Ontario/Quebec Ottawa/Gatineau 24 May 2011 Hotline: Ottawa Field-Naturalists' Club Phone number: 613-860-9000 For the Bird Status Line PRESS * (star) To report bird sightings PRESS 1 (one) Coverage: Ottawa/Gatineau (Canada National Capital Region) E. Ontario,W. Quebec Compiler & transcriber: Chris Lewis [email protected], or [email protected]
A very busy week, with flocks of BRANT beginning to move through on the 20th, as well as small numbers of WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS on the Ottawa River and elsewhere. Eight LONG-TAILED DUCKS were in Britannia Bay on the 23rd, and a single RED-NECKED GREBE was below the Deschenes rapids the same day. It's long been suspected that BALD EAGLES might be breeding (or attempting to) in the Shirley's Bay area - a pair was confirmed at a nest near the GREAT BLUE HERON colony on the 22nd. RED-SHOULDERED and BROAD-WINGED HAWKS were noted in forests where they traditionally breed, however a PEREGRINE FALCON sitting in a bare field north of Navan was an odd sight on the 22nd. Reports of single SANDHILL CRANES again came from the Constance Bay and Mer Bleue areas on the 19th and 21st. SHOREBIRD numbers remain low - a couple of BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERS were at the Carp River floodplain in Carp on the 18th, and a few SEMIPALMATED and LEAST SANDPIPERS were outnumbered by SPOTTED SANDPIPERS at the Casselman and St. Albert lagoons on the 22nd. Three UPLAND SANDPIPERS were found in a long-time breeding area north of Smiths Falls on the 20th. On the 23rd, 2 CASPIAN TERNS appeared on the Ottawa River at the Deschenes rapids and another was at the Moodie Dr. quarry pond, along with 9 COMMON TERNS and 2 BLACK TERNS. BLACK TERNS were also seen at Petrie Island and a couple of the eastern sewage lagoons over the past week. The first local report of YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO came from Gatineau Park near the Champlain lookout trails on the 23rd. RED-HEADED WOODPECKERS are back for the 10th consecutive year in Constance Bay -- please be reminded not to approach or disturb sensitive breeding species. Lots of news in the songbird world! An OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER at Lac Fortune in Gatineau Park on the 18th, and a YELLOW-BELLIED FLYCATCHER at Britannia on the 20th were 1st local reports. EASTERN WOOD-PEWEES are now well-established, as are ALDER, LEAST and GREAT-CRESTED FLYCATCHERS and EASTERN KINGBIRDS. PHILADELPHIA VIREOS are no doubt back among the multitudes of RED-EYED VIREOS in Gatineau Park. A SEDGE WREN was reported from Vanier Rd. north of Vernon Rd. in Aylmer , Quebec on the 23rd. A BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER was a one-day wonder in the Beacon Hill neighbourhood of Ottawa on the 20th, and all of the expected THRUSHES and MIMIDS are in full territorial voice. AMERICAN PIPITS and CEDAR WAXWINGS were noted on the weekend. WARBLERS began to thin out in the migrant traps as the week went on, though many TENNESSEE and BLACKPOLL, and a few BAY-BREASTED WARBLERS were still around as of the 23rd. Prime breeding areas such as the Carp hills, the Larose forest and Gatineau Park are now alive with song - 15 species were well-represented in Larose and Gatineau on the weekend, and the highlight of recent visits to the trails between the Champlain and Western lookouts in the Park were a couple of CERULEAN WARBLERS first reported on the 21st; at least one was heard on the 23rd. Nine species of SPARROWS were present south of the international airport on the 23rd. LINCOLN'S and WHITE-CROWNED SPARROWS were noted in diverse locations last week. INDIGO BUNTINGS and BOBOLINKS are now widespread, a late RUSTY BLACKBIRD was at Constance Creek on the 17th, and a feeder in Pakenham was mobbed by a flock of 35 - 40 PINE SISKINS on the 19th. Thank you - Good Birding! _______________________________________________ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to [email protected] For information about ONTBIRDS visit http://www.ofo.ca/
