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Pat Nighswander
03-18-2008, 12:54 PM
Migration time has started . It is the beginning where the ice is still frozen but if you can find open water you can find some bird action.. It has been a severe late winter ..lots of snow. There is open water in the St. Lawrence near Rockport at the Ivy Lea Bridge and people have reoprted up to 18 eagles . Tnudra and mute swans, golden eyes, geese ,bufflehead, etc. I travelled west to Quinte island and found tundra and mute swans at Welland.. hooded merganser,golden eye, common mergansers.etc.Then continued on along highway 33 in the direction of Brighton for Presqu'lle Provincial park... lots of snow still(in park) but roads were plowed for the water fowl festival the last two weekends..

At the lighthouse there it was a good place for target practice as there was a good supply of fly bys.. also saw pilliated woodpecker, mute swans, hawk, robin, red winged black birds, chickadees, hairy and downy woodpecker..etc someone else had seen the first blue heron that day and an eagle

Presqu'lle Park does have a weekly bird watch list for the rarer birds and you can get this information weekly from Friends of Presqu'ille Park under birding..http://www.etherworx.com/~quinte/presquile/ (http://www.etherworx.com/%7Equinte/presquile/)

Daniel Cadieux
03-20-2008, 04:57 AM
Hi Pat! A few friends and I were in your neck of the woods a few weeks back as we spent a day on Wolfe Island. Lots of winter raptors, and a couple of Ring-necked Pheasants gave us some great looks! Amhesrt Island is also traditionally very good for owls although it seems that it was relatively quiet this year. I always enjoy visiting Kingston...a great town with an awesome waterfront.

Pat Nighswander
03-20-2008, 12:58 PM
Yes there were snowy owls reported on both islands this winter.. and other owls too. There are a lot of places to go at different times.. I only gave a spring report and as the ice melts places to go will be different choices..I am planning a Wolfe island trip soon for spring water fowl and a water fall tour of Qunite island this weekend.. for waterfalls on private properties.. an event open to the public for two weekends sponsered by Picton rotary club..

Wayne Wood
03-24-2008, 07:08 PM
Hi Pat , I spend a lot of time on the family farm near Athens / Lyndhurst area ,,, any suggestions on some places close to there for spring

Pat Nighswander
03-24-2008, 11:21 PM
the first thing that comes to mind is Charleston Lake Provincial Park... nice lake and some nice birds..osprey for sure... hawks ..

http://www.friendsofcharlestonlake.ca/

http://www.friendsofcharlestonlake.ca/pages/flora.html
also so many lakes in the area....

The Rideau canal... and lakes.... and there are several conservation areas and parks along the St, Lawrence river...

thousand island tours out of Rockport and Gananoque

Upper Canada Village...
http://www.ontariotravel.net/TcisCtrl?site=consumers&key1=destinations&key2=Eastern&key3=StLawrenceSeaway&language=EN

Upper Canada bird sanctuary near Morrisburg

St lawrence Islands National Park and Coopers conservation area..to name a few spots..

Stephen Stephen
03-31-2008, 11:28 AM
Yes there were snowy owls reported on both islands this winter.. and other owls too. There are a lot of places to go at different times.. I only gave a spring report and as the ice melts places to go will be different choices..I am planning a Wolfe island trip soon for spring water fowl and a water fall tour of Qunite island this weekend.. for waterfalls on private properties.. an event open to the public for two weekends sponsered by Picton rotary club..

Pat the waterfal tours sound nice. I'm likely late for this year but do they advertise them?

Perhaps I'll be prepared for next time.

Pat Nighswander
03-31-2008, 05:00 PM
the waterfall tours on private properties are put on by rotary club around easter...no cost.. this is the third year they have done it.. My favourite was Cape Vassey on shores of Lake ontario south east corner of the island... they do it for two weekends Saturdays and Sundays 11;00 until 4:00 pm. I opted for the last day because the spring melt has been slow so this was taken yesterday on March 30...

http://usera.imagecave.com/division/0ffw6580b2.jpg