Ontario
Ottawa/Gatineau
17 March 2009
Birds mentioned:
Snow Goose
Canada Goose
TRUMPETER SWAN
Northern Pintail
Long-tailed Duck
Barrow's Goldeneye
Hooded Merganser
Great Blue Heron
Turkey Vulture
Osprey
Bald Eagle
Northern Harrier
Northern Goshawk
Red-shouldered Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Rough-legged Hawk
Golden Eagle
American Kestrel
GYRFALCON
Killdeer
Iceland Gull
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Glaucous Gull
BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKER
Northern Shrike
Common Raven
American Pipit
Bohemian Waxwing
Cedar Waxwing
Song Sparrow
Red-winged Blackbird
Common Grackle
RED CROSSBILL
White-winged Crossbill
Common Redpoll
Hoary Redpoll
Pine Siskin
Evening Grosbeak
Hotline: Ottawa Field-Naturalists' Club
Phone number: 613-860-9000
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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 hagen...@primus.ca
At 8:30 am, Tuesday March 17 2009, this is Chris Lewis reporting.
With the first "official" day of spring nearly upon us, increasing numbers
of migrants continue to arrive. Three Snow Geese including 1 blue morph were
among 1000s of Canada Geese in the fields near Moodie Dr. and Barnsdale Rd
on the 15th and 16th, and a blue morph was seen on the ice of Ottawa River
above Deschenes rapids where many Canadas were also present on the weekend.
Two TRUMPETER SWANS first discovered on the Mississippi River in Carleton
Place on the 6th were seen again north of the Hwy 7 bridge on the 16th.
Other waterfowl species are beginning to trickle in, with a small number of
Northern Pintails and Hooded Mergansers noted since the 10th. A male
Long-tailed Duck was at Deschenes rapids on the 11th, and the male Barrow's
Goldeneye was still on the Rideau River north of the Hurdman bridge as of
the 16th.
The first local Great Blue Heron, Osprey and American Kestrels were reported
on the 10th, the Osprey being very early for the Ottawa area. The first
Turkey Vulture report was on the 12th and additional reports of single birds
came in on the 16th. A Red-shouldered Hawk in the Old Carp Rd . / Huntmar
Rd. area has not been reported for several weeks but was evidently still
present on the 13th. Several Bald Eagles and 2 Golden Eagles were seen in
the Eardley-Masham area of the Gatineau hills on the 15th and a Northern
Goshawk was very vocal and active in the Kerwin Rd. area west of Kanata the
same day. Northern Harriers, Red-tailed and Rough-legged Hawks were noted in
agricultural areas during the past week and a grey morph GYRFALCON was
reported from the Quebec side of the Deschenes rapids on the 15th.
Killdeer were first reported on the weekend, a few Iceland and Glaucous
Gulls are still present on the Ottawa River and the area around the Trail
Rd. landfill and an adult Lesser Black-backed Gull was observed from the
Britannia Yacht Club on the 16th. A male BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKER was seen
again on the 14th, at the property where it wintered in Poland (west of
Lanark). A few Northern Shrikes were reported from diverse locations, Common
Ravens have begun occupying previously known nest sites, and American Pipits
have begun to move through as of the weekend. Song Sparrows are singing,
Red-winged Blackbirds and Common Grackles are now widespread, and although
Bohemian Waxwings are still being reported, a few more Cedar Waxwings have
been seen as well. Pine Grosbeaks, White-winged Crossbills, Common Redpolls
and Pine Siskins continue to grace us with their presence, 2 Hoary Redpolls
were still visiting the feeders by Shirley's Bay on the 10th, and a pair of
RED CROSSBILLS appeared in the vicinity of the Larose forest on the 14th
along with a handful of Evening Grosbeaks.
Thank you - Good Birding!
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