Ontario/Quebec Ottawa/Gatineau 14 December 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 Ottawa-Gatineau Christmas Bird Count is coming up on Sunday Dec. 19th. Contact information is on the OFNC web site at www.ofnc.ca Wintery weather has thinned out many lingering waterfowl species, though some may still be around for the count. CANADA GEESE were still being seen last weekend, and a male RING-NECKED DUCK and female GREATER SCAUP on the river at Deschenes, Quebec, on the 11th were good birds for nearly mid-December. WILD TURKEY numbers may again break local count records this year - flocks ranging in size from 5 to 50 birds were reported from many locations since the 5th. For the past week and a half a RED-SHOULDERED HAWK has been in the Prom. Lakeview neighbourhood of Aylmer, Quebec - quite likely the same bird that has previously over-wintered here. Good numbers of RED-TAILED and ROUGH-LEGGED HAWKS were again reported, and a MERLIN was occasionally spotted in the Shirley's Bay area, most recently on the 11th. The first seasonal report of a GLAUCOUS GULL came from Dick Bell Park on the 5th. At least 3 RED-BELLIED WOODPECKERS are in our region: the male on Ch. Fer-a-Cheval in Masson-Angers, Quebec, was still present as of the 6th; the female in Pakenham was seen several times in the vicinity of McFarlane and Renfrew Sts. on the 11th, and another male has been regular at a property on 6th Line Rd. near Riddell Dr. in the Kanata/Dunrobin area for approx. 3 weeks and was most recently seen on the 13th. NORTHERN SHRIKES were noted at Berry Side Rd. and 5th Line Rd. near Dunrobin on the 11th, and along Rifle Rd. near Shirley's Bay on the 13th. A CAROLINA WREN remains at Proms. Lakeview and Oval in Aylmer as of the 11th. On the 9th a HERMIT THRUSH was discovered in a shrubby area near the recreational path along the Rideau River in Hurdman Park; if it lingers it may appear at the nearby feeders that a WHITE-THROATED SPARROW visited the same day. From the 9th to the 11th a BROWN THRASHER was at a feeder on the edge of the Larose forest east of Bourget. Although there were fewer reports of BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS in recent days, no doubt many are still roving around. A SONG SPARROW has been an irregular customer at an unspecified address in Chelsea, Quebec, for a couple of weeks, and good numbers of SNOW BUNTINGS were reported near Ste-Rose east of Ottawa on the 11th. A male PINE GROSBEAK was a nice find in the freezing rain on the 12th along the path behind Ancroft Crt. near West Hunt Club Rd. in the Tanglewood neighbourhood of Nepean, and good numbers of HOUSE FINCHES were at feeders in the neighbourhood of Beacon Hill North last week. 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/
