Ontario/Quebec Ottawa/Gatineau 07 October 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 7:00am, Wednesday October 7, 2009 this is Chris Lewis reporting. Observations for the end of September and the beginning of October included a nice mix of both water and land birds, some on the late side and some even a bit early. Apart from the lone BRANT that has spent nearly 3 months at Andrew Haydon Park, a flock of approx. 55 Brant flew in to the east end of the park on Oct. 6th, and 2 CACKLING GEESE were seen here on the 3rd. Ducks remain few on the Ottawa River and elsewhere, but an increasing variety has begun to show up - small numbers of GADWALL, AMERICAN WIGEON, BLUE-WINGED TEAL, NORTHERN PINTAIL, GREEN-WINGED TEAL, RING-NECKED DUCK, GREATER and LESSER SCAUP, SURF SCOTER, WHITE-WINGED SCOTER, COMMON GOLDENEYE, HOODED and COMMON MERGANSERS were noted from the 30th to the 6th. A tour of several sewage lagoons east of Ottawa on the 5th revealed high water levels and very little bird activity, but the Alfred lagoons were productive for several waterbirds including 7 REDHEAD, over 100 RUDDY DUCKS, a couple of late AMERICAN BITTERNS, and numerous COMMON MOORHENS and AMERICAN COOTS. On the 6th 3 RED-NECKED GREBES and at least 1 GREAT EGRET were present at Shirley's Bay, and an immature BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON was still at Mud Lake in Britannia on the 3rd. The local MERLIN show continues with individuals seen in a variety of locations chasing everything from BELTED KINGFISHERS to COMMON RAVENS. Sightings of PEREGRINE FALCONS came from the Billings Bridge and Carlingwood areas on the 5th and 6th. Shorebird numbers and species change from day to day. From the 28th to the 6th, reports from the Ottawa River from Andrew Haydon Park to Shirley's Bay included 1 BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER, a few KILLDEER, small numbers of GREATER and LESSER YELLOWLEGS, SPOTTED and PECTORAL SANDPIPERS and 2 STILT SANDPIPERS. Our local autumn star, the MARBLED GODWIT, was still present at Shirley's Bay on the 6th (its 19th day at this location) and 1 DUNLIN and 2 LONG-BILLED DOWITCHERS have also been lingering here for approx. two weeks. Two LONG-BILLED DOWITCHERS were also noted at Parc Brebeuf on the Quebec side on the 1st. Although many songbirds have begun to thin out, a nice selection was reported from the 30th to the 6th. A rather late flight of SWAINSON'S THRUSHES occurred on the night of the 6th and a few were also noted the previous week. Not surprising were lots of HERMIT THRUSHES over the weekend as well as both species of KINGLETS. Warbler species from the 1st through the 6th included ORANGE-CROWNED, NORTHERN PARULA, BLACK-THROATED BLUE, YELLOW-RUMPED and BLACK-THROATED GREEN, as well as a few late-ish fellows such as PALM, BLACK-AND-WHITE, AMERICAN REDSTART, OVENBIRD and COMMON YELLOWTHROAT. In addition to the continuing movement of WHITE-THROATED and WHITE-CROWNED SPARROWS, early harbingers of the coming season were 3 LAPLAND LONGSPURS flying over the St. Isidore lagoons on the 5th and a SNOW BUNTING at Shirley's Bay on the 6th. 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/
