Ispent a day on Amherst Island just west of Kingston, searching for owls and in the Owl Woods in particular. No owls were seen there despite a diligent search where I have seen them before. ( Saw-whet, Boreal, and Long-eared) There were no owl scats on the snow anywhere, despite a recent melt that should have exposed some. Other visitors could not find any owls either. There were lots of human tracks in the snow. There were birders from Florida, New York, Toronto, all toting huge cameras and lenses, but there were no owls to be seen. I suspect that there was too much traffic a few weeks ago and they left. I don't like posting negative info, but with lots of birders arriving from around the country to see the place, I felt that they should be advised that now is not a good time. The road is closed and it is a mile walk each way through deep hard packed snow. The 20 minute ferry ride costs $8 return. There is a hawk owl at the eastern end of the island. There are reports from reliable people of 3 snowy owls there, but I could not find them either. One may have visited Lemoine's point in Kingston last Saturday. There have been lots of Barred owls at Lemoine's Point lately. There was a pair of Trumpter swans in the last of the open water on the south side of Amherst Island, and quite a few Rough-legged hawks around. Steve Manders
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