Ontario/Quebec Ottawa/Gatineau 05 May 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 significant movement of expected migrants occurred over the past week, as well as a few unexpected individuals. A spectacular male YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD showed up in a backyard in the Queenswood Heights area of Orleans on the 27th but has not been reported since the 28th, and an incredibly early BLACKPOLL WARBLER in the Britannia Conservation Area on the 2nd coincided with other observations south of our area. The main thrust of waterfowl migration has wound down, although many CANADA GEESE are still around and moving through, and mainly local breeding ducks were reported from several locations. A couple of COMMON GOLDENEYE and BUFFLEHEAD were still on the Ottawa River at Shirley's Bay on the 2nd, and a male hybrid COMMON X BARROW'S GOLDENEYE was reported from the Quebec side of the Deschenes rapids on April 29th. A GREAT EGRET was seen at Marais aux Grenouillettes near Masson, Quebec, on the 30th, and AMERICAN BITTERN, GREEN HERON and BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON were all found in traditional breeding areas as were VIRGINIA RAIL, SORA, and COMMON MOORHEN. A flight of BROAD-WINGED HAWKS was noted, with several individuals seen heading north from the 27th to the 2nd. MERLINS were again spotted in a wide variety of urban and suburban locations, performing their distinctive vocal and flight displays. Despite the excellent shorebird habitat along the Ottawa River and some of the eastern sewage lagoons, species and numbers have so far been only minimal. Recent observations included only a few KILLDEER, SOLITARY and SPOTTED SANDPIPERS, a smattering of GREATER and LESSER YELLOWLEGS and WILSON'S SNIPE, an UPLAND SANDPIPER near Franktown and Dwyer Hill Rds., and 2 pairs of WILSON'S PHALAROPES at the Embrun lagoons. At the Trail Rd. landfill on the 30th there were 6 species of gulls including single very late lingering ICELAND and GLAUCOUS GULLS as well as (again) an adult LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL; single ICELAND and GLAUCOUS (perhaps the same individuals) were also seen at the Deschenes rapids on the 2nd. At least three COMMON TERNS were back at Shirley's Bay as of the 2nd, and the first local report of CHIMNEY SWIFTS came in on the 30th. Lots of action on the passerine front certainly livened up the local landscape. GREAT-CRESTED FLYCATCHER, BLUE-HEADED, WARBLING and RED-EYED VIREO, HOUSE WREN, WOOD THRUSH and GRAY CATBIRD are all back. A NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD was somewhat elusive at Shirley's Bay on the 2nd, but BROWN THRASHERS and CEDAR WAXWINGS are now widespread. An AMERICAN PIPIT flew over Shirley's Bay on the 1st. Thirteen species of warblers have now been reported, with NASHVILLE, YELLOW, CHESTNUT-SIDED, BLACK-THROATED BLUE, BLACKBURNIAN, BLACK-AND-WHITE, AMERICAN REDSTART and OVENBIRD new since the 30th. No doubt many more species will be reported soon. EASTERN TOWHEES are back on territory in the Carp hills, and seven breeding species of sparrows were singing in their typical habitats on the weekend, with only CLAY-COLOURED and GRASSHOPPER yet to arrive. A major influx of WHITE-CROWNED SPARROWS was noted on the 1st, a couple of ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAKS were seen at Britannia on the 2nd, and single RUSTY BLACKBIRDS were present at Shirley's Bay and Britannia on the 4th. 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/
