- RBA * Ontario * Ottawa/Gatineau * 18 October 2004 * ONOT0410.18
- Birds mentioned Great Egret Greater White-fronted Goose Snow Goose EURASIAN WIGEON Long-tailed Duck White-winged Scoter Osprey Bald Eagle Merlin Peregrine Falcon Sandhill Crane Black-bellied Plover Greater Yellowlegs HUDSONIAN GODWIT Least Sandpiper White-rumped Sandpiper Pectoral Sandpiper Wilson's Snipe Bonaparte's Gull RED-HEADED WOODPECKER Horned Lark Carolina Wren Gray Catbird Water Pipit Red-eyed Vireo Palm Warbler Common Yellowthroat American Tree Sparrow Vesper Sparrow Savannah Sparrow Grasshopper Sparrow Fox Sparrow Purple Finch Pine Siskin Evening Grosbeak - Transcript hotline: Ottawa Field-Naturalists' Club date: 18 October 2004 number: 613-860-9000 for the status line : press 2 for rare bird alerts: press 1 to report a sighting: press # coverage: Ottawa/Gatineau (Can. Nat. Capital Reg.), E.Ont., W.Que. compiler : Chris Lewis [EMAIL PROTECTED] transcriber: Chris Lewis [EMAIL PROTECTED] internet : Gordon Pringle [EMAIL PROTECTED] OFNC BIRD STATUS LINE - OCT 18 2004 AT 11:00 PM This is Chris Lewis reporting. In spite of the chilly temperatures, strong southwest winds and intermittent rain all weekend, the OFNC 's 10th annual Fall Bird Count was very successful. A preliminary total of 136 species was recorded, the 2nd highest since 1995. 14 record high numbers were noted, as well as 10 new species for the count. Final results should be on the OFNC web site soon. Some highlights from the count, and from other reports over the past week, include the following: At least one extremely late Great Egret remains at Shirley's Bay. At least 3 individual Greater White-fronted Geese were reported - one from Smith Rd. off Milton Rd. near Carlsbad Springs on the 16th, another from the Ottawa River at Shirley's Bay the same day, and another at the large pond on the east side of Moodie Drive on the 18th. Approximately 100 Snow Geese were at the Moodie Drive pond from the 16th to the 18th, and smaller numbers of Snow Geese were found in various locations during the past week. A EURASIAN WIGEON was in the NE sector during the Fall Count. The 1st reports of the season of Long-tailed Ducks and White-winged Scoters came from the Ottawa River on the weekend. In raptor reports, a juvenile Bald Eagle was still at Ottawa Beach on the 15 and 16th. A record total of 10 Merlins were counted among all 4 sectors on the count. Both a Merlin and a Peregrine Falcon were hunting at the Moodie Dr. pond on the 16th, and 2 late Ospreys were also found in the SW sector. Ten Sandhill Cranes were 1st reported on the morning of the 16th on Milton Rd., and 9 were seen again here on the 17th. Thirteen species of shorebirds were found on the Fall Bird Count - the highest total ever for this event. In addition to the record high numbers of Black-bellied Plovers, Greater Yellowlegs, White- rumped Sandpipers, Pectoral Sandpipers and Wilson's Snipes, a late Least Sandpiper and 2 HUDSONIAN GODWITS were 1st records for the count. A total of 45 Bonaparte's Gulls were at the Winchester sewage lagoons on the 16th and 17th. An extremely late adult RED-HEADED WOODPECKER was still in Constance Bay on the weekend, and may possibly over-winter here. Passerine highlights from the count included a Carolina Wren at the intersection of Allbirch and Shady Lane in Constance Bay, as well as a few late lingerers in various locations such as Gray Catbird, Red-eyed Vireo, Palm Warbler and Common Yellowthroat. Good numbers of Horned Larks and American Pipits were noted. Sparrow numbers were on the low side but several American Tree Sparrows and Fox Sparrows were reported, as well as record numbers of Savannah Sparrows. A late Vesper Sparrow was found in the NE sector, and a very late Grasshopper Sparrow was found in the SE near the Giroux gravel pit north of Navan on the 17th. And finally, the "winter finches" have not started to appear in any significant numbers. Only 5 Purple Finches, 1 Pine Siskin, and 12 Evening Grosbeaks were noted over the weekend. Thank you to everyone who helped make the Fall Bird Count and the post-count dinner and compilation a great success again this year. Thank you - Good Birding! - End transcript
