Ontario/Quebec Ottawa/Gatineau 27 September 2012 Hotline: Ottawa Field-Naturalists' Club (OFNC) 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 Bob Cermak [email protected] or [email protected] Songbirds and small numbers of shorebirds continue to move through the Ottawa/Gatineau area. Interesting early fall migrants seen this week were; - NELSON'S SPARROW (4) were observed on the 27th in the short rushes and grasses at the mouth of Constance Creek at Constance Bay. This is the same area where they were present last fall. - increasing numbers of LESSER and GREATER SCAUP are being seen at Shirleys Bay and Constance Bay - small numbers of SURF and WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS are being seen at the same locations - BUFFLEHEAD (2) were seen at Shirleys Bay on the 27th - a very early breeding plumage RED-THROATED LOON was seen at Shirleys Bay on the 26th along with COMMON LOONS (5) - RED-NECKED (4) and HORNED (2) GREBES at Shirleys Bay on the 26th - Britannia Conservation Area was active all week. On the 22nd a local birder reported; dozens of WHITE-THROATED and one WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW, many YELLOW-RUMPED, NASHVILLE (10), TENNESSEE (2), ORANGE-CROWNED (2), WILSON'S (3 adult males), BLACK-AND-WHITE (1), NORTHERN PARULA (6), COMMON YELLOWTHROAT (2), AMERICAN REDSTART (1), MAGNOLIA (10), PALM (1), BLACK-THROATED GREEN (10) and CHESTNUT-SIDED (1) WARBLERS, RED-EYED (6), PHILADELPHIA (2), BLUE-HEADED (2) and WARBLING (1) VIREOS, several SWAINSON'S THRUSHES, SCARLET TANAGER, WINTER, HOUSE and CAROLINA WRENS, TREE SWALLOW (30-40) and a MERLIN Small numbers of shorebirds were seen this week. - Shirleys Bay mud flats were much slower this week, on the 20th there were BAIRD'S (2) and DUNLIN (2) - Ottawa Beach had BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER (3) on the 26th Other interesting sighting were; - RUSTY BLACKBIRDS have been seen at Ottawa Beach and the Tunney's Pasture woods - a GRAY-CHEEKED THRUSH was seen at the Rockcliffe Park Rockery on 23rd - SORA at Ottawa Beach on 25th - SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHER (1) and GREATER YELLOWLEGS (9) at Constance Bay on 26th - adult LESSER (7) and GREATER (44) BLACK-BACKED GULLS on the Deschenes rapids rocks on the 26th Thanks to everyone who contributed bird observations - 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/

