Ontario
Ottawa/Gatineau
24 March 2009
Birds mentioned:
GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE
Snow Goose
Cackling Goose
Canada Goose
Wood Duck
American Wigeon
Northern Pintail
Green-winged Teal
Ring-necked Duck
Bufflehead
Hooded Merganser
Common Merganser
Wild Turkey
Pied-billed Grebe
Turkey Vulture
Bald Eagle
Northern Harrier
Cooper's Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Rough-legged Hawk
Golden Eagle
Merlin
Sandhill Crane
Killdeer
American Woodcock
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Northern Flicker
American Crow
Common Raven
Carolina Wren
Eastern Bluebird
Bohemian Waxwing
Song Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Eastern Meadowlark
Common Redpoll
Hoary Redpoll
Pine Siskin
Evening Grosbeak
Hotline: Ottawa Field-Naturalists' Club
Phone number: 613-860-9000
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Coverage: Ottawa/Gatineau (Canada National Capital Region) E. Ontario, W.
Quebec
Compiler & transcriber: Chris Lewis [email protected]
At 7:30 am, Tuesday March 24, 2009 this is Chris Lewis reporting.
The annual spring spectacle of returning waterfowl began in earnest last
week. Despite very little flooding in the agricultural fields, multiple
1000's of Canada Geese continue to arrive. Among them were a GREATER
WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE along Milton Rd. on the 19th and two on the 21st. A
couple of Cackling Geese and a few scattered Snow Geese were also noted in
diverse locations. Approx. 500 Snow Geese flew over St-Isidore on the 19th
and a report of over 10,000 farther east in the Williamstown area on the
22nd indicates that the big flocks may soon arrive closer to Ottawa.
Increasing numbers and species of ducks have begun to appear in many
locations, with Northern Pintails predominating. Wood Duck, American Wigeon,
Green-winged Teal, Ring-necked Duck, Bufflehead and Hooded Merganser were
all reported last week, and a group of about 100 Common Mergansers were seen
in Carleton Place on the 19th.
Up to 32 Wild Turkeys have been seen in the Milton Rd. area northeast of
Carlsbad Springs and smaller flocks were reported from the Eardley-Masham
area on the 20th. The first report of a Pied-billed Grebe came from the
Ottawa River at Deschenes on the 19th. Mainly chilly temperatures and north
winds are still preventing any significant raptor movement, although Turkey
Vulture, Bald Eagle, Northern Harrier, Cooper's Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk,
Rough-legged Hawk, Golden Eagle and Merlin were all noted over the past
week. An immature Bald Eagle feeding on a carcass on the ice at Shirley's
Bay on the 20th attracted quite the entourage of at least 20 American Crows
and 8 Common Ravens. Four Sandhill Cranes were spotted in the fields as well
as in flight along Milton Rd. on the 21st, Killdeer are now widespread in
small numbers, and a few American Woodcocks were performing courtship
displays along Rockcliffe Parkway at Green's Creek on the evening of the
18th. An adult Lesser Black-backed Gull was seen in the vicinity of the
Trail Rd. landfill on the 17th and the first report of a Northern Flicker
was in Carleton Place on the 19th.
Two Carolina Wrens - one in Riverview Park and another in Hampton Park -
were very vocal and visible on the 17th and 19th respectively; both birds
over-wintered in these neighbourhoods. Several reports of Eastern Bluebirds
have come in since the 18th, approx. 20 Bohemian Waxwings were still in the
Shirley's Bay area on the 20th, Song Sparrows continue to trickle in, and
Dark-eyed Juncos are moving through again. An Eastern Meadowlark was back
right on schedule along Therien Rd. east of the Eardley-Masham Rd. on the
20th. Two Hoary Redpolls were still visiting the feeders on Hilda Rd. by
Shirley's Bay as of at least the 20th, another was at a feeder in
Merrickville on the 23rd. Common Redpolls and Pine Siskins are still very
much in evidence, and a few Evening Grosbeaks were reported from Bradley Rd.
at the base of the Eardley escarpment also on the 20th.
Thank you - Good Birding!
_______________________________________________
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