Ontario/Quebec Ottawa/Gatineau 24 December 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 7:30 am, Thursday December 24, 2009 this is Chris Lewis reporting. The local Christmas Bird Counts began with the Ottawa-Gatineau count on December 20th. All of the species totals have yet to be confirmed. Preliminary results indicated that it was a generally slow day with low numbers, but it was not a day without several highlights. Interesting waterfowl included a few lingerers such as WOOD DUCK, GREEN-WINGED TEAL and RING-NECKED DUCK. Three BARROW'S GOLDENEYE (2 males and 1 female) were seen again on the Rideau River off Riverain/Strathcona Park. 23 WILD TURKEYS were a record high for the count, and a very late GREAT BLUE HERON was found near Ogilvie Rd. and the Aviation Parkway. Thirteen BALD EAGLES were counted among the various sectors, a RED-SHOULDERED HAWK first reported on the 13th was still in Aylmer , Quebec on count day, and a grey morph GYRFALCON was a great find near the Carlington quarry. Two PEREGRINE FALCONS were seen; one each on the Ontario and Quebec sides. Gull numbers were low overall within the count circle - only 8 ICELAND and 8 GLAUCOUS GULLS were reported; larger numbers were found just two days before at the Trail Rd. Landfill along with a 1st winter THAYER'S GULL. A nice surprise was a female BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKER along a trail off Ogilvie Rd.and the Aviation Parkway on the 20th. Four NORTHERN SHRIKES were found among the count sectors, and 124 COMMON RAVENS was in impressive record high. A CAROLINA WREN that has been visiting a feeder near a small park adjacent to Rue Millar in Hull, Quebec was seen on the 20th, and a HERMIT THRUSH and SWAMP SPARROW in the Britannia sector were both good finds as well. The COMMON YELLOWTHROAT discovered on the 19th at Strathcona Park showed up for the count and was still hanging in as of the 23rd. On the 18th six GRAY PARTRIDGE were found in what has become a traditional wintering area in Kanata along Maple Grove Rd. near the Sensplex arena, and on the 23rd two large flocks of WILD TURKEYS were reported - 23 along Prince of Wales Dr. near Barnsdale Rd. and 30 at Corkstown Rd. off March Rd. Good numbers of AMERICAN ROBINS and BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS are still around, and several flocks of SNOW BUNTINGS were seen in the Ste-Rose area east of Ottawa on the 20th. The dearth of finches certainly reflects reports from elsewhere in the province - HOUSE FINCH and AMERICAN GOLDFINCH numbers were very low on the Ottawa-Gatrineau count, and only 1 PURPLE FINCH, 3 COMMON REDPOLLS, and 3 EVENING GROSBEAKS were reported on the 20th, all in the Quebec sectors. Thank you - and Happy Holiday Birding to all! _______________________________________________ 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/
