Ottawa Field Naturalists' Club (OFNC) Ottawa/Gatineau (50 Km radius from Parliament Hill) E. Ontario, W. Quebec Compiler: Derek Dunnett at [email protected] Oct. 15, 2020
Fall birding as ducks, geese and grebes increase, and all of the winter finches have been reported recently, at least in small numbers. Any remaining warblers should be checked carefully as possible rarities. Lots of not-eBird-rare but only-seen-on-migration birds such as Brant and Rusty Blackbirds are passing through. Notable sightings: Barnacle Goose - led a (probably) wild goose chase, appearing at Andrew Haydon Park several times, with flights to Wesley Clover Park and Mud Lake, Ottawa, from the 10th to the 12th, always accompanying Canada Geese. Canvasback - 3 on the 11th at Dick Bell Park, Ottawa. Scoters - all three species have been seen in the area this week. Glaucous Gull - 1 huge all-white gull digiscoped at Moodie Drive Quarry, Ottawa. Hudsonian Godwit - 1 reported on the 12th at Moodie Drive Quarry, Ottawa. Rough-legged Hawk - a dark morph on the 14th at the Rockcliffe Airport Woods, Ottawa, and a light morph over the fields leading to Constance Bay, Ottawa, on the 11th. Bohemian Waxwing - absent for months, 3 were seen on the 14th in Dunrobin (Constance Creek), Ottawa. Common Redpoll - a flock of 6 in the Rockcliffe Airport Woods, Ottawa, and a single bird at the Richmond Sewage Lagoons, Ottawa, both on the 9th. White-winged Crossbill - a pair overhead at the Chapman Mills Conservation Area, Ottawa, on the 9th, and 3 at Britannia Conservation Area, Ottawa, on the 11th. Evening Grosbeak - on the 9th and the 12th on Wolf Grove Road, Lanark. Pine Grosbeak - a single bird at Britannia Conservation Area, Ottawa, on the 11th. Snow Bunting - a small flock heard Wolf Grove Road, Lanark, on the 9th, and a single bird calling overhead at Shirley's Bay, Ottawa, Ontario. Nelson's Sparrow - continues at Constance Creek, Ottawa. The Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas The Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas website is now up-to-date and offers a great deal of information including the simple registration process. You must register to participate. Please visit: https://www.birdsontario.org/ Everyone in the Ottawa Region who is interested in participating is asked to complete a short questionnaire available at https://forms.gle/6FuZohkLnLLMSv7i8. This will help the Ottawa Regional Coordinator to assess skill and interests, and to identify and assign “principal atlassers” for each 10km x 10km atlas square within our Region. -- Ontbirds and Birdnews are moderated email Listservs provided by the Ontario Field Ornithologists (OFO) as a service to all birders in Ontario. Birdnews is reserved for announcements, location summaries, first of year reports, etc. To post a message on Birdnews, send an email to: [email protected]. If you have any questions or concerns, contact the Birdnews Moderators by email at [email protected]. Please review posting rules and guidelines at http://ofo.ca/site/content/listserv-guidelines To edit your membership settings visit the Birdnews setup page at: http://ontbirds.ca/mailman/listinfo/birdnews_ontbirds.ca. During the COVID-19 pandemic, all Ontario birders should be taking extra precautions and following local, provincial, and federal regulations regarding physical distancing and non-essential travel. To find out more about OFO, please visit our website at ofo.ca or Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/OntarioFieldOrnithologists.
