Ontario
Ottawa/Gatineau
21 January 2009
Birds mentioned:
Barrow's Goldeneye
Gray Partridge
Wild Turkey
Bald Eagle
Rough-legged Hawk
Peregrine Falcon
Iceland Gull
Glaucous Gull
Snowy Owl
Northern Hawk Owl
Great Gray Owl
Long-eared Owl
Boreal Owl
Belted Kingfisher
BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKER
Northern Shrike
American Robin
Bohemian Waxwing
Cedar Waxwing
White-crowned Sparrow
Lapland Longspur
Snow Bunting
Pine Grosbeak
White-winged Crossbill
Common Redpoll
Pine Siskin
Evening Grosbeak
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 Capital Region) E. Ontario, W.
Quebec
Compiler & transcriber: Chris Lewis [email protected]
At 10:30, Wednesday January 21, 2009 this is Chris Lewis reporting.
A sad event on January 15th was the passing of Kathy Nihei, founder and
director of Ottawa's Wild Bird Care Centre. Donations to the centre can be
made by calling 613-828-2849 or visit the web site at
[email protected]
Ventures out into the winter world revealed little change in the local
scene. A pair of Barrow's Goldeneye remain on the Rideau River near the
Hurdman bridge as of the 17th. A small covey of Gray Partridge was seen
again along Maple Grove Rd. in Kanata on the 16th. Wild Turkeys were
reported from several areas including a bird feeder south of the Hurdman
bridge where a gang of three have been a fixture for most of the winter. A
juvenile Bald Eagle was spotted along Huntmar Rd. west of Kanata on the
17th. A good location for Rough-legged Hawks appears to be the Ste-Rose area
where a dozen were found on the 17th, and the R.H. Coats building at
Tunney's Pasture maintains its reputation as a favourite perch for Peregrine
Falcons in winter - an adult was seen here on the 19th and 20th. The Trail
Rd. landfill and the Rideau River between Billings Bridge and the Tennis
Club were yet again the best places to find Iceland and Glaucous Gulls.
Snowy Owl reports came from Ste-Rose, Ste-Isidore and Embrun in the east and
the Constance Bay/Galetta area in the west. At least 3 Great Gray Owls were
found west of the city over the past couple of weeks. A Northern Hawk Owl
continues to frequent the Crystal Beach neighbourhood as of the 20th, and
single Boreal and Long-eared Owls were found near Constance Bay on the 18th
and 19th respectively. A Belted Kingfisher seen at a small creek near the
Home Depot on Strandherd Dr. back on the 10th has not been reported since
the deep freeze in the ensuing days. A property owner in Poland west of
Lanark reports that a male BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKER has been feeding in dead
White Pines along his laneway for at least 3 weeks. This is the same
property where large numbers of Evening Grosbeaks have been cleaning out the
feeders. Visitors are welcome - contact Mark Garbutt at 613-259-5792.
The most consistent locations for Northern Shrike were the Qualicum Graham
Park neighbourhood and the area near Carling Ave. and Rifle Rd. A few
American Robins and a flock of 23 Cedar Waxwings were found at the
Rockcliffe Rockeries on the 19th. Bohemian Waxwings were again reported in
small numbers in various locations. An unusual winter visitor at a feeder in
Deschenes, Quebec, was a White-crowned Sparrow; first discovered on the
17th, it was still present the next day. Single Lapland Longspurs were found
among numerous Snow Buntings in the Ste Rose and Casselman/Ste-Isidore areas
on the 16th and 17th.
A few reports of Pine Grosbeeaks came from Carp, Ste-Rose, and a couple of
areas south of the city towards Merrickville. White-winged Crossbills are
still literally everywhere and Common Redpolls and Pine Siskins continue to
be regular customers at several feeders around the region.
Thank you - Good Birding!
_______________________________________________
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