Ottawa Field Naturalists' Club Ottawa/Gatineau (50 Km radius from Parliament Hill) E. Ontario, W. Quebec Compiler: Gregory Zbitnew at [email protected]
May 18, 2017 The highlight of the week was a CERULEAN WARBLER near the Champlain lookout on the 18th. There was also a BREWSTER’S WARBLER at Britannia on the 18th. Mostly, though, the highlight was the long awaited “peak” of spring migration (possibly). The winds and weather finally shifted, bringing hot weather on the 17th-18th, and a major influx of birds (although there was no fallout). Most of the early passerines are well established, the later ones have are here in small numbers, and only the very latest have yet to arrive. Most DUCKS have cleared out, but the spring shorebird peak (such that it is) is still 10-14 days away. Some flocks of BRANT have been passing through, and some of the later DUCKS as well. Some WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS have been by, as was the first SURF SCOTER, seen from Innis Point on the 16th. REDHEAD have been regular at the Moodie Drive Pond. The first RED-THROATED LOON was on the Ottawa River on the 12th, and was somewhat gettable for a few days between Britannia and Andrew Haydon Park. The first LEAST BITTERN was at Mer Bleue this week. GULLS are now primarily RING-BILLED, but ICELAND and LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS have appeared in single numbers at the Moodie Drive Ponds and the Ottawa River. BLACK TERNS arrived, being seen most of the week at Moodie drive and sometimes elsewhere. CASPIAN TERNS are being seen here and there. SHOREBIRDS are mostly missing from the scene, hampered by the lack of habitat. Mostly there are only a handful of common species in inland ponds and lagoons. However, on March Valley Road there was the first SEMI-PALMATED PLOVER with 3 other species on the 17th. The first OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER was in Gatineau Park on 18th. All but the late FLYCATCHERS are well established, enjoying the bounty of insects, most of which seem to be biting birders. PHILADELPHIA VIREO was at Gatineau Park on the 13th; WARBLING and RED-EYED VIREOS are now very common. A YELLOW-THROATED VIREO was reported south of Cantley on the 14th. RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD arrived on the 11th, but is still only being seen in small numbers. The first BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO was at the Bruce Pit on the 17th. NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD has been fairly gettable near the filtration plant in Britannia, and another was seen in Almonte. SCARLET TANAGERS are now in many spots, and the first INDIGO BUNTINGS arrived on the 12th. The cream of songbird migration, the last of the regular WARBLERS have now arrived. BAY-BREASTED was at Maple Hill Park on the 11th, WILSON’S on the trail off Anderson Road on the 14th, CANADA at Hurdman Woods on the 14th, ORANGE-CROWNED in Gatineau Park and near Almonte on the 13th, and MOURNING near High Road near the airport on the 16th. Migrant traps are now at their prime for WARBLERS (and other PASSERINES too of course), and Britannia is often the best. 22 species of WARBLER were there on the 17th, although not huge numbers of many. There were fewer there on the 18th. Any large woodlot, especially near a river, can be good this time of year. Most notable were the larger numbers of the later WARBLERS coming through, like TENNESSEE and BAY-BREASTED. BLACKPOLL WARBLER numbers have started to build up. YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER numbers have actually declined. There have been a number of sightings of the scarce-in-spring ORANGE CROWNED, many in Britannia. CLAY-COLOURED SPARROWS arrived in the scrubby fields west of Robert Grant. Burnt Lands PP is the best place to see this species along with GRASSHOPPER SPARROW and many others. Finally, up to 20 extremely late LAPLAND LONGSPUR have been in a field on the southwest corner of Thomas Dolan and old Second Line, as late as the 17th. 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 purpose of maintaining local records. Thanks to everyone who contributed bird observations. We encourage everyone to report their bird sightings on eBird for the benefit of the entire birding community. Good birding. _______________________________________________ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists (OFO) - 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 Visit the OFO Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/OntarioFieldOrnithologists
