Other than good numbers of Blue-winged and Green-winged Teal, especially at the Amherstview sewage lagoons, there have not been a lot of waterfowl locally. However some new arrivals are trickling in. There were two Ring-necked Ducks at the lagoons last Saturday and a Snow Goose was in with a flock of Canadas near Millhaven on Wednesday. There is also a hybrid ( Canada/White-fronted?) goose on the lawn at Dupont on Front Road. Ten Pied-billed Grebes in the Cataraqui River on Monday were noteworthy.
At least one Merlin was reported every day from Friday to Wednesday; two in the city, one at the lagoons, one on Wolfe Island and another near Camden East. A KFN hike at Camden East on Tuesday also tallied an Osprey, a Sharp-shinned, and a Broad-winged Hawk. There was a good variety of warblers this week; over a dozen species, including an Orange-crowned at Bedford Mills on Sunday. Other notables included a Red-breasted Nuthatch at Bedford Mills and 20 Purple Martins at the lagoons last Saturday, a Yellow-throated Vireo on Wolfe on Tuesday, and a White-crowned Sparrow at Elginburg on Wednesday. There was also an excellent night flight of both Swainson's and Gray-cheeked Thrushes in the wee hours of Tuesday morning. A late Common Nighthawk was at Elginburg last Sunday and a Whip-poor-will continued calling as late as Wednesday at Bedford Mills. The northwest pond at the lagoons continues to be the best spot for shorebirds with eight species seen this week: both yellowlegs, up to a dozen Semipalmated Plover, both Least and Semipalmated Sandpiper, 8 Baird's last Saturday, another 5 on Wednesday, 5 Pectoral on Saturday, another 6 on Wednesday and 2 White-rumped on Wednesday. We had our first frost this morning and that is bound to get things moving. 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 [email protected] 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
