Ontario Ottawa/Gatineau 03 November 2008 Birds mentioned:
Snow Goose Cackling Goose Canada Goose Brant TUNDRA SWAN American Wigeon Northern Shoveler Northern Pintail Green-winged Teal Ring-necked Duck Greater Scaup Lesser Scaup Surf Scoter White-winged Scoter Black Scoter Long-tailed Duck Common Goldeneye BARROW'S GOLDENEYE Hooded Merganser Common Merganser Red-breasted Merganser RED-THROATED LOON Horned Grebe Red-necked Grebe Bald Eagle Northern Harrier Red-tailed Hawk Rough-legged Hawk Golden Eagle Peregrine Falcon HUDSONIAN GODWIT Sanderling PURPLE SANDPIPER Dunlin Wilson's Snipe Iceland Gull Lesser Black-backed Gull Glaucous Gull Short-eared Owl Horned Lark American Robin American Pipit AMERICAN REDSTART LAPLAND LONGSPUR Snow Bunting Purple Finch Common Redpoll Pine Siskin 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] At 6:30 am, Monday November 3, 2008 this is Chris Lewis reporting. A taste of winter weather early last week prompted a push of migrants from the north. Among them were flocks of Brant - 22 were seen on the Ottawa River at Dick Bell Park on the 29th and 14 were here on the 30th. One was observed doing the classic "single Brant on the lawn in fall" thing, on a median along the Ottawa River Parkway on Nov. 2nd. All three species of scoters as well as several Long-tailed Ducks continue to appear on the river and a male BARROW'S GOLDENEYE appeared in a traditional location at Remic rapids on the 31st. Up to 5 RED-THROATED LOONS were reported from the Deschenes Lookout through to Dick Bell, most recently on the 31st, and 4 Common Loons as well as a few Horned and Red-necked Grebes were seen on the 2nd. Nasty weather with northwest winds on the 29th were ideal for the appearance of a PURPLE SANDPIPER on the rock jetty at Dick Bell, and a HUDSONIAN GODWIT at the Moodie Dr. quarry pond south of Trail Rd. Quarry ponds were attractive to Snow Geese - up to 29 were at the Moodie Dr. pond on the 31st including 20 blue morph birds, and 25 were noted at a pond on Giroux Rd. near Navan on Nov. 1st. Four Snow Geese joined the Canada's at Andrew Haydon on the 2nd, and 4 Cackling Geese were at the Moodie Dr. pond the same day, as well as one at the east end of Andrew Haydon Park. An adult TUNDRA SWAN first seen back on the 23rd was still present on the west side of the the causeway at Shirley's Bay on the 31st. Other waterfowl in various locations included several hundred Ring-necked Ducks, Lesser Scaup, Common Goldeneye and Hooded Mergansers, as well as smaller numbers of American Wigeon, Northern Pintail, Northern Shoveler, Green-winged Teal, Greater Scaup, Common and Red-breasted Mergansers and Ruddy Ducks. Many of these ducks are concentrated at the Moodie Dr. pond and at Shirley's Bay. A reminder: PLEASE OBTAIN PERMISSION to access the Shirley's Bay causeway by calling the Range Control Office at 613-991-5740. A flight of raptors on the 29th included both immature and adult Bald Eagles, several Red-tailed and Rough-legged Hawks, and 2 immature Golden Eagles. An immature Bald Eagle continues to stir things up at the Moodie Dr. pond, Rough-legged Hawks and Northern Harriers are obviously finding good eating in rural areas, and independent sightings of Peregrine Falcons came from Billings Bridge on the 28th, the Ottawa River on the 29th and Wall Rd. northwest of Navan on the 1st. Additional shorebird reports included a Sanderling and 3 Dunlin at Andrew Haydon on the 29th and a Wilson's Snipe at the Giroux pond on the 1st. Iceland, Lesser Black-backed and Glaucous Gulls are now being reported with some regularity, with one's and two's noted on the river as well as in the vicinity of the Trail Rd. landfill. Three Short-eared Owls were seen hunting south of the international airport at dusk nearly every evening over the past week. A very late AMERICAN REDSTART was spotted behind the Canadian Museum of Nature on Pink Rd. in Aylmer, Quebec on the 27th. Plenty of American Robins, Horned Larks and Snow Buntings were noted this week, at least 2 LAPLAND LONGSPURS were seen in the Akins and Eagleson Rd. area on the 29th and 30th, and finch reports included Purple Finch, Common Redpoll, and Pine Siskin in varying numbers in diverse locations. Thank you - Good Birding! _______________________________________________ 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
