Wednesday, December 14, 2011

December 13, 2011 Amherst Island Birding

 Hi Everyone
Spent a couple of days, (Dec.12 &13) birding Amherst Island along with my son Ben. We had a total of 6 Snowy Owls, 4 on the KFN property and 2 along South Shore Road. Yesterday, the Short-eared Owls began to actively hunt at 3:15pm, in the bright sunshine along Front Road just east of Stella. There we counted 14 Short-eared. On Dec. 12th, at the KFN property at the gravel point we observed a Purple Sandpiper along with a Marsh Wren in the nearby cattails. Today there was a Greater Yellowlegs, and a Common Yellowthroat. Overall the hawk numbers were low with 18 Northern Harrier, 22 Rough-legged Hawk, 14 Red-tailed Hawk, 2 American Kestrel, 1 Cooper's Hawk plus 400 Mourning Dove, and 1 Merlin. Other birds of note included a male Red-bellied Woodpecker and a flock of 23 White-winged Crossbill. If you require additional information please email me privately. 

Good birding, Bruce and Ben 

Directions: Amherst Island: Located 18 km. west of Kingston. Exit off Hwy. 401 at exit 593 (County Rd. 4, Camden East) and drive south to the very end (Millhaven). Turn right on Hwy. 33 and drive 100 metres until you see the sign for the Amherst Island ferry. The ferry (20 minute trip) leaves the mainland on the half hour and leaves the island on the hour. Cost is $9.00 Canadian round trip. There are no gas stations on the island. There are restrooms on the ferry, and at the island ferry dock. The East End K.F.N. property is at the easternmost part of the island on the east side of the Lower Forty Foot Road. 

Because of liability issues, visitors to the Kingston Field Naturalists' property at the east end of Amherst Island MUST be accompanied by a KFN member. For KFN contact information or how to become a member, please visit http://kingstonfieldnaturalists.org/ ."



These photos were taken with an iPod camera through my Kowa 88mm. I forgot my camera at home. Ben did a great job digiscoping. 


Snowy Owl sitting on frozen pond.

Snowy Owl  perched on rock.

Purple Sandpiper just west of gravel bar.

Snowy Owl on gravel bar.


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