Ontario/Quebec Ottawa/Gatineau 10 January 2013 Hotline: Ottawa Field-Naturalists' Club (OFNC) 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 Bob Cermak [email protected] or [email protected] A TUFTED TITMOUSE has been at a feeder at 119 Chemin des Hirondelles in Luskville from the 3rd to the 8th and is probably still present. A RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER is also being seen at the same feeder and at other feeders in the area including at 27 Ave des Tourterelles. Another RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER (male) was seen on a White Pine at 17 Hemlock in Aylmer on the 10th. The first winter male HARLEQUIN DUCK continues on the Ottawa River rapids north of Bate Island just east of the Champlain Bridge. Male and female BARROW'S GOLDENEYE have also been present at this location, on both sides of the bridge near the Quebec shore all week. An extremely late RED-NECKED GREBE has been present on the open water east of the Deschenes rapids since the 6th. The extremely late COMMON LOON was seen at the same location up to the 6th. Other interesting sighting were; - PINE GROSBEAK (30 mostly male) at the Duck Club feeders at the north end (near Riddell) of March Valley Road on the 4th - GRAY PARTRIDGE (4) under the Spruce trees on the SW corner of the city maintenance yards on Maple Grove Rd on the 5th - BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKER (1 female) continues to be seen at the forest fire burn site along the Lime Kiln Trail - EVENING GROSBEAK (24) were seen at the TR50 trail head in the Gatineau on the 6th and another 15+ were seen on Clarence Cambridge Rd at the feeders at the west edge of Larose Forest - NORTHERN GOSHAWK near the entrance to the Sasparilla trail on the 7th - LAPLAND LONGSPUR (1) and SNOW BUNTING (100) on Giroux Rd (east of Frank Kenny Rd) on the fields west of the ponds and HORNED LARKS (2) on the Giroux Rd fields east of the ponds on the 8th - GOLDEN EAGLE was seen from the north end of Ch Therien (from hwy 148 just east of Eardley) on the 8th - COMMON MERGANSER (6) where the Jock and Rideau rivers meet on the 8th and 2 males at the east end of the Deschenes rapids on the 10th - HOODED MERGANSER (1 female) on the Rideau River at the Bank Street Billings bridge on the 8th - BUFFLEHEAD (1 adult male) on the west side of the Champlain bridge near the Quebec shore on the 10th There have been several observations of northern owls in the Ottawa-Gatineau region this winter season. Reports in the first weeks of 2013 indicate that an irruption of Great Gray Owls is occurring. The last major irruption was in the winter of 2004-2005. This kind of event provides an opportunity to remind birders, photographers and nature enthusiasts to review the OFNC Code of Conduct (on the Birding Page of the OFNC web site www.ofnc.ca ) and to generally be respectful of wildlife, property, and people. Due to increasing and widespread concerns regarding disturbance of wildlife and property, the OFNC's Birds Committee no longer reports owl sightings on the Bird Status Line or on the Internet. We will continue to encourage the reporting of owls to the Bird Status Line for the purpose of maintaining local records. Thanks to everyone who contributed bird observations - Good Birding! Bob _______________________________________________ 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/
