Ontario/Quebec Ottawa/Gatineau 30 November 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]
As we head into December there's still lots of life out there. A flock of 100 - 200 SNOW GEESE continued to favour the large quarry pond on Moodie Dr. south of Trail Rd. as of at least the 27th, and an adult ROSS'S GOOSE was still associating with this flock on that date. All 3 species of SCOTERS (mostly singletons), a few LONG-TAILED DUCKS and all 3 MERGANSERS were still present on the Ottawa River from Shirley's Bay to Britannia Bay on the weekend. The numerous RING-NECKED DUCKS, LESSER SCAUP, BUFFLEHEAD, HOODED and COMMON MERGANSERS on our local ponds, lakes and rivers usually linger until a serious freeze-up, which seems unlikely to happen anytime soon. A count of 28 RUDDY DUCKS on the 28th at the Moodie Dr. pond was an impressive number for this date in Ottawa. A RED-THROATED LOON was at Shirley's Bay on the 28th along with 5 COMMON LOONS. A few HORNED GREBES were still here on the 26th and a GREAT BLUE HERON has been hanging around the west end of Andrew Haydon Park for at least a week. From the 24th to the 28th, 3 BALD EAGLES of various ages were noted at both Britannia and Shirley's Bays. Over 90 SANDHILL CRANES were reported in the fields along Smith Rd. west of Milton Rd. in the Navan area on the 23rd. PURPLE SANDPIPER is a rare but annual visitor to the Ottawa River in late fall, usually during adverse weather conditions. A brief blast of winter on the 23rd brought at least one to the rocky shores at Dick Bell and Andrew Haydon parks - perhaps the same bird that lingered here until the 26th. GULLS of interest included ICELAND, THAYER'S, LESSER BLACK-BACKED and GLAUCOUS, with most observations from the the Trail Rd. landfill and the east end of Andrew Haydon park. Several reports of NORTHERN SHRIKES came in during the past week, again from various locations. A late EASTERN BLUEBIRD was spotted at Old Montreal Rd. and the Camelot golf course on the 23rd, and a NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD was seen in the Crystal Bay area on the 26th. On the 27th, flocks of WAXWINGS in different areas west of Ottawa (approx. 120 CEDARS in Carleton Place and 19 BOHEMIANS in Pakenham) represented the "outgoing" and the "incoming". The only recent local report of "winter finches" came from the Qualicum-Graham Park neighbourhood in the west end of Ottawa where a flock of approx. 25 WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLS was feeding in the conifers on the 27th. 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/
