Around 6 pm this evening, Wednesday September 12th, Tony Beck discovered a
juvenile Sabine's Gull while leading a birding field trip for an
enthusiastic group of Ottawa Hospital Laboratory employees.
The bird was first viewed from the Britannia Yacht Club, seen feeding and
resting on the water immediately east of the Deschenes rapids, closer to the
Quebec side.
It was viewed again around 7 pm looking west from Britannia Point.
The gull seemed to be associating with a small group of Bonaparte's Gulls
and would periodically take short flights and return to land on the water,
occasionally feeding like Phalarope.
Tony mentioned that this was the first time he has seen this bird in Ottawa
and it was a life bird for everyone else in the group.
We identified a total of six species of Gulls on the Ottawa River tonight
including an adult Lesser Black-backed Gull associating with the numerous
Herring Gulls, Great Black-backed Gulls, Ring-billed Gulls and Bonaparte's
Gulls.
Directions to Britannia Conservation area courtesy Larry Neily:
http://ca.geocities.com/[EMAIL PROTECTED]/orwo10.htm
From Highway 417 (The Queensway) take exit 129 (Greenbank & Pinecrest
Roads). If traveling west, the 0.3 km offramp dumps you right or north onto
Pinecrest Road. If driving east, a 0.3 km offramp brings you to
Pinecrest/Greenbank Road, where you will turn left or north onto Pinecrest
Road and in 0.4 km join the westbound offramp traffic. Both groups will now
follow Pinecrest Road north 0.8 km from here to Richmond Road. Turn right or
northeast onto Richmond and go 0.5 km, crossing Carling Avenue, to Poulin
Avenue. Turn left or north onto Poulin and go 0.6 km to where a right only
turn puts you on Howe Street. Follow Howe west 0.2 km to Britannia Road.
Turn right or north onto Britannia Road and proceed 0.8 km to Cassels
Street. Turn right or east onto Cassels and go 0.4 km to a small parking
area on the left at the Britannia Conservation Area.
Turn left for Britannia Yacht Club.
Follow Cassels Street all the way to the filtration plant and continue
driving to the left until the road ends for Britannia Point.
This is an exciting time to be birding in Ottawa,
Wishing any who search for this beautiful Gull success and fun, and
Happy Birding,
Heather Pickard
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