Ontario Ottawa/Gatineau 19 May 2009 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 6:45 am, Tuesday May 19, 2009 this is Chris Lewis reporting. It was another week of variety and activity despite the lack of any really spectacular migration events. The Moodie Dr. quarry pond was a waterfowl jackpot on the evening of the 11th - among the good diversity of ducks were a GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE, 3 Snow Geese, a ROSS'S GOOSE, and 3 Cackling Geese; a rather late date for some of these species. An uncommon sight in Ottawa in spring are Surf Scoters - 3 males and a female were spotted at Shirley's Bay on the 11th. The first summer Trumpeter Swan was still present at the Embrun lagoons as of at least the 14th. Single Common Loons were reported from the Ottawa River from the 12th to the 17th and a Horned Grebe was on the river below Parliament Hill on the 13th. A GREAT EGRET was still at the Marais aux Grenouillettes on the 11th, two were seen in the Stony Swamp south of Moodie Dr. on the 10th, and at least 8 Black-crowned Night-Herons of various ages were found at Mud Lake in Britannia on the 16th. Turkey Vulture, Osprey, Northern Harrier, Broad-winged Hawk and Merlin were all noted again, most of them local breeders. Greater Yellowlegs have for the most part moved on, a few Lesser Yellowlegs were seen in wet areas along Twin Elm Rd. as well as March Valley Rd. The stormwater management ponds at Eagleson and Fernbanks Rds hosted several shorebirds on the 16th including 9 Semipalmated Plovers and at least 27 Least Sandpipers. A Solitary Sandpiper and approx. 20 Least Sandpipers were also found in a muddy field along Twin Elm Rd. on the 17th. Passerine migration was quite lively over the week with several new species moving through or arriving on territory. Eastern Wood-Pewee, Philadelphia Vireo, Red-eyed Vireo, Cliff Swallow, House Wren, Marsh Wren, Veery, Scarlet Tanager, Indigo Bunting and Bobolink are all back right on time. Two separate reports of NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRDS came in on the 11th and 12th from the Arboretum at the Central Experimental Farm and on St. Jerome St. in Orleans. The first report of Golden-winged Warblers back on their breeding grounds was on the 13th and Tennessee, Cape May, Blackpoll and Wilson's Warblers were all new arrivals this past week bringing the regional seasonal total to 23 species. Although the Britannia Conservation Area was as usual the prime target for human activity, many songbirds were reported from other areas such as Gatineau Park, Mer Bleue, Larose Forest, parklands along the Rideau River, and the trails in the Stony Swamp Conservation Area. A traditional area for sparrows did not disappoint - on the 12th, ten species including Clay-coloured, Vesper and Grasshopper were found south of the international airport along with a number of White-crowned Sparrows migrating through; nine species were found here again on the 18th. Pine Siskins are still very much in evidence - in addition to single birds seen and heard in many locations, a flock of at least 40 was singing and flying together in Westboro on the 15th, and Evening Grosbeaks were noted in the Larose Forest as well as near Lanark during the past week as well. 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 information about ONTBIRDS visit http://www.ofo.ca/
