Ontario Ottawa/Gatineau 27 June 2008 Birds mentioned:
MUTE SWAN Gadwall EURASIAN WIGEON Redhead Ruddy Duck HORNED GREBE Least Bittern Upland Sandpiper Black Tern Common Nighthawk Blue-headed Vireo CAROLINA WREN Golden-crowned Kinglet warblers (14 breeding spp.) RED CROSSBILL Hotline: Ottawa Field-Naturalists' Club Phone number: 613-860-9000 For the Bird Status Line PRESS * (star) To report bird sightings PRESS 1 (one) Rare bird alerts are now included in the introductory message Coverage: Ottawa/Gatineau (Canada National Capital Region), E. Ontario, W. Quebec Compiler & transcriber: Chris Lewis [EMAIL PROTECTED] THE OFNC BIRD STATUS LINE @ 7:00 am, FRIDAY JUNE 27, 2008. This is Chris Lewis reporting. The end of June is not usually the best time to find unusual waterfowl in the Ottawa area. Nevertheless, a MUTE SWAN seen at the Alfred lagoons on the 21st and 24th is likely the same bird that was first reported here back on May 26th, and a report of a male EURASIAN WIGEON at the large quarry pond on Moodie Dr. south of Trail Rd. was quite exceptional as there are no local records for the month of June. The HORNED GREBE at the Embrun lagoons seems to have decided to spend its summer vacation in this location - it was still present as of at least the 21st. Alfred continues to be the lagoon of choice for breeding Ruddy Ducks and Redheads - over 60 of the former and 38 of the latter were seen here on the 21st. The Moodie Dr. pond also contained 4 Gadwall, a male Redhead and several Ruddy Ducks on the 25th. Least Bitterns have been spotted since the 16th among the Black Tern colony in the Marais aux Grenouillettes on the Quebec side of the Ottawa River. Upland Sandpipers were noted this week as well, along Carp Rd. and 6th Line Rd. west of Kanata. Common Nighthawks have declined in urban Ottawa, but at least one bird was heard over several evenings in the downtown area this past week. The only real news in the local songbird dept. was of a very vocal CAROLINA WREN on Weyburn St. in the Riverview neighbourhood south of downtown Ottawa on the 24th. It was subsequently seen on the 26th with another of its kind, indicating that a pair might possibly be breeding here. A visit to the Larose forest on the 24th was again productive for passerines including Blue-headed Vireo, Golden-crowned Kinglet, 14 breeding species of warblers, and RED CROSSBILLS were noted again in flight over the forest the same day. Thank you - Good Birding! Chris Lewis Ottawa, ON [EMAIL PROTECTED] _______________________________________________ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to ONTBIRDS mailing list [email protected] For instructions to join or leave ONTBIRDS visit http://www.ofo.ca/information/ontbirdssetup.php ONTBIRDS Guidelines may be viewed at http://www.ofo.ca/information/ontbirdsguide.php

