[Ontbirds]Kingston area birds to May 16, 2008

[Peter and Jane Good]

Despite the fact that many local birders spend a lot of time at Prince
Edward Point this time of year there has been a considerable number of
sightings in the more immediate Kingston area. The movement of Brant has
started with a single flock of 2000 birds over Camden East last Sunday and
another 1200 at Lemoine Pt. on Wednesday. There were N. Shovelers at the
Amherstview sewage lagoons and at the KFN property on Amherst Island. The
lagoons also had a male Ruddy Duck on Sunday.

All three local terns were reported this week; 2 Caspian and 9 Black at the
lagoons on Sunday and 2 Common on the Cataraqui River on Wednesday. All the
expected herons are back; a Least Bittern at Collin's Creek last Friday, a
Black-crowned Night-Heron at Hillview Marsh on Sunday and a Green Heron at
Gananoque yesterday. The shorebird migration is barely underway; a Lesser
Yellowlegs at the lagoons along with a few Least Sandpipers, more Least at
the Wilton Creek and on Amherst Island, 6 Dunlin on Amherst Wednesday and
the resident Wilson's Phalarope now number about fifteen.

Lots and lots of warblers: 2 Am. Redstart on Amherst last Saturday, a Canada
at Little Cat on Sunday, another at Lemoine Pt. on Wednesday along with
Bay-breasted, N. Parula, and 2 Lincoln's Sparrows. Most of the
White-throated Sparrows seem to have moved on but White-crowned are still
abundant. It seems to be a good spring for Orchard Orioles with 2 seen on
Amherst last Saturday and another at Lemoine Pt. on Wednesday.

The finch movement continues with a Pine Siskin at Elginburg on Wednesday
and two pair of Evening Grosbeaks, the first at Elginburg last Friday and
the second out Montreal Street on Saturday. Other arrivals that will stick
around include Chimney Swift, Whip-poor-will, and Common Nighthawk. Another
sighting of note was a Peregrine Falcon on Amherst last Saturday.

Cheers,
Peter Good
Kingston Field Naturalists
613 378-6605