bohemian Waxwings and a dozen Evening Grosbeaks at Bedford Mills and 4 Snowy Owls on Wolfe last Saturday. Other owl sightings were the two most unusual for the week. The remains of a N. Saw-whet Owl were found near Enterprise on Sunday and a Great Grey Owl was just west of Elginburg on Wednesday. Cheers, Peter Good Kingston Field Naturalists 613 378-6605 _______________________________________________ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to ONTBIRDS mailing list ONTBIRDS@hwcn.org For instructions to join or leave ONTBIRDS visit http://www.ofo.ca/information/ontbirdssetup.php ONTBIRDS Guidelines may be viewed at http://www.ofo.ca/information/ontbirdsguide.php
