Hello ONTBIRDS people, Hope everyone is enjoying this great birding season! Here's the latest from the Ottawa area.
Chris Lewis Ottawa [EMAIL PROTECTED] _____________________________ THE OFNC BIRD STATUS LINE @ 5:30pm, CHRISTMAS EVE, SUNDAY DEC. 24, 2006 This is Chris Lewis reporting. On the eve of what promises to be a green Christmas, there is no doubt that the #1 story this week in eastern Ontario has been the phenomenal number of Snow Geese. Typically a rare species in our region during the month of December, usually only singletons are seen. However, reports of flocks of up to 20,000 birds since Dec. 17th in agricultural fields from Embrun through St-Isidore and other locations southeast, culminated in a spectacular flock of at least 30,000 birds, predominantly Greater Snow Geese, on the morning of the 24th in a cornfield on the south side of Hwy 417 immediately west of the Casselman exit #66. Large groups were still flying in from the east to join this flock. These numbers are unprecedented in eastern Ontario in December and quite possibly for ANY time of year! Also unusual for late December was a Greater White-fronted Goose at the Alfred sewage lagoons on the 19th and 20th, as well as 2 Northern Pintails, a Ruddy Duck and an American Coot. Eastern locations were also productive for raptors including a juvenile dark-morph Gyrfalcon along Concession 21 east of Casselman on the 21st, a couple of late Northern Harriers along Frank Kenny Rd. on the 24th, and several Snowy Owls with individuals reported from Conc. 19 near Ste-Rose and Montee Giroux near the Alfred Bog since the 19th, and at Regimbald Rd. off Frank Kenny Rd. as well as Frank Kenny near Innes Rd. on the 24th. The centre and west ends of Ottawa also had their share of good sightings. A lone late Brant was with Canada Geese on the Ottawa River east of the Nepean Sailing Club on the 18th. The Rideau River between the 417 overpass and the Rideau Tennis Club continues to host a male Barrow's Goldeneye (most recently reported on the 18th but most likely still present), and a Common Loon was here on the 17th. Flocks of Wild Turkeys were noted over the past week, with approx. 40 birds along March Rd. near Klondike Rd., a baker's dozen near the March Rd. exit off the 417, and approx. 17 along Corkstown Rd. west of the Nepean Campground. Evidently they made themselves scarce on Christmas Eve. A somewhat bizarre sighting on the 18th was of 2 adult Bald Eagles sitting in nests in the heronry on the Ottawa Duck Club property north of March Valley Rd. There were, however, no reports of partridges in pear trees. A Carolina Wren, likely the same bird seen in McKellar Park on Dec. 12th., showed up briefly in another backyard in the same neighbourhood on the 21st. Lingering sparrows included a Song Sparrow in the Clarence Forest Estates community west of the Larose Forest on the 24th and a White-crowned Sparrow at the Hilda Rd. feeder by Shirley's Bay on the 22nd, and "winter finches" continue to be nearly absent other than White-winged Crossbills which continue to be reported throughout our area. Thank you - Merry Christmas & Good Birding!
