Ontario/Quebec Ottawa/Gatineau 22 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 Compiler & transcriber: Chris Lewis [email protected]
More migrants continue to arrive, most of them right on time and some on the early side. Due to the lack of any major precipitation this winter and the above normal temperatures in recent weeks there is almost no flooding along our local waterways or in the agricultural fields. But that has not stopped countless CANADA GEESE from showing up everywhere, and sorting through them has yielded a few prizes. On the 17th a GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE found in Nepean along Greenbank Rd. south of Hunt Club Rd. was searched for but not re-found since then. A bizarrely early BRANT found at Russell and Johnston Rds. east of Bourget on the 17th was still present on the 19th. Large flocks of Greater SNOW GEESE totalling well over 60,000 birds were on the move south and east of Ottawa between Winchester and Cornwall on the 15th and 16th. Closer to home, the largest number reported so far was 2,000 in the Cobb's Lake Creek area east of Bourget on the 16th and smaller groups and singletons have been widely reported, with a few blue morph birds in the mix. Individual CACKLING GEESE were spotted in several locations from the 17th to the 21st. Duck returns have so far been quite slow. The first local report of WOOD DUCKS came from the Quebec side near Quyon on the 19th. Among fair numbers of NORTHERN PINTAILS in widespread locations were a few AMERICAN WIGEON, GREEN-WINGED TEAL, RING-NECKED DUCK and BUFFLEHEAD. A report of a GREEN HERON flying by the Hwy 7 bridge over the Mississippi River in Carleton Place on the 17th would be an extremely early record for Ontario (further details have been requested). The first TURKEY VULTURES evidently arrived on the 16th in Carleton Place and 3 were also seen over Green's Creek in Ottawa on the 18th. A few more NORTHERN HARRIERS have begun to appear, all three species of ACCIPITERS were spotted over the past week (all apparently migrants), and up to 5 ROUGH-LEGGED HAWKS were seen near Bourget since the 17th. A couple of sightings of AMERICAN KESTRELS came in over the weekend, MERLINS were also seen in diverse locations both rural and suburban, and what is presumably the resident pair of PEREGRINE FALCONS was seen near Place du Portage in Hull, Quebec on the 18th. SANDHILL CRANES have returned to their traditional breeding area - at least 2 were seen from Milton and Smith Rds. southwest of Navan from the 19th to the 21st. KILLDEER are suddenly everywhere since at least the 18th, and the first local report of AMERICAN WOODCOCK came in on the evening of the 16th from the Green's Creek parking area along the Rockcliffe parkway. On the passerine front, a NORTHERN SHRIKE was found near Riceville on the 21st, AMERICAN ROBINS and SONG SPARROWS have started to advertise their territories. DARK-EYED JUNCOS are moving through, and the first report of BROWN-HEADED COWBIRDS was from the 21st. A movement of PURPLE FINCHES was noted over the past week, and small numbers of EVENING GROSBEAKS have also been noted recently in Bourget as well as the Larose forest area 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/
