Ontario/Quebec
Ottawa/Gatineau
14 March 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
Early spring migrants continue to arrive in the Ottawa/Gatineau area;
TRUMPETER SWAN (2 adult and 1 juv.), probably the pair (with one offspring)
that breed in that area on the Jock River, were seen on the Mississippi River
in Carleton Place on March 8th and 9th. They have not been seen since but are
probably not far away, possibly on Big Rideau Lake waiting for the ice to clear
from the Jock River.
On the 10th on or near the Carleton Place Mississippi River there were NORTHERN
PINTAIL (6), RING-NECKED DUCK (1), a very early BELTED KINGFISHER (1 male),
CANADA GOOSE (100+) and RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD (1). On the 13th there were also
WOOD DUCK (several), COMMON (3 male) and HOODED (15+ male and female)
MERGANSER, TURKEY VULTURE (3), a few COMMON GRACKLE and numbers of RED-WINGED
BLACKBIRD.
A KILLDEER was seen on Giroux Rd on the 10th, GREATER SCAUP (4) were seen above
the Ottawa River Deschenes Rapids with hundreds of RING-BILLED and GLAUCOUS (2
2nd winter) GULLS.
An early AMERICAN WIDGEON (1 female) was reported above the Deschenes Rapids on
the 13th and RING-NECKED DUCK (6) were seen close to the Quebec shore at the
Remic Rapids on the 8th.
An early SANDHILL CRANE was seen in the Mer Bleue area on the 12th and a
NORTHERN HARRIER (male) was seen on the 13th near the intersection of 10th Line
and Wall Rd in Orleans.
Numbers of CANADA GOOSE, RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD, COMMON GRACKLE, HORNED LARK and
a few AMERICAN ROBIN have been seen all over our area.
BOREAL CHICKADEE have not been seen since the 9th at the feeder in
Val-des-Monts north of Perkins.
An OREGON JUNCO (1st winter female, the 9th record for this subspecies in our
area), a western subspecies of the DARK-EYED JUNCO was seen with a number of
the more common SLATE-COLOURED JUNCO at a Barrhaven backyard feeder on the 6th
and 7th.
BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKER continue to be seen in the Stony Swamp Conservation
area at both the Jack Pine trail (1 female and 1 male) and the Lime Kiln Trail
burn area (1 female).
GRAY PARTRIDGE were seen on Farmview RD (2) on the 10th, on Rushmore Rd (1) and
Giroux Rd ("medium sized flock") on the 13th. A LAPLAND LONGSPUR (1) was also
seen on Farmview Rd on the 10th.
Interesting sighting were;
- BOHEMIAN WAXWING (flocks of 100 to 250) continue to move through our area
- BALD EAGLE continue to be reported all over our area including 2 "house
keeping" the nest on the DND property that they used last year which can be
seen north west of Shirleys Bay or north east of March Valley Rd
- GREEN-WINGED TEAL (1 male) continues on the March Valley Rd creek just south
of Klondike Rd
- NORTHERN SHRIKE were seen at a number of locations
- PINE GROSBEAK (2 or 3) continue occasionally at the feeders on March Valley
Rd near Riddell Rd
- WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILL (11) continue with PINE GROSBEAK (2) and EVENING
GROSBEAK (50+), usually early to mid morning, at the backyard feeders on Indian
Creek Rd (which becomes Clarence-Cambridge Rd) on the west edge of the Larose
Forest
- CAROLINA WREN (1 singing male) near the intersection of Driscoll Dr and the
north loop of Jean Park Rd in Manotick on the 13th
- BARROW'S GOLDENEYE (1 male) was seen NW of Bate Island on the 13th
- NORTHERN GOSHAWK (2 male) were seen near the postal building on Riverside Dr
on the 9th and (1) at the Fletcher Wildlife Garden on the 13th
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/
