Ontario/Quebec Ottawa/Gatineau 14 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 10:00 am, Wednesday October 14, 2009 this is Chris Lewis reporting. Dynamic weather and bird movement made the past week an exciting one. Geese were the big story, begining with a ROSS'S GOOSE discovered on the 10th at the large quarry pond along Moodie Dr. south of Trail Rd., and another on the 11th along Milton Rd. southwest of Navan. On the 12th, 2 ROSS'S GEESE (an adult and a juvenile) were seen on Milton along with an adult GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE and at least 3 CACKLING GEESE. Combined with a SNOW GOOSE on the Moodie Dr. pond, at least 700 BRANT in the vicinity of Andrew Haydon Park, and multitudes of CANADA GEESE, several observers were treated to a remarkable "six goose day"! Duck highlights included a female CANVASBACK at Shirley's Bay and a male REDHEAD at the Casselman sewage lagoons on the 12th. Increasing numbers of GREATER and LESSER SCAUP and COMMON GOLDENEYE were noted as well as all 3 species of SCOTERS and all 3 species of MERGANSERS. Several RUDDY DUCKS were still on the Moodie Dr. pond as of the 12th. A couple of reports of COMMON LOONS came from the Ottawa River on the weekend, PIED-BILLED GREBES are still very much in evidence, and 4 RED-NECKED GREBES were seen at Shirley's Bay on the 12th. An adult and an immature BALD EAGLES were seen at Shirley's Bay and an adult was also at the Moodie Dr. location on the 12th. The first seasonal sightings of ROUGH-LEGGED HAWKS came in on the 12th and a juvenile GOLDEN EAGLE flew over the Milton Rd. area on the 11th. An adult PEREGRINE FALCON has been regular in the Lincoln Fields area, and an adult was also observed at the Moodie Dr. pond on the 12th. As of the 12th, 20 SANDHILL CRANES have been seen in the fields along Milton Rd. Four cranes were also spotted near Lanark on the 11th. An increase in the water levels on the Ottawa River has cleared out many shorebirds. On the 10th 2 BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERS and a small number of GREATER and LESSER YELLOWLEGS were at Shirley's Bay along with the MARBLED GODWIT; by the 12th all but a few Yellowlegs seemed to have left and there have been no reports of the Godwit since the 10th. On the 12th, a few KILLDEER, 1 LESSER YELLOWLEGS, 1 PECTORAL SANDPIPER and 1 WILSON'S SNIPE were still hanging in at Andrew Haydon Park, a late SOLITARY SANDPIPER was last reported here on the 7th, and 3 LONG-BILLED DOWITCHERS flew over the Moodie Dr. pond on the 10th. A nice find at the Alfred lagoons was a RED PHALAROPE on the 7th. Single adult LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS were noted at Andrew Haydon and near Manotick. Rounding out the non-passerine highlights was a male BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKER along the Rideau trail off Richmond Rd. on the 13th. Passerine activity continued to be quite lively as well. Good numbers of BLUE-HEADED VIREOS were again reported, a rather late RED-EYED VIREO was also at Brtannia on the 10th, BROWN CREEPERS, WINTER WRENS and both species of KINGLETS were again easy to find, a GRAY-CHEEKED and SWAINSON'S THRUSH were among numerous HERMIT THURSHES at Deschenes, Quebec on the 11th and HERMIT THRUSHES and AMERICAN PIPITS were also common all week on the Ontario side. YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS have thinned out, single ORANGE-CROWNED, NASHVILLE and PALM WARBLERS were found at Britannnia and Shirley's Bay, 4 CHIPPING SPARROWS were late visitors a feeder near Andrew Haydon Park on the 13th, the first seasonal reports of FOX SPARROWS came in last week, WHITE-THROATED and WHITE-CROWNED SPARROWS continued to be abundant migrants, approx. 40 LAPLAND LONGSPURS were seen near Winchester on the 12th, and several hundred SNOW BUNTINGS were spotted near Carp on the 11th. Large flocks of RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS and COMMON GRACKLES were seen in widespread locations on the weekend, and a movement of PURPLE FINCHES was noted 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/
