Ontario/Quebec Ottawa/Gatineau 4 March 2010 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
The recent exceptionally mild and sunny weather is forecast to continue through the weekend and will hopefully stimulate some bird movement. So far there has been very little change on the local scene. A male NORTHERN PINTAIL on the Rideau River at Billings Bridge on the 2nd is likely an early arrival as there have been no reports of this bird all winter. At least one male BARROW'S GOLDENEYE was still on the Rideau near the Hurdman bridge as of the 2nd. Two dozen WILD TURKEYS were spotted at Greenbank and Fallowfield Rds. back on the 24th. BALD EAGLE sightings again came from widespread locations including the Rideau River near Mooney's Bay on the 23rd, and the Eardley escarpment in the Gatineau hills where a total of 6 were seen on the 28th, with 3 adults feeding on carcasses at a cattle farm along Steele Rd. A MERLIN was observed hunting in the fields along Rushmore Rd. east of Eagleson Rd. on the 3rd. The return of RING-BILLED GULLS to our area is a sign of spring - a few were seen on the 3rd at the Trail Rd. landfill as well as at Strathcona Park, many were coming in to the large gull roost on the Quebec side of the Ottawa River at Remic rapids on the evening of the 3rd and among them was an adult LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL. Increasing numbers of HERRING GULLS have been noted at both the landfill and the Ottawa River. Four GLAUCOUS GULLS were also among the evening gull roost at Remic and a singleton was seen at the landfill on the 3rd. After a spate of NORTHERN SHRIKE sightings earlier in the winter, very few have been around; a single report this week came from the Champlain golf course in Aylmer, Quebec, on the 1st. Among our resident species that have begun to sing are BROWN CREEPERS, heard along trails in the Stoney Swamp on the 3rd. A scattered flock of approx. 150 BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS was feeding on Buckthorn berries as well as road grit in the Shirley's Bay area on the 3rd. A few HORNED LARKS and SNOW BUNTINGS were again reported from rural areas, and a single LAPLAND LONGSPUR was at a manure spread along March Rd. east of Carp Rd. on the 28th. The lack of "winter finches" made the appearance of PINE GROSBEAKS and PINE SISKINS last week seem almost like rare bird sightings - approx. a half dozen of the former were seen with about a dozen Bohemian Waxwings in Gatineau Park near Kingsmere on the 22nd, and three of the latter briefly visited a feeder in Bells Corners on the 24th. 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/
