Ontario/Quebec
Ottawa/Gatineau
16 August 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]
It's been a pleasant week with comfortable temperatures, but not much change
on the birding front.
More BLUE-WINGED TEAL have begun to show up in quiet bays on the Ottawa
River. Three GREAT EGRETS were again seen off Andrew Haydon Park on the 14th
and
4 were at Shirley's Bay the same day. GREEN HERONS and BLACK-CROWNED
NIGHT-HERONS continue to be seen at Britannia and other locations. Two
immature BALD EAGLES were spotted flying north towards the Ottawa River on
the 14th, and a BROAD-WINGED HAWK was perched on a wire along Russell Rd.
near Carlsbad Springs on the 12th.
Shorebird numbers and species have continued to fluctuate from day to day,
with no significant developments yet. A visit to the Embrun and Casselman
sewage lagoons on the 14th revealed very little habitat at Embrun; species
noted here were a few SEMIPALMATED PLOVERS, 40 LESSER YELLOWLEGS, a few
SPOTTED, 1 SEMIPALMATED and 15 LEAST SANDPIPERS, and a juvenile SHORT-BILLED
DOWITCHER. Casselman has excellent habitat , but soil removal work is being
done and very few shorebirds were present. The mud flats at the west end of
Andrew Haydon Park hosted only a few species in very small numbers on the
14th, and the inviting habitat west of the Shirley's Bay causeway has been
sporadically productive. From the 8th to the 14th, nine species were
reported. LESSER YELLOWLEGS remained in the majority, along with varying
numbers of SOLITARY, SEMIPALMATED, LEAST and WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPERS. Up to
3 SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHERS were here on the 8th, 1 adult was present on the
14th, and a rare August sighting for Ottawa was an adult LONG-BILLED
DOWITCHER on the 8th. Away from the river, at the large quarry pond on
Moodie Dr. south of Trail Rd. there was a RED-NECKED PHALAROPE as well as a
half-dozen BONAPARTE'S GULLS and a CASPIAN TERN. At least 2 CASPIAN TERNS
and several COMMON TERNS were present at Shirley's Bay on the weekend.
COMMON NIGHTHAWKS are on the move - reports came in from widespread
locations on the 12th and 13th; the largest group reported so far was a
feeding flock of 54 in Pakenham on Saturday evening. Large numbers of
SWALLOWS have been feeding over the river in recent days. A CAROLINA WREN
was still present near George McLean Park in Manotick as of at least the
13th. Not much action yet in terms of warbler migration. A CAPE MAY WARBLER
was again seen at Britannia, and more YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS have begun to
appear. The only other passerine sightings were of common local breeding
species.
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/
