Despite the spectacular long weekend when we all thought we were back in August, migration is moving along quite nicely. A White-winged Scoter on Lake Opinicon last Saturday and a concentration of 30 Common Loons in the Amherst Island ferry channel Sunday were noteworthy. Four Tundra Swans were on Wolfe Island on Monday and a flock of 35 Brant flew near Gananoque on Tuesday. The 2 Rough-legged Hawks on Amherst last Thursday increased to six yesterday and two more were on Wolfe Island last weekend. An adult Bald Eagle was also seen on Amherst. Shorebirds numbers are holding up well; 2 Greater Yellowlegs were along the Bath Road on Sunday and yesterday nine species on the Amherst KFN property included an Am. Golden Plover, 57 Black-bellied Plover, a Baird's and 7 White-rumped Sandpipers and 21 Dunlin. Two more Red-bellied Woodpeckers have appeared at feeders; one near Gananoque and another at Elginburg. Passerine migration is dominated by the hordes of sparrows and juncos but a few warblers and others are still to be found. Besides Yellow-rumped; Palm, Orange-crowned and Black-throated Green were reported this week. Blue-headed Vireos, Brown Creepers, both kinglets, Am. Pipits and a Hermit Thrush were seen as well. There was a single Purple Finch at Elbow Lake last Thursday and a flock of 15 Rusty Blackbirds near Gananoque on Tuesday. A few hundred Tree Swallows remain on Wolfe Island. The annual early October search for Nelson's Sparrows on the KFN property turned up a Le Conte's Sparrow on Sunday. It was well seen and photographed and was one of those birding events (even for those that didn't see it) that keeps us coming back for more. 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 birdalert@ontbirds.ca For information about ONTBIRDS visit http://www.ofo.ca/
