Ontario Ottawa/Gatineau 02 September 2008 Birds mentioned:
Redhead Ruddy Duck Wild Turkey Pied-billed Grebe HORNED GREBE AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN Great Egret Osprey Bald Eagle Northern Goshawk Sandhill Crane Common Moorhen American Coot shorebirds (13 spp.) including: Black-bellied Plover American Golden Plover Baird's Sandpiper Pectoral Sandpiper Red-necked Phalarope Bonaparte's Gull Ring-billed Gull Lesser Black-backed Gull Herring Gull Great Black-backed Gull Red-headed Woodpecker Olive-sided Flycatcher Yellow-bellied Flycatcher Blue-headed Vireo Philadelphia Vireo Golden-crowned Kinglet Veery Swainson's Thrush Northern Mockingbird warblers (22 spp.) including: Tennessee Warbler Black-throated Blue Warbler Bay-breasted Warbler Blackpoll Warbler Eastern Towhee White-winged Crossbill Hotline: Ottawa Field-Naturalists' Club Phone number: 613-860-9000 For the Bird Status Line PRESS * (star) To report bird sightings PRESS 1 (one) Rare bird alerts are now included in the introductory message Coverage: Ottawa/Gatineau (Canada National Capital Region) E. Ontario, W. Quebec Compiler & transcriber: Chris Lewis [EMAIL PROTECTED] At 6:00 am, Tuesday September 2, 2008, this is Chris Lewis reporting. User-friendly weather, combined with a few unusual lingerers and a nice influx of migrants, made for a very enjoyable week for birding in the Ottawa-Gatineau area. The AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN was last reported from the large quarry pond on Moodie Dr. south of Trail Rd. on the 28th but may still be present. The HORNED GREBE at the Embrun sewage lagoons was definitely still present as of the 31st. A Great Egret that dropped in at the Moodie Drive pond on the 24th has not been subsequently reported, but one was spotted in a pond at the Connaught Firing Range by Shirley's Bay on the 29th. Four Sandhill Cranes were seen again in a field along Anderson Rd. between Renaud and Dolman Ridge Rds. on the 29th, and an adult of a pair of Northern Mockingbirds that nested at the international airport was most recently seen on the 31st. Although the Ottawa River and the local sewage lagoons continue to have virtually no shorebird habitat, several species of puddle ducks as well as a few Redhead, numerous Ruddy Ducks and many adult and juvenile Pied-billed Grebes, Common Moorhens and American Coots have been noted over the past couple of weeks, especially at the Embrun lagoons which also hosted 2 Red-necked Phalaropes on the 31st. A flock of 18 Wild Turkeys was seen along Munster Rd. on the 31st, Ospreys were again noted in many locations, and individual Bald Eagles have been reported along the Ottawa River from Constance Bay to the Deschenes rapids. An immature Northern Goshawk was spotted at the Britannia Conservation Area on the 26th. The high water levels on the local rivers and lagoons have forced shorebirds to feed at smaller wet areas. Thirteen species, most in low numbers, were reported since the 26th - the most recent additions were Black-bellied Plover, American Golden Plover and Pectoral Sandpiper. Two Baird's Sandpipers were still present at a rapidly drying pond along March Valley Rd. on the 31st. The Moodie Dr. quarry pond continued to host at least 5 Bonaparte's Gulls on the 31st, an adult Lesser Black-backed Gull was loafing with Ring-billed and Herring Gulls at the Irish Hills golf course in Carp the same day, and Great Black-backed Gulls are beginning to arrive in increasing numbers - a sign of the seasons to come! Interesting land birds included the following: At least one adult and one juvenile Red-headed Woodpecker were very active and vocal in Constance Bay on the 31st. Olive-sided and Yellow-bellied Flycatchers were seen again in the Britannia Conservation Area on the 27th and 30th. Multiple Blue-headed and Philadelphia Vireos were noted in several locations over the weekend, and several Veerys and Swainson's Thrushes were heard in flight in the wee hours of the 31st. Britannia was hopping with warblers from the 26th to the 30th, especially along the "ridge" by the river; 22 species have now been reported from this location - Tennessee, Black-throated Blue, Bay-breasted and Blackpoll Warblers were the latest arrivals. The Thomas Dolan Parkway through the Carp hills was also productive for a good variety of passerines on the 31st, with Eastern Towhee, Golden-crowned Kinglet and White-winged Crossbill among the highlights. Thank you - Good Birding! _______________________________________________ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to ONTBIRDS mailing list [email protected] For instructions to join or leave ONTBIRDS visit http://www.ofo.ca/information/ontbirdssetup.php ONTBIRDS Guidelines may be viewed at http://www.ofo.ca/information/ontbirdsguide.php
