Ontario/Quebec Ottawa/Gatineau 3 January 2013
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 [email protected] or [email protected] The first winter male HARLEQUIN DUCK continues on the Ottawa River rapids north of Bate Island just east of the Champlain Bridge. Many birders were keen to start their year list on January 1st. Here is one local birders report; "Hooded Merganser - Rideau River at Billings Bridge, just west of the bridge, female Barrow's Goldeneye - Rideau River at Hurdman Bridge, the continuing male Bohemian Waxwings - 200+ in Hurdman Woods Peregrine Falcon - R.H. Coates Building, south side American Robin - 3, Tunney's Pasture parking lots near the River Parkway Bald Eagle - Ottawa River at Remic Rapids lookout, adult Harlequin Duck - Ottawa River at Bate Island, the continuing first winter male Carolina Wren - Britannia CA, along the fence line south of Rowatt St, presumably the same bird that's been present for some time Canada Goose - 2, Britannia CA, in the back channel below the Ridge" And another local birder reports late lingering waterfowl along the Ottawa River on the 1st; "I spent a couple of hours this morning birding along the Ottawa River between Deschenes Rapids and Remic Rapids. It was very cold with a wind chill of -20c but the birding was good. I observed one of the immature male Harlequin Ducks off Bate Island. At Deschenes Rapids off Britannia Point there was a Common Loon, one of my few January observations in Ottawa over the past 40+ years. Other interesting waterfowl included 1 Bufflehead, 1 Greater Scaup, 1 Lesser Scaup, 1 Long-tailed Duck and 1 Red-breasted Merganser." Also reported on the 1st were; BARROW'S GOLDENEYE (1 female) in the rapids north of Bate Island, HOARY REDPOLL (1) at the Hilda Rd feeders, RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER (1 seen but at least 2 are present) in Pakenham, single PINE SISKIN in Barrhaven and at the Hilda feeders, LONG-TAILED DUCK (1 female) at the top (west end) of the Ottawa River Deschenes Rapids and PINE GROSBEAK (14 with many males) at the feeders on March Valley Rd near Riddell Rd. Other interesting sighting were; - HERMIT THRUSH seen December 27th during the Carleton Place CBC - EASTERN TOWHEE at a Navan feeder from December 25th through the 29th - SONG SPARROW (1) continues at a feeder on Perry St west of Merivale - GRAY PARTRIDGE (32) were reported from the Giroux Rd ponds area on the 24th and on Farmview Rd near Kinburn Sdrd on the 28th (12) and 1st (5) and near the Diamondview Rd and Thomas Dolan Parkway intersection (7) on the 1st - BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKER (1 female) on the Eardly-Masham road and GOLDEN EAGLE (1 juv.) from Ch Steele on the 2nd Thanks to everyone who contributed bird observations - Good Birding! Bob _______________________________________________ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to [email protected] For information about ONTBIRDS visit http://www.ofo.ca/
