Kingston Field Naturalists (KFN) maintains records in a 50km radius of
MacDonald Park, Kingston. Birders using eBird are encouraged to share their
sightings with ‘Kingston FN’. Alternatively, please email or send records
directly to me – contact details below. Please note that some sightings may
require review and remain unconfirmed unless stated otherwise.
Special Note re Owl Woods
Owl Woods is privately owned, but a long-standing agreement allows visitors
to enter the property. However, the owners insist that all owl sightings at
this location are not reported on any social media platform (including
eBird) until the season is over, or we risk losing access. Although owls are
occasionally seen at other nearby locations, disguising your owl wood
sightings as ‘Amherst Island’ or even ‘Lennox and Addington’ goes against
the spirit of the message.
Highlights:
The extreme cold abated and instead flipped the other way with a couple of
days with temperatures above freezing. Waterways remain frozen but overall
snow cover is reducing. A good variety of winter finches continued. Here are
the highlights of the past week:
TRUMPETER SWAN – Lower Brewers Lock had a high count of 53 on 21st with 41
recorded the same day at Chaffey’s Locks.
TUNDRA SWAN – All sightings again came from Amherst Island, where a high of
29 was encountered on 20th.
BLACK VULTURE – just outside the area, the continuing bird was seen in
Picton on 20th.
ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK – numbers have dropped off a bit again this week with high
counts of 15 birds from Amherst Island on 20th and 23rd.
YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER – a continuing bird was seen at Fairway Hill Park,
Kingston, on 26th.
PEREGRINE FALCON – 1 bird was seen at Millhaven on 20th, with 2 at the OPG
Power Station, Bath, on 22nd. Kingston’s downtown bird was seen on 23rd.
NORTHERN SHRIKE – there were just 7 different birds reported this week.
TUFTED TITMOUSE – a single bird continued for the week at Fairway Hill Park,
Kingston.
CAROLINA WREN – continuing birds were seen at Old Front Road and Balsam
Grove, Kingston, this week.
GRAY CATBIRD – a single bird was seen at Castell Park, Kingston, on 13th and
14th.
NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD – a continuing (but elusive bird) was seen at Greenview
Drive, Kingston, on 21st.
HERMIT THRUSH – single birds were seen at both Marshlands CA and Fairway
Hill Park, Kingston, on 21st.
BOHEMIAN WAXWING – Birds were noted at 3 locations this week: over 100 were
seen at Napanee on 20th, with another 7 at Newburgh the same day. Seventeen
were seen at Prince Edward Point on 21st.
EVENING GROSBEAK – no reports this week.
PINE GROSBEAK – The only report this week was of 6 birds seen near Ivy Lea
on 26th.
HOARY REDPOLL – there continue to be numerous reports of mainly single birds
from across the region, though 3 were noted in the Alwington area of
Kingston on 22nd.
RED CROSSBILL – as many as 20 birds were seen at Bedford Mills on several
dates this week. Other birds were noted at Verona (2) on 25th and Lemoine
Point CA, Kingston, (3) also on 25th.
PINE SISKIN – sightings were restricted to just 3 locations this week with a
high count of 5 at Bur Brook Road, just north of Kingston, on 20th.
LAPLAND LONGSPUR – 2 birds were seen near Joyceville on 25th.
SNOW BUNTING – the majority of observations came from Amherst and Wolfe
Island with 350 seen on Wolfe on 26th.
GAMBEL’S WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW – the immature bird that has been present
near Prince Edward Point was seen just once this week, on 23rd.
SWAMP SPARROW – a single bird was seen at Prince Edward Point on 21st.
EASTERN TOWHEE – a continuing bird was seen at a private feeder in
Amherstview on 21st.
In order to minimise disturbance to wildlife and property in the recording
area, Kingston Field Naturalists has adopted the KFN Sensitive Sightings Policy. Please note that
you must be a card-carrying member of Kingston Field Naturalists (KFN), or
be accompanied by a member, to access both the Martin Edwards Reserve and
Amherstview Sewage Lagoons.
As always, a big thank you goes to all those who have submitted sightings
directly or via eBird.
Mark.
Mark D. Read
337 Button Bay Road,
Wolfe Island,
Kingston, Ontario
K0H 2Y0