Ontario/Quebec Ottawa/Gatineau 01 June 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]
Another week of mostly very warm and very dry weather brought in a nice variety of bird sightings. No real news in the waterfowl dept., although a single SNOW GOOSE was still at the Alfred lagoons on the 30th, a BRANT was literally on the rocks in the Deschenes rapids of the Ottawa River on the 28th, and seven WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS were seen on the river north of Petrie Island. AMERICAN BITTERN was reported from the eastern lagoons and the Constance Creek marsh by the Thomas Dolan Parkway, and the first local report of LEAST BITTERN came from Constance Creek on the 29th and 30th. At least one GREAT EGRET was at Shirley's Bay on the 28th and another was in the Petrie Island marsh on the 30th. A pair of SANDHILL CRANES, followed by a group of seven, flew over Pakenham on the evening of the 28th. A good movement of shorebirds occurred from the 26th through the 31st, including up to 10 BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERS and 7 RUDDY TURNSTONES in the Deschenes rapids and a RED KNOT that made a brief appearance at the west end of Andrew Haydon Park on the 29th. Numerous SEMIPALMATED PLOVERS were seen at Shirley's Bay and the Embrun sewage lagoons. SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPERS began to outnumber the LEAST SANDPIPERS in several locations. Three WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPERS were at Shirley's Bay on the 26th and two were at Embrun on the 30th along with 20 DUNLIN. A few local showers on the 26th brought 14 SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHERS and a RED-NECKED PHALAROPE down to the extensive mud flat at Shirley's Bay. Eight female WILSON'S PHALAROPES were reported from Embrun on the 25th and a female RED-NECKED PHALAROPE was also at Alfred on the 30th. Approx. 15 BONAPARTE'S GULLS at Deschenes rapids on the 30th were joined by a BLACK TERN on the 31st. A highlight on the 30th was a CASPIAN TERN at Andrew Haydon Park. Now is prime time for ARCTIC TERNS - two were observed at the rapids on the 28th. Two separate sightings of YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO came from the trails off the Champlain lookout in Gatineau Park on the 26th, and the same observer had an OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER in the park at Champlain Rd. and the road to Lac Fortune. Two or three transient OLIVE-SIDED'S were vocalizing and fly-catching along a trail off Timm Dr. in Bells Corner's the same day. ALDER and WILLOW FLYCATCHERS are in good voice on their breeding grounds, SEDGE WRENS were found in traditional areas in the Richmond-Munster and Kilmaurs-Woodlawn areas. Additional waves of SWAINSON'S and a few GRAY-CHEEKED THRUSHES flew over during several clear nights last week, and a NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD popped up at Timm and Haanel Dr. in Bells Corners on the 26th. GOLDEN-WINGED WARBLERS were buzzing away on the Carp Ridge along the Thomas Dolan Parkway on the weekend, and the Larose forest as well as forests on the Quebec side were as usual great places to find breeding songbirds. Eighteen species of warblers, mostly breeders, were found in the Lac Lablanche area north of Mayo, Quebec on the 29th along with other species of northern affinity such as BLUE-HEADED VIREO, GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET and PURPLE FINCH. Field species of interest included five CLAY-COLOURED and two GRASSHOPPER SPARROWS in the Burnt Lands near Almonte, and BOBOLINKS are displaying in their typical habitats. 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/
