Hi Everyone I spent most of the day in Renfrew County birding Lake Dore and Westmeath Provincial Park. My first stop was Lake Dore. Visibility was poor at first but after an hour or so the fog dissipated and the visibility was great. The highlight was an adult Little Gull in winter plumage. Other birds of interest included 85 Common Loons, 350 Double-crested Cormorants, 80 Bonaparte’s Gulls, 40 Horned Grebes, 15 Red-necked Grebes, 2 Merlin and 1 Bald Eagle.
My next stop was Westmeath Provincial Park along the Ottawa River. This area is renowned for the Nelson's Sparrow during the fall and I wasn’t disappointed. During a 4 km walk I observed 7 Nelson's Sparrows and 1 Le Conte's Sparrow. The birds were found along the shoreline in the taller vegetation and when flushed would fly low for a short distance and land in shrubbery giving great views. There were also lots numerous Song, Swamp, and a few Savannah Sparrows. Others birds noted included 11 Black-bellied Plovers and 2 Sandhill Cranes. Good birding Bruce Directions: Lake Dore is located off Hwy 41 near Eganville/Golden Lake. Westmeath Provincial Park access point is at the end of Sand Point Road off CR 12. If you require additional information, please email me privately. Bruce Di Labio P.O. Box 538 Carp, Ontario 613-715-2571 _______________________________________________ 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
