Ontario/Quebec Ottawa/Gatineau 23 November 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 6:30 am, Monday November 23, 2009 this is Chris Lewis reporting. The past week and a half produced a small but interesting mixed bag of bird reports...and who could complain about the almost spring-like weather at this time of year? On the 14th, approx. 5,000 SNOW GEESE were seen north of Winchester, and on the 17th well over 10,000 were reported in the fields along Hwy 138 south of Hwy 417. On the 21st approx. 50 were in a pond at the Embrun sewage lagoons and at least 1,000 were seen in the Ste-Rose / Moose Creek area. A pair of REDHEAD was at the Embrun lagoons on the 21st along with 6 BONAPARTE'S GULLS - a very late date for this species in our area. Three male GREEN-WINGED TEAL were rather late lingerers in the ponds at Andrew Haydon Park on the 21st, as were single BLACK and SURF SCOTERS, 18 WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS and 2 DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANTS on the river on the 22nd. Two late RED-THROATED LOONS also put in appearance on the river off Dick Bell Park this weekend. On the 14th, the number of SANDHILL CRANES hit a new record high for the Ottawa area - nearly 100 birds were observed in the fields at Milton and Smith Rds. southwest of Navan. The same day, a DUNLIN was still on the beach at Petrie Island, and the large quarry pond along Moodie Dr. south of Trail Rd. hosted one each of ICELAND, LESSER BLACK-BACKED and GLAUCOUS GULLS. A NORTHERN SHRIKE near Carling Ave. and Rifle Rd. was present as of at least the 15th. The late BLACKPOLL WARBLER at Dick Bell Park was last reported on the 15th, and the only recent finch report was from the feeders at the Chelsea visitor centre in Gatineau Park, Quebec - a single PURPLE FINCH and EVENING GROSBEAK were noted here on the 17th. 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/
