Ontario/Quebec Ottawa/Gatineau 24 October 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] ROSS'S GOOSE (1) was found on Lac des Loups Rd (200 meters before the pavement ends)north of Quyon on the 19th. Another was found near 7906 Fallowfield Rd, between Munster Rd and Dwyer Hill Rd, on the 20th. RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD (1 sub adult male) was seen briefly at a Manotick feeder on the 19th. The previous fall late record was October 15th 1982. TRUMPETER SWAN (2) were seen at the Almonte lagoon on the 20th but were not subsequently seen. TUNDRA SWAN (2) were heard overhead at 1:34 am just south of the Britannia Conservation Area woods on the 20th. Outside the OFNC 50 km birding area a WHITE-EYED VIREO was photographed near Merrickville on the 19th and a BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKER (f) was seen in the Lanark Highlands on the 20th. Scoters, usually found on the Ottawa River have been found at Dow's Lake this week. A SURF SCOTER found on the 17th was still present on the 22nd with one each RING-NECKED DUCK, LESSER SCAUP, GREEN-WINGED TEAL and GREATER YELLOWLEGS. Also present were numbers of COMMON and HOODED MERGANSER, GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULL, MALLARD and AMERICAN BLACK DUCK. The first SNOW BUNTING of the fall were found at Dick Bell Park (3) and the Britannia Pier (Lakeside Gardens) (2) on the 24th. The 19th Annual Ottawa-Gatineau Fall Bird Count was held from 3 pm on the 19th to 3 pm on the 20th. 63 hardy birders braved the cold winds (and for some a violent thunderstorm) to find 134 species which is exactly the average for this count. A total of 215 species have been recorded in this count which covers the OFNC 50 km circle, centered on the Peace Tower, Parliament Hill. This "informal" count (i.e. the results do not go to Audubon or Bird Studies Canada, etc.) is basically just a fun event for birders to get out & check the rich variety of habitats & bird life in the "50K" at this time of year. Preliminary results indicate that the highlights were: - record high counts (new high/old high) for SNOW GOOSE (726/321), RED-THROATED LOON (3/1), RUDDY DUCK (152/124), HORNED GREBE (35/18), TURKEY VULTURE (144/124), AMERICAN WOODCOCK (16/9), CEDAR WAXWING (268/247) and PINE WARBLER (2/1) - new species were TRUMPETER SWAN (2) and HOUSE WREN (2) Interesting results were: - GRAY PARTRIDGE (1/29), very few shorebirds, GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULL (80/2512), EVENING GROSBEAK (2/252) and HOUSE SPARROWS (142/914) Interesting sightings: - COMMON GALLINULE (1) at the Bruce Pit on the 17th - NORTHERN PARULA (1) at the Britannia Conservation Area on the 17th and 20th - PALM WARBLER (1) in the Clyde Woods on the 18th - NORTHERN SHRIKE (1) on the Shirleys Bay dyke on the 18th - GRAY CATBIRD (1) at the Central Experimental Farm on the 18th - GREEN HERON (1) at the Bilberry-north end woods/trail on the 19th and (1) at Stoney Swamp on the 20th - PINE WARBLER (1) in Larose Forest on the 20th - GOLDEN EAGLE (1 juv) in Larose Forest on the 20th and near St. Albert on the 22nd Thank you to everyone who contributed bird observations! _______________________________________________ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to [email protected] For information about ONTBIRDS including how to unsubscribe visit http://www.ofo.ca/site/page/view/information.ontbirdssetup
