[Ontbirds] Great Egret at Carp

This afternoon about 2:00 pm while I was looking over several hundred Canada Geese (with one Snow Goose) in the flooded Carp River just south of the town of Carp west of Ottawa, a single Great Egret flew in. It seemed restless and took short flights to several spots along the river. It only

[Ontbirds] Late Black-crowned Night Heron at Ottawa

This afternoon in a walk along the Rideau River bike path near Billings Bridge, I spotted a juvenile Black-crowned Night Heron in a tree along the water. In returning along the river an hour later it was still in the same spot about 100 metres east of Billings Bridge on the north side of the

[Ontbirds] Bald Eagle, American Wigeon at Billings Bridge, Ottawa

Hi Ontbirders: Billings Bridge on the Rideau River in Ottawa continues to be a hotspot for overwintering ducks and their predators. Today in the open waters around the bridge, among the hundreds of Mallards and Black Ducks, an American Wigeon and a Wood Duck continue to feed on the grain

[Ontbirds] Wood Duck, American Wigeon and Red-breasted Merganser at Ottawa

Hi Ontbirders: Large numbers of ducks continue to gather at the diminishing open water on both sides of Billings Bridge in Ottawa. Among the hundreds of Mallards and dozens of Black Ducks in the water and on the ice are a pair of  Wood Duck, an American Wigeon and one female Red-breasted

[Ontbirds] Northern Pintail, Red-breasted Merganser and Bufflehead at Billings Bridge, Ottawa

Hi Ontbirders: At the Billings Bridge on the Rideau River in Ottawa, the ducks are gathering in large numbers on the stretch of the river still unfrozen on both sides of the bridge. Among the hundreds of Mallards and Black Ducks, a female Red-breasted Merganser and a female Bufflehead have

[Ontbirds] Sandhill Cranes east of Ottawa

Hi Ontbirders: My wife, Judy, and I watched 10 Sandhill Cranes for about 20 minutes from Smith Road on the west side of the Mer Bleue east of Ottawa. They were feeding at the back of a farmer's field just before the woods started. There were also thousands of Canada Geese along Milton Road, but

[Ontbirds] Black-backed Woodpecker, Mer Bleue, Ottawa

Hi Ontbirders: This afternoon while cross-country skiing at the Mer Bleue bog east of Ottawa, I encountered a male Black-backed Woodpecker. It was working on a 30-foot high tree stump about 10 metres from the ski trail. I got to watch it for about 15 minutes before it flew off to a tree

[Ontbirds] Pine Siskins and Purple Finch, Ottawa

Hi folks: A flock of about six Pine Siskins showed up this morning at my backyard feeder in Old Ottawa South in downtown Ottawa. There was a lone female Purple Finch with them and they joined the dozen or so American Goldfinches that are still at our feeder. Also have about 10 Dark-eyed Juncos

[Ontbirds] Rideau Lakes - Cerulean Warbler, Philadelphia Vireo

Hi Ontbirders: During late morning to early afternoon yesterday, I was passing through the Rideau Lakes area north of Kingston along Opinicon Road. Time of day meant few birds were singing, but highlights were one Cerulean Warbler, a Philadelphia and two Yellow-throated Vireos as well as a

[Ontbirds] Singing Northern Shrike at Ottawa

Hello Ontbirders: Yesterday afternoon cross-country skiing along the east side of the Rideau River in downtown Ottawa, I encountered a Northern Shrike about 50 feet up on the top of a bare tree. I was attracted by the sound of bird song which I didn't recognize. I have probably never heard a

[Ontbirds] Gulls on Rideau River, Ottawa

Hi fellow birders: A large flock of gulls has settled on the ice near the north shore of the Rideau River just west of Bank Street at Billings Bridge. It was getting towards dusk, but it was possible to make out about 30 Great Black-backed Gulls, a dozen Herring Gulls, one Ring-billed Gull,