Ontario/Quebec Ottawa/Gatineau 25 January 2011 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]
Another month of winter is behind us, and all is pretty much status quo on the local birding scene. An AMERICAN WIGEON was seen again in a small open area of Brewery Creek at the west end of Rue Papineau in Hull, Quebec on the 28th, and a male RING-NECKED DUCK was reported from Deschenes on the 29th. A female HOODED MERGANSER is still occasionally present on the Rideau River near the Hurdman (Hwy 417) bridge. Another GREAT BLUE HERON was discovered on the 26th at McEwan Creek off Russell Rd. Recent ventures up to the Eardley-Masham and Steele Rd. area of Gatineau have been quiet, however 3 BALD EAGLES were seen on the 31st. The wintering RED-SHOULDERED HAWK in Aylmer, Quebec was seen again on the 28th in the as yet undeveloped area at the north end of Rue du Golf, and on the 24th an imm. GOLDEN EAGLE flew over the Orleans area of Ottawa. A couple of MERLIN sightings also came from the near east end of the city. On the 30th a BELTED KINGFISHER was spotted at Burritt's Rapids on the Rideau south of Ottawa. A RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER in Constance Bay was still present last week, and a female BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKER discovered near the Pine Grove Trail parking lot off Davidson Rd. on the 29th was searched for but not seen the following day. HORNED LARKS remain in rural areas east and west of the city, with approx. 100 along Richmond Rd. south of Fallowfield Rd. on the 27th. A HERMIT THRUSH is still holding its own at the feeders near the Hurdman bridge as of the 31st. Approx. 40 BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS were near the intersection of Carling and Woodroffe Aves. on the 27th. AMERICAN TREE SPARROWS appear to be around in good numbers in several locations, a WHITE-THROATED SPARROW was at the Hurdman feeders on the 31st, and SNOW BUNTINGS were again noted in agricultural areas. What is likely the same group of 8 PINE GROSBEAKS first reported back on January 9th was seen again along the Eardley-Masham Rd. near the entrance to Gatineau Park on the 24th, and a feeder in the Beacon Hill neighbourhood of Ottawa hosted a single male WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILL on the morning of the 29th. Several feeders continue to host COMMON REDPOLLS and at least 1 HOARY REDPOLL was among a large flock of Common's at the east end of Politmore, Quebec, on the 31st. The Politmore area, and the Pakenham area west of Ottawa seem to be the best areas to find good numbers of EVENING GROSBEAKS, and a handful is still around at the east end of the Larose forest. Thank you - Good Birding! _______________________________________________ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to [email protected] For information about ONTBIRDS visit http://www.ofo.ca/
