Ontario/Quebec Ottawa/Gatineau April 17, 2014 Ottawa/Gatineau (Canada National Capital Region) E. Ontario, W. Quebec Compiler & transcriber Bob Cermak [email protected] or [email protected] early spring migrants are arriving, now is the time to get out birding! The bush lots are worth visiting, the first Winter Wren, Yellow-rumped (first reported on the 13th) and Pine Warbler, Fox, Field, Chipping, Savannah and White-throated Sparrow, Hermit Thrush, Brown Thrasher and Ruby-crowned Kinglet are arriving. Tree, Barn and Rough-winged Swallow, Belted Kingfisher and Osprey are now being seen.The flooded fields on Milton Rd and Frank Kenney Rd at the bridge and south of Bearbrook Creek have many ducks including REDHEAD, AMERICAN WIGEON, BLUE-WINGED TEAL, WOOD and RING-NECKED DUCK. Milton Rd on the 13th had SANDHILL CRANE (15), TREE SWALLOW (45), LAPLAND LONGSPUR (2), CACKLING GOOSE (9 in one group were at the Frank Kenney bridge), SNOW GOOSE (1) and GREATER YELLOWLEGS (1). A few locations that were very active this week:- at the junction of the Jock and Rideau rivers on the 16th there were TRE E (250), BARN (4) and ROUGH-WINGED (2) SWALLOW and in the nearby Maple Hill Park FOX (7) and WHITE-THROATED (2) SPARROW and HERMIT THRUSH (1)- along the Sarsparilla Trail on the 16th there were SONG, TREE, FOX (7), FIELD (1) and WHITE-THROATED (2) SPARROW as well as HERMIT THRUSH (1)- at Mer Bleue there were single PALM and YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER, BELTED KINGFISHER and HERMIT THRUSH- the Richmond Lagoons on Eagleson Rd just north of Barnsdale Rd have been active with a varity of ducks and CANADA GEESE, RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET, BROWN THRASHER and YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER- on the Ottawa River above the Deschenes Rapids on the 13th there were GADWALL (2), LESSER (1) and GREAT (1) BLACK-BACKED GULL and DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT - in the bush lot between the north end of Blair Rd west to the Rockcliffe Airport on the 14th there were WINTER WREN (10), BROWN CREEPER (13), HERMIT THRUSH (8), RUSTY BLACKBIRD (5), YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER (3), NORTHERN FLICKER (3), EASTERN PHOEBE (1), GOLDEN-CROWNED KIN GLET (16) and FOX SPARROW (1)- Cobbs Lake Creek east of Bourget is extremely flooded with lots of CANADA GEESE, flocks of 100 to 500 SNOW GEESE but other than NORTHERN PINTAIL not many ducks so far this spring. A flock of 2000 SNOW GEESE were seen at the junction of hwys 417 and 138 on the 11thThere were PINE WARBLER at an Almonte feeder on the 15th, EASTERN BLUEBIRD and MEADOWLARK on High Rd on the 11th, GREAT EGRET on the creek on Russell Rd near Frank Kenney Rd on the 13th and on the Mississippi River in Carleton Place, AMERICAN BITTERN at the west end of Rue Lamoureux on the 13th. On the Rideau River at Strathcona Park BARROW'S GOLDENEYE continue and there were HORNED GREBE (2) on the 13th. On the 10th the Greenland Rd Hawkwatch saw RED-TAILED (10), COOPER'S (5), SHARP-SHINNED (4), RED-SHOULDERED (1) and ROUGH-LEGGED (1) HAWK, TURKEY VULTURE (25), NORTHERN HARRIER (5), BALD (2) and GOLDEN (1 1st year) EAGLE and OSPREY (2). An adult GOLDEN EAGLE was seen on the 12th on the Carp ridge along Marchurst Rd.Thank you to everyone who contributed bird observations.
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