Ontario/Quebec Ottawa/Gatineau 27 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]
Visits to a variety of traditional birding locations revealed that migration and breeding activity are pretty much as expected for the time of year. At the Alfred lagoons on the 20th there were still approx. 3000 - 5000 SNOW GEESE in and around the ponds, as well as a good selection of ducks including NORTHERN SHOVELER, GREEN-WINGED TEAL, REDHEAD, BUFFLEHEAD and RUDDY DUCK. The Embrun lagoons hosted GADWALL, GREATER and LESSER YELLOWLEGS and two WILSON'S PHALAROPES on the 24th. A GREAT EGRET discovered at Shirley's Bay on the 18th has not been reported since then, however on the 20th a pair of REDHEAD was noted at this location, and on the 24th six RED-BREASTED MERGANSERS and a COMMON LOON were seen in the bay off Innis Point. From the woods at the Innis Point Bird Observatory came the first reports of YELLOW WARBLER (24th) and PALM WARBLER (18th). A report from the Trail Rd. landfill on the 21st mentioned a very out-of-season 2nd winter ICELAND GULL as well as three LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS. On the 25th at the Eagleson / Fernbank Rd. ponds there was a BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON. The ever-popular Britannia Conservation Area was as usual quite busy, often with more people than birds. A BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON was spotted flying north towards the river on the 24th and a BROAD-WINGED HAWK was a fly-over migrant on the 20th. Although the woods were rather quiet in recent days (except for human traffic), species found here included BLUE-HEADED and WARBLING VIREO among the now common RUBY-CROWNED KINGLETS, YELLOW-RUMPED and PINE WARBLERS. A BLACK-THROATED GREEN WARBLER was found here on the 25th. Wetlands in the Dunrobin area were productive for AMERICAN BITTERN, VIRGINIA RAIL, SORA, RUSTY BLACKBIRD and BLACK-THROATED GREEN WARBLER on the weekend. An UPLAND SANDPIPER was back on territory near Constance Bay on the 24th, and several AMERICAN KESTRELS were seen in rural areas west of the city. PURPLE MARTINS are back at the martin houses in Dick Bell Park, and more reports have come in of NORTHERN ROUGH-WINGED and BARN SWALLOWS in many areas. HERMIT THRUSHES, BROWN THRASHERS, CHIPPING, SAVANNAH and SWAMP SPARROWS are enthusiastically proclaiming territories, as are a few FIELD and WHITE-THROATED SPARROWS. Good numbers of DARK-EYED JUNCOS continue to move through. And finally, a couple of interesting birds were reported from feeders: an early ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK showed up in Manotick on the 19th and 20th, and a lone PINE SISKIN visited a feeder in Cumberland on the 22nd and 23rd. 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/
