For the last two weeks there has been a slow build up of Snow Geese east of Casselman (25 minutes east of Ottawa). The majority are Greaters but there are also Lesser Snow Geese as well. Today we had about 5000 on the sod farm in two distinct areas (there are fields further west). Feeding on short grass is similar to summer in the high Arctic so the birds have faithfully returned to this location each fall for a number of years. The setting for fall observation is very different than in spring when flocks are all over the place. Birds tend to stay within 5-10 km of here much of the time.
The peak numbers will arrive in the next two weeks and will remain until heavy snow covers the ground. On any given day the numbers can range from 40-80,000 if past activity repeats. Because of the adjacent landfill site, there are also a few thousand gulls which are often resting on the sod near the geese. Most are Herring, Lesser Black-backs are next in number and there are a smaller number of Great Black-backs. Ring-billed are seldom present here. In November, Glaucous and Iceland will arrive. Today we had 82 Lesser Black-backs, mostly adults. Picking out young of this species is difficult if they are at a distance and sitting down amongst other gulls. Brian Morin Directions: From Ottawa head east on Hwy 417, 8 km past Casselman, to Hwy 138. The sod farm is accessible from Lafleche Rd, 1 1/2 km south. This leads to the landfill. Heavy trucks are constant on this road so use pulloffs for viewing. >From Hwy 401, exit at Brookdale Ave. in Cornwall and go left to the end of the street. Turn right to the light and left onto Hwy 138. The area is 30 minutes north. _______________________________________________ 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
