- RBA * Ontario * Ottawa/Gatineau * 30 October 2005 * ONOT0510.30
- Birds mentioned Red-Necked Grebe Red-throated Loon Common Loon Horned Grebe Cackling Goose GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE Snow Goose ROSS'S GOOSE Brant Canvasback Redhead HARLEQUIN DUCK Long-tailed Duck Black Scoter Barrow's Goldeneye Ruddy Duck Red-tailed Hawk Golden Eagle Iceland Gull Lesser Black-backed Gull Glaucous Gull Red-headed Woodpecker Boreal Chickadee Lapland Longspur - Transcript hotline: Ottawa Field-Naturalists' Club date: 30 October 2005 number: 613-860-9000 for the status line : press 2 for rare bird alerts: press 1 to report a sighting: press # coverage: Ottawa/Gatineau (Can. Nat. Capital Reg.), E.Ont., W.Que. compiler : Chris Lewis [EMAIL PROTECTED] transcriber: Chris Lewis [EMAIL PROTECTED] internet : Gordon Pringle [EMAIL PROTECTED] OFNC BIRD STATUS LINE - SUN OCT 30 2005 AT 6:30 PM This is Chris Lewis reporting. A phenomenal week for waterfowl, with 32 species reported out of the 34 seen in the entire year of 2005 in the Ottawa-Gatineau area! A GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE was seen almost daily at the large pond on Moodie Dr. south of Trail Rd. from the 23rd until at least the 29th and another was on the Ottawa River at Andrew Haydon Park on the 28th and 29th. A ROSS'S GOOSE also continued to hold on here until at least the 29th, among a growing number of both Greater and Lesser Snow Geese. Several flocks of Brant dropped in briefly at the Moodie Dr. pond and on the Ottawa River over the past week, and Cackling Geese were reported from both locations, with 7 seen from the east end of Andrew Haydon on the 29th. Of the 26 species of ducks that were reported, the most spectacular were 2 adult male HARLEQUIN DUCKS above the Des Chenes rapids, seen from the Quebec side at the south end of Vanier St. on the 28th and 29th. At least 3 Canvasbacks and several Redhead were on the Moodie Dr. pond this weekend, along with approx. 30 Ruddy Ducks. A large movement of Black Scoters occurred on the 28th, with several groups totalling over 600 mostly male birds seen on the Ottawa River from Dick Bell Park. Long-tailed Ducks are now present on the Ottawa River. A male Barrow's Goldeneye was still at Remic rapids on the 29th, and was joined by a male hybrid Barrow's X Common Goldeneye. A REMINDER REGARDING THE MOODIE DR. POND: This pond is in a sand & gravel operation on private property. Most of the birds can be seen from the road, so please do not cross the gate. Other water-birds of note included 2 Red-throated Loons on the Ottawa River at Dick Bell and Andrew Haydon Parks on the 28th and 1 at Constance Bay on the 29th, 2 Common Loons at Shirley's Bay on the 30th, and increasing numbers of Horned and Red-Necked Grebes on the river as well. The most exciting raptor of the week was a Golden Eagle soaring over the Trail Rd. landfill on the 29th, and an adult dark-morph Red-tailed Hawk that has evidently returned to the Gatineau airport for its 3rd winter was seen here on the 24th. Several Lesser Black-backed Gulls continue to be seen regularly, with a high count of 15 on the Ottawa River between Britannia Beach and Shirley's Bay on the 27th. An adult Glaucous Gull was at Des Chenes rapids on the 27th, and a 1st-winter Iceland Gull was on the river at Andrew Haydon on the 29th. Four Red-headed Woodpeckers were seen at Constance Bay on the 29th, and the most interesting songbird reports were of BOREAL CHICKADEES - one at Britannia Beach on the 27th and one behind the Chelsea visitor's centre in Gatineau Park on the 29th. At least 10 Lapland Longspurs were in a field along Barnsdale Rd. at Twin Elm Rd. also on the 29th. Thank you - Good Birding! - End transcript
