Hi there, On 28 December, 20 participants joined survey leaders Gillian Mastromatteo, Jamie Spence, Chris Traynor and I to look for woodpeckers, esp. northerners, Black-backed and American Three-toed. Survey groups were divided up with three teams covering Stony Swamp in the west end of Ottawa and one team covering the NCC trails throughout Mer Bleue in the east end. Totals were:
West: 3 Black-backed (2 f, 1 m), 5 Pileated, 3 Hairy, 6 Downy East: 4 Downy I wanted to put together a few comments re: the abundance of Black-backed Woodpecker reports throughout the Ottawa area: On 29 December, 2 were reported; one along Sarsaparilla Trail - Stony Swamp and one in Merivale Gardens; on 27 December a female was reported along Old Quarry Trail - Stony Swamp; on 26 December, one was observed in the White Lake area (Lanark County; just west of Ottawa). Numerous reports, esp. around the second/third week of December, began to stem from the Stony Swamp area. Also, this winter there have been two observations of American Three-toed Woodpeckers within the Ottawa-Gatineau 50 km Study Area: There is currently a male being seen near 32 Chemin Grimes, in Gatineau QC and a male was seen and photographed along a snowmobile trail off of Sand Rd. in Cumberland on 20 December. Under ideal listening conditions, i.e.: low winds, I wonder just how many of these reclusive woodpeckers could be found. Speculating here, but I imagine that there are currently some undetected American Three-toed Woodpeckers scattered about throughout areas with suitable habitat and I imagine that the winter 2014/15 Black-backed Woodpecker observation totals could be quite impressive. Stony Swamp Trail Guide: http://www.ncc-ccn.gc.ca/sites/default/files/pubs/nccgreenbelttrails-ceintureverduresentiersccn.pdf Directions for Stony Swamp, West Hunt Club: From Highway 416 take exit 72 (West Hunt Club Road). If southbound, a 0.4 km offramp dumps onto West Hunt Club Road, where you will turn right or southwest. If northbound, the 0.2 km offramp brings you to Cedarview Road, where you will turn right or SSE onto it and in 0.2 km come to West Hunt Club Road. Turn right or southwest onto it and in 0.4 km join the southbound traffic. Both groups will now follow West Hunt Club southwest for an additional 1.6 km to reach parking area P11 on the left for the West Hunt Club Road Trails (Neilyworld). Directions for Stony Swamp, Moodie area: From Highway 416 take exit 72 (West Hunt Club Road). If southbound, a 0.4 km offramp dumps onto West Hunt Club Road, where you will turn right or southwest. If northbound, the 0.2 km offramp brings you to Cedarview Road, where you will turn right or SSE onto it and in 0.2 km come to West Hunt Club Road. Turn right or southwest onto it and in 0.4 km join the southbound traffic. Both groups will now follow West Hunt Club southwest for an additional 2.1 km to reach Moodie Drive (Neilyworld). Directions for Cumberland forest: From 417 E to Anderson Rd/Route 27 S in Gloucester. Take exit 104 from ON-417 E then Russell Rd/Ottawa Regional Rd 26 E to Sand Rd (Google). Good birding, Jon _______________________________________________ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to [email protected] For information about ONTBIRDS including how to unsubscribe visit http://www.ofo.ca/site/page/view/information.ontbirdssetup Posting guidelines can be found at http://www.ofo.ca/site/page/view/information.ontbirdsguide
