The Blue Bill
Quarterly Journal of the Kingston Field Naturalists
ISSN 0382-5655
Volume 57, No. 1 March 2010
Contents
President’s Page Chris Grooms............................1
Kingston and Area Christmas Counts Ron D. Weir .............................2
KFN Teen Trip: Mudpuppy Night
in Oxford Mills Drew Sauve ..............................7
Yearly List of Birds-KFN 2009 Ron D. Weir .............................8
Winter Field Trip to Chaffey’s Lock
and QUBS Mark Andrew Conboy............13
Wood Duck Boxes at HQS: Initial Work Rose-Marie Burke and
Preparations for a Teens’ Project Anne Robertson ......................14
Wood Duck Nest Box Installation
and Cleanout Adam Rossiter ........................16
Mid-Winter Waterfowl Inventory
2010 Kingston Ron D. Weir ...........................18
Strange Sounds from the Skies Terry Sprague.........................20
Winter Season 01Dec2009-28Feb2010 Ron D. Weir ...........................22
The Blue Bill is the quarterly journal (published March, June, September and December) of the Kingston Field Naturalists, P.O. Box 831, Kingston, ON (Canada), K7L 4X6.
KFN Information Line: (613) 389-8338 Website: http://www.kingstonfieldnaturalists.org
Send submissions to the Editor by the 15th of the month prior to the month of publication (i.e. by the 15th of February/May/August/November) to the address above, or to the editor via e-mail to: [email protected]. Please include contact phone number.
Submissions should be in MS Word format or in “plain text” format (PC or MacIntosh) or unformatted in the body of an e-mail.
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2008/2009 Officers
President: Chris Grooms
613-386-7969 [email protected]
Honorary President:
Vice-President: Janis Grant
613-548-3668 [email protected] Past President: Hugh Evans 613-546-9145 [email protected]
Treasurer: Larry McCurdy
613-389-6427 [email protected]
Recording Rose-Marie Burke Secretary: 613-549-7583 (winter) 613-353-2463 (summer) [email protected]
Membership John Critchley
Secretary: 613-634-5475 [email protected]
Nature Reserves Erwin Batalla 613-542-2048 [email protected] Conservation Chris Hargreaves 613-389-8993 [email protected] Blue Bill Editor Alex Simmons 613-542-2048 [email protected] Junior Naturalists Anne Robertson 613-389-6742 [email protected] Education Shirley French 613-548-8617 [email protected] Field Trips Kurt Hennige 613-386-1772 [email protected] Bird Sightings Peter Good 613-378-6605 [email protected] Bird Records Ron Weir 613-549-5274 [email protected] Speakers Chris Grooms 613-386-7969 [email protected] Publicity John Diemer 613-389-9451 [email protected] Website/Slides Gaye Beckwith 613-376-3716 [email protected] Ontario Nature Jackie Bartnik 613-531-3736 [email protected] Member-at-large Connie Gardiner 613-545-2354 [email protected] Archives Peter McIntyre 613-548-4738 [email protected]
The Blue Bill Volume 57, No. 1 Page 1
President’s Page
Chris Grooms
On February 6th, 2010, our Honourary
President and long-time club member
Faith Avis passed away. She will be
greatly missed by all who knew her. Her
contributions to the KFN, to
conservation and to the betterment of
our society will endure.
The privately-owned Owl Woods on
Amherst Island became popular with
local birdwatchers a few decades ago
when it was discovered that wintering
and migrating owls were using it as a
day roost. The KFN obtained the kind
permission of the owners to do regular
bird counts and make it a stop on field
trips to the Island. These days the
Woods are more popular than ever.
Birdwatchers, photographers and
families come from all over eastern
North America to see this unique
spectacle. It is not uncommon to have
150 people visit on a weekend.
Unfortunately, this popularity has
caused problems for the owls trying to
rest in this little woodlot. The large
numbers of people is the main
disturbance to the owls. Another is the
increasing numbers of people new to
birdwatching and nature photography.
These people don’t have the experience
to know that the owls in the woods are
there to rest and that human presence
and behaviour can be very stressful to
them. People linger too close to the owls
for too long and often pursue them from
perch to perch. Some owls are forced to
spend a large part of their day fleeing
from people instead of conserving the
energy needed to survive the winter.
In response to this situation and in
cooperation with the landowners, the
KFN has put up new signs with new
rules and has begun to educate visitors
to the Woods. We are also undertaking a
management planning process that will
consult the landowners and
stakeholders and determine solutions to
the problems. The goal is to find ways to
reduce human disturbance to the point
where the owls get all the benefits the
Owl Woods can offer them and at the
same time provide an educational and
inspirational experience to us. This may
be a challenge, but we remain hopeful.
So far the response to the new rules and
signs has been positive.
Alternate sources of energy that do not
alter the composition of the atmosphere
are needed to fight climate change.
Wind and solar power are obvious
possibilities. However, all large-scale
industrial development has
environmental impacts. A major
concern over wind energy is the
potential to impact bird and bat
populations. Placement of wind farms
in areas of concentrated bird movement
is clearly a worry. Amid growing
concern over the submission rate of new
wind farm proposals along the Great
Lakes shorelines, the KFN has partnered
with the Prince Edward County Field
Naturalists to educate ourselves, the
public and government about the risks
posed by wind farm placement.
Page 2 March 2010
We are proposing that Ontario Nature
resolve to encourage the Ontario
Government to place a moratorium on
wind farm development within five
kilometers of Important Bird Areas and
National and Provincial Parks until
thorough radar studies of bird
movements are done at these sites. This
resolution is designed to protect the
shoreline of places like southern Prince
Edward County, where hundreds of
thousands of birds move though on
seasonal migrations. Our proposed
resolution will be presented at a future
KFN meeting for our membership to
consider and, if approved, it will go on
to the Ontario Nature regional and
AGM for consideration this spring.
As spring approaches and the end of my
term as President nears, I reflect upon
the bit of KFN history that I know well. I
see many bright spots illuminated by
the contributions of Faith Avis and
people like her. When I think about the
future of the Club, I realize that part of
Faith’s legacy is to have made the KFN
stronger and our way forward a little
clearer.
Kingston and Area Christmas Counts
Ron D. Weir
Normal winter weather prevailed
during the Christmas Count Period
14Dec09 to 05Jan10. Freezing conditions
and a light snow cover greeted the local
Counts early in the period and heavy
snow was present at the end of the
period. The shallower sections of Lake
Ontario and still waters away from the
Lake were frozen. The only open water
along the Rideau Canal and Cataraqui
River was at locks and places where
water tumbled over falls, including
Kingston Mills and Chaffeys Lock.
Table 1 lists statistics for local counts.
Table 2 lists species totals for the past 19
years. Table 3 lists high species tallies
for Ontario for the past seven years. The
detailed species list for the local
Christmas counts is in Table 4. Where
record numbers of individuals occurred,
the number is underlined. The entry CW
designates a sighting within the count
week, defined as three days before and
three days after the count day.
Table 1: Statistics on Individual Counts in 2009 for the Kingston Area
16 Dec
Delta
19 Dec
Prince
Edward
Pt.
20 Dec
Kingston
22 Dec
Westport
26 Dec
1000
Islands
28 Dec
Rideau
Ferry
02 Jan
Amherst
Island
03 Jan
Napanee
Species 42 55 101 33 50 39 56 60
Birds 2,826 47,322 23,833 1,753 8,244 2,664 5,078 4,705
Participants 12 16 46 15 17 17 25 13
The Blue Bill Volume 57, No. 1 Page 3
Table 2: Seventeen-year Comparison with 17-year Average (* = Count was not done)
Count 1991 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09
1991-
2009
avg
PE Point 61 61 64 61 76 67 64 61 80 61 72 58 82 71 76 71 65 63 55 67
Kingstn 95 96 113 99 101 97 106 104 107 102 111 109 103 103 103 104 * 106 101 103
Westprt 37 55 50 46 36 48 45 41 49 44 54 47 * * * 52 34 36 33 44
Napanee 44 46 42 52 52 56 51 38 58 49 50 56 51 58 50 56 51 57 60 54
1000 Is. 61 55 74 58 53 57 54 56 68 56 61 51 61 57 60 64 60 55 50 59
Amherst 51 47 51 n/a 54 57 66 57 51 58 71 60 53 36 64 54 54 57 56 55
Rid Frry 39 39 37 36 29 40 45 41 36 37 42 38 37 35 47 54 46 38 39 40
Delta 38 37 40 38 43 38 48 40 42 42 41**
Table 4: Kingston Area Christmas Counts 2009
Count 16Dec
Delta
19Dec
P E Pt
20Dec
Kngstn
22Dec
Wstprt
26Dec
1000 Is
28Dec
Rid Fy
02Jan
Amh Is.
03Jan
Napnee
Common Loon 3 4 3 - - 1 3 1
Horned Grebe - - 2 - - - - -
Red-nckd Grebe - - 1 - - - - 1
Dble-cr Cormornt - - 2 - - - - -
Great Blue Heron - - 1 1 - - 1 -
Snow Goose - - - - 17 - -
Cackling Goose - - 2 - - - - -
Canada Goose 112 10,453 14,497 16 963 1 1676 80
Brant - - 3 - - - 7 -
Mute Swan - 53 15 - - - - 6
Trumpeter Swan - - - 26 - - - 1
Tundra Swan - 393 411 - - - 40 8
Wood Duck - - - 1 - - - 6
Gadwall - 4 269 - - - 9 5
American Wigeon - - 20 - - - - -
Amer Black Duck 30 159 594 - 10 8 29 52
Mallard 176 1556 38492 2 185 - 484 341
North Shoveler - - 6 - - - - -
Page 4 March 2010
Count 16Dec
Delta
19Dec
P E Pt
20Dec
Kngstn
22Dec
Wstprt
26Dec
1000 Is
28Dec
Rid Fy
02Jan
Amh Is.
03Jan
Napnee
Northern Pintail - - 1 - - - 1 -
Grn-wngd Teal - - 5 - - - - 1
Greater Scaup - 16,864 2366 - - - - 18
Lesser Scaup - 7 4 - 33 - - 2
Surf Scoter - - 2 - - - - -
Wht-wngd Scoter - 46 15 - - - - -
Black Scoter - 1 5 - - - - -
Long-tailed Duck - 12,856 1522 - - - 7 9
Bufflehead 9 222 197 - 16 - 12 -
Comm Goldeneye 34 1850 1767 23 904 17 570 203
Brrw’s Goldeneye - - 1 - - - - -
Hood Merganser 16 1 33 - 4 - - -
Comm Merganser 560 220 1037 - 3133 36 29 4
Rd-brstd Mergnsr 4 540 1850 - 52 - 323 7
Ruddy Duck - - CW - - - - -
Osprey - 1 - - - - - -
Virginia Rail - - 1 - - - -
American Coot - - 45 - - - - -
Bald Eagle 12 16 8 5 21 5 7 -
Northern Harrier - 1 20 - 2 - 13 -
Shrp-shnd Hawk - 1 5 - - 1 1 1
Cooper’s Hawk - 1 2 - - 2 - 1
North Goshawk 1 - 1 - - - - 5
Accipiter (sp) - - - - 1 - - -
Red-shldrd Hawk - - - - - - 1 -
Red-tailed Hawk 9 9 24 4 18 1 15 8
Rgh-lgged Hawk 1 - 9 - 2 1 16 -
Golden Eagle - 1 - - - - 1 -
American Kestrel - - 6 - 1 - 3 1
Merlin - - 2 - - 1 - -
Peregrine Falcon - - CW - - - - -
Rng-nckd Pheasnt - - 6 - - - 3 -
Ruffed Grouse CW 8 6 24 4 1 - 1
Wild Turkey 120 32 76 93 134 74 - 4
The Blue Bill Volume 57, No. 1 Page 5
Count 16Dec
Delta
19Dec
P E Pt
20Dec
Kngstn
22Dec
Wstprt
26Dec
1000 Is
28Dec
Rid Fy
02Jan
Amh Is.
03Jan
Napnee
Amer Woodcock - - 1 - - - - -
Bonaparte’s Gull - - 5 - - - - -
Ring-billed Gull 31 13 78 - 153 2 - 21
Herring Gull 10 143 133 - 244 11 23 6
Iceland Gull - - 1 - - - - -
Glaucous Gull - 1 1 - 1 - - -
Grt Blck-bck Gull - 17 14 - 22 - - 12
Rock Pigeon 110 115 1330 69 266 471 144 157
Mourning Dove 97 105 427 95 206 126 78 319
Estrn Screech Owl - - 4 - - - - 1
Grt Horned Owl - 1 7 - 1 - 1 -
Snowy Owl - - 8 - 3 -
Barred Owl - - 3 - 1 - CW -
Long-eared Owl - - - - - - 9 -
Short-eared Owl - - CW - - - 7 -
Boreal Owl - - - - - - 1 -
N Saw-whet Owl - - - - - - 2 -
Belted Kingfisher 1 - 1 - 2 - - -
Rd-belld Woodp. - 3 3 - 2 - 1 -
Dwny Woodpeckr 19 22 55 23 38 16 10 11
Hairy Woodpeckr 22 13 31 24 19 28 7 7
Northern Flicker - - 1 - - - - -
Pileatd Woodpckr 2 1 7 5 5 1 - 1
Northern Shrike 2 - 5 1 1 - 2 3
Blue Jay 271 142 166 286 190 203 100 233
American Crow 69 264 254 25 216 75 6 210
Common Raven 60 - 3 17 8 10 1 1
Horned Lark - 9 203 - 2 - 1 35
Bl-cpd Chickadee 216 211 701 406 379 546 72 312
Tufted Titmouse - - 1 - - - - 1
Rd-brstd Nthatch 1 1 23 13 6 - - -
Wt-brstd Nthatch 16 23 104 36 4 30 14 16
Brown Creeper 1 4 7 - 3 2 - -
Carolina Wren - - 2 - - - - -
Page 6 March 2010
Count 16Dec
Delta
19Dec
P E Pt
20Dec
Kngstn
22Dec
Wstprt
26Dec
1000 Is
28Dec
Rid Fy
02Jan
Amh Is.
03Jan
Napnee
Winter Wren - - 1 - - - - -
Marsh Wren - - 2 - - - - -
Gldn-crnd Kinglet - - 17 - - - 3 -
Eastern Bluebird - - 1 - - - - -
American Robin 3 - 8 - 4 - 5 7
European Starling 87 383 1827 125 464 386 373 1008
Bohem Waxwing - - 2 113 - 287 - 35
Cedar Waxwing - - 2 - - 30 - 25
Tree Sparrow 125 154 77 62 83 63 54 127
Song Sparrow - 1 7 1 - - - 1
Swamp Sparrow - - 21 - - - - -
Wht-thrtd Sparrw - - 2 - 2 2 - 9
Dark-eyed Junco 31 186 76 31 82 40 9 263
Laplnd Longspur - - 6 - - - - 10
Snow Bunting 375 56 103 40 1 75 668 500
Northrn Cardinal 11 10 41 10 8 7 9 8
Rd-wngd Blckbrd 1 - 5 - - - 3 5
Eastrn Meadwlrk - - 1 - - - - -
Rusty Blackbird - - 3 - - - 2 -
Common Grackle - - 1 - - - 1 -
Brn-hdd Cowbird 1 - - - 22 - 17 -
Pine Grosbeak - - - 1 - 3 - -
Purple Finch - - 3 5 - 1 - 3
House Finch - 1 98 - 17 6 30 53
Common Redpoll - - 5 - - - - 5
Pine Siskin 2 13 - - - - - -
Amer Goldfinch 107 52 142 119 114 63 44 358
Evening Grosbeak - - - - - - - -
House Sparrow 68 41 261 51 177 31 127 174
Scaup (sp) - - 50 - - - - 1
Gull (sp) - 50 - - - - - -
Totals: Species 42 55 101 33 50 39 56 60
Individuals 2,826 47,322 23,833 1,753 8,244 2,664 5,078 4,705
The Blue Bill Volume 57, No. 1 Page 7
KFN Teen Trip: Mudpuppy Night in Oxford Mills
Drew Sauve, photos by Philina English
On Friday January 8 2010, five warmly
bundled teen naturalists accompanied
by Anne, Mark, and Philina travelled to
the bridge over Kemptville Creek at
Bishops Mills, Ontario, to examine the
Common Mudpuppy where they
congregate below the dam. This is the
best place in Ontario to view these
active aquatic amphibians in winter.
When we arrived the weather was calm
and clear at minus 9C, perfect weather
for a night of exploration. We were
greeted by Fred Schueler and Aleta
Karstad, naturalists researching a
variety of species in the creek.
Fred began by giving the teens
information on the mudpuppies, while
Aleta, using a dip net, filled a
tupperware container with three
mudpuppies for close examination.
Mudpuppy biology was explained
including what they eat (crayfish and
small fish) and where they live. Their
smooth spotted skin and bright red gills
were noticed. This nocturnal species
accumulates here and lays eggs in May
on the undersides of the rocks.
Shortly after learning about the
mudpuppies, the teens began taking
turns heading into the knee-deep water
of the creek on the south side to count
mudpuppies and any other nocturnal
wildlife. It was noticed that the
mudpuppies were mainly found in
crevices in the riverbed, where they
could remain in the fast current and
wait for prey. After each teen got a turn
walking into the river with the wading
boots, they moved to the north side of
the creek to count and explore the river
again. They noticed that the mudpuppy
population there was much higher than
on the south side of the river. In total
about 50 Mudpuppies were recorded.
Then the teens began to pack up and say
goodbye to Fred and Aleta. They made a
pit-stop on the way home at Tim
Horton’s, and completed their field
notebooks, including sketches of these
the largest Canadian salamander. A
short ride, arriving back in Kingston
around midnight, completed the field
trip
Page 8 March 2010
Yearly List of Birds – KFN 2009
Ron D. Weir
There were 280 species of birds seen in
2009 within the 50-km-radius circle
centred in MacDonald Park, Kingston,
compared with the 29 year average
(1980-2008) of 280. The distribution over
the past 29 years is given in Table 1
Table 1: Annual total bird species for
the Kingston area 1980 to 2009
Year Total Year Total
1980 278 1995 280
1981 277 1996 285
1982 276 1997 283
1983 282 1998 283
1984 285 1999 278
1985 271 2000 282
1986 277 2001 285
1987 279 2002 287
1988 270 2003 282
1989 273 2004 280
1990 279 2005 278
1991 281 2006 274
1992 281 2007 272*
1993 293 2008 272
1994 283 2009 280
*In the list for 2007 (Blue Bill 55 (1)
(2008)), a total of 270 species was shown.
Since then, two additional species were
reported for 2007, which are Red
Phalarope (1) and Parasitic Jaeger (1) on
16Sep07 at Henderson, NY.
In 2009, one new species, White Ibis,
was added to the list, which stands at
374. Rarities reported in 2009 include
Western Grebe, Little Blue Heron,
Glossy Ibis, Black Vulture, Harlequin
Duck, White-eyed Vireo, Townsend’s
Solitaire, Yellow-throated Warbler,
Worm-eating Warbler, Kentucky
Warbler, Yellow-breasted Chat, Lark
Sparrow, Lark Bunting.
Other good finds not seen every year
were Cackling Goose, Barrow’s
Goldeneye, Sandhill Crane, Marbled
Godwit, Western Sandpiper, Lesser
Black-backed Gull, Great Gray Owl,
Boreal Owl, Tufted Titmouse,
Connecticut Warbler, Hooded Warbler,
Summer Tanager, Nelson’s Sharp-tailed
Sparrow.
Among the species missed were eiders,
Willet, Purple Sandpiper, Red
Phalarope, three-toed woodpeckers, and
Brewer’s Blackbird.
Table 2. Species seen in the Kingston
area in 2009, first sighting, observers
Species Date Observer
Red-thrtd Loon 26 Apr JHE, RDW
Common Loon 06 Jan KFN
Pied-billed Grebe 26 Mar EB
Horned Grebe 03May KFN
Red-nckd Grebe 01 Jan JS
Dble-cr Cormornt 26 Mar EB
American Bittern 27 Apr PJG
Least Bittern 13 Jun KFN
Grt Blue Heron 08 Jan PM et al.
Great Egret 31 Mar NS
Lttle Blue Heron 13 May EF
Green Heron 22 Apr NLB
The Blue Bill Volume 57, No. 1 Page 9
Species Date Observer
Blk-crnd Nt-Hern 27 Apr KFN
Glossy Ibis 26 Oct JW
White Ibis 06 Oct BRp
Black Vulture 23 Mar VPM
Turkey Vulture 04 Mar NLB
Grt Wht-fr Goose 17 Mar RTS
Snow Goose 08 Mar DB
Canada Goose 01 Jan KFN
Cackling Goose 28 Mar RTS
Brant 12 May JHE, BR
Mute Swan 06 Jan KFN
Trumpeter Swan 06 Jan KFN
Tundra Swan 02 Jan KFN
Wood Duck 06 Jan VPM
Gadwall 01 Jan VPM
Amer Wigeon 01 Jan KFN
Amer Blk Duck 01 Jan KFN
Mallard 01 Jan KFN
Bl-wngd Teal 09 Apr KFN
North Shoveler 28 Mar RTS
North Pintail 01 Jan KFN
Grn-winged Teal 06 Jan PM
Canvasback 04 Nov BH, JP
Redhead 01 Jan KFN
Rng-nckd Duck 06 Jan VPM
Greater Scaup 01 Jan KFN
Lesser Scaup 01 Jan KFN
Harlequin Duck 29 Apr MB
Surf Scoter 16 Jan KFN
Wt-wngd Scoter 02 Jan KFN
Black Scoter 01 Jan JS
Lng-tailed Duck 01 Jan KFN
Bufflehead 01 Jan KFN
Comm Gldeneye 01 Jan KFN
Brrws Goldeneye 07 Mar NL
Hood Merganser 01 Jan KFN
Species Date Observer
Comm Mergansr 01 Jan KFN
Red-br Mergansr 01 Jan KFN
Ruddy Duck 21 Oct NLB
Virginia Rail 27 Apr KFN
Sora 27 Apr KFN
Comm Moorhen 24 Apr KFN
American Coot 01 Jan KFN
Sandhill Crane 14 Mar CG
Osprey 27 Mar RDW
Bald Eagle 01 Jan KFN
Northern Harrier 02 Jan KFN
Shrp-shnnd Hwk 02 Jan LN, MC
Cooper’s Hawk 02 Jan KFN
Northrn Goshwk 04 Jan PM
Rd-shldrd Hawk 20 Jan BRp
Brd-wngd Hawk 20 Apr DR
Red-tailed Hawk 01 Jan JHE, RDW
Rgh-leggd Hawk 01 Jan KFN
Golden Eagle 16 Jan NM et al.
American Kestrel 02 Jan KFN
Merlin 20 Jan DR
Gyrfalcon 03 Mar BE et al.
Peregrine Falcon 07 Jan CG
Rng-nck Pheasnt 02 Jan KFN
Ruffed Grouse 22 Jan LN, MC
Wild Turkey 01 Jan KFN
Blck-belld Plover 11 May RTS
Am Gldn-plover 07 Jun JHE
Semipalm Plover 16 May KFN
Killdeer 08 Mar EB, BR
Grtr Yellowlegs 09 Apr KFN
Lsser Yellowlegs 27 Apr KFN
Solitary Sandpipr 29 Apr MC
Spotted Sandpipr 25 Apr RTS
Upland Sandpipr 11 Apr RT
Whimbrel 24 May KFN
Page 10 March 2010
Species Date Observer
Hudson Godwit 04 Oct JHE, RDW
Spotted Sandpipr 25 Apr RTS
Upland Sandpipr 11 Apr RT
Whimbrel 24 May KFN
Hudson Godwit 04 Oct JHE, RDW
Marbled Godwit 16 May KFN
Ruddy Turnstone 28 May RTS
Red Knot 31 May RTS
Sanderling 24 May JHE, RDW
Smiplm Sandpipr 16 May KFN
Westrn Sandpipr 06 Sep RDW
Least Sandpiper 30 Apr RTS
Wt-rmp Sandpipr 27 May BMD
Baird’s Sandpiper 23 Aug BMD et al.
Pectoral Sandpipr 19 Jul RDW
Dunlin 21 May RTS
Stilt Sandpiper 06 Sep HE
Bf-brstd Sandpipr 12 Sep JHE,RDW
Sh-billd Dowitchr 22 May JHE, BR
Lg-billd Dowitchr 12 Sep RDW
Wilson’s Snipe 22 Apr AA
Amer Woodcock 19 Mar EB
Wlsn’s Phalarope 27 Apr KFN
Rd-nkd Phalrope 02 Jun JHE, BR
Little Gull 22 Apr RTS
Bonaparte’s Gull 02 Apr JHE
Ring-billed Gull 01 Jan KFN
Thayer’s Gull 13 Jan RJ, JC
Herring Gull 01 Jan KFN
Iceland Gull 01 Jan KFN
Lsr Blck-bkd Gull 20 Apr DVW, DA
Glaucous Gull 02 Jan KFN
Grt Blk-bckd Gull 02 Jan KFN
Caspian Tern 11 Apr RTS
Common Tern 18 May RTS
Species Date Observer
Common Tern 18 May RTS
Forster’s Tern 01 Oct BH
Black Tern 03 May JHE, RDW
Rock Pigeon 01 Jan VPM
Mourning Dove 01 Jan KFN
Blck-blld Cuckoo 15 May RTS
Yllw-blld Cuckoo 18 May MC
East Screech Owl 22 Feb MC
Grt Horned Owl 16 Feb MM
Snowy Owl 01 Jan KFN
Barred Owl 01 Feb BMD
Great Gray Owl 15 Jan BMaillet
Long-eared Owl 01 Jan CL
Short-eared Owl 01 Jan CL
Boreal Owl 01 Jan CL
N Saw-whet Owl 01 Jan CL
Comm Nighthwk 23 May MSiol
Whip-poor-will 26 Apr MC, LN
Chimney Swift 25 Apr OW
Rby-t Hmmngbd 03 May JHE
Belted Kingfisher 27 Jan MC et al.
Rd-hd Woodpckr 15 May SD
Rd-bel Woodpckr 02 Jan KFN
Ylw-bel Sapsuckr 05 Apr KFN
Dwny Woodpckr 01 Jan KFN
Hairy Woodpckr 01 Jan KFN
Northern Flicker 02 Jan KFN
Pileated Wdpckr 08 Jan RTS
Olv-sid Flycatchr 10 May DO
E Wood-Pewee 20 May RTS
Ylw-bel Flycatchr 17 May KFN
Alder Flycatcher 03 May KFN
Willow Flycatchr 24 May JHE, RDW
Least Flycatcher 25 Apr RTS
Eastern Phoebe 17 Mar HE
The Blue Bill Volume 57, No. 1 Page 11
Species Date Observer
Gt-crstd Flycatchr 27 Apr KFN
Eastern Kingbird 23 Apr KFN
Lggrhead Shrike 27 Mar AC
Northern Shrike 01 Jan KFN
White-eyed Vireo 27 Apr DO
Yllw-thrtd Vireo 29 Apr BMD
Blu-hd Vireo 26 Apr KFN
Warbling Vireo 27 Apr KFN
Phildlphia Vireo 13 May DO
Red-eyed Vireo 08 May MC
Blue Jay 01 Jan KFN
American Crow 01 Jan KFN
Common Raven 03 Jan PJG
Horned Lark 02 Jan KFN
Purple Martin 23 Apr FA, HE
Tree Swallow 28 Mar KFN
N Rg-wgd Swllw 15 Apr DR
Bank Swallow 25 Apr RTS
Cliff Swallow 23 Apr RTS
Barn Swallow 10 Apr RTS
Bk-cpd Chickdee 01 Jan KFN
Tufted Titmouse 20 May J&BM
Red-br Nuthatch 01 Jan KH
Wht-br Nuthatch 01 Jan KFN
Brown Creeper 02 Jan VPM
Carolina Wren 18 Mar MC, LMc
House Wren 27 Apr KFN
Winter Wren 02 Jan KFN
Sedge Wren 08 May DO
Marsh Wren 23 Apr FA, HE
Gldn-crn Kinglet 02 Jan KFN
Rby-crn Kinglet 16 Jan KFN
Bl-gry Gnatcatchr 27 Apr MC
Eastern Bluebird 03 Jan EB
Twnsnd’s Solitair 12 Jan JP
Veery 27 Apr RTS
Species Date Observer
Gry-chkd Thrush 11 May DO
Swainsn’s Thrush 13 May DO
Hermit Thrush 02 Jan KFN
Wood Thrush 26 Apr JHE, RDW
American Robin 04 Jan MMumby
Varied Thrush 01 Feb SP
Gray Catbird 26 Apr JHE, RDW
Nor Mockingbird 24 Apr JSB
Brwn Thrasher 02 Jan JHE, RDW
Europ Starling 01 Jan VPM
American Pipit 16 Sep DO
Bohmn Waxwing 10 Jan PM et al.
Cedar Waxwing 01 Jan LN
Bl-wngd Wrblr 03 May RDW
Gld-wngd Wrblr 29 Apr RTS
Tennessee Wrblr 03 May KFN
Orng-crwn Wrblr 02 May MC
Nashville Warblr 25 Apr RTS
Northern Parula 28 Apr MC
Yellow Warbler 25 Apr MC
Chstnt-sd Wrblr 02 May MC
Magnolia Warblr 27 Apr LM, MM
Cape May Warblr 29 Apr RTS
Bk-thrtd Bl Wrblr 25 Apr RTS
Yllw-rmpd Wrblr 01 Jan KH
Bk-trtd Grn Wrblr 26 Apr MC
Blckbrnian Wrbler 27 Apr RTS
Yllw-thrtd Wrblr 04 May VR
Pine Warbler 11 Apr PM
Prairie Warbler 22 May MC
Palm Warbler 27 Apr KFN
Bay-brstd Wrbler 16 May KFN
Blkpoll Warbler 09 May DO
Cerulean Warbler 03 May BMD
Blk-and-wt Wrblr 25 Apr RTS
Amer Redstart 29 Apr NLB
Page 12 March 2010
Species Date Observer
Wm-eatg Wrbler 25 Apr AS, EB
Ovenbird 28 Apr MC
North Wtrthrush 25 Apr JSB
Louis Wtrthrush 08 May JHE, BR
Kentucky Wrbler 27 Jun GS
Cnnecticut Wrblr 24 May JHE, RDW
Mourning Wrbler 17 May KFN
Comm Yellwthrt 27 Apr HE
Hooded Warbler 17 May KFN
Wilson’s Warbler 11 May DO
Canada Warbler 08 May MC
Yllw-brstd Chat 21 May DO
Summer Tanager 10 May DO
Scarlet Tanager 29 Apr RTS
Eastern Towhee 16 Apr KH, GP
Am Tree Sparrw 01 Jan KFN
Chipping Sprrow 02 Apr MC
Cly-clrd Sparrow 08 May BRp
Field Sparrow 14 Apr RTS
Vesper Sparrow 28-Mar RTS
Lark Sparrow 25-Apr DO
Lark Bunting 27-May BMD
Svnnah Sparrow 05 Apr KH
Grsshpr Sparrow 16 May KFN
Hnslw’s Sparrow 05 Jun NL, GS
Nelson’s Sprw 21 Sep BMD
Fox Sparrow 15 Jan RTS
Song Sparrow 05 Jan SD
Lncoln’s Sparrow 15 Apr MC
Swamp Sparrow 05 Apr PJG
Wt-thrtd Sparrow 23 Jan KFN
Wt-crnd Sparrow 11 Jan EB
Dark-eyed Junco 01 Jan KFN
Lapland Longspr 20 Sep MC
Snow Bunting 01 Jan KFN
Northrn Cardinal 02 Jan KFN
Species Date Observer
Rs-brstd Grsbeak 28 Apr PJG, EB
Indigo Bunting 16 Apr RTS
Dickcissel 17 May GS
Bobolink 03 May KFN
Rd-wgd Blackbrd 01 Jan KH
East Meadowlark 19 Mar RMB
Rusty Blackbird 10 Jan SD
Common Grackle 28 Feb NM, IC
Brn-hd Cowbird 16 Mar JH
Orchard Oriole 12 May JHE, BR
Baltimore Oriole 27 Apr KFN
Pine Grosbeak 01 Jan KFN
Purple Finch 01 Jan MC, LN
House Finch 01 Jan KH
Red Crossbill 09 Jan MC
Wt-wgd Crssbill 02 Jan KFN
Common Redpoll 01 Jan LN
Hoary Redpoll 10 Jan EB
Pine Siskin 01 Jan LN
Amer Goldfinch 01 Jan KH
Evening Grsbeak 16 Apr LN, MC
House Sparrow 01 Jan VPM
Table 3: Contributors for 2009
D. Andrews P. Martin
A. Anthony L. McCurdy
F. Avis J.& B. McMahon
M. Bain M. McMurray
E. Batalla L. Miller
J.S. Bolsinger M.A. Miller
I. Cannell N. Murr
J. Cartwright N. Leeds Birders
A. Chabot L. Nuttall
M. Conboy D. Okines
S. David G. Paul
B.M. Dilabio J. Pleizier
J.H. Ellis D. Raynor
The Blue Bill Volume 57, No. 1 Page 13
H. Evans B. Ripley (BRp)
B. Ewald V. Rohwer
E. Fletcher B.Rowe (BR)
P.J. Good J. Scott
C. Grooms A. Simmons
K. Hennige G. Smith
B. Holden N. Snider
J. Hopkins R.T. Sprague
R. John R. Tkachuck
Kingston Field Nats O. Weir
N. Leone R.D. Weir
C. Lyons D.V. Weseloh
E. Machell J. Wimperis
V.P. Mackenzie
Winter Field Trip to Chaffey’s Lock and Queen’s University
Biological Station
Mark Andrew Conboy, photo by Rose-Marie Burke
The Kingston Field Naturalists’ winter
field trip to Chaffey’s Lock and Queen’s
University Biological Station (QUBS)
took place on February 6, 2010. There
were four members in attendance on
this clear sunny and cold morning; the
temperature was -13oC, with a windchill
of -22oC. We drove to Chaffey’s Lock by
way of Perth and Opinicon Roads.
There was little wildlife to be seen en
route aside from white-tailed deer,
American crows, black-capped
chickadees and a common raven.
Our luck changed at Chaffey’s lock,
where there were eight trumpeter swans
at the ice edge. A lone Canada goose
which has been present all winter was
dwarfed alongside the enormous bulk
of the swans. A male belted kingfisher
has also been at the lock all winter. On
the day of our trip a female kingfisher
had joined him. The male chased the
female on several occasions, suggesting
that there may be strong competition for
food and perches in the dead of winter.
There were two bald eagles perched in a
large oak overlooking Opinicon Lake.
Only a few landbirds could be found in
the trees around the lock station: one
downy woodpecker, one brown creeper,
some black-capped chickadees and a
few rock pigeons. There was river otter
scat and tracks at end of the point on the
east side of the lock. Other signs of
animals at Chaffey’s included white-
tailed deer, fisher, American red squirrel
and eastern grey squirrel.
Page 14 March 2010
We took a walk on the Bonwill Tract,
part of QUBS. Most KFN members
know this area, across from the Skycroft
Campground on Opinicon Road, as one
of the best locations for finding cerulean
warblers, yellow-throated vireos,
yellow-billed cuckoos and other highly
sought-after breeding birds. In spring it
is easy to hear more than two dozen
species of birds singing and calling on
the Bonwill Tract; in early February of
course the situation is much different.
Aside from a few black-capped
chickadees and the odd calling pileated
woodpecker, the woods were quiet.
We followed the Red Gate Trail north,
stopping occasionally to sort through
exposed leaf litter in search of
hibernating frogs and insects. We found
none. There were tracks belonging to
white-tailed deer, fisher and American
red squirrels plus some left by coyotes, a
northern raccoon, a red fox and various
small mammals.
Despite looking carefully for any insect
life we found only one insect, a larval
alderfly in Rivendale Creek. At Two
Island Flats (formerly a small lake) I had
hoped to find tracks of short-tailed
weasel, which I had noticed there
several times in the winter. The flats
were crisscrossed with many fox tracks
but no weasel tracks. Because of the
bitter wind we did not linger long on
the flats. Just as we were leaving an
adult bald eagle flew overhead.
Although it was a cold day and wildlife
sightings were few, the trip was a great
opportunity for everyone to brush up on
their tracking skills and share a wealth
of natural history stories.
Wood Duck Boxes at the Helen Quilliam Sanctuary: Initial Work
Preparations for a Teens' Project
Rose-Marie Burke and Anne Robertson
Wednesday February 10, 2010 was a
cloudy winter day, but it didn’t deter us
from heading to a pond in the Helen
Quilliam Sanctuary to put up base poles
for four Wood Duck boxes donated by
Ducks Unlimited. This work was in
preparation for a Teen Naturalists’
outing the following Saturday, when
they would attach the boxes and
predator guards to the upper poles and
place them on the bases. Anne
Robertson, Erwin Batalla, Peter Good
and I gathered together equipment,
tools and supplies and met at the
Sanctuary that morning. We pulled our
first load out of the vehicles: Anne had a
large backpack full of tools and
hardware, Peter carried the post driver,
all 50 lbs or so of it, on his shoulder,
Erwin carried a ladder, and I carried my
big steel pry bar, a bag of tools and my
small backpack with camera.
We entered the property near the Helen
Quilliam Sanctuary sign at the south
end of the Sanctuary and followed the
"new" trail to the junction with the
Roland Beschel trail, and then south
The Blue Bill Volume 57, No. 1 Page 15
before cutting off west to the beaver
pond. There was not much snow on the
ground, although some places where it
had melted and re-frozen were rather
slippery. A trail always seems longer
and steeper when you’re carrying a
load, and by the time we reached the
pond I was sure we had walked farther
than the kilometer we had covered.
When we reached the pond we
examined the positions for the boxes
previously planned for with CRCA and
subsequently mapped by Ducks
Unlimited, then headed back to the
vehicles for the rest of the supplies. I
decided to follow Anne, knowing that
she was familiar with the Sanctuary,
and she led me back along ponds and a
stream on a much flatter and easier trail
than the one on which we had entered.
We gathered up our second load: the
base poles, one of the nest boxes, a
predator guard and more hardware,
and headed back to the pond on Anne’s
route, admiring the scenery, an ice fall,
and many animal tracks along the way.
Our work began by chipping a hole
through the 6-inch-thick ice with the
steel pry bar. Then we stuck the base
pole through the hole down into the
mud, and began to pound it down with
the post driver. In some places where
the water was shallow Erwin or Peter
got up on the ladder to get it started, as
the poles are about 12 feet long.
When we had the first base pole in place
Anne assembled the box and predator
guard and bolted them to the upper
pole, as she wanted to be familiar with
the setup before bringing the Teen
Naturalists to assemble the remaining
boxes. While she worked on this I
helped Peter and Erwin install the
remaining three bases.
It’s a bit of a guessing game as to where
to put the base, as there’s no way of
seeing through 6 inches of ice what’s on
the bottom of the pond. We looked at
stumps and nearby rocks to try to
determine where we might hit a clear
spot, but hit logs in four of eight
Page 16 March 2010
attempts. At one point we drove the
pole pretty hard into a log, and it took
quite a bit of yanking and twisting to get
it back out again.
By the time we had the last base pole in
place Anne had finished assembling the
Wood Duck box, and Peter and Erwin
lifted it into place. The boxes and
support poles are designed for easy
cleaning, just lift it out in winter, open
the box and clean it out, and replace it.
It’s getting the boxes into place that
requires a little more work.
We finished our project by noon,
gathered up our tools and headed back
to the vehicles. Erwin invited us to join
him at his house for coffee. We ended
by watching the birds at his feeder
while sipping fresh hot coffee and
enjoying Alexandra’s home baking.
Wood Duck Nest Box Installation and Cleanout
Adam Rossiter, photos by Rose-Marie Burke
On Saturday, February 13, under partly
overcast skies, 6 teen naturalists joined
Anne and Diane on a trip to install 3
new Wood Duck nest boxes and clean
out 3 others at the Helen Quilliam
Sanctuary.
The new
boxes were
donated by
Ducks
Unlimited
Canada, a
non profit
organization
working to
conserve
wetlands for
North
America’s
wildlife.
Preservation
of wetlands is extremely important, as
they offer a variety of ecological niches
for species ranging from
microorganisms to mammals and
plants. Wetlands are also used by birds,
as they make their nests in them, and
find food and cover.
Wood Ducks (Aix sponsa) need wetlands
to survive. At the beginning of the 20th
century Wood Duck numbers decreased
due to habitat loss and because their
plumage and meat were sought after.
Widespread
construction
and erection of
nest boxes
returned the
population to
sustainable
numbers. Nest
boxes remain
very important,
as more than 80
per cent of the
original
wetlands in
eastern Canada
have been lost.
Nest box programs have been effective
in increasing local breeding populations.
Our boxes were mounted on steel poles,
chosen over trees because they are
harder for predators to climb and
because their location can be chosen.
The Blue Bill Volume 57, No. 1 Page 17
Wood Ducks prefer nesting over water
as their young climb to the nest entrance
and jump out the day after they hatch.
Water provides a soft landing spot.
Baby ducks are quite self-sufficient at
this time, they can swim and find food.
On the Wednesday before the teen trip,
a group had driven base poles through
the ice on the pond chosen for the nest
boxes (about 20 minutes from the road).
Into these base poles the teen group slid
a second steel pole, to which we
attached the nest boxes and a predator
guard, a large double sheet of steel, to
reduce the chance of the eggs being
eaten by predators such as raccoons and
snakes and reduce the chance of the hen
abandoning the nest.
The boxes installed were made of thick
cedar, which is resistant to weather and
insects. They measured 9.25” by 23.5”,
with an entrance hole of 3” by 4”. The
size of the nest box’s entrance hole is
important, as it reduces the chance of
predation, and keeps smaller birds
(European Starlings, for example) from
nesting in the boxes. The two pole
design enables the pole holding the nest
box to be slid out, allowing the nest box
to be lowered, inspected and cleaned.
Winter is the best time for inspection
and cleanout, as boxes on the frozen
water become accessible. Removing old
material and debris from the boxes is
important, as Wood Ducks are cavity
nesting ducks, which do not carry
nesting material. Because of this, we put
3 to 4 inches of wood shavings in the
bottom of each nest box. Hens will not
choose to nest in a box if there are no
wood shavings, as eggs could freeze.
Sawdust is never used for this purpose
as it can suffocate newly hatched
ducklings. Winter inspection is also
important to understanding the success
of the nest box. One can find several
clues to the nest box being occupied.
They include the presence of light
colored duck down, small eggshell
fragments and opaque shell membranes.
After installing the boxes, we took a
break for lunch, returning to the cars.
On the way we found some coughed up
Woodpecker pellets full of ant skeletons,
and heard a raven. While eating lunch
we hoped to see an otter, but
unfortunately didn’t (we did however
see two Tundra Swans earlier).
After lunch we hiked to a different pond
to clean out and inspect 4 nest boxes
which were put up in 1991. Their
different design required us to bring a
ladder, and climb up to each box, which
was attached to a tree. The new two-
pole nest box system will save time and
make it easier to check on the nest boxes
in future years.
The tree to which box 91/11 was
attached had died and fallen over, so we
removed the predator guard and box
and took them away, to be re-used in a
Page 18 March 2010
different location. In box 91/5 we found
4 unhatched Hooded Merganser eggs.
This means that most likely several
ducklings survived, as Hooded
Mergansers will typically lay a clutch of
7-12 eggs. The eggs were identified by
size (measured with calipers), colour
and luster.
After cleaning out and putting fresh
wood shavings into all the older boxes
we departed for Kingston after a great,
productive day.
Mid-winter Waterfowl Inventory (2010): Kingston 10 Jan 2010
Ron D. Weir
The Mid-Winter Waterfowl Inventory
(MWWI) was carried out throughout
North America during the second week
of January. In Kingston the weekend of
the census saw sunny and cloudy
conditions and temperatures from -20C
to -4C and some brisk N-NW winds.
Visibility was good. Eighteen observers
surveyed the Kingston region from
Mallorytown Landing on the east to
Prince Edward Point on the west. Very
low temperatures during the two days
preceding the count resulted in freezing
of the inshore water of the rivers and
Lake Ontario. This served to concentrate
waterfowl and made counting easier.
Sections covered from land were the St.
Lawrence River from Mallorytown
Landing to Ivy Lea (mostly frozen), Hill
Island to Gananoque (mostly frozen),
Howe Island, Wolfe Island, Cataraqui
River (frozen), Rideau system (frozen
except at locks), Amherst Island
(extensive ice cover), Kingston
waterfront from Treasure Island to
Collins Bay (mostly frozen), Bath Road
from Collins Bay to Glenora (partly
frozen), Hay Bay (frozen), Waupoos
peninsula (partially frozen) and Prince
Edward Point (open).
From the air, sections covered were the
St. Lawrence River from Ivy Lea to
Kingston, offshore sections of Wolfe and
Amherst Islands, and offshore islands
and adjacent areas of Waupoos and
Prince Edward Point, and the Bay of
Quinte.
Participants were Erwin Batalla, Kevin
Bleeks, Kathleen Burtch, Sharon David,
The Blue Bill Volume 57, No. 1 Page 19
Joel Ellis, Hugh Evans, Barb and Chris
Heffernan, Bea and Jay McMahon,
Shirley and Gerald Paul, Bruce Ripley,
Bud Rowe, Ken Ross, Alex Simmons,
Barb and Ron Weir.
Table 1. Waterfowl Summary for Kingston 09/10 January 2010 KFN & CWS
Species
Rid. &
Catar.
Riv.
Ivy
Lea
Howe
Isl.
Kngstn
Amh.
Isl.
Wolfe
Isl.
Bath
Rd.
Hay
Bay Waupoos
Prince
Edward
Point
Bay of
Quinte Totals
Common Loon - - - - - - - - - 1 - 1
Dbl-Crst Crmrnt - - - - - - - - - 1 - 1
Canada Goose - 171 4 187 223 448 15,520 - 98 365 - 17016
Mute Swan - 4 4 - 11 27 27 - 40 2 - 115
Tundra Swan - - - 15 55 382 45 - 225 42 - 764
swan (sp) - - - - - 50 - - 15 30 - 95
Gadwall - 12 - 140 68 80 - - - 5 - 305
Amer. Wigeon - 4 - 1 - - - - - - - 5
Black Duck - 25 97 95 113 565 126 - 74 133 - 1228
Mallard 2 32 88 1486 185 697 382 - 325 100 - 3297
N. Pintail - - - 1 - - 1 - - - - 2
Grn-wngd Teal - - - 1 - - - - - - - 1
(dabblers) - - 190 - - - 713 - 15 55 - 333
Redhead - - - - - - 1 5 - - 6
Rng-nckd Duck - - - 35 - - - - - - - 35
Grtr Scaup - 1 - 5 - - - - 1 15600 - 15607
Lssr Scaup - - - 2 - - - - - - - 2
Scaup sp. - - - 443 40 1557 - - - - - 2040
Surf Scoter - - - - - - - - - 1 - 1
Wt-wngd. Scoter - - - - - - - - - 75 - 75
Blck Scoter - - - - - - - - - 1 - 1
Lng-tld Duck - - - - 3 3578 25 - 25 30550 - 34181
Bufflehead - - - 5 12 19 10 - 55 75 - 176
Comm Gldneye - 1433 145 115 284 202 199 - 425 739 - 3542
Brrw’s Gldneye - - - - - 2 - - - - - 2
Hooded Merg - - - 52 - - - - - - - 52
Comm Merg 6 289 6 110 2 1500 50 - 20 10 - 1993
Rd-brstd Merg - 3 - 2 - 15 40 - 100 165 - 325
merganser (sp) - 6320 5423 - 1101 - 256 - - 50 - 13150
Ruddy Duck - - - 2 - - - - - - - 2
Amer Coot - - - 65 - - - - 1 - - 66
Divers - 150 - - 35 - 140 - 100 2500 - 2925
Totals 8 8444 5957 2762 2132 9122 17535 - 1524 50500 - 97984
Party hours 2 6 2 6 3 4.5 2 - 4 5.5 - 35
Number of obs. 1 4 1 4 2 3 2 - 3 3 - 25
Bald Eagle 0 15 9 0 1 7 7 - 4 5 - 48*
Page 20 March 2010
Details for Table 1:
Bald Eagle: 23 adults, 25
immature
Ivy Lea: Mallorytown Landing
west to bridge, Hill Island, to
Gananoque
Kingston Waterfront: Treasure
Island to Lemoine's Point
Bath Road: Collins Bay to
Glenora Ferry
Hay Bay: south shore Hay Bay
(frozen)
Waupoos: NE peninsula of
Prince Edward county
PEPt: SE peninsula of Prince
Edward county
Bay of Quinte (frozen)
The results in Table 1 were sent to Ken
Ross of the Canadian Wildlife Service.
CWS staff flew over the Kingston area
and located some waterfowl beyond the
access of ground observers, which are
included in Table 1. Sightings of Bald
Eagles from land observers are also
included.
Survey results for Lake Ontario sites
within Canada have been collated by
Mr. Glenn Coady of Toronto. Areas
surveyed were Kingston, Quinte,
Presqu'ile, Port Hope, Durham, Toronto,
Hamilton and Niagara. That summary
was not available in time for this
number of the Blue Bill.
.
Strange Sounds Coming from the Skies
Terry Sprague
There was just a hint of daylight
appearing on the eastern horizon last
spring when my Sheltie/terrier stopped
in her tracks on our early morning walk.
Her keen ears had picked up the sound
long before I had. The sound was a
"peent," and was repeated several times.
It reminded me of a noise made by some
faulty part of an electrical system. This
was a male woodcock, and my dog was
the first to get it on the checklist for the
day. My dog passed away in November,
but during her 15 years, she had been
responsible for many of my first
sightings of the year.
Soon they will be calling everywhere.
You must be on site early in the
morning if you are to catch this strange
performance. However, the woodcock is
not particular about the time of the
night, for once it becomes dark, this
strange noise can be heard any hour of
the night wherever there are open areas
with a few trees about. It is an amazing
ceremony, and is done to woo a female
nearby, waiting to critique his stage
performance. Although the nasal sound,
similar to that of a nighthawk, may
sound unmusical to any of us in the
audience, to the glassy-eyed female
waiting on stage, the pulsating note is
seductive.
Having successfully captured her
attention, he now switches to an even
more bewildering sound, like that of an
unfamiliar frog. Suddenly, he springs
into the air, ascending gracefully into a
widening spiral, accompanied by soft
twittering and musical notes made by
the rush of air past the wings. Reaching
The Blue Bill Volume 57, No. 1 Page 21
an altitude of 300 feet or more in the
night sky, he hangs suspended for a
moment, before fluttering like an oak
leaf back to the ground, this time
singing a few additional notes.
Landing on the ground from where he
began his nuptial flight, he staggers
toward the female, seemingly exhausted
by the effort. If he has been successful in
winning the heart of this fair lady, they
will mate right then and there with what
little energy he has left, or it may take
several such performances before she is
convinced that he is the one and only.
My dog heard all this going on, her
head twisting from side to side as she
tried to process the strange noises
coming from above the cedar trees in
the roadside pasture. I even managed to
catch sight of the bird in the twilight as
it fluttered toward the ground.
The sky dance of the woodcock is no
more unusual though than the bird
itself. At first glance, everything seems
wrong about it. For one thing, it is a
shorebird that rarely goes near the shore
except by accident. Its legs are short and
the bird obviously lost the ability to run
along shorelines with its cousins
thousands of years ago, in favour of
more upland habitat; in fact, the bird
can barely walk at all.
Evolution has even re-positioned
everything in its head. The beak is
positioned where you would expect, at
the front of the head, but seems longer
than it should for a bird of its size. The
beak needs to be long since it spends so
much time buried deep in the mud
extracting worms. The end of the beak is
sensitized with nerve-endings that can
pick up vibrations of worms in the soil.
The tip of the beak can work
independently of the main beak; that is,
the upper and lower mandibles can
wiggle around and snatch a worm,
while the base of the beak remains
tightly closed.
This infatuation with moist soil created
a few problems. With its eyes focussed
on the work at hand, it was subject to
surprise attacks from behind. Over
thousands of years, the eyes have not
only enlarged to work more efficiently
in dim light, but have actually shifted,
more toward the back of the head, so it
can look over its shoulder at the same
time it is probing the earth in front of it.
This has resulted in some further
modifications to the bird since evolution
can't move the eyes without moving
something else to accommodate them. It
was the brain that had to move, and it
now lies sort of upside down in the
bottom of the skull. This meant, too, that
the ears had to move. Ears on birds are
normally behind the eyes. The ears on
Photo by Peter Sporring of Belleville
Page 22 March 2010
the woodcock are in front of the eyes,
and this unique position, foreign to all
other birds, may actually assist in
finding prey.
Woodcocks are indeed strangely
fascinating birds - a bird that hears with
its beak, can see backwards and
forwards, has an upside-down brain,
ears at the front of its head, and sings
with its wings. Turn off the TV and
listen for them some evening this
spring.
Terry Sprague is a naturalist, free-lance
writer and KFN member who lives in
Prince Edward County. See his website
at www.naturestuff.net .
Winter Season 01Dec2009 – 28Feb2010
Ron D. Weir
While most water was frozen solidly by
the second week of January, average
low and high temperatures throughout
the period were above the long-term
normal. Snowfall amounts were also
well below normal. Songbirds became
scarce by early December prior to the
arrival of the colder weather,
presumably having migrated in
response to availability of food.
Species Account
Common Loon: to Jan 09, PEPt, KFN.
Horned Grebe: to Dec 20 Kingston,
KFN.
Red-necked Grebe: to Dec 20 Kingston,
KFN.
Double-crested Cormorant: to Jan 09
PEPt, KFN.
Great Blue Heron: 3 different birds
during December, latest Jan 02 (1)
Amherst I., KFN.
Snow Goose: last ones Dec 26 (17) Ivy
Lea, KFN.
Canada Goose: peaks Dec 19 (10,453)
PEPt, KFN; Jan 10 (17,016) Kingston,
KFN.
Cackling Goose: Dec 01 (2) and Dec 20
(2) Wolfe I., KFN.
Brant: last ones Dec 20 (3) Wolfe I.,
KFN.
Mute Swan: Dec 19 (53) PEPt, KFN; Jan
10 (115) Kingston, KFN.
Tundra Swan: peaks Dec 19 (393) PEPt;
Dec 20 (411) Wolfe I.; Jan 10 (764)
Kingston, KFN.
Wood Duck: to Dec 31 (4) Chaffeys
Lock, MC.
Gadwall: peaks Dec 20 (269), Jan 10
(305) Kingston, KFN.
American Wigeon: to Jan 10 (5)
Kingston, KFN.
The Blue Bill Volume 57, No. 1 Page 23
Black Duck: peak Jan 10 (1228)
Kingston, KFN.
Northern Shoveler: to Dec 20 (6)
Kingston, KFN.
Canvasback: to Dec 20 (3) Kingston,
KFN.
Redhead: peak Dec 20 (3025) Wolfe I.,
KFN.
Ring-necked Duck: peak Dec 16 (130)
Kingston, BMD.
Greater Scaup: peaks Dec 19 (16,864)
PEPt, KFN; Jan 10 (15,607) Kingston,
KFN.
Surf Scoter: Dec 20 (2) Wolfe I., Jan 10
(1) PEPt, KFN, only sightings.
White-winged Scoter: peak Jan 10 (75)
PEPt, KFN.
Black Scoter: Dec 19 (1) PEPt, Dec 20 (5)
Kingston, Jan 10 (1) PEPt, KFN.
Long-tailed Duck: peak Jan 10 (34,181)
PEPt, KFN.
Bufflehead: Dec 19 (222) PEPt, Dec 20
(197) Kingston, Jan 10 (176) Kingston,
KFN.
Common Goldeneye: peaks Dec 19
(1850) PEPt, Dec 20 (1767) Kingston, Jan
10 (3542) Kingston, KFN.
Barrow’s Goldeneye: peak Dec 20 (1 im
male) Wolfe I., GFV, RDW; Dec 30 (1 ad
male) Bath, BRp; Jan 10 (2 ad males)
Kingston, JHE, RDW.
Hooded Merganser: peaks Dec 02 (110)
Elgin, NLB; Dec 20 (773) Kingston, Jan
10 (52) Kingston, KFN.
Common Merganser: peak Jan 12 (5000)
Wolfe I., JHE, BRowe
Ruddy Duck: Dec 1-5 (1 & 2 birds) Hay
Bay, KH, PJG; Dec 2-31 (1) Kingston EB,
BMD; Jan 01-09 (2) Kingston, KFN.
Virginia Rail: Dec 20 (1) Wolfe I., GFV,
RDW.
Osprey: last one Dec 19 (1) PEPt, fide
RTS.
Bald Eagle: Dec (77 in all), peaks Jan 10
(48), KFN; Feb 28 (13) Opinicon, MC.
N. Harrier: peak Dec 20 (20) Kingston,
KFN.
Red-shouldered Hawk: Jan 02 (1)
Amherst I., JHE, RDW.
Red-tailed Hawk: peaks Dec 20 (24)
Kingston; Dec 26 (18) Ivy Lea; Jan 21
(22) Amherst I., KFN.
Golden Eagle: Dec 19 (1 ad) PEPt, JHE,
RDW; Jan 02 (1 ad) Amherst I., JHE,
RDW; Jan 09 (1) Westport, R. Anderson.
Peregrine Falcon: Dec 16 (3) Wolfe I., J
Pleizer, B. Holden; Jan 06 to Feb 05 (1)
Kingston, KFN.
American Woodcock: Dec 20 (1) Wolfe
I., GFV, RDW. (late)
Lesser Black-backed Gull: Dec 10 (1),
16 (1) Kingston, KH, EB.
Barred Owl: Dec (8 in all), Jan 04 to Feb
28 (17 different birds) Kingston, KFN.
Great Gray Owl: Feb 02 (1) Sydenham,
D. Kristensen.
Long-eared Owl: Dec (6 high tally for
the month), Jan 02 (9) Amherst I., KFN.
Short-eared Owl: peaks Dec (23 birds),
Jan 23 (10) Amherst I., KFN.
Boreal Owl: Dec 28 to Feb 28 (1)
Amherst I., KFN.
N. Saw-whet Owl: peaks Dec 16 to Feb
28 (3-4) Amherst I., KFN
N. Flicker: Dec 20 (1) Kingston, Jan 22
(1) Bedford Mills, KFN.
Tufted Titmouse: Dec 01 to Feb 28 (1)
Wilstead near Kingston, LN et al.; Dec 01
to Feb 28 (1) Lyndhurst, KFN; Dec 20 to
Feb 28 (1) Kingston City, O Koroluk;
Dec 01 to Feb 04 (2) Bath, G Gault.
Carolina Wren: Dec 20 (1), Feb 18 (1)
Kingston, KFN, VPM.
Marsh Wren: Dec 20 (2) Wolfe I., KFN.
Ruby-crowned Kinglet: Dec 16 (1)
Amherst I., BMD.
Brown Thrasher: Dec 11 to Jan 10 (1),
Elginburg, EB.
Bohemian Waxwing: Dec 22 (113)
Westport, KFN; Jan 06 (40) Morton,
NLB.
Eastern Towhee: Jan 03(1) Napanee,
KFN; Feb 27 (1) Kingston, N Tate et al.
Pine Grosbeak: Dec 22 (1) Westport,
KFN. Only record.
Purple Finch: very scarce throughout
the period.
Common Redpoll: very scarce.
Pine Siskin: Dec (20 in all), Jan 02 to Feb
28 (5 only) Kingston area, KFN.
Evening Grosbeak: none.
Contributors:
E. Batalla, M. Conboy, M. Ch, B.M.
Dilabio, J.H. Ellis, P.J. Good, K. Hennige,
V.P. Mackenzie, L. Nuttall, B Ripley
(BRp), R.T. Sprague, G.F. Vance, R.D.
Weir, Kingston Field Naturalists 3+,
North Leeds Birdwatchers 3+