Ontario
Ottawa/Gatineau
08 January 2009
Birds mentioned:
Barrow's Goldneye
Wild Turkey
Bald Eagle
Cooper's Hawk
RED-SHOULDERED HAWK
Red-tailed Hawk
Rough-legged Hawk
Golden Eagle
GYRFALCON
Peregrine Falcon
Iceland Gull
Glaucous Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Snowy Owl
Northern Hawk Owl
Great Gray Owl
Northern Shrike
Carolina Wren
Bohemian Waxwing
Cedar Waxwing
White-throated Sparrow
Snow Bunting
Brown-headed Cowbird
Pine Grosbeak
Purple Finch
RED CROSSBILL
White-winged Crossbill
Common Redpoll
Pine Siskin
Hotline: Ottawa Field-Naturalists' Club
Phone number: 613-860-9000
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Coverage: Ottawa/Gatineau (Canada National Capital Region) E. Ontario, W.
Quebec
Compiler & transcriber: Chris Lewis [email protected]
At 8:30 am, Thursday January 8, 2009 this is Chris Lewis reporting.
Birders intrepid enough to brave some of the nasty winter weather (and those
fortunate to be able to get out on the few pleasant days) reported some
interesting sightings. A male and female Barrow's Goldeneye are still
present on the Rideau River south of the Hurdman bridge as of at least the
3rd. A flock of 38 Wild Turkeys with some displaying males were seen along
Magladry Rd. near Navan on the 5th. Raptor reports included Bald Eagle,
Cooper's Hawk, Red-tailed and Rough-legged Hawks in various locations, as
well as a RED-SHOULDERED HAWK on the 2nd and 3rd at Huntmar Rd. and Old Carp
Rd. (the same area where one over-wintered last year), a first-year Golden
Eagle at Therien Rd. in the Eardley escarpment of Gatineau Park on the 1st,
a white-morph GYRFALCON flying south towards the river between Eardley and
Quyon in Quebec on the 5th, and a Peregrine Falcon on the R.H. Coats
building at Tunney's Pasture on the 2nd and 4th. Most of the gull action has
been on the Rideau River and at the Trail Rd. landfill where various numbers
of Iceland, Glaucous and Great Black-backed Gulls can be seen. Snowy Owls
were again reported from a few rural areas, and 2 Northern Hawk Owls and a
Great Gray Owl continue to frequent their well-advertised hunting grounds.
A Northern Shrike was spotted at Carling Ave. and Rifle Rd. on the 5th, and
a Carolina Wren has evidently decided to spend its 4th consecutive winter in
the Riverview neighbourhood; it was most recently reported on the 2nd.
Flocks of up to 150 Bohemian Waxwings were noted along Herzberg Rd. as well
as Carling Ave. and Moodie Dr. and also along Huntmar Rd. from the 2nd to
the 5th, and a single Cedar Waxwing appeared on Kilborn Ave. in Alta Vista
on the 4th. A White-throated Sparrow was still actively feeding at the
Central Experimental Farm on the 6th, approx. 200 Snow Buntings were
reported from Carling Ave. and Rifle Rd. on the 5th, and a half dozen
Brown-headed Cowbirds have settled in at a long-time "favourite" winter
feeding station on Russell Rd. in Carlsbad Springs.
It continues to be an entertaining season for winter finch watchers.
White-winged Crossbills are literally everywhere in flocks ranging from a
handful up to 400 birds. Small numbers of Pine Grosbeaks, Purple Finches,
Common Redpolls and Pine Siskins are also widespread, and 2 male RED
CROSSBILLS were noted at Regimbald Rd. at the corner of Sarsfield Rd. north
of Sarsfield on the 5th.
Thank you - Good Birding!
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