Ontario/Quebec
Ottawa/Gatineau
02 September 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 9:00 am, Wednesday September 02, 2009 this is Chris Lewis reporting.
A fairly quiet week until the 29th when strong east winds and heavy local
showers (courtesy of tropical storm "Danny") brought down a nice wave of
migrants. Shorebirds and warblers were again the lead story in local
reports.
Among 13 species of shorebirds found in widespread locations on Aug. 30th, a
BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER dropped in near Russell and a flock of 68 AMERICAN
GOLDEN PLOVERS paid an all too brief visit to a sod farm south of Osgoode.
The same day, an UPLAND SANDPIPER flew over Britannia and two RED PHALAROPES
were also briefly seen at the Embrun sewage lagoons. An increase in numbers
of SEMIPALMATED PLOVERS and KILLDEER was apparent, however numbers of other
species that have been around for a few weeks such as GREATER and LESSER
YELLOWLEGS, SEMIPALMATED, WHITE-RUMPED, LEAST and PECTORAL SANDPIPER seemed
to be about the same.
Both OLIVE-SIDED and YELLOW-BELLIED FLYCATCHERS were again reported from the
Fletcher Wildlife Garden and on both sides of the Ottawa River at Britannia
and Deschenes over the past week. A total of 16 species of warblers were
found at Britannia and elsewhere from the 25th to Sept. 1st with several in
multiple numbers, notably TENNESSEE, NASHVILLE, MAGNOLIA, BLACKBURNIAN,
WILSON'S and CANADA.
Interesting waterfowl included a blue morph SNOW GOOSE at Andrew Haydon Park
on the 27th (possibly the same bird seen flying over Britannia on the 23rd),
the summering BRANT still at Andrew Haydon, five very early GREATER SCAUP on
the river at the east end of Andrew Haydon on the 30th, and an early COMMON
GOLDENEYE among a small variety of ducks at the Embrun lagoons the same day.
From the Richmond, Stittsville and Carp areas came several sightings of WILD
TURKEYS with young, and juvenile PIED-BILLED GREBES were noted at Britannia
along with the daily dose of GREEN HERON and BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERONS.
Back on the 25th an adult BALD EAGLE was reported soaring over Lac Lapeche
in Gatineau Park, two BROAD-WINGED HAWKS flew over the Carp hills on the
30th and at least three different MERLINS were stirring things up in diverse
locations the same day.
COMMON NIGHTHAWKS were spotted in small numbers all week, and hundreds of
swallows were feeding over the Deschenes rapids as well as the Embrun
lagoons on the 30th, with TREE SWALLOWS in the majority and lesser numbers
of BANK, CLIFF and BARN SWALLOWS in the mix.
Finally, a BALTIMORE ORIOLE at Britannia on the 30th had several birders
scratching their heads over its vivid , not orange, but RED plumage. This
unusual pigmentation is evidently diet-related, likely due to Rhodoxanthin -
a chemical found in the berries of introduced species of Honeysuckle.
Thank you - Good Birding!
_______________________________________________
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