- RBA * Ontario * Ottawa/Gatineau * 16 April 2006 * ONOT0604.16
- Birds mentioned Common Loon Pied-billed Grebe Double-crested Cormorant Blue-winged Teal Gadwall EURASIAN WIGEON REDHEAD Greater Scaup Lesser Scaup Common Goldeneye Bufflehead Bald Eagle Red-shouldered Hawk Broad-winged Hawk Merlin Greater Yellowlegs Wilson's Snipe Barred Owl Barn Swallow Winter Wren Ruby-crowned Kinglet Eastern Bluebird Hermit Thrush Yellow-rumped Warbler Pine Warbler Swamp Sparrow Purple Finch - Transcript hotline: Ottawa Field-Naturalists' Club date: 16 April 2006 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] THE OFNC BIRD STATUS LINE @ 8:00 pm, SUNDAY APRIL 16, 2006 This is Chris Lewis reporting. Birding the Ottawa River and adjacent areas this past week was productive for several interesting species including the 1st reports of warblers in the Britannia Conservation Area from April 14 through the 16th. Both Yellow-rumped and Pine Warblers were found here, as were other new arrivals including Barn Swallow, Winter Wren, Hermit Thrush and several Ruby-crowned Kinglets. Also new to Britannia were a Double-crested Cormorant on the river below the Deschenes rapids. An early Broad-winged Hawk was seen heading north over Britannia on the 14th, and a Barred Owl was in the woods on the 14th but has likely moved on. Visits to the marshes between Gatineau and Plaisance on the Quebec side of the river produced at least 16 spp. of waterfowl and 2 Bald Eagles since the 12th. The most recent sighting of the male EURASIAN WIGEON in the Marais des Laiches Ouest sector was on the 13th. Several Pied-billed Grebes, Greater Yellowlegs, Wilson's Snipes, Swamp Sparrows and other expected early spring species were also present in this area. Sightings from the Shirley's Bay boat launch since the 14th included Common Loon, Pied-billed Grebe and Double-crested Cormorant. A pair of REDHEAD was here on the 15th, and a handful of Greater Scaup were among a few Lesser Scaup, Bufflehead and Common Goldeneye. Farther west, along March Valley Rd., a pair of Blue-winged Teal and a pair of Gadwall were in the small ponds east of Klondike Rd. on the 16th, a Purple Finch (a species not previously reported this year!) was singing on March Valley Rd. at Riddell Dr., and Eastern Bluebirds were displaying territorial behaviour in the Dunrobin area the same day. Finally, other reports of interest included 3 male and 2 female REDHEAD in the large pond along Moodie Dr. south of Trail Rd., a Red-shouldered Hawk migrating over Moodie Dr. near Hunt Club Rd. on the 15th, and Merlin courtship & probable nesting activity continues to be reported in several urban and suburban locations including Main St. near St. Paul University, the Carlington and Carlingwood neighbourhoods, and most recently in Stittsville west of Kanata. Please note that nesting birds are very sensitive to disturbance and potential exposure to predators. All reports to the Bird Status line are always appreciated, however specific directions to nest sites will not be related here. Thank you - Happy Easter & Good Birding! - End transcript
