Ontario/Quebec
Ottawa/Gatineau
17 April 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 robertcerm...@hotmail.com or sighti...@ofnc.ca
A huge flocks of SNOW GEESE have been feeding with tens of thousands of CANADA
GEESE on the corn stubble on the Cobbs Lake Creek flooded fields east of
Bourget (both sides of Russell Rd, south of Lalonde Rd and west of Rollin Rd)
all week and may be still present. SNOW GOOSE (60,000+) with ROSS'S GOOSE (1)
were reported there on the 13th with many NORTHERN PINTAIL (1 flock contained
1300+), RUDDY DUCK (1) and AMERICAN COOT (1). On the 14th there were at least
100,000 and possibly 150,000 SNOW GEESE (greater and lesser) with ROSS'S GOOSE
(4), TURKEY VULTURE (12+), ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK (3 dark morph), NORTHERN HARRIER
(several), RUDDY DUCK (2m 1f), numbers of AMERICAN WIGEON and one each MERLIN,
NORTHERN GOSHAWK and GOLDEN EAGLE (1st year). AMERICAN KESTREL (6) were seen
between Cobbs Lake and Carlsbad Springs.
GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE (1) were seen flying north over Constance Bay Road
and in the Bearbrook area on the 14th.
A GYRFALCON (dark morph) was seen flying north from Milton Rd on the 14th.
A record early (by 2 weeks) COMMON TERN was seen below the Deschenes Rapids
near the Quebec shore of the Ottawa river on the 13th and again on the 15th.
Early spring migration continues to bring returning birds to our area. Numbers
of OSPREY, EASTERN PHOEBE, TREE and BARN SWALLOW, GOLDEN-CROWNED and
RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET, CHIPPING SPARROW, BELTED KINGFISHER have been seen at
numerous locations.
The Britannia Conservation area has been very active with YELLOW-RUMPED
WARBLER, PALM WARBLER (1 western) on the 16th, BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON (2),
YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER, FOX SPARROW, NORTHERN FLICKER, HERMIT THRUSH and PINE
WARBLER.
The Moodie Dr pit (between Trail Rd and Barnsdale Rd) has been increasingly
active. On the 16th there were BONAPARTE'S GULL (9), GLAUCOUS GULL (2), LESSER
BLACK-BACKED GULL (1), RUDDY DUCK (1), GREEN-WINGED TEAL (14), RING-NECKED DUCK
(11), LESSER SCAUP (6), BUFFLEHEAD (13) and COMMON MERGANSER (64). NORTHERN
PINTAIL (6) were also seen on the 13th.
Shirleys Bay is ice free, there were COMMON LOON (5) present today.
SANDHILL CRANE continue to be seen from Milton Rd or Smith Rd and also one over
Britannia Mud Lake on the 15th and three over the Bruce Pit on the 16th.
PURPLE MARTIN have returned to the Nepean Sailing Club at Dick Bell Park, 9
were present today.
Interesting sighting were;
- HOARY and COMMON REDPOLL continue at various locations
- BOREAL CHICKADEE (2) continue at 121 Ch. Blackburn north of Perkins
- AMERICAN BITTERN flying over Dwyer Hill and Roger Stevens Rd on the 15th
- YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER (2 m) near Bell's Corners on the 15th
- EASTERN BLUEBIRD (2) on Fifth Line Rd today and (1 m) on Trim Rd on the 15th
- GREAT EGRET (1) at the Richmond Lagoon and (possibly the same bird) at Hunt
Club and Riverside on the 15th
- TREE SWALLOW (100+) with a few BARN, BANK and CLIFF SWALLOW over the Rideau
River near Rideau Falls on the 16th
- VESPER SPARROW (1) and SAVANNAH SPARROW (1) at the Bruce Pit on the 16th
- HERMIT THRUSH (1) in a Glebe backyard today
Thanks to everyone who contributed bird observations - 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/
