Ontario/Quebec
Ottawa/Gatineau
25 October 2012
Hotline: Ottawa Field-Naturalists' Club (OFNC)
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 Bob Cermak robertcerm...@hotmail.com or sighti...@ofnc.ca
A female TUFTED DUCK, found on the 20th, continues to be seen with LESSER SCAUP
from the boat launch at Shirleys Bay on the Ottawa River. The only previous
record for this area was a male seen at the same location on April 30th 2003.
Tufted ducks breed across Eurasia from Iceland and the British Isles east
across Russia and Siberia to the Kamchatka Peninsula and the Commander Islands.
There are no breeding records of Tufted ducks in North America and, except for
western Alaska, this species is rarely seen in North America. The possibility
that this bird might be a TUFTED/SCAUP hybrid has been considered however
numerous pictures of this bird on the water and in flight confirm that this
bird is a TUFTED DUCK.
The WESTERN GREBE, found on the 16th continues to be seen on the Ottawa River
between the Deschenes rapids and the Champlain Bridge.
Many flocks of SCOTERS were seen along the Ottawa River yesterday as the
temperatures up north in the Hudson Bay region begin to fall well below 0,
forcing birds south. Along the Ottawa River between Shirleys Bay and the
Champlain Bridge there were BLACK (550+ mainly males), WHITE-WINGED (80+
males) and SURF (16) SCOTERS. A flock of LONG-TAILED DUCKS (50+) were also seen
flying east along the river. BLACK SCOTERS (52) were also seen at the Moodie Dr
pit yesterday.
Shirleys Bay;
- WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE (1) has been seen occasionally west of the causeway and
also from the boat launch
- HORNED, RED-NECKED and PIED-BILLED GREBES, BUFFLEHEAD, RED-BREASTED
MERGANSER, numbers of COMMON and 1 female BARROW'S GOLDENEYE, GREAT EGRET (2)
and AMERICAN COOT (13 on the 20th) continue to be seen
- increasing numbers of LESSER SCAUP
- possibly the largest flock ever seen west of Ottawa 28 SANDHILL CRANES flew
over on the 23rd. Possibly the same flock (24 birds) were seen over north
Kanata the same day.
Britannia Conservation Area;
- Common Redpoll (6) today
- CAROLINA WREN (2), HERMIT THRUSH (5) and FOX SPARROW (2) on the 21st
Moodie Dr Pit (Burnside Pit);
- SNOW (up to 15) and CANADA GEESE (up to 8000)
- ROSS'S GOOSE (1) on the 20th, 21st and 24th
- GADWALL (2), NORTHERN PINTAIL (1) and a very late KILLDEER (1) on the 22nd
Other interesting sighting were;
- BRANT (40+) east of the Champlain Bridge on the 20th
- Small flocks and individual EVENING GROSBEAK have been reported all over the
Ottawa/Gatineau area all week
- a late GRAY CATBIRD (1) was seen at the Moodie Dr Lime Kiln Trail parking
area on the 22nd and 23rd
- NORTHERN GOSHAWK (1) near the Nepean Sportsplex on Woodruffe Ave on the 22nd
- SNOW BUNTINGS were reported at Shirleys Bay (10) and the Russell lagoons (15)
- RED CROSSBILL (2) over the Lime Kiln Trail on the 24th
Thanks to everyone who contributed bird observations - Good Birding!
_______________________________________________
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birding organization.
Send bird reports to birdalert@ontbirds.ca
For information about ONTBIRDS visit http://www.ofo.ca/
