This was a multi-part message in MIME format. Greetings Ontbirders,
In the absence of our usual esteemed Ottawa "transcription/transmission = team" (everyone's gone to Pelee!)....here is my effort to relay the most = recent Ottawa/Gatineau area sightings, from the phone message update = which I did today...... ************************************* This is the Ottawa Field Naturalists' Club Bird Status Line report @ = noon on Tuesday May 20, 2003. This is Chris Lewis reporting. HIghlights from the past week included a GLOSSY IBIS in a wetland along = Moodie Drive north of the Equestrian Park (not reported since the = morning of May 17), a male PAINTED BUNTING near Ashton on May 12 & 13 = (not reported since), a male RUFF and an adult TUNDRA SWAN (both last = reported at the Embrun sewage lagoon on the 13th), and a GREAT EGRET = found on the Rideau River between Merrickville and Andrewsville on = Heritage Drive on the 19th. Two LEAST BITTERNS were found on the 17th in the location where the = Glossy Ibis was, as well as Sora and Marsh Wren. Green Herons were seen = at Britannia and the Fletcher Wildlife Garden on the weekend. =20 Two pairs of Redhead along with small numbers of Green-winged Teal, = American Wigeon and Common Merganser were in a pond on Moodie Drive = south of the Trail Road Landfill. Also present here on the 19th were a = Common Loon and 2 Bonaparte's Gulls. The downtown Peregrines hatched their 1st chick on May 16th. A Sandhill Crane flew over the Mer Bleue boardwalk on the 15th. = Shorebirds at Embrun on the 13th included Greater & Lesser Yellowlegs, = Spotted Sandpiper, many Least Sandpipers and 4 Wilson's Phalaropes. An = Upland Sandpiper was heard on Campbell Road off Montague Boundary Road = on the 19th. Ruby-throated Hummingbirds are back and starting to visit feeders. = Warbling & Red-eyed Viroes are now widespread, as well as Scarlet = Tanagers, Rose-breasted Grosbeaks and Baltimore Orioles. The beautiful weather precluded any interesting songbird migration = events, with most birds heading straight to their breeding grounds. 22 = species of warblers were reported in small numbers over the course of = the week in the Britannia Conservation Area. On the 19th a single A.M. = visit to the Gatineau Park trails off the Champlain Lookout produced 17 = species, most of them on territory. Winter Wren, Veery, Hermit & Wood = Thrush were also singing in this area. A surprise GRAY-CHEEKED THRUSH = was found along trail #2, and a Philadelphia Vireo at Meech Lake. Back = to the warblers, new species reported since May 12 include: Tennessee, = Chestnut-sided, Magnolia, Bay-breasted, Blackpoll, American Redstart, = Overbird, Mourning, Common Yellowthroat, and Wilson's. Golden-winged = Warblers were reported from Britannia on the 19th and the Huntmar Drive = trail on the 17th - the trail can be accessed only from the Carp end, = due to roadwork at the Kanata end of Huntmar. A CERULEAN WARBLER = reported from Britannia on the 16th was not relocated. Eastern Towhees were heard in the Carp Hills along the Thomas Dolan = Parkway on the 18th & 19th, Indigo Buntings were found on March Valley = Road as well as the Gatineau Park on the weekend, and a surprisingly = late flock of Rusty Blackbirds was still at Shirleys Bay on the 13th. Thank you - Good Birding! ********************************* (To listen to the latest Ottawa/Gatineau summary or to report local = sightings, call (613) 860-9000 and follow the instructions) Chris Lewis Ottawa. [EMAIL PROTECTED] --- Mark Cranford ONTBIRDS Coordinator Mississauga, Ontario [EMAIL PROTECTED] 905 279 9576 Mark Cranford <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Visit http://www.ofo.ca/ontbirdsguide.htm for information on leaving and joining the list. As well as general information and content guidelines.
