Hello Ontbirds people, The water levels on the Ottawa River continue to drop dramatically, creating excellent feeding habitat for shorebirds, especially at Shirleys Bay and the east end of Andrew Haydon Park (a.k.a. "Ottawa Beach"). In fact, today (Aug. 18) the sand and mud flats were very productive. From 11:00 AM - 2:30 PM we saw some good numbers (for Ottawa) at these locations.
SHIRLEYS BAY (shorebirds): 6 Killdeer 10 Semipalmated Plover 3 Black-bellied Plover (adults; one still in beautiful breeding plumage) 7 Greater Yellowlegs (mostly adults) 40 Lesser Yellowlegs (approx. equal #'s of adults and juveniles) 2 Solitary Sandpiper 2 Spotted Sandpiper 10 Semipalmated Sandpiper (adults & juv.'s) 30 Least Sandpiper (mostly juveniles) 1 Pectoral Sandpiper (adult) 1 Short-billed Dowitcher (adult - still in breeding plumage) 16 Wilson's Snipe (also of interest): 1 GREAT EGRET (rare in Ottawa - reported by Bob Cermak earlier this AM) 7 Common Terns (likely same family group seen here for over 2 weeks) 1 adult Sharp-shinned Hawk & 1 juv. Merlin stirring up the shorebirds during our visit ANDREW HAYDON PARK - "OTTAWA BEACH" (shorebirds): 9 Semipalmated Plover 2 Greater Yellowlegs 4 Lesser Yellowlegs 22 Sanderling (all adults) 3 Semipalmated Sandpiper (adults) 1 Least Sandpiper (adult) (others): - 1 Common Loon, increasing #'s of Canada Geese, and a few Blue-winged Teal, 1 American Wigeon and 1 Northern Pintail among the monopoly of Mallards BRITANNIA POINT (east of the Water Purification Plant): 1 CASPIAN TERN (rare in Ottawa -- likely one of the birds that has been recently reported from "Ottawa Beach") DIRECTIONS: Shirleys Bay (permission to access the causeway is required - call the DND Range Control Office at (613) 991-5740) >From Ottawa, take Hwy 417 west to Moodie Dr. (exit 134), north on Moodie to Carling Ave. West on Carling and look for the large sign on your right to the Connaught Rifle Range (DND). Turn right on Rifle Rd. and proceed to the parking lot. Walk a short distance west along Shirley Blvd. through the gate and look for a dirt road on your right which leads to the causeway. "Ottawa Beach" - exit 131 off Hwy 417, north on Bayshore Dr., west onto Carling Ave. Look for Andrew Haydon Park (the play-structures) on your right. The sandflats are obvious from the parking area. "Britannia Point" - from the above location, go east on Carling Ave. and keep left; follow Richmond Rd. and go north onto Poulin Ave. Take Poulin to Howe St., then right onto Britannia Rd., then turn west (right) on Cassels St. and keep left. Follow the road to where it ends behind the water purification plant - this is known as "Britannia Point". Good birds to y'all, Chris Lewis & Bob Bracken Ottawa [EMAIL PROTECTED]
