Ontario/Quebec Ottawa/Gatineau 22 September 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) Coverage: Ottawa/Gatineau (Canada National Capital Region) E. Ontario, W. Quebec Compiler & transcriber: Chris Lewis [email protected], or [email protected]
The most exciting find of the week was a juvenile SABINE'S GULL on the 17th, flying below the Deschenes rapids of the Ottawa River with approx. a dozen BONAPARTE'S GULLS; its brief visit coincided with a large number of Sabine's Gulls seen on Lake Ontario as well as several sightings along the St. Lawrence River in Quebec. Also on the 17th, 4 male WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS on Britannia Bay were the first that have been reported locally this season, and duck species at Shirley's Bay on the weekend included an ever-increasing number of GREEN-WINGED TEAL, as well as AMERICAN WIGEON and RING-NECKED DUCKS. DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT numbers also continue to build up along the river as the season progresses. At least 9 GREAT EGRETS were seen at Shirley's Bay on the 19th and individuals were spotted at Andrew Haydon Park and the Bruce Pit pond on Cedarview Rd. A highlight in the raptor dept. was the sight of 4 juvenile BALD EAGLES soaring together over Shirley's Bay on the 19th, and an adult arrived shortly after. Eleven species of SHOREBIRDS were reported over the past week. A few BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERS have been dropping in and out of the still-extensive mud flats at Shirley's Bay and Andrew Haydon Park, and a single AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVER has been lingering at Andrew Haydon since the 18th. A significant flight of KILLDEER was heard over Ottawa on the night of the 19th, a smattering of SEMIPALMATED PLOVERS, GREATER & LESSER YELLOWLEGS, SPOTTED, SEMIPALMATED, BAIRD'S and PECTORAL SANDPIPERS are still around, and a single RED-NECKED PHALAROPE was flying and floating below the Deschenes rapids on the morning of the 20th along with 5 BONAPARTE'S GULLS. BLUE-HEADED VIREO, PHILADELPHIA VIREO, WINTER WREN, and the first GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLETS of the season were all reported over the past week, a rather late MARSH WREN was at one of the boardwalks along the Jack Pine Trail off Moodie Dr. on the 18th, and AMERICAN PIPIT migration is now in full swing. Among the 14 species of WARBLERS reported by many observers was an ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER on the ridge at the Britannia Conservation Area on the 18th, and it's the time of year when YELLOW-RUMPED'S begin to dominate the landscape while others begin to thin out. A definite influx of WHITE-THROATED and WHITE-CROWNED SPARROWS has begun and good-sized flocks of DARK-EYED JUNCOS were reported from a wide variety of locations. Several areas along the Ottawa River also hosted numbers of RUSTY BLACKBIRDS on the weekend. 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/
