In spite of almost constant pouring rain, five hearty participants and brave leader Dave Moore visited birding hotspots along the Ottawa River in Ottawa to find 32 species. The trip description said we could "expect warblers, sparrows, waterfowl, shorebirds, gulls and others." Fortunately all these categories are represented in our trip list, if only by a hair (or a feather). In the right conditions the Britannia Conservation Area can be alive with migrating songbirds. Today, however, was one of those days when a leader is compelled to summon all his many talents, not just those for bird-finding. We did see three heron species there, including two young Black-crowned Night-Herons that were so cryptically concealed they would have eluded most observers. Another trip highlight was two Red Knots along the shore at Andrew Haydon Park. Ottawa River levels continue to be high with little habitat available for shorebirds. Thanks to Bob Cermak and Tom Hanrahan for tipping us off about the knots and the few other shorebird species on hand. This inspired us to keep peering through the torrents draining off our hat brims. It was "nice weather for ducks", and we saw quite a few individuals, but the northern breeding species that stage in Ottawa in fall were elsewhere. We ended the trip at 10:40 with all present agreeing that it was folly to continue. Still, the dramatic weather held promise of rarities blown in from afar, and these no doubt showed up after we all went home to wring ourselves out.
Many thanks to all participants for their good humour throughout, especially Dave who filled in as leader on short notice. Bev McBride Species list: 1. Canada Goose 2. Wood Duck 3. American Black Duck 4. Mallard 5. Blue-winged Teal 6. Pied-billed Grebe 7. Double-crested Cormorant 8. Great Blue Heron 9. Green Heron 10. Black-crowned Night-Heron 11. Solitary Sandpiper 12. Red Knot 13. Sanderling 14. Ring-billed Gull 15. Herring Gull 16. Great Black-backed Gull 17. Belted Kingfisher 18. Downy Woodpecker 19. Northern Flicker 20. Eastern Phoebe 21. Warbling Vireo 22. American Crow 23. Tree Swallow 24. Black-capped Chickadee 25. White-breasted Nuthatch 26. American Robin 27. Gray Catbird (no starlings!) 28. Cedar Waxwing 29. Black-and-White Warbler 30. American Redstart 31. Song Sparrow 32. American Goldfinch _________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________ 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
