Hello Ontbirders... The winter doldrums are over. An outing this morning with the Ottawa Field Naturalists Club to various staging areas West of Ottawa was very wet thanks to persistent rains. However, it produced great diversity and several highlights. The two main sites visited included Milton & Frank Kenny Roads (Carlsbad Springs) and Cobbs Lake (Cobbs Lake Creek, Bourget). The fields are heavily flooded especially around Cobbs Lake Creek where some roads are closed. The highlights included: 1) Horned Grebe still in winter plumage (Milton Road - flooded area of Bear Brook) 2) One adult Bald Eagle (perched beside Bear Brook at the flooded area beside Frank Kenny Road) 3) 14 Bonapartes Gulls (very early for Ottawa) (2 in the flooded area off Milton Road, and 12 at Cobbs Lake) 4) One Barn Swallow (also very early for Ottawa) with 8 Tree Swallows (flying/feeding over the flooded area of Bear Brook off Milton Road ). 5) 6 Sandhill Cranes in the Northwest farm field off Milton Road (closer to Navan than Carlsbad Springs)
Other birds of interest include Canada, Snow & Blue Geese, Wood Duck, Green-winged Teal, American Black Duck, Mallard, Northern Pintail, American Wigeon, Greater Scaup, Ring-necked Duck, Bufflehead, Common Goldeneye, Hooded Merganser, several plumages of Rough-legged Hawk, two male Northern Harriers, Cedar Waxwings, etc. While scouting yesterday (March 28), there was one Lapland Longspur heard flying over Milton Road. Peace Tony Beck To get to Carlsbad Springs area (text coutesy of Ottawa Field Naturalists Club): >From Ottawa, travel east on Highway 417 to Boundary Road (exit #96). Turn left (north) toward Carlsbad Springs. At the "T" junction of Boundary Road and Russell Road (Route 26), turn right (east) onto Russell and proceed for approximately 3 km to Milton Road (Route 85). Turn left onto Milton and from there, it is just a matter of completing the square turning right (east) on Perrault Road with a short left and then a right turn at Trim Road which is at the end of Perrault and the beginning of McFadden Roads. Follow McFadden to Frank Kenny, then right (south) back to Russell Road (Route 26). To get to Cobbs Lake (text coutesy of Ottawa Field Naturalists Club): >From Ottawa, travel east on Highway 417 to Boundary Road (exit #96) and turn left (north) toward Carlsbad Springs. At the "T" junction of Boundary Road and Russell Road (Route 26), turn right (east) on Russell and continue until you come to Bourget (approximately 25 km). In Bourget, there is a 4-way stop sign. Go straight and, a couple of km further along, the road goes through a spring flood plain; this is the Cobbs Lake Creek area. "Tony Beck" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
