[Ontbirds]Kingston area birds to Jan. 4, 2008

[Peter and Jane Good]

Until the big freeze yesterday the variety of waterfowl was quite good. A
Canvasback and 2 N. Pintails were on Wolfe Island a week ago as was a Ruddy
Duck in Elevator Bay. There were 2 Ring-necked Ducks at Treasure Island on
New Year’s Day and a good number of Gadwall, Am. Wigeon, Hooded Mergansers
and Am. Coots among the many Mallards, Black Ducks, and Common Mergansers at
Elevator Bay on Wednesday. There are still many Tundra Swans on Wolfe and
Amherst Islands and in Elevator Bay.

Raptor numbers continue to be better on Wolfe than Amherst. High counts
included 7 Bald Eagles on Boxing Day, 44 Rough-legged Hawks, 12 Red-tails,
and 4 Snowy Owls seen on Jan. 3rd.

The Violet dump has an excellent concentration of gulls; 600+ Herring, 20
Great Black-backed, 4 Glaucous and an Iceland on Jan. 3rd. There was a
Bonaparte’s Gull on the St. Lawrence just east of Kingston on New Year’s
Day.

Other than large flocks of Common Redpolls with the odd Hoary and Snow
Buntings with occasional Lapland Longspurs, passerines seem to be in short
supply. There are small groups of Horned Larks flying off the roadsides on
Wolfe Island. The Tufted Titmouse in Bath returned on Dec. 29th after a
two-week absence and there was a White-throated Sparrow in Sillsville that
same day. Blackbird reports include Red-winged and Rusty as well as
Cowbirds. There were 14 Bohemian Waxwings at Odessa on New Year’s Eve and 20
Cedar Waxwings east of the city on Jan. 3rd. The only grosbeaks reported
were 26 Pine on Dec. 26th at the Frontenac Mall and 4 Evening at Bedford
Mills the next day.

The Amherst Island Christmas count was Dec. 28th; conditions were ideal and
we tallied 63 species. Highlights included: 3 Common Loons, a Horned Grebe,
a N. Goshawk, a Great Blue Heron, 2 Carolina Wrens, and an Eastern Towhee as
well as 5 species of owl, albeit only one of each.

Cheers,
Peter Good
Kingston Field Naturalists
613 378-6605