No rarities to report but a diversity of shorebirds were arriving in good numbers this past week. Landbird migration has slowed down considerably but some birds are still moving through. In particular, late-migrating species such as COMMON NIGHTHAWK, EASTERN WOOD-PEWEE, ALDER and WILLOW FLYCATCHERS and BLACKPOLL WARBLER were all reported from a across the Kingston Region.
City of Kingston A MERLIN was at the Beechgrove Complex. The PEREGRINE FALCONS were seen atop Princess Towers where they have traditionally nested. CHIMNEY SWIFTS continued over downtown Kingston. Lemoine Point Conservation Area had 1 GREAT EGRET, NORTHERN HARRIER, 1 COOPER'S HAWK, 1 SHORT-EARED OWL, BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO, 3 BAY-BREASTED WARBLERS and WILLOW FLYCATCHER among many other species. Eight GREAT EGRETS were seen in Collin's Creek from Highway 2. Amherst Island Notable birds included 5 GADWALLS, 2 NORTHERN SHOVELERS, COMMON and RED-BREASTED MERGANSERS, 1 BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON, 1 BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER, 8 SEMIPALMATED PLOVERS, 1 LESSER YELLOWLEGS, 1 UPLAND SANDPIPER, 1 RUDDY TURNSTONE, 8 RED KNOTS, 2 SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPERS, 18 LEAST SANDPIPERS, 1 WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER, 35 DUNLIN and 8 WILSON'S PHALAROPES. Amherstview Sewage Lagoons Waterfowl included WOOD DUCK, 13 GADWALLS, AMERICAN WIGEON, AMERICAN BLACK DUCK, BLUE-WINGED TEAL, 11 NORTHERN SHOVELERS, GREEN-WINGED TEAL, LESSER SCAUP, BUFFLEHEAD and HOODED MERGANSER. Shorebirds: 4 SEMIPALMATED PLOVERS, KILLDEER, SPOTTED SANDPIPER, 12 LEAST SANDPIPERS, 1 DUNLIN, 3 LESSER YELLOWLEGS, 3 SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHERS and 1 WILSON'S PHALAROPE. You must be a member of the Kingston Field Naturalists or otherwise have permission to enter the sewage lagoons. Charleston Lake Birds of note included 2 AMERICAN BITTERNS, RED-SHOULDERED HAWK, 3 MARSH WRENS, and 1 PHILADELPHIA VIREO. Opinicon Road Birding continued to be great along Opinicon Road and the surround area this past week. Highlights included TRUMPETER SWAN (up to 4), BROAD-WINGED HAWK, RED-SHOULDERED HAWK, both CUCKOOS, GREAT HORNED and BARRED OWLS, COMMON NIGHTHAWK, EASTERN WHIP-POOR-WILL, VIRGINIA RAIL, SORA, YELLOW-THROATED VIREO, PHILADELPHIA VIREO, BLUE-GREY GNATCATCHER, GREY-CHEEKED THRUSH, GOLDEN-WINGED WARBLER, NORTHERN PARULA, CERULEAN WARBLER, BAY-BREASTED WARBLER, BLACKPOLL WARBLER, WILSON'S WARBLER and CANADA WARBLER. An observer travelling between Morton and Chaffey's Lock found 2 SEMIPALMATED PLOVERS, KILLDEER, 3 SPOTTED SANDPIPERS, 1 SOLITARY SANDPIPER, 1 SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER, 5 LEAST SANDPIPERS, 2 PECTORAL SANDPIPERS and 2 WILSON'S SNIPES in the wet places along the way - an excellent shorebird count for that part of the countryside. Birders visiting Opinicon Road should be aware that most of the good birding spots are on property own by Queen's University Biological Station (QUBS) - this included the Lindsay Lake Trail and the Skycroft trails. The avian research season is well underway so please avoid using playback and stick to the trails. Please DO NOT enter the tree swallow nest box grids, because sensitive hormone experiments are taking place and human-induced stress on the swallows may bias the data. Thanks for your cooperation. Other Sightings A flock of 52 BRANT flew over Joyceville Road. A few LONG-TAILED DUCKS could still be found off Wolfe Island. There were widespread observations of AMERICAN BITTERN. There was a SHARP-SHINNED HAWK at Hart Lake. A CASPIAN TERN flying over Battersea was unusual. A few shorebirds were on Wilton Creek including 2 LESSER YELLOWLEGS, 6 SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPERS and 15 LEAST SANDPIPERS (seen from Big Creek Road). A GREEN HERON was also at this location. Three CHIMNEY SWIFTS were over Landsdowne. Along Briar Hill Road there were 2 YELLOW-THROATED VIREOS and 2 GOLDEN-WINGED WARBLERS among many other species. A GOLDEN-WINGED WARBLER was also along Summers Road. VESPER SPARROWS were at Sandhill Road and Forfar. A GRASSHOPPER SPARROW was singing along Joyceville Road. A few DARK-EYED JUNCOS are still lingering: 1 at the Rideau Trail trailhead and 2 along Canoe Lake Road. A PINE SISKIN was at an Elginburg feeder. Thank you to those who contributed observations this week. All bird sightings reported to me are included in the Kingston Field Naturalists’s long term records database which has over 60 years of observations on file and is an invaluable conservation resource. Mark -- Mark Andrew Conboy Operations & Research Assistant and Outreach Coordinator Queen’s University Biological Station 280 Queen's University Road Elgin, Ontario, Canada K0G 1E0 phone: 613-359-5629 fax: 613-359-6558 email: 7m...@queensu.ca or mcon...@lakeheadu.ca QUBS website: http://www.queensu.ca/qubs/index.html QUBS blog: http://opinicon.wordpress.com/ QUBS flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/qubsoutreach/ _______________________________________________ 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/
