Here's the latest from Ottawa (as of 11 December 2006) THE OTTAWA FIELD-NATURALISTS' CLUB BIRD STATUS LINE:
This is Chris Lewis reporting. Even after a week of very cold weather, the recent mild spell seems to have encouraged some birds to linger in our area. Hopefully some will stay around for local "winter listers" and perhaps even for next Sunday's Ottawa-Gatineau Christmas Bird Count. A Cackling Goose, 2 blue-morph Snow Geese, a Green-winged Teal, 2 Northern Pintail and a Ring-necked Duck were in the large quarry pond on the east side of Moodie Dr. south of Trail Rd. from December 4th through the 7th, along with large numbers of gulls including Iceland and Glaucous. A male Wood Duck was on the Jock River near Steeple Hill Cr. south of Fallowfield Rd. on the 7th, and another Green-winged Teal was on the Rideau River below Strathcona Park on the 5th. Also on the Rideau in the same area, a male Barrow's Goldeneye was still present between the Queensway overpass and the Rideau Tennis Club as of the 10th. Reports from the Ottawa River at Shirley's Bay on the 4th included 2 Black Scoters, 1 Horned Grebe and 20 American Coots. The male Harlequin Duck in the Deschenes Rapids has not been reported since the 2nd. A late Great Blue Heron and a Belted Kingfisher were seen at the High Falls Conservation Area in Casselman on the 10th, and another Great Blue Heron was seen flying north over Albion Rd. the same day. Single adult Bald Eagles flew over the Jack Pine Trail on the 3rd and Constance Bay on the 7th. A Northern Harrier and a Rough-legged Hawk were seen south of the international airport on the 10th. A Great Horned Owl was seen late on the evening of the 9th at the east end of Andrew Haydon Park, and there have been 3 reports of Snowy Owls in different locations since the 3rd - one on Rushmore Rd. east of Eagleson Rd., one on Anderson Rd. between Ridge Rd. and Dolman Ridge Rd., and another northeast of St-Isidore. For many years the warm water ditch behind the National Research Council parking lot south of Montreal Rd. and west of Blair Rd. has been a winter haven for Wilson's Snipes - sure enough, one was discovered here again this year on Dec. 8th. Carolina Wrens also seem to find the Ottawa area attractive in winter - one was seen gleaning insects in a backyard shed near Britannia Bay on Dec. 9th and 10th, and another was seen in Forest Park, Embrun, on the 10th as well. The Kerwin Rd. trail west of Kanata continues to be a good place to look for northern birds - an American Three-toed Woodpecker was seen here again on both the 3rd and 10th. A Brown Thrasher has been making brief appearances in a backyard on Bramblegrove Cr. north of Hunt Club Rd. and west of Conroy Rd. since at least Dec. 1st, and an Ovenbird discovered on the same property is now residing at the Wild Bird Care Centre as of Dec. 10th. A White-throated Sparrow visited a feeder in Rockcliffe on the 10th, and small flocks of White-winged Crossbills continue to be reported from several areas in and around Ottawa. Thank you - Good Birding!
