Ontario/Quebec Ottawa/Gatineau 14 April 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]
A change to near-normal temperatures and northwest winds did not deter expected migrants. After the early "main event" in eastern Ontario in mid-March, SNOW GEESE continue to move through; 3000 - 5000 were at the St-Isidore sewage lagoons and 6000 - 8000 were at the Alfred lagoons on the 13th. Several thousand were also noted from Chesterville and eastward in the past week. The Alfred lagoons and the marshes along the Ottawa River on the Quebec side were also productive for waterfowl in the past few days - all of the common puddle ducks are "common", and it's no surprise that REDHEAD, RUDDY DUCK and AMERICAN COOT were all back at Alfred as of at least the 13th. A male EURASIAN WIGEON was still present at Baie Noire in Parc National de Plaisance on the 9th. A pair of GREATER SCAUP were on Shirley's Bay on the 12th along with varying numbers of LESSER SCAUP and BUFFLEHEAD, which were also noted at other locations. PIED-BILLED GREBES are now abundant in local marshes, and at Shirley's Bay on the 11th there were two HORNED GREBES as well as up to five RED-NECKED GREBES that have been present here since at least the 9th. On the 11th, seven immature BALD EAGLES were seen flying over the Thurso, Quebec area and five individual RED-SHOULDERED HAWKS were reported from traditional breeding areas in Constance Bay and Dunrobin on the 8th. A few ROUGH-LEGGED HAWKS were again noted on both the Ontario and Quebec sides, and an immature GOLDEN EAGLE was spotted heading north over Carling Ave. and Moodie Dr. on the 9th. Reports from the Embrun lagoons since the 7th mentioned excellent shorebird habitat but very few birds; however two PECTORAL SANDPIPERS were seen here on the 7th, and single GREATER YELLOWLEGS were also noted here as well as at Alfred on the 13th. The first report of an adult RED-HEADED WOODPECKER back on territory in Constance Bay came in on the 8th. The first reports of WINTER WRENS came from the Jack Pine Trail in the Stony Swamp and the Britannia woods on the 11th and 12th, a YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER was found at Britannia on the 9th, and PINE WARBLERS reported from Jack Pine and Britannia on the 9th and 11th were very early for this "neck of the woods". A few CHIPPING, SAVANNAH, FOX, and WHITE-THROATED SPARROWS were found in widespread locations, and a couple of recent reports also mentioned PURPLE FINCHES at feeders. 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/
