Ontario/Quebec
Ottawa/Gatineau
15 September 2010
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]
Another great week for local birding, featuring lots of activity on the
water and in the woods and fields. Shirley's Bay continues to be the
favourite gathering place for GREAT EGRETS - at least 15 were seen here on
the 11th, and other locations along the Ottawa River hosted smaller numbers
throughout the week. Two BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERONS were also at Shirley's
Bay on the 11th. On the 10th a good selection of raptors was noted in the
east at the quarry ponds on Giroux Rd. and along Trim Rd. near near Navan,
including OSPREY, BALD EAGLE, AMERICAN KESTREL and MERLIN. Although our
numbers never approach the hawk migration spectacles seen along the Great
Lakes, it's obvious that SHARP-SHINNED, COOPER'S and BROAD-WINGED HAWKS are
all on the move, and several sightings of single MERLINS and PEREGRINE
FALCONS were again reported from areas along the Ottawa River.
On the 10th, 2 adult and 2 juvenile SANDHILL CRANES were spotted in a field
on Smith Rd. west of Milton Rd. southwest of Navan; within the next two
months this area will become the focal point for the annual fall
congregations of large numbers of cranes. Shorebird highlights included 16
AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVERS in a plowed field on Snake Island Rd. on the 8th, up
to 9 SANDERLINGS along the shores of Andrew Haydon Park from the 9th to the
11th, the BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER discovered on the 6th and still present
until at least the 10th at the Mountainview sod farms east of Quyon, Quebec,
another BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER at the east end of Andrew Haydon Park on the
9th, and up to 3 RED-NECKED PHALAROPES on the river below the Deschenes
rapids on the 11th and 12th.
A check of the evening gull roost on the Deschenes rapids on the 11th
yielded 11 adult LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS and over 200 GREAT BLACK-BACKED
GULLS, and on the 9th, 2 CASPIAN TERNS were resting with the Ring-billed
Gulls in Britannia Bay. A few COMMON NIGHTHAWKS continue to be seen in the
evenings in Britannia.
Four of our expected species of VIREOS were found along the ridge in the
Britannia Conservation Area on the 9th, and changes in the weather prompted
a large flight of passerines on the weekend: numerous THRUSHES were heard in
the wee hours on the 11th, and a nice influx of WARBLERS occurred on the
12th with multiple numbers of many species, particularly TENNESSEE, NORTHERN
PARULA, YELLOW-RUMPED, BLACK-THROATED GREEN, BLACKPOLL and WILSON'S.
The first seasonal report of RUSTY BLACKBIRD was on the 11th, and other
signs of the advancing season were more arrivals of AMERICAN PIPITS,
RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS beginning to flock in rural areas, and at least 7
PURPLE FINCHES along the Thomas Dolan Parkway near Dunrobin on the 11th.
Thank you - Good Birding!
_______________________________________________
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