Ontario Ottawa/Gatineau 17 June 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 5:45 pm, Tuesday June 16, 2009 this is Chris Lewis reporting. Reports from local ventures last week revealed not much in the way of news, but indicated that most of our locally common (and some not so common) birds are doing well. The downtown Peregrine Falcon Watch began on June 7th and so far lots of activity has been noted among the adults and the 2 young, but no maiden flights have yet been reported. Volunteers are still very much needed to monitor the offspring. Please contact Nancy Scott at [email protected] or 613-946-7847 or 613-253-1490. You may also contact falcon watch coordinator Eve Ticknor at [email protected] or 613-737-7551. Wetland species were well represented with Green Heron, Virginia Rail, Alder and Willow Flycatcher, Marsh Wren and other expected denizens of marshy places reported from the Dunrobin area and the trail off Corkstown Rd. and Moodie Dr. near the Nortel complex. On the Quebec side, a Great Egret put in another appearance at the west end of Marais des Laiches on the 14th and 4 Upland Sandpipers were seen along Hwy 50 between Gatineau airport and Rue Laurentides the same day. An Upland Sandpiper and a Red-headed Woodpecker were also noted again in traditional breeding areas near Constance Bay on the 13th. The Carp Hills along the Thomas Dolan Parkway were again productive for Black-billed Cuckoo, Golden-winged Warbler and Eastern Towhee on the weekend. Reports of woodland species in several locations included Red-shouldered and Broad-winged Hawk as well as Brown Creeper, Veery, Hermit Thrush, several common flycatchers, vireos and warblers, Scarlet Tanager, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Indigo Bunting and Purple Finch. Recent visits to the Larose Forest produced 16 breeding species of warblers as well as an uncommon rufous morph Ruffed Grouse with young, a singing male Lincoln's Sparrow, and a handful of Evening Grosbeaks on the 13th. The fields south of the international airport continue to be alive with sparrows including Clay-coloured, Field, Vesper and Grasshopper. Black-billed Cuckoo and Eastern Bluebird were also reported from this area and a Northern Mockingbird was seen in flight near the airport on the 13th. Red-winged Blackbirds were, as usual, aggressively chasing off anything near their territory - even innocent passersby such as local Turkey Vultures. And after a very lively season for Pine Siskins, these finches have now become conspicious by their absence. 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/
