Ontario
Ottawa/Gatineau
28 April 2009
Birds mentioned:
Snow Goose
Cackling Goose
EURASIAN WIGEON
Long-tailed Duck
BARROW'S GOLDENEYE
Common Loon
Horned Grebe
Red-necked Grebe
Double-crested Cormorant
American Bittern
GREAT EGRET
Green Heron
Turkey Vulture
Broad-winged Hawk
Merlin
Virginia Rail
Common Moorhen
Spotted Sandpiper
WILLET
Greater Yellowlegs
Lesser Yellowlegs
Whip-poor-will
Eastern Kingbird
Blue-headed Vireo
Purple Martin
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Carolina Wren
House Wren
Winter Wren
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER
Hermit Thrush
Wood Thrush
Brown Thrasher
Cedar Waxwing
Nashville Warbler
Yellow Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Black-throated Green Warbler
Pine Warbler
Palm Warbler
Black-and-white Warbler
Eastern Towhee
Chipping Sparrow
Field Sparrow
Lincoln's Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Rusty Blackbird
Pine Siskin
Hotline: Ottawa Field-Naturalists' Club
Phone number: 613-860-9000
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Coverage: Ottawa/Gatineau (Canada National Capital Region) E. Ontario, W.
Quebec
Compiler & transcriber: Chris Lewis [email protected]
At 10:00 am, Tuesday April 28, 2009 this is Chris Lewis reporting.
The past week was notable for both wild weather and lots of bird activity
with many new arrivals.
On the 22nd at least 20,000 Snow Geese and 2 Cackling Geese were seen in the
vicinity of the Alfred sewage lagoons, the male EURASIAN WIGEON was still
present at Marais des Laiches (east) until at least the 26th, 3 Long-tailed
Ducks were on the Ottawa River near the Marais aux Grenouillettes on the
26th, and a male BARROW'S GOLDENEYE was a late lingerer below the Deschenes
rapids on the 22nd. Common Loons were seen again on the Ottawa River and
newcomers to the river since the 22nd were several each of Horned and
Red-necked Grebes. Double-crested Cormorants and American Bitterns are now
well-established, a GREAT EGRET was spotted in the Marais aux Grenouillettes
on the 25th and the first seasonal report of a Green Heron came from March
Valley Rd. on the 26th.
Finally a couple of days of southwest winds prompted a flight of raptors,
with Turkey Vultures being the most obvious and numerous. Several
Broad-winged Hawks were also seen since the 24th, and Merlins were seen and
heard in many locations. Virginia Rails and Common Moorhens are back in
their typical habitats. The highlight in recent shorebird reports was a
WILLET at the Alfred lagoons on the 18th and there have been a few more
sightings of Spotted Sandpipers and both Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs.
Whip-poor-will, Eastern Kingbird, Blue-headed Vireo, Purple Martin and
Northern Rough-winged Swallow were all new since the 24th, a Carolina Wren
in Aylmer, Quebec was last seen on the 20th, an early House Wren appeared at
Shirley's Bay on the 27th, and a BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER was a nice find in
the Britannia woods on the 25th along with a significant influx of other
songbirds including Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Winter Wren, Hermit Thrush, Wood
Thrush, Brown Thrasher and Cedar Waxwing. Seven species of warblers have now
been reported - Yellow-rumpeds began to arrive about a week ago and are now
the most abundant species, and Nashville, Yellow, Black-throated Green,
Pine, Palm and Black-and-white Warblers were seen by many birders who were
out enjoying the summer-like weather on the 27th.
Twelve species of Embezerids were found over the past week - Eastern Towhee,
Chipping Sparrow, Field Sparrow and White-crowned Sparrow were among the
most recent arrivals. A very early Lincoln's Sparrow appeared in the
Britannia woods on the 27th, and it's been difficult to go anywhere without
encountering White-throated Sparrows and Dark-eyed Juncos.
A single Rusty Blackbird was noted in Cumberland on the 23rd, and Pine
Siskins are still everywhere and are no doubt breeding in wherever they can.
Thank you - Good Birding!
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