- RBA
* Ontario
* Ottawa/Gatineau
* 24 March 2003
* ONOT0303.24
- Birds mentioned
Great Blue Heron
Canada Goose
Turkey Vulture
Northern Harrier
Red-tailed Hawk
Golden Eagle
Peregrine Falcon
Killdeer
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Great Horned Owl
Snowy Owl
Common Raven
Carolina Wren
American Robin
Song Sparrow
Red-winged Blackbird
Common Grackle
Brown-headed Cowbird
Purple Finch
White-winged Crossbill
- Transcript
hotline: Ottawa Field-Naturalists' Club
date: 24 March 2003
number: 613-860-9000 press 2
to report: 613-860-9000 press #
coverage: Ottawa/Gatineau (Can. Nat. Capital Reg.), E.Ont., W.Que.
compilers : Bev McBride
: Colin Bowen [EMAIL PROTECTED]
: Chris Lewis
transcriber: Michelle Martin [EMAIL PROTECTED]
internet : Gordon Pringle [EMAIL PROTECTED]
OFNC BIRD STATUS LINE MONDAY MARCH 24 AT 9 AM
This is Chris Lewis reporting.
Spring has sprung and many early migrants have arrived en masse.
Since last week, American Robins, Red-winged Blackbirds and Common
Grackles are singing everywhere. Song Sparrows were also singing
in many locations last weekend and the first Brown-headed Cowbirds
of the season were found at Hilda Rd feeder at Shirley's Bay on
March 18.
At least 5 Great Blue Herons were on nest at the Leitrim Wetland
Heronry at High Rd and Albion Rd on the 23rd.
Canada Geese are also starting to return. Several good sized
flocks were in farm fields in the Carp area on the 23rd and a
movement of Red-tailed Hawks occurred on the same day, with
several observed in flight from Huntmar and Richardson Side Rds.
Turkey Vultures were first reported on the 18th from Eardley
escarpment in Québec. Another was seen on the 19th over the
Rockcliffe Airport and on the 23rd, two were migrating together
over the Carp Rd. A male Northern Harrier was present at Earl
Armstrong Rd north of the international airport on the 23rd as
well.
Another sign of spring was the arrival of Killdeers two were in
flooded fields along Donald B Munro in Carp on 23rd.
An unusual species for the season was an adult Lesser Black-backed
Gull on the ice below the Deschenes Rapids with thousands of Ring-
billed Gulls as well as Herring and Great Black-backed Gulls on
the 23rd.
Reports from earlier in the week include a Golden Eagle over the
escarpment at the Eardley-Masham and Bradley Rds on the 19th,
Great Horned Owls in both the Clyde Ave Woods and Britannia Woods
on the 21st and 23rd respectively, two Snowy Owls interacting at
the corner of Aiken's Rd and Eagleson Rd on the 19th and a pair of
Common Ravens at their long time nest site in the quarry at the
north end of Clyde since at least the 19th.
The wintering Carolina Wren in Orleans continues to be seen
sporadically and another Carolina Wren was discovered along the
Ottawa River at Burland St east of Andrew Haydon Park east on the
23rd.
A weekend in the Montpelier area north of Plaisance on the Québec
side produced many White-winged Crossbills in the woods and there
has been a notable increase in the number of Purple Finches
throughout the Ottawa area over the past 2 weeks.
And finally, Ottawa's breeding pair of Peregrine Falcons was
observed mating near their downtown nest site at corner of Albert
and Lyon on both the 19th and 20th.
Welcome spring and good birding.
- End transcript
Gordon Pringle <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
