Ontario Ottawa/Gatineau 28 July 2008 Birds mentioned:
Wood Duck Gadwall American Wigeon Blue-winged Teal Northern Shoveler Green-winged Teal Redhead Greater Scaup Lesser Scaup Common Goldeneye Ruddy Duck Pied-billed Grebe HORNED GREBE American Bittern American Coot Semipalmated Plover Spotted Sandpiper Solitary Sandpiper Lesser Yellowlegs Semipalmated Sandpiper Least Sandpiper Short-billed Dowitcher Wilson's Phalarope WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILL Hotline: Ottawa Field-Naturalists' Club Phone number: 613-860-9000 For the Bird Status Line PRESS * (star) To report bird sightings PRESS 1 (one) Rare bird alerts are now included in the introductory message Coverage: Ottawa/Gatineau (Canada National Captial Region), E. Ontario, W. Quebec Compiler & transcriber: Chris Lewis [EMAIL PROTECTED] At 8:30 PM on Sunday July 27, 2008 this is Chris Lewis reporting. There were a few interesting reports this week, and things will inevitably start to pick up as the birds get into fall migration mode. Already a few migrant shorebirds have been seen at some of our local sewage lagoons. Different visits by different parties at different times of day had different results, indicating that the birds are moving around a lot. Despite generally high water levels and minimal feeding habitat, 6 species were noted at the Embrun and Casselman lagoons on the 26th and 27th. Up to 100 Lesser Yellowlegs, 3 Solitary and 4 Least Sandpipers were at Embrun, and both locations hosted single Short-billed Dowitchers. Several Spotted Sandpipers were at both locations and a Wilson's Phalarope was heard at Embrun. The southwest cell of the Winchester lagoons had the best habitat on the 27th and 1Semipalmated Plover, several Lesser Yellowlegs, approx. 20 Semipalmated and 40 Least Sandpipers along with a juvenile Wilson's Phalarope were found here. Waterfowl at the Casselman lagoons this past weekend included Wood Duck, Gadwall, American Wigeon, Blue-winged Teal, Northern Shoveler, Green-winged Teal, Redhead, Greater and Lesser Scaup, a single male Common Goldeneye and several Ruddy Ducks. Almost exactly the same mix (except for the goldeneye and the scaup) was present at Embrun. The summering HORNED GREBE was still at Embrun as of the 27th, and several families of Pied-billed Grebes were noted here as well as an American Bittern and at least 5 American Coots. Very high water also continues to be the situation along the Ottawa River, but based on previous years' experience, this could change significantly in the next month. The most noteworthy news in local songbird activity reflects reports from elsewhere in southern and eastern Ontario and western Quebec - WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLS have been showing up in a variety of locations and may be establishing breeding territories. Thank you - Good Birding! _______________________________________________ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to ONTBIRDS mailing list [email protected] For instructions to join or leave ONTBIRDS visit http://www.ofo.ca/information/ontbirdssetup.php ONTBIRDS Guidelines may be viewed at http://www.ofo.ca/information/ontbirdsguide.php
