Ontario/Quebec Ottawa/Gatineau 03 May 2011 Hotline: Ottawa Field-Naturalists' Club Phone number: 613-860-9000 For the Bird Status Line PRESS * (star) To report bird sightings PRESS 1 (one) Coverage: Ottawa/Gatineau (Canada National Capital Region) E. Ontario,W. Quebec Compiler & transcriber: Chris Lewis hagen...@primus.ca, or sighti...@ofnc.ca
The recent mixed bag of weather yielded a fine mixed bag of birds! A large flock of SNOW GEESE was still at Frank Kenny Rd. north of Russell Rd. on the 29th, and a good selection of dabbling and diving DUCKS was again noted on the Ottawa River as well as the Embrun and Casselman sewage lagoons. Reports of TURKEYS came in from widespread meeting places with the most intense displays directed towards Parliament Hill. Numbers of COMMON LOONS were also noted here; a few were also on the Ottawa River at Britannia and Shirley's Bays, along with a few HORNED GREBES and up to 10 RED-NECKED GREBES on the 2nd. On the 27th and 28th a flight of raptors was prompted by strong south winds; 10 species were reported, including several BROAD-WINGED HAWKS. New shorebirds since the 27th were a LESSER YELLOWLEGS among the GREATERS at the Casselman sewage lagoons and SPOTTED SANDPIPERS in many locations. UPLAND SANDPIPER, AMERICAN WOODCOCK, WILSON'S SNIPE and WILSON'S PHALAROPE were again seen at their respective breeding sites. Seven BONAPARTE'S GULLS appeared at Shirley's Bay on the 27th and 3 COMMON TERNS were here on the 29th. CHIMNEY SWIFT and RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD were all 1st reports on May 1st, and a male RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER in Constance Bay was still present on the 29th. Most of the local action was in the songbird dept. GREAT CRESTED FLYCATCHER, EASTERN KINGBIRD, BLUE-HEADED VIREO and WARBLING VIREO are all back in town. At least 600 swallows of 4 species were at the Embrun sewage lagoons on the 29th. A CAROLINA WREN was a one-day wonder near the buildings on the Nepean Equestrian Park grounds on the 28th, and HOUSE WREN, WINTER WREN and MARSH WREN were advertising territories on the weekend as were GRAY CATBIRD and BROWN THRASHER. BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS are clearing out - a couple of small flocks were seen along the Ottawa River near Island Park Dr. and near Crystal Bay on the 27th. YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS have arrived en masse, and sorting through them has so far also revealed NORTHERN PARULA, YELLOW, BLACK-THROATED BLUE, BLACK-THROATED GREEN, PINE, PALM, BLACK-AND-WHITE, OVENBIRD and NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH. EASTERN TOWHEES on the move showed up in diverse locations around Ottawa, lots of AMERICAN TREE SPARROWS and DARK-EYED JUNCOS were still present on the 28th. CHIPPING, FIELD, VESPER, SAVANNAH, SWAMP and WHITE-THROATED SPARROWS are all emphatically on territory, a few FOX SPARROWS were still around on the 27th and the 1st local reports of WHITE-CROWNED SPARROWS came in on the 28th. ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK and BALTIMORE ORIOLE were new as of last week, small numbers of RUSTY BLACKBIRDS are still in evidence, and an influx of PURPLE FINCHES and EVENING GROSBEAKS last week was noteworthy as well. Thank you - Good Birding! _______________________________________________ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to birdalert@ontbirds.ca For information about ONTBIRDS visit http://www.ofo.ca/
