- RBA * Ontario * Ottawa/Gatineau * 18 July 2005 * ONOT0507.18
- Birds mentioned Red-necked Grebe Great Blue Heron Great Egret Green Heron American Wigeon Ring-necked Duck Common Goldeneye Ruddy Duck Peregrine Falcon Virginia Rail Sora Semipalmated Plover Killdeer Greater Yellowlegs Lesser Yellowlegs Solitary Sandpiper Spotted Sandpiper Semipalmated Sandpiper WESTERN SANDPIPER Least Sandpiper Pectoral Sandpiper Short-billed Dowitcher Wilson's Snipe Bonaparte's Gull Common Tern Black Tern - Transcript hotline: Ottawa Field-Naturalists' Club date: 18 July 2005 number: 613-860-9000 for the status line : press 2 for rare bird alerts: press 1 to report a sighting: press # coverage: Ottawa/Gatineau (Can. Nat. Capital Reg.), E.Ont., W.Que. compiler : Chris Lewis [EMAIL PROTECTED] transcriber: Chris Lewis [EMAIL PROTECTED] internet : Gordon Pringle [EMAIL PROTECTED] OFNC BIRD STATUS LINE - MON JUL 18 2005 AT 9:00 PM This is Chris Lewis reporting. Continuing high temperatures and humidity have made birding a "hot" pursuit (pun intended!) this past week. Shorebird sightings were highlighted by a WESTERN SANDPIPER in worn adult plumage, found at the base of the Shirley's Bay causeway around 12:30 PM on July 17th. It was seen with Semipalmated Sandpipers on the now excellent mud flats, but was not relocated after several of the Semi's were observed flying away shortly before 2:00 PM. A total of 11 species of shorebirds were at this location on the 17th, including 2 Semipalmated Plovers, approx. 10 Greater and 50 Lesser Yellowlegs, 1 Solitary and 1 Least Sandpiper, 1 Short-billed Dowitcher and 2 Wilson's Snipes along with the resident Killdeers and Spotted Sandpipers. Also seen at Shirley's Bay were at least 22 Great Blue Herons, both Sora and Virginia Rail, 2 Great Egrets fishing and flying in the back bay between the islands on the 15th and 16th, and 22 Common Terns on the 15th. For permission to access the causeway, please call the Range Control Office at (613) 991-5740. The Almonte sewage lagoons were also good for shorebirds on the 17th, with 11 species also reported including 3 Semipalmated Plovers, 7 Solitary Sandpipers, 30 Short-billed Dowitchers, 2 Pectoral Sandpipers, and 3 Wilson's Snipes. In the town of Almonte itself, an unusual out-of-season adult male Common Goldeneye was reported on the Mississippi River beside the dam. In other reports...a Red-necked Grebe is evidently still present on the Ottawa River as of the 15th, seen close to shore between the Champlain bridge and Remic rapids -- this bird is very likely the same one reported from the Remic rapids area back on June 22nd. Green Herons were noted at Britannia and Shirley's Bay on the 17th, and at the large pond on the east side of Moodie Dr. south of Trail Rd. there was an adult Bonaparte's Gull on the 17th, a single Black Tern on the 18th, along with the usual assortment of waterfowl including American Wigeon, Ring-necked Duck and Ruddy Duck. Finally, just received this evening was news that the adult female of Ottawa's downtown breeding pair of Peregrine Falcons has passed away. After extensive examination at the University of Guelph, her injuries were deemed too severe for her to maintain a reasonable quality of life. Thank you - Good Birding. - End transcript
