Ontario
Ottawa/Gatineau
21 April 2009
Birds mentioned:
Snow Goose
ROSS'S GOOSE
EURASIAN WIGEON
Wild Turkey
Common Loon
Double-crested Cormorant
American Bittern
GREAT EGRET
Cooper's Hawk
American Kestrel
Merlin
Peregrine Falcon
American Coot
Sandhill Crane
Spotted Sandpiper
Lesser Yellowlegs
Pectoral Sandpiper
Wilson's Snipe
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Eastern Phoebe
Tree Swallow
Barn Swallow
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Eastern Bluebird
Hermit Thrush
American Pipit
Bohemian Waxwing
Vesper Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
Fox Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Eastern Meadowlark
Pine Siskin
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 10:45am, Tuesday April 21, 2009 this is Chris Lewis reporting.
Predominantly north and east winds did not deter migration, with many new
species reported over the past week.
A single immature Snow Goose was seen along Frank Kenny Rd. south of Navan
on the 18th, and a ROSS'S GOOSE was discovered the same day a bit farther
west along Milton Rd. Another ROSS'S GOOSE report came in later on the 18th
from west of Ottawa at Peter Robinson Rd. between March Rd. and Upper Dwyer
Hill Rd; the west-ender was seen again here on the 19th. All of our expected
ducks have been back for a couple of weeks and the local breeders are
settling in to nest. The almost annual appearance of a male EURASIAN WIGEON
on the Quebec side of the Ottawa River occurred again on the 16th; the bird
was still present in the bay at Marais des Laiches until at least the 17th.
A large flock of Wild Turkeys included displaying males along Milton Rd. on
the 18th, a few more Common Loons have been spotted on the Ottawa River, and
Double-crested Cormorants at Shirley's Bay and Dow's Lake on the 18th and
19th were the first ones reported since the 5th. The first of season report
of American Bitterns came from Petrie Island on the 18th and the first local
report of a GREAT EGRET came from southwest of Carleton Place on or about
the 15th. Cooper's Hawks were very active in the Britannia and Clyde Ave.
woods, a male and female American Kestrel have been seen hunting in Hurdman
Park on a couple of occasions since the end of March, a single kestrel was
in the Milton Rd. area on the 18th, and Merlins have wasted no time in
showing off their unmistakable and vocal flight displays in the Carlington
and Carlingwood neighbourhoods. The downtown pair of Peregrine Falcons now
have 4 eggs in the nest on the Crowne Plaza Hotel.
American Coots were again noted in the Alfred and Embrun sewage lagoons,
Sandhill Crane sightings came from Almonte, Navan and Gatineau from the 16th
to the 19th, new shorebirds since the 17th included Spotted Sandpiper,
Lesser Yellowlegs and Pectoral Sandpiper, and Wilson's Snipes have been
widespread for at least the past week.
Additional reports of Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, Eastern Phoebes and Tree
Swallows continue to come in as well as increased sightings of Barn
Swallows. Golden-crowned Kinglets are now in their prime migration time,
Ruby-crowned Kinglets were first noted on the weekend, Eastern Bluebirds are
now well-established, Hermit Thrushes are slowly arriving with the first
report from Britannia on the 17th, and a flight of American Pipits occurred
on the 18th with at least 40 - 50 birds seen at Milton Rd. Although no
warblers have yet been reported, sparrow migration has definitely picked
up - Vesper, Savannah, Fox, Swamp and White-throated Sparrows were all found
in recent days, and there are still lots of Dark-eyed Juncos around. Eastern
Meadowlarks have been widely reported since last week, and Bohemian Waxwings
and Pine Siskins continue to be virtually ubiquitous.
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 information about ONTBIRDS visit http://www.ofo.ca/
