Ontario
Ottawa/Gatineau
07 April 2009
Birds mentioned:
Greater White-fronted Goose
Snow Goose
ROSS'S GOOSE
Cackling Goose
Canada Goose
Gadwall
EURASIAN WIGEON
Blue-winged Teal
Northern Shoveler
Canvasback
Common Goldeneye
Barrow's Goldneye
Ruddy Duck
Pied-billed Grebe
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Black-crowned Night-Heron
Turkey Vulture
Peregrine Falcon
American Woodcock
Iceland Gull
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Glaucous Gull
Belted Kingfisher
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Northern Flicker
Eastern Phoebe
Tree Swallow
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Bohemian Waxwing
Cedar Waxwing
Fox Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Rusty Blackbird
Purple Finch
Pine Siskin
American Goldfinch
Evening Grosbeak
Hotline: Ottawa Field-Naturalists' Club
Phone number: 613-860-9000
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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 noon, Tuesday April 07, 2009 this is Chris Lewis reporting.
The first week of April fooled us with a sunny start and a snowy finish, but
regardless of the weather the birds were not deterred from arriving on their
own schedule.
Among the 24 species of waterfowl reported over the past week two rarities
were found. A ROSS'S GOOSE was discovered along Eagleson Rd. near Richmond
on April 3rd and has been seen daily in the general vicinity
of Eagleson, Brownlee, Twin Elm and Fallowfield Rds. This bird has been
associating with Canada Geese and so far has not seemed to favour any
particular field; the most recent report was on the 6th. A male EURASIAN
WIGEON found at Johnston Rd. and Russell
Rd. east of Bourget on March 30th was more reliable at this location until
at least April 3rd.
Single Greater White-fronted Geese were reported from the large quarry pond
on Moodie Dr. as well as in a flooded area of the Carp River at Carp and
March Rds. on the 2nd and 5th respectively. Approx. 8,000 Snow Geese were
noted east of Bourget on the 2nd and smaller numbers have shown up
elsewhere. Several Cackling Geese were reported among the Canadas which
continued to flood in by the 1000's all week. New ducks since the 28th
included Gadwall, Blue-winged Teal, Northern Shoveler and Ruddy Duck. A male
Canvasback on the Ottawa River at Deschenes was last reported on the 28th, a
male Barrow's Goldeneye was in the channel at Britannia on the 5th and a
pair of courting Barrow's were found among the Common Goldneyes on the
Rideau River north of the tennis club on the 2nd. Pied-billed Grebes have
returned to a few wet areas, the first sighting of a Double-crested
Cormorant on the Ottawa River was on the 5th, and Great Blue Herons have
returned to several heronries. Up to 9 Black-crowned Night-Herons were found
at Mud Lake in Britannia on the 2nd and 3rd.
Turkey Vultures continue to arrive; a kettle of at least 30 were seen
struggling in the less than favourable weather on the 1st and scattered
singletons have been noted almost daily. Ottawa's resident pair of Peregrine
Falcons are nesting again downtown on the Crowne Plaza Hotel as of the 5th.
Additional reports of American Woodcocks have come in; an unusual location
was a garden in downtown Ottawa on the 4th. The Moodie Dr. pond and environs
still hosted a few Iceland and Glaucous Gulls over the past week and up to a
half-dozen Lesser Black-backed Gulls were also noted in this area.
Belted Kingfishers are back on schedule, as are Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers,
Northern Flickers, Eastern Phoebes, Tree Swallows and Golden-crowned
Kinglets. Bohemian Waxwings continued to linger in various locations until
at least the 6th. Several singing Fox Sparrows were new in Britannia and the
Stoney Swamp on the 5th, the first report of Swamp Sparrows came in on the
2nd, lots of Dark-eyed Junco song and activity was noted on the weekend, and
at least 30 Rusty Blackbirds were seen at the Richmond lagoons on the 5th.
An increase in numbers of Purple Finches and American Goldfinches was
recently noted by several observers, Pine Siskins are still very much in
evidence, and the feeders on Shawmorr Lane in Poland (west of Lanark) were
apparently still swarming with Evening Grosbeaks on the 6th.
Thank you - Good Birding!
_______________________________________________
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