Ottawa Field-Naturalists' Club Ottawa/Gatineau (National Capital Region) E. Ontario, W. Quebec Compiler and transcriber Bob Cermak [email protected] or [email protected] Recent reports to May 22, 2014 Thanks to Chris Lewis for her excellent reporting while I was at Point Pelee. There will be an OFO birding field trip on Sunday, May 25 (until noon). Leader: Bernie Ladouceur. Meet 6.30 a.m. near the n.e. corner of the Lincoln Field’s Shopping Centre parking lot, off Richmond Road. We will explore the Lac Dechenes I.B.A. (Important Birding Area) for breeding species, late migrants, and migrating gulls, terns, shorebirds and waterfowl.It has been an exciting week for rarities in the Ottawa/Gatineau birding area. First for our area, a CHUCK-WILL'S-WIDOW was calling along Rifle Rd near Shirleys Bay on the 17th, reported again by one party on the 19th. A male PRAIRIE WARBLER was heard and seen at the Innis Point Bird Observatory on the 15th and a male HOODED WARBLER was found on the trails north of Rue St-Dominique in Gatineau on the 17th. LITTLE GULL (2 adult and 7 immature) were on the Ottawa River moving back and forth with BONAPARTE'S GULLS from the Britannia Pier at Lakeside Gardens to the east end of the Deschenes Rapids on the 18th with at least one still present on the 21st. First ever for the Fletcher Wildlife Garden, two RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER were seen on the 19th. Single Ibis species, GLOSSY or WHITE-FACED were seen flying over the Carp River east of March Rd on the 20th and flying east from the junction of Upper Dwyer Hill Rd and Hanson Sdrd north east of Pakenham today. The passerine migration continues but seemed to have slowed somewhat in the latter part of the last week. Twenty five warbler species were found including BLUE-WINGED, ORANGE-CROWNED, BLACKPOLL, BLACKBURNIAN, CAPE MAY, TENNESSEE, PALM, MOURNING, WILSON'S and CANADA. For those who enjoy birding by ear and can cope with plentiful mosquitoes and black flies Larose Forest is very active with 19 warbler species found on the 21st.Shorebirds were difficult to find this week, at the Casselman lagoons on the 21st there were LEAST (50+), SEMIPALMATED (5) and WHITE-RUMPED (1) SANDPIPERS and one each DUNLIN, and GREATER YELLOWEGS. A few of the same species were found at lagoons at Embrun (also up to 10 BLACK TERNS) and St Albert (with a few SEMIPALMATED PLOVER, many COMMON GALLINULE and one PIED-BILLED GREBE). Sparrows are on breeding territory. On the grasslands south of the International Airport there are many SAVANNAH, GRASSHOPPER, CLAY-COLORED, SONG and WHITE-THROATED and a few FIELD and VESPER. The grasslands, low shrubs and forests at the Burnt Lands Alvar Provincial Nature Reserve on hwy 49 north east of Almonte are very active and well worth a visit for sparrows, UPLAND SANDPIPER, WILSON'S SNIPE, warblers and BROWN THRASHER. Today BRANT were moving along the Ottawa River: 24 at Britannia Point (east end of Cassels St), 200 from the Rockcliffe Pkwy and 125 at Constance Bay. The Torbolton Ridge along the upper portion of the Thomas Dolan Pkwy south west of Dunrobin is alive with bird song at and after dusk with COMMON NIGHTHAWK (3+), WHIP-POOR-WILL, FIELD SPARROW, VEERY, HERMIT THRUSH, AMERICAN WOODCOCK, EASTERN TOWHEE and other sparrows, flycatchers and warblers announcing their territory. Some of the more notable observations this week: MOURNING WARBLER behind the communications dome on High road, GOLDEN-WINGED WARBLER at the marsh at the bottom of the Torbolton Ridge just south of Stonecrest Rd, RED-HEADED WOODPECKER north west of Ritchie Ave in Constance Bay, LEAST BITTERN on the east side of Thomas Dolan Pkwy at the Constance Creek bridge, RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER in Pakenham, PALM WARBLER and LINCOLN'S SPARROW along the Mer Bleue Bog boardwalk, RED-NECKED GREBE (2) continue on Mud Lake in the Britannia Conservation Area and today LONG-TAILED DUCK (9) at Shirleys Bay. Due to widespread concerns regarding disturbance of wildlife and property, the OFNC's Birds Committee no longer reports OWL sightings on the internet. We will continue to encourage the reporting of owls to [email protected] for the local records. 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 Posting guidelines can be found at http://www.ofo.ca/site/page/view/information.ontbirdsguide
