Recent bird sightings

Ottawa and area bird sightings to 22 October 2026

by Al Caughey at sightings@ofnc.ca

This week, the number of notables increase to 35 (up from 29) while the total number of species stay relatively the same (157 vs 155).  We’re still seeing reports of lingering warblers but a number of winter birds have made their first appearances of the season – including Snow Buntings, Northern Shrikes & Bohemian Waxwings!

Eastern Bluebird (by Karen Vallevard) – Karen was lucky to find several late-staying bluebirds in Gatineau Park recently. Like Blue Jays, Eastern Bluebirds do not have any blue pigment in their feathers – instead, the appearance of blue is a result of a nanostructured spongy tissue layer inside their feather barbs which causes “coherent light scattering” (sometimes referred to as Tyndall scattering). If their feathers are crushed or damaged, they look brownish or black.

Ring-necked Ducks (by Ielca Torok) – Ielca found these ducks on the storm pond at Diamond Jubilee Park in Ottawa. For the males, the bold white ring on their bills is much easier to see than the faint, chestnut-colored collar on their necks (in fact, the ring is nearly impossible to see unless you’re holding the bird under a bright light).

Black-capped Chickadee (by Al Caughey) – my brother, Dave, has a piece of birch that vaguely resembles a deer head mounted at the front of their house. For the past several years, on cold nights, a black-capped chickadee takes refuge in one of the `nostrils`

17 arrivals since the last update (13 notables):
– Eurasian Wigeon🔥 [Papineau (Oct 18)], Yellow-billed Cuckoo🔥 [Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais (Oct 16)], Red Phalarope🔥 [Ottawa (Oct 17)], White-rumped Sandpiper [Ottawa (Oct 21)], Franklin’s Gull🔥 [Ottawa (Oct 18), Papineau (Oct 21)], Iceland Gull🔥 [Ottawa (Oct 17)], Common Tern🔥 [Ottawa (Oct 17)], Common Tern (hirundo/tibetana)🔥 [Ottawa (Oct 17)], Red-throated Loon [Ottawa (Oct 20), Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry (Oct 21)], Red-tailed Hawk (abieticola)🔥 [Ottawa (Oct 20)], Northern Shrike [Ottawa (Oct 22), Renfrew (Oct 17), Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais (Oct 21)], Bohemian Waxwing🔥 [Lanark (Oct 21), Papineau (Oct 20)], White-winged Crossbill [Ottawa (Oct 22), Gatineau (Oct 20), Renfrew (Oct 20)], Snow Bunting🔥 [Ottawa (Oct 21), Pontiac (Oct 22)], Clay-colored Sparrow🔥 [Gatineau (Oct 20)], Orange-crowned Warbler (Gray-headed)🔥 [Ottawa (Oct 18)], Magnolia Warbler🔥 [Ottawa (Oct 20)]

3 notable species from last update are non-notable this week:
– Red-shouldered Hawk → last notable report on Oct 10 in Prescott and Russell with 5 recent non-notable reports in Ottawa
– Red-bellied Woodpecker → last notable report on Oct 10 in Papineau with a single recent non-notable report in Lanark
– Field Sparrow → last notable report on Oct 12 in Gatineau with at least 6 recent non-notable reports at locations in Ottawa [5] & Lanark [1]

15 species not reported since the last update (including 11 notables):
– Greater White-fronted Goose🔥 [Ottawa (Oct 10), Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry (Oct 10)], Virginia Rail [Ottawa (Oct 11)], Least Sandpiper🔥 [Lanark (Oct 10), Prescott and Russell (Oct 10)], Caspian Tern🔥 [Ottawa (Oct 12)], Osprey (American)🔥 [Ottawa (Oct 15)], White-eyed Vireo🔥 [Gatineau (Oct 14)], Red-eyed Vireo🔥 [Ottawa (Oct 09), Renfrew (Oct 09), Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais (Oct 12)], Northern House Wren🔥 [Ottawa (Oct 15)], Gray-cheeked Thrush [Ottawa (Oct 12), Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry (Oct 11)], Brown-headed Cowbird [Ottawa (Oct 15), Gatineau (Oct 15), La Vallée-de-la-Gatineau (Oct 10)], Northern Waterthrush🔥 [Papineau (Oct 10)], Nashville Warbler (ruficapilla)🔥 [Ottawa (Oct 14)], American Redstart🔥 [Ottawa (Oct 10)], Bay-breasted Warbler🔥 [Gatineau (Oct 12)], Wilson’s Warbler🔥 [Ottawa (Oct 10)]

The 5 most active hotspots within the circle:
1. Shirley’s Bay (boat launch) [Ottawa] – 28
2. Almonte Lagoons [Lanark] – 26
3. Halte routière, Lochaber [Papineau] – 20
4. Andrew Haydon Park [Ottawa] – 20
5. La cour de Guy, Val-des-Monts [Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais] – 19

Plus other hotspots outside the circle:
– Cottage on Lac Lacroix, Cayamant, QC [La Vallée-de-la-Gatineau] – 25
– 10th Line Lookout [Lanark] – 21

In terms of the coming week, we are close to the peak movement of Sandhill Cranes that stage in the fields along La Passe Rd (near Beachburg ON) – yes, a little outside the 50km Circle but definitely a spectacle worth seeing.  On a good day, there could be several hundred (or more) cranes in the fields!  Southerly winds over the weekend will likely hold the cranes in place.  On Mon & Tues the winds should shift to the northern causing large kettles to lift off and ride thermals towards the south.

Closer to home:
Oct 23-24 – freezing temperatures overnight & clear-to-partly-cloudy skies should trigger overnight movements of late-season sparrows and hardy passerines after which they’ll feed in sunny thickets by mid-morning.
Oct 25 – south winds should slow southbound nocturnal passerines but warming temperatures could encourage soaring raptors along river ridges and open field corridors.
Oct 26-28 – northerly winds should re-open a strong migratory corridors for waterfowl and winter irruptives.
Oct 29 – warmer temps & winds shifting again to the south should stall songbird departures and keep open-water staging areas active.

I’m hoping to maybe find Fox Sparrows this week, perhaps at the Sarsaparilla Trail in Nepean.

Current Notable Birds:

Snow x Canada Goose (hybrid): 3 reports at 2 locations – 1 at Central Park Boulevard, Russell ON [Prescott and Russell] (twice between Oct 17-19); 1 at Eadie Rd, Russell ON [Prescott and Russell] (on Oct 19)

Trumpeter Swan: 3 reports at 2 locations – 1 at étang du stationnement P8 [Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais] (twice on Oct 20); 1 at Étand du P8, boucle Nord et parking entre les deux_parc de la Gatineau [Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais] (on Oct 20); plus at least 6 non-notable reports at locations in Leeds and Grenville [1], Lanark [3] & Ottawa [2]

Blue-winged Teal: a single report of 1 at Champlain St Marsh [Ottawa] on Oct 20; plus at least 7 non-notable reports at locations in Lanark [1], Ottawa [5] & Gatineau [1]

Eurasian Wigeon: a single report of 1 at Tête de la Baie [Papineau] on Oct 18

Long-tailed Duck: 5 reports at 4 locations – 3 at Baie Fraser [Gatineau] (on Oct 20); 1 at Baie Simard [Gatineau] (on Oct 18); 6 at Parc des Cèdres [Gatineau] (on Oct 18); as many as 2 at Parc des Rapides Deschênes [Gatineau] (twice on Oct 16); plus 10 non-notable reports in Ottawa

Ruddy Duck: a single report of 6 at Tête de la Baie [Papineau] on Oct 19; plus at least 2 non-notable reports at locations in Prescott and Russell [1] & Ottawa [1]

Yellow-billed Cuckoo: a single report of 1 at Ch Robertson, La Pêche QC [Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais] on Oct 16

Semipalmated Plover: 7 reports at 2 locations – 1 at Andrew Haydon Park east (formerly Ottawa Beach) [Ottawa] (5 times between Oct 15-16); 1 at Andrew Haydon Park [Ottawa] (twice on Oct 16); plus at least 2 non-notable reports at locations in Papineau [1] & Ottawa [1]

Red Phalarope: a single report of 1 at Dick Bell Park [Ottawa] on Oct 17

Franklin’s Gull: 8 reports at 2 locations – 1 at Tête de la Baie [Papineau] (7 times between Oct 17-21); 1 at Shirley’s Bay (boat launch) [Ottawa] (on Oct 18)

Iceland Gull: a single report of 1 at Champlain Park Woods [Ottawa] on Oct 17

Common Tern: 4 reports at Shirley’s Bay (boat launch) [Ottawa] (all on Oct 17)

Green Heron: 7 reports of 1 at Andrew Haydon Park [Ottawa] between Oct 15-17

Great Egret: 2 reports of 3 at Hwy 7 Storm Pond [Lanark] on Oct 17; plus at least 27 non-notable reports at locations in Ottawa [20], Gatineau [5], Prescott and Russell [1] & Papineau [1]

Red-tailed Hawk (abieticola): a single report of 1 at Devine Rd, Ottawa, ON [Ottawa] on Oct 20

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker: a single report of 1 at Piste cyc. Sentier des Voyageurs–Pont Champlain<->Parc des Rapides-Deschênes [Gatineau] on Oct 22; plus 4 non-notable reports in Ottawa

Marsh Wren: a single report of 1 at Marais des Laîches [Gatineau] on Oct 22; plus at least 2 non-notable reports at locations in Ottawa [1] & Gatineau [1]

Gray Catbird: 20 reports at 9 locations – 1 at Greenbelt Pathway (East/West of Conroy) [Ottawa] (3 times on Oct 20); 1 at Pine grove trail [Ottawa] (on Oct 20); 1 at Rockcliffe parkway between ogilvie and green’s creek [Ottawa] (on Oct 20); as many as 2 at Fletcher Wildlife Garden [Ottawa] (7 times between Oct 15-19); 1 at Britannia Ridge/Britannia CA [Ottawa] (4 times between Oct 18-19); 1 at Parkside Greenspace [Ottawa] (on Oct 15); 1 at Bridlewood Hydro Spur Path [Ottawa] (twice on Oct 15); 1 at Findlay Creek stormwater finishing ponds [Ottawa] (on Oct 15); plus at least 3 non-notable reports at locations in Gatineau [2] & Ottawa [1]

Swainson’s Thrush: 7 reports at 4 locations – 1 at Dartmoor Dr [Ottawa] (on Oct 19); 1 at Clyde Woods [Ottawa] (twice between Oct 15-19); 1 at Rockcliffe Airport Woods [Ottawa] (twice on Oct 19); 1 at Constance Creek Mouth [Ottawa] (twice on Oct 15); plus at least 5 non-notable reports at locations in Gatineau [4] & Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais [1]

Bohemian Waxwing: 2 reports of 5 at Baie Noire (est et ouest) [Papineau] on Oct 20

Snow Bunting: 4 reports of 1 at Shirley’s Bay (boat launch) [Ottawa] on Oct 17; plus 2 non-notable reports in Ottawa

Clay-colored Sparrow: a single report of 1 at Bassin de rétention du Plateau, Gatineau [Gatineau] on Oct 20

Nelson’s Sparrow: a single report of 1 at Almonte Lagoons [Lanark] on Oct 19

Savannah Sparrow: 2 reports at 2 locations – 2 at Auto selected [Prescott and Russell] (on Oct 19); 2 at Auto selected [Prescott and Russell] (on Oct 19); plus at least 18 non-notable reports at locations in Ottawa [10], Lanark [3], Gatineau [2], Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais [2] & Prescott and Russell [1]

Lincoln’s Sparrow: a single report of 1 at Joy’s Rd Dead End Trails [Ottawa] on Oct 17; plus at least 4 non-notable reports at locations in Prescott and Russell [1], Gatineau [1], Ottawa [1] & Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais [1]

Tennessee Warbler: 7 reports at 6 locations – 1 at Rockcliffe parkway between ogilvie and green’s creek [Ottawa] (on Oct 20); 1 at Woods [Ottawa] (on Oct 19); as many as 2 at Pioneer Plains Park [Ottawa] (twice between Oct 16-19); 1 at Stanley Park [Ottawa] (on Oct 19); 1 at Fletcher Wildlife Garden [Ottawa] (on Oct 17); 1 at Pleasant Park Woods [Ottawa] (on Oct 15); plus at least 2 non-notable reports at locations in Ottawa [1] & Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais [1]

Orange-crowned Warbler: 7 reports at 4 locations – 1 at Almonte Lagoons [Lanark] (3 times on Oct 19); 1 at Rockcliffe Airport Woods [Ottawa] (on Oct 19); 1 at Champlain Park Woods [Ottawa] (on Oct 17); 1 at Fletcher Wildlife Garden [Ottawa] (twice between Oct 16-17); a single report of 1 at Pioneer Plains Park [Ottawa] on Oct 18; plus at least 6 non-notable reports at locations in Ottawa [4], Prescott and Russell [1] & Gatineau [1]

Nashville Warbler: 12 reports at 6 locations – 1 at Britannia CA* general [Ottawa] (twice between Oct 18-19); as many as 2 at Rockcliffe Airport Woods [Ottawa] (3 times between Oct 17-19); as many as 2 at Fletcher Wildlife Garden [Ottawa] (4 times between Oct 15-16); 2 at Pleasant Park Woods [Ottawa] (on Oct 15); 1 at Pioneer Plains Park [Ottawa] (on Oct 15); 1 at Remic Rapids Lookout [Ottawa] (on Oct 15); plus at least 3 non-notable reports at locations in Ottawa [1] & Gatineau [2]

Northern Parula: 2 reports at 2 locations – 1 at Rockcliffe parkway between ogilvie and green’s creek [Ottawa] (on Oct 20); 1 at Remic Rapids and Champlain Bridge area [Ottawa] (on Oct 19); plus at least 3 non-notable reports at locations in Ottawa [1] & Gatineau [2]

Magnolia Warbler: a single report of 1 at Deerfield Dr and area [Ottawa] on Oct 20

Palm Warbler: 2 reports of 1 at Rockcliffe Airport Woods [Ottawa] on Oct 19; plus at least 3 non-notable reports at locations in Lanark [1], Ottawa [1] & Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais [1]

Black-throated Green Warbler: 2 reports at 2 locations – 1 at Nortel Marsh [Ottawa] (on Oct 18); 1 at Pioneer Plains Park [Ottawa] (on Oct 16)

As always, send questions, comments or photos to sightings@ofnc.ca. Your feedback is appreciated.

Ottawa and area bird sightings to 15 October 2026

by Al Caughey at sightings@ofnc.ca

First of all, congratulations to everyone who participated in the eBird October Big Day on Sat Oct 10th.  Worldwide, almost 8000 species were reported in more than 120,000 lists submitted by more than 51,000 eBirders; almost a million people used the Merlin app over the course of the day!  Canada ranked #3 for the total number of checklists submitted and #30 for the number of species – see full results here: https://ebird.org/octoberbigday.

It’s not possible to easily aggregate the Big Day results across the full 50km circle but Ottawa ranked #1 in Ontario for checklists (278) and #4 for species (121); Gatineau ranked  #7 in Quebec for checklists (80) and #8 for species (96) – full results by region can be found here: Ontario (https://ebird.org/region/CA-ON/subregions?yr=BIGDAY_2026b) & Quebec (https://ebird.org/region/CA-QC/subregions?yr=BIGDAY_2026b)

In terms of the rest of the week, there were about the same number of notable species reported (29 vs 28) but the total number of species reported dropped from 175 to 155.  There was also a considerable turn-over in the list of notables – an increasing number of which are now late staying summer residents. Waterfowl movement has also increased – i.e., all 3 scoter species were reported this week; in addition to an increasing variety of ducks and geese.

Golden-crowned Kinglet (by Christopher Clunas) – Christopher photographed this kinglet at the Pine Grove Trail in Ottawa (which is hard to do because they are constantly on the move). These tiny birds weigh just ~6 grams (about half the weight of a chickadee) but maintain their body temperature at 43-44°C. They often have two clutches of upto 9 eggs to offset their high winter mortality rate (~87% in severe years)

Ruby-crowned Kinglet (by Christopher Clunas) – Christopher also photographed this kinglet at the Pine Grove Trail in Ottawa. Ruby-crowned kinglets are a slightly bigger and heavier than Golden-crowns ~6.5 grams but unlike their cousins, they do not over-winter in the Ottawa area. Instead, they migrate to the southern US and into Mexico and parts of Guatemala. They offset their very high winter mortality rates (up to 80%) with a single clutch of as many as 12 eggs!

American Bittern (by Gillian Wright) – Gillian found this elusive bittern at Paine’s pond in Kanata (where the Little Blue Heron was found). They typically stand with their bills pointing up, swaying gently with the wind to stay camouflaged in the moving reeds – making them very hard to find in a marsh, Most American Bitterns have already headed to their wintering grounds in the southern US and Central America.

Red-necked Grebe (by Gillian Wright) – Gillian photographed this non-breeding adult (or immature) at Shirley’s Bay in Nepean. Their feet are positioned very far back on their bodies – making walking on land – or even taking off – very difficult and energy intensive. They’ll usually dive and swim away rather than fly away as a predator approaches. We are approaching the peak viewing time for Red-neck Grebes in Ottawa as they make their way from breeding grounds on inland lakes to the ocean where they winter.

White-crowned Sparrow by Christopher Clunas. Christopher found this adult bird in his backyard. Keep an eye on your backyard feeders as we’re approaching the end of the fall push of White-crowned sparrows as they head from their breeding grounds in the tundra and boreal forest to their wintering grounds in the southern US.

White-crowned Sparrow by Al Caughey. Al got his juvenile at the Hwy 7 Storm Pond in Carleton Place. Note that the first year birds look very different from the adults!

9 arrivals since the last update (5 notables):
– Black Scoter [Ottawa (Oct 15), Papineau (Oct 10)], Bufflehead [Ottawa (Oct 15), Lanark (Oct 15), Papineau (Oct 10)], Caspian Tern🔥 [Ottawa (Oct 12)], Osprey (American)🔥 [Ottawa (Oct 15)], White-eyed Vireo🔥 [Gatineau (Oct 14)], Lapland Longspur [Gatineau (Oct 14), Renfrew (Oct 12)], American Tree Sparrow [Ottawa (Oct 15), Gatineau (Oct 11), Renfrew (Oct 09), Prescott and Russell (Oct 10), Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais (Oct 15), Leeds and Grenville (Oct 13), Pontiac (Oct 11)], Northern Waterthrush🔥 [Papineau (Oct 10)], Nashville Warbler (ruficapilla)🔥 [Ottawa (Oct 14)]

27 species not reported since the last update (including 13 notables):
– Solitary Sandpiper [Ottawa (Oct 03)], White-rumped Sandpiper [Ottawa (Oct 02), Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry (Oct 03)], Semipalmated Sandpiper🔥 [Ottawa (Oct 04), Lanark (Oct 02), Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry (Oct 03)], Little Gull🔥 [Ottawa (Oct 07)], Sabine’s Gull🔥 [Ottawa (Oct 07)], Common Tern🔥 [Ottawa (Oct 07), Renfrew (Oct 02)], Little Blue Heron🔥 [Ottawa (Oct 05)], Broad-winged Hawk [Ottawa (Oct 01), Renfrew (Oct 04), Prescott and Russell (Oct 02)], Philadelphia Vireo [Ottawa (Oct 03)], Eastern Warbling Vireo🔥 [Ottawa (Oct 03)], Loggerhead Shrike [Lanark (Oct 03)], Wood Thrush🔥 [Ottawa (Oct 02)], Redpoll🔥 [Ottawa (Oct 05), Renfrew (Oct 04)], Eastern Towhee (Red-eyed)🔥 [Ottawa (Oct 03)], Ovenbird🔥 [Ottawa (Oct 07), Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais (Oct 02)], Cape May Warbler🔥 [Ottawa (Oct 03), Gatineau (Oct 01), Leeds and Grenville (Oct 04)], Magnolia Warbler [Ottawa (Oct 07), Gatineau (Oct 02), Lanark (Oct 01)], Chestnut-sided Warbler🔥 [Ottawa (Oct 01)], Blackpoll Warbler [Ottawa (Oct 04), Gatineau (Oct 03), Papineau (Oct 03), Leeds and Grenville (Oct 07)], Black-throated Blue Warbler [Ottawa (Oct 03)], Pine Warbler [Ottawa (Oct 03), Gatineau (Oct 01), Renfrew (Oct 01), Papineau (Oct 02), Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry (Oct 07), Leeds and Grenville (Oct 04)], Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle)🔥 [Gatineau (Oct 02)], Prairie Warbler🔥 [Gatineau (Oct 04)], Scarlet Tanager [Ottawa (Oct 02)], Rose-breasted Grosbeak🔥 [Ottawa (Oct 07), Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry (Oct 02), Leeds and Grenville (Oct 05)], Indigo Bunting🔥 [Ottawa (Oct 03), Lanark (Oct 04)]

The 5 most active hotspots within the circle:
1. Parc des Rapides Deschênes [Gatineau] – 43
2. Hwy 7 Storm Pond [Lanark] – 31
3. Shirley’s Bay (boat launch) [Ottawa] – 30
4. Almonte Lagoons [Lanark] – 29
5. Vallée du ruisseau Meech (P16) [Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais] – 27

Expectations for the coming week:

We’re now into the late-fall migration window where remaining warblers and thrushes have largely left the area and movement is dominated by  pushes of sparrows, hardy waterfowl & staging gulls.

In terms of the weather forecast for the coming week:
Oct 15-16: Rain & low overcast skies could ground incoming waterfowl, loons, and shorebirds along river shorelines and force songbirds into low vegetation.
Oct 17-18: Crisp north winds and cooler temps followed by a shift tosouthwest winds and warming temps should encourage and then slow movement.  Look for sparrows & kinglets in the morning and then focus along rivers for diving ducks, scoters & gulls.  There could be good conditions for raptor migration on Sunday
Oct 19-21: Mild & sunny with light breezes should encouraging active daytime foraging in thickets and create stable staging conditions for open-water waterfowl and gulls

Current Notable Birds:

Greater White-fronted Goose: 2 reports of 1 at Moodie Drive Quarry [Ottawa] on Oct 10

Snow x Canada Goose (hybrid): 5 reports at 3 locations – 1 at Anderson Rd [Ottawa] (twice on Oct 14); 1 at Mer Bleue Bog [Ottawa] (on Oct 12); 1 at Central Park Boulevard, Russell ON [Prescott and Russell] (twice on Oct 10)

Common Gallinule: 3 reports at 2 locations – 1 at Bruce Pit [Ottawa] (on Oct 15); 1 at Carp River Watershed Reclamation Area/Didsbury Rd Scrape – Carp Watershed Restoration Area [Ottawa] (twice between Oct 12-14); plus at least 5 non-notable reports at locations in Papineau [2], Ottawa [2] & Gatineau [1]

Semipalmated Plover: 2 reports of 1 at Andrew Haydon Park east  [Ottawa] on Oct 15; plus 3 non-notable reports in Ottawa

Least Sandpiper: 2 reports of 2 at Central Park Boulevard, Russell ON [Prescott and Russell] on Oct 10; plus a single non-notable report in Lanark

Caspian Tern: at least 7 reports of as many as 2 at Shirley’s Bay (boat launch) [Ottawa] (6 times between Oct 11-12))

Green Heron: 12 reports of 1 at Andrew Haydon Park [Ottawa] between Oct 10-15; plus a single non-notable report in Gatineau

Great Egret: 20 reports of 3 at Hwy 7 Storm Pond [Lanark] between Oct 9-13; plus at least 39 non-notable reports at locations in Gatineau [6], Ottawa [31] & Papineau [2]

Osprey (American): a single report of 1 at Gordon Murdock Rd [Ottawa] on Oct 15

Red-shouldered Hawk: a single report of 1 at Indian creek & clarence-cambridge [Prescott and Russell] on Oct 10; plus at least 12 non-notable reports at locations in Ottawa [4], Gatineau [5], Lanark [1] & Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais [2]

Red-bellied Woodpecker: a single report of 1 at Baie Noire (est et ouest) [Papineau] on Oct 10; plus 2 non-notable reports in Ottawa

White-eyed Vireo: 4 reports at 2 locations – 1 at Baie Simard [Gatineau] (twice on Oct 14); 1 at Parc des Rapides Deschênes [Gatineau] (twice on Oct 14)

Northern House Wren: 2 reports at 2 locations – 1 at Dolman Ridge Rd [Ottawa] (on Oct 15); 1 at Fillmore Cres [Ottawa] (on Oct 15)

Marsh Wren: a single report of 1 at Hwy 7 Storm Pond [Lanark] on Oct 12; plus at least 3 non-notable reports at locations in Papineau [1] & Ottawa [2]

Gray Catbird: 13 reports at 5 locations – 1 at Parkside Greenspace [Ottawa] (on Oct 15); as many as 2 at Fletcher Wildlife Garden [Ottawa] (6 times between Oct 14-15); as many as 2 at Bridlewood Hydro Spur Path/Old Quarry Trail [Ottawa] (3 times between Oct 14-15); 1 at Findlay Creek stormwater finishing ponds [Ottawa] (on Oct 15); 1 at Almonte Lagoons [Lanark] (twice on Oct 14); plus at least 32 non-notable reports at locations in Ottawa [25], Gatineau [6] & Papineau [1]

Swainson’s Thrush: 4 reports at 3 locations – 1 at Clyde Woods [Ottawa] (on Oct 15); 1 at Constance Creek Mouth [Ottawa] (twice on Oct 15); 1 at Rockcliffe Airport Woods [Ottawa] (on Oct 14); plus at least 17 non-notable reports at locations in Gatineau [4], Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais [1], Papineau [1], Ottawa [10] & Lanark [1]

Field Sparrow: 2 reports at 2 locations – 1 at Jardin – mangeoires et alentours [Gatineau] (on Oct 12); 1 at Parc des Rapides Deschênes [Gatineau] (on Oct 9); plus at least 13 non-notable reports at locations in Ottawa [11] & Lanark [2]

Nelson’s Sparrow: 11 reports at 2 locations – as many as 3 at Constance Creek Mouth/Sandbay St to Constance Creek [Ottawa] (10 times between Oct 9-14); 2 at Hwy 7 Storm Pond [Lanark] (on Oct 11)

Northern Waterthrush: 2 reports of 1 at Baie Noire (est et ouest) [Papineau] on Oct 10

Tennessee Warbler: 9 reports at 7 locations – 1 at Pleasant Park Woods [Ottawa] (on Oct 15); 1 at Central Park Boulevard, Russell ON [Prescott and Russell] (on Oct 14); 3 at Ottawa River Pathway (view of Britannia Bay) [Ottawa] (on Oct 13); 1 at Pioneer Plains Park [Ottawa] (twice between Oct 11-12); 1 at Richmond CA [Ottawa] (twice between Oct 10-12); 1 at Hurdman Bridge [Ottawa] (on Oct 11); 2 at Fletcher Wildlife Garden [Ottawa] (on Oct 9); plus at least 2 non-notable reports at locations in Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais [1] & Gatineau [1]

Nashville Warbler: 9 reports at 6 locations – 2 at Pleasant Park Woods [Ottawa] (on Oct 15); as many as 3 at Fletcher Wildlife Garden [Ottawa] (4 times on Oct 14-15); 1 at Pioneer Plains Park [Ottawa] (on Oct 15); 1 at Remic Rapids Lookout [Ottawa] (on Oct 15); 1 at Almonte Lagoons [Lanark] (on Oct 14); 1 at Rockcliffe Airport Woods [Ottawa] (on Oct 14); plus at least 18 non-notable reports at locations in Gatineau [6], Ottawa [11] & Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais [1]

Common Yellowthroat: 9 reports at 6 locations – 1 at Stanley Park [Ottawa] (on Oct 14); 1 at Central Experimental Farm Arboretum [Ottawa] (on Oct 12); as many as 3 at Shirley’s Bay (boat launch) [Ottawa] (twice between Oct 10-11); 1 at Andrew Haydon Park [Ottawa] (on Oct 11); 1 at Richmond CA  [Ottawa] (3 times on Oct 10); 1 at Shirley’s Bay and path [Ottawa] (on Oct 10); plus at least 2 non-notable reports at locations in Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais [1] & Ottawa [1]

American Redstart: a single report of 1 at Britannia CA general [Ottawa] on Oct 10

Bay-breasted Warbler: a single report of 1 at Aylmer rural – secteur sud-ouest [Gatineau] on Oct 12

Wilson’s Warbler: a single report of 1 at Rockcliffe Airport Woods [Ottawa] on Oct 10

October 19-25 is Birdability Week – a celebration of birders with disabilities and other health concerns, as well as an opportunity to share resources and ideas to help the birding community become accessible, inclusive, and welcoming to everybody.  The theme this year is `bird where you are`.  For more info, see https://www.birdability.org/birdability-week

Ottawa and area bird sightings to 8 October 2026

by Al Caughey at sightings@ofnc.ca

As I feared, it appears that the Little Blue Heron has left the area (it was last reported on Oct 5th – the day before we returned from Germany… dang it).  In the meantime, there is still a stream of late warblers and sandpipers at a variety of locations, and an increasing number and variety of ducks and geese.

Solitary Sandpiper (by Jim Roberston) – Solitary Sandpipers are the only North American shorebirds that nest in trees (often using abandoned songbirds nests). Within hours of hatching, the young leap from the nest (upto 12m above the ground) and follow their parents to a nearby marsh. Within a few days, the females depart for their wintering grounds in northern & central South America; while the males stay behind for about three weeks until the young are able to fly

American Wigeon (by Nina Stavlund) – Wigeons are `dabbling` ducks that feed on underwater plants in shallow waters, as well as terrestrial grasses, clover, and seeds in wet fields. They also engage in `kleptoparasitism` – stealing aquatic plants from the bills of shallow diving birds like Canvasbacks, Redheads, or American Coots as they return to the surface.

Over the past week, 175 species were reported within the 50km Circle of which, 28 were notable – including both a Little Gull and a Sabine’s Gull seen by Mark Gawn off the Boat launch at Shirley’s Bay on Oct 7th,  Unfortunately, they were seemingly being pushed down the river by a storm and have not been re-found.

We’re now entering peak mid-fall migration – the remaining songbird activity should shift heavily to late kinglets and hardy sparrows (Lincoln’s, Nelson’s, Fox & White-crowned); while waterfowl pushes, raptor thermals & gull gatherings along the river should build toward seasonal highs.

In terms of the weather forecast for the coming week:
Oct 9 – 10: Crisp west winds, clear skies & overnight lows near 1°C should create ideal conditions for clear-night pushes of sparrows, kinglets, and waterfowl
Oct 11 – 12: Winds shifting to the south/southwest, warmer temperatures & increasing cloudiness should slow the movement of songbirds
Oct 13: Rain with southwest winds will likely ground migrating dabblers, shorebirds & sparrows onto shorelines, storm ponds, and mudflats
Oct 14 – 15: Clearing skies and a return to northerly winds should re-open a strong flight window for northern migrants and mid-day raptors soaring along river corridors.

Meaning that there should be excellent opportunities for both fallout viewing early in the week and then a push of fresh migrants later on.

Don’t forget that this Saturday (Oct 10th) is October Big Day – get out and bird if you can.   If you are looking for somewhere to go, these were the 5 most active hotspots within the circle over the past week:

1. Hwy 7 Storm Pond [Lanark] – 74
2. Baie Noire (est et ouest) [Papineau] – 64
3. Parc des Rapides Deschênes [Gatineau] – 45
4. Andrew Haydon Park east (formerly Ottawa Beach) [Ottawa] – 27
5. Shirley’s Bay (boat launch) [Ottawa] – 25

Current notable birds

Ross’s Goose: 2 reports of 3 at Parc des Rapides Deschênes [Gatineau] on Oct 3

Greater White-fronted Goose: 5 reports at 2 locations – 1 at Richmond Sewage Lagoons [Ottawa] (on Oct 8); as many as 4 at Hwy 7 Storm Pond [Lanark] (4 times on Oct 6)

Snow x Canada Goose (hybrid): 5 reports at 3 locations – 1 at Quarry Lake [Prescott and Russell] (on Oct 6); 1 at Sewage Lagoons [Prescott and Russell] (on Oct 6); 1 at Central Park Boulevard, Russell ON [Prescott and Russell] (3 times between Oct 2-3)

Trumpeter Swan: 6 reports at 3 locations – 2 at Aylmer (Cabane brune boul. Lucerne) [Gatineau] (on Oct 8); 2 at Parc des Rapides Deschênes [Gatineau] (on Oct 8); as many as 2 at Lac Carman [Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais] (4 times on Oct 4); plus at least 7 non-notable reports at locations in Ottawa [3] and Lanark [4]

Little Gull: a single report of 1 at Shirley’s Bay (boat launch) [Ottawa] on Oct 7

Sabine’s Gull: a single report of 1 at Shirley’s Bay (boat launch) [Ottawa] on Oct 7

Common Tern: 3 reports at 2 locations – as many as 4 at Shirley’s Bay (boat launch) [Ottawa] (Oct 2-7)

Black-crowned Night Heron: a single report of 1 at Almonte Lagoons [Lanark] on Oct 8; plus at least 5 non-notable reports at locations in Ottawa [3], Prescott and Russell [1] & Gatineau [1]

Little Blue Heron: 25 reports of 1 at Carp River Watershed Reclamation Area/Ottawa—Winterset storm ponds/Didsbury Rd Scrape – Carp Watershed Restoration Area [Ottawa] between Oct 1-5

Green Heron: 3 reports at 2 locations – 1 at Andrew Haydon Park [Ottawa] (twice on Oct 8); 1 at Nepean Creek Trail [Ottawa] (on Oct 8); plus at least 13 non-notable reports at locations in Ottawa [12] & Lanark [1]

Great Egret: 29 reports of 6 at Hwy 7 Storm Pond [Lanark] between Oct 1-8; plus at least 37 non-notable reports at locations in Ottawa [33], Gatineau [3] & Papineau [1]

Eastern Warbling Vireo: 2 reports of 2 at Rockcliffe Airport Woods [Ottawa] on Oct 3

Northern House Wren: 12 reports at 4 locations – 1 at Rideau Canal Western Pathway/Fletcher Wildlife Garden [Ottawa] (7 times between Oct 3-8); 1 at Britannia CA [Ottawa] (twice between Oct 3-7); 1 at Rockcliffe Airport Woods [Ottawa] (twice between Oct 3-5); 1 at Black Rapids Creek Greenbelt Pathway [Ottawa] (on Oct 3); plus at least 5 non-notable reports at locations in Papineau [1], Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais [1], Gatineau [2] & Ottawa [1]

Wood Thrush: a single report of 1 at Britannia CA [Ottawa] on Oct 2

Nelson’s Sparrow: 10 reports at 2 locations – as many as 2 at Hwy 7 Storm Pond [Lanark] (5 times between Oct 1-7); as many as 4 at Constance Creek Mouth [Ottawa] (4 times between Oct 3-7)

Eastern Towhee (Red-eyed): a single report of 1 at Pioneer Plains Park [Ottawa] on Oct 3

Ovenbird: a single report of 1 at Fletcher Wildlife Garden [Ottawa] on Oct 7; plus a single non-notable report in Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais

Black-and-white Warbler: a single report of 1 at Mud Lake [Ottawa] on Oct 8

Tennessee Warbler: 5 reports at 4 locations – 1 at Forest Hill Ave [Ottawa] (on Oct 8); 1 at Pinecrest Storm Pond[Ottawa] (on Oct 8); as many as 2 at Central Experimental Farm Arboretum/Fletcher Wildlife Garden [Ottawa] (twice on Oct 8); 1 at Mud Lake [Ottawa] (on Oct 8); plus at least 16 non-notable reports at locations in Papineau [1], Ottawa [12], Gatineau [2] & Lanark [1]

American Redstart: 2 reports of 1 at Rockcliffe Airport Woods [Ottawa] on Oct 8; plus 3 non-notable reports in Ottawa

Cape May Warbler: a single report of 1 at Domaine de la ferme Moore [Gatineau] on Oct 1; plus a single non-notable report in Ottawa

Northern Parula: a single report of 1 at Almonte River Walk [Lanark] on Oct 6; plus at least 7 non-notable reports at locations in Gatineau [3] & Ottawa [4]

Bay-breasted Warbler: 2 reports at 2 locations – 1 at Hidden Lake Trail [Ottawa] (on Oct 2); 1 at Aylmer rural – secteur sud-ouest [Gatineau] (on Oct 1)

Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle): a single report of 2 at Bassin de rétention du Plateau, Gatineau [Gatineau] on Oct 2

Prairie Warbler: a single report of 1 at Marais des Laîches [Gatineau] on Oct 4

Wilson’s Warbler: 2 reports at 2 locations – 1 at Carp River storm water pond [Ottawa] (on Oct 8); 1 at Britannia Ridge [Ottawa] (on Oct 3)

Rose-breasted Grosbeak: a single report of 1 at South Island Park Dr [Ottawa] on Oct 7; plus a single non-notable report in Ottawa

As always, send questions, comments or photos to sightings@ofnc.ca. Your feedback is appreciated.

Ottawa and area bird sightings to 1 October 2026

by Al Caughey at sightings@ofnc.ca

This summary comes to you once again from Duesseldorf Germany which will be the base for the final week of our trip – visiting with our son and exploring the area. No, we are not here for the Backstreet Boys’ exclusive European residency concerts.

I still do not have access to my web interface that allows me to quickly summarize what is being seen, where. So this week’s update is still somewhat more sparse than usual.

The star bird bird in the area continues to be the Little Blue Heron at the Winterset/Paine Pond in Kanata (and I selfishly hope that it sticks around for just one more week).

I can see from the eBird alerts that there’s an interesting collection of late warblers, sparrows, and some shorebirds passing through the circle. And, not surprisingly, we’re starting to see more geese, scoters, and northern ducks.

I suggest you turn your birding focus to harvested fields as well as lakes and rivers for the coming week(s).

Current notable birds

Ross’s Goose: 1 report of 1 at Timm Drive, Ottawa, Ontario, CA (45.324, -75.846) [Ottawa] on Sep 29

Greater White-fronted Goose: 5 reports total between Sep 27-29; 4 reports of 5 at Richmond CA (formerly Richmond Sewage Lagoons) [Ottawa] on Sep 27; 1 report of 1 at Richmond N – Shea Rd [Ottawa] on Sep 29

Greater Scaup: 3 reports total between Sep 27-30; 2 reports of up to 3 at Parc des Cèdres [Gatineau] between Sep 27-30; 1 report of 5 at Baie Fraser [Gatineau] on Sep 30

White-winged Scoter: 1 report of 9 at Ottawa–Rockcliffe Airport Woods [Ottawa] on Sep 29

Sora: 1 report of 1 at Carleton Place–Hwy 7 Storm Pond [Lanark] on Sep 28

Solitary Sandpiper: 1 report of 1 at 561 Wolf Grove Road [Lanark] on Sep 28

Little Blue Heron: 25 reports of 1 between Sep 26-30; 12 reports at Kanata–Didsbury Road Scrape – Carp Watershed Restoration Area [Ottawa] between Sep 27-30; 11 reports at Kanata–Carp River Watershed Reclamation Area [Ottawa] between Sep 26-30; 1 report at Carp river [Ottawa] on Sep 30; 1 report at Paine Pond, Kanata, ON [Ottawa] on Sep 28

Carolina Wren: 4 reports of 1 at lac mcgregor sud est (Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais) between Sep 27-28

Veery: 2 reports of 1 at Ottawa–Britannia CA* general [Ottawa] on Sep 29

Wood Thrush: 1 report of 1 at Ottawa–Old Quarry Trail [Ottawa] on Sep 29

Northern Wheatear: 1 report of 1 at Almonte–Riverfront Trail [Lanark] on Sep 27

Grasshopper Sparrow: 1 report of 1 at Burnt Lands Provincial Park [Ottawa] on Sep 29

Field Sparrow: 1 report of 1 at Ch. Crégheur, Pontiac (Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais) on Sep 29

Nelson’s Sparrow: 3 reports of up to 3 at Carleton Place–Hwy 7 Storm Pond [Lanark] between Sep 29-30

Eastern Towhee: 7 reports total on Sep 29; 6 reports of 1 at Ottawa–Bruce Pit [Ottawa] on Sep 29; 1 report of 3 at Burnt Lands Provincial Park [Ottawa] on Sep 29

Black-and-white Warbler: 2 reports of 1 between Sep 29-30; 1 report at Ottawa–Beechwood Cemetary [Ottawa] on Sep 29; 1 report at Ottawa–Old Quarry Trail [Ottawa] on Sep 30

Cape May Warbler: 1 report of 1 at Domaine de la ferme Moore [Gatineau] on Sep 30

Northern Yellow Warbler: 1 report of 1 at Kanata–Didsbury Road Scrape – Carp Watershed Restoration Area [Ottawa] on Sep 29

Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle): 2 reports of 9 at Baie Simard [Gatineau] on Sep 30

Hopefully I’ve not missed too many.

As always, send questions, comments or photos to sightings@ofnc.ca. Your feedback is appreciated.

Ottawa and area bird sightings to 24 September 2026

by Al Caughey at sightings@ofnc.ca

Northern Yellow-shafted Flicker (by Sai Wai Ip) – a male (as indicated by the black moustache). Unlike most other woodpeckers, they spend most of their time on the ground hunting for ants (and can eat as many as 5000 a day!). They will also eat honeysuckle berries and if they consume enough, parts of their wing and tail feathers may appear red, rather than the natural yellow.

Cackling Goose (by Chris Van Norman) – as geese return through the area, there can be confusion as to whether you’ve found a ‘Cackler’ or a small subspecies of the more prevalent Canada Goose. Someone once told me, if you have to ask, it’s a Canada Goose. Chris’ pic clearly shows the rounder head and stubby triangular bill of the Cackling Goose… in particular, contrasting with the Canada Goose to the left.

Little Blue Heron (by Sai Wai Ip) – this little celebrity is continuing in the storm pond off Winterset Rd in Kanata. It is truly an exceptional rarity for the area – the last accepted record of a Little Blue Heron was in August 1998!

Dark-eyed Junco (by Steve Strauss) – a sign of the changing seasons, we’re beginning to see northern breeders returning to their wintering grounds. This is a hatch-year bird in its heavily streaked juvenile plumage. By early autumn, it will moult into the more familiar gray/brown and white adult plumage.

This summary comes to you from Munster Germany after a 3-day visit to the Borkum (an island in the Wadden Sea off the northern coast of Germany).  Tomorrow, Heather & I will be heading to Amsterdam for a couple of days.

Unfortunately, I’ve lost access to my web interface that allows me to easily summarize what is being seen, where and without my laptop, I’m struggling to get it back.  So this weeks update will be considerably more sparse than usual (perhaps some will prefer it this way… let me know!)

The star bird bird in the area continues to be the Little Blue Heron at the Winterset Pond in Kanata.  Beyond that, I cannot easily tell you what’s arrived or departed or where to find the most active hotspots within the circle.

We’re now well into the migration transition window when summer insectivores and shorebirds have largely moved through the area  and when northern migrants, waterfowl, and hardier passerines should be entering in full force.

In terms of the weather forecast for the coming week:
Sept 24 – 26: north winds & cool nights should encourage nocturnal travelers (sparrows, late warblers, thrushes) to push south
Sept 27 – 29: winds should shift to the east/southwest & cloudy conditions could slow flight of smaller songbirds forcing them into lower vegetation to forage.
Sept 30 – Oct 1: rain and low-cloud cover should create classic grounding conditions and cause birds to drop into shorelines, etc.

Meaning that there could be lots of good finds in the coming week

Current notable birds

Snow Goose: reports at Almonte Lagoons on Sep 19

Greater White-fronted Goose: reports at Hidden Lake Trail, Fox Run Storm Pond, Almonte Lagoons, & Carp River Watershed Reclamation Area between Sep 20-24

Cackling Goose: reports at Didsbury Road Scrape – Carp Watershed Restoration Area, Andrew Haydon Park, Richmond Sewage Lagoons between Sep 19-21

Yellow-billed Cuckoo: reports at Britannia Ridge & Greenbelt Pathway West between Sep 19-20

Little Gull: a single report at Pinhey’s Point Historic Site on Sep 23

Franklin’s Gull: continuing at Britannia CA & Parc Brébeuf between Sep 19-21

Little Blue Heron: tonnes of reports continuing at Didsbury Rd Scrape – Carp Watershed Restoration Area [Ottawa] between Sep 19-25

Golden Eagle: a single report on Berry Side Road on Sep 22

Least Flycatcher:  a single report at the  Richmond Sewage Lagoons on Sep 25

Eastern Towhee: reports at Britannia CA–Woods & Burnt Lands Provincial Park on Sep 20

Northern Waterthrush: reports at Britannia Ridge, Petrie Island & Nepean Creek Trail between Sep 19-25

Virginia Rail: reports at Hwy 7 Storm Pond on Sep 24

Ottawa and area bird sightings to 17 September 2026

by Al Caughey at sightings@ofnc.ca

Ottawa is now close to peak movement of songbirds; adult shorebirds have largely passed through the area and we should now be seeing more juveniles.  Ducks and geese should be beginning to build along local waterways and in harvested fields.

Nashville Warbler (by Lorraine Elworthy) – Lorraine says “Since they are mostly so high up, learning to identify warblers by underside is a benefit.” Her photo nicely captures the key ID features of the Nashville Warbler: bright yellow throat and breast, contrasting white lower belly and bright yellow undertail coverts. Bonus points if you can identify what it has in its beak!

Greater Whited-fronted Goose (by AudreyLee Shaw) – Shortly I after I announced in the last update that it had departed, AudreyLee captured pics of the Greater Whited-fronted Goose again at Andrew Haydon Park in Nepean. It was see again the next day but not since… is it still there but not being reported???

Black-throated Green Warbler (by Gillian Wright) – Gillian captured this scraggily juvenile at Andrew Haydon Park. It is completing its “prebasic moult” and transitioning into “formative” plumage. It is replacing its drab juvenile body feathering with its bright olive-green back and bright yellow facial feathers.

Northern Parula (by Gillian Wright) – Gillian also captured this hatch-year bird at Andrew Haydon Park. First-year birds have have greenish-olive tones on their crown, mantle, and back; unlike adult males with their blue-gray upper body and distrinctive yellow/green triangular back patch.

Little Blue Heron (by Gillian Wright) – Tom Devecseri found this mega-rarity to the Ottawa area on Sep 16th at the Winterset Pond in Kanata. Gillian was the first person to submit a photo. The bird was still being seen on the 18th. In their hatch year, Little Blue Herons are entirely white; when they are 10-14 months old, slate-blue feathers begin to replace the white ones giving them a patchy “calico” look. By early autumn of their second year, they’ll have their full adult slate-blue and maroon plumage.

Having boldly announced last week the departure of the Greater White-fronted Goose, it was photographed again on Sep 12th by AudreyLee Shaw and ebirded on the 13th (before seemingly disappearing again…). There were two exciting finds on Sep 16th – Mark Patry spotted a Sabine’s Gull on the Deschenes Rapids and Tom Devecseri found a juvenile Little Blue Heron at the Winterset Storm Pond in Kanata.  Unfortunately, the gull has not been seen again.  Hopefully the heron will stay in the area for a while.

The number of notables (18) and total number of species reported (185) in the 50km Circle has not changed since the last update but there’s been some turnover in the varieties:

9 arrivals since the last update (6 notables):
– Snow Goose [Ottawa (Sep 14), Prescott and Russell (Sep 14)], Cackling Goose🔥 [Ottawa (Sep 14)], Sora [Ottawa (Sep 15), Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry (Sep 17)], Wilson’s Phalarope🔥 [Ottawa (Sep 16)], Sabine’s Gull🔥 [Ottawa (Sep 16)], Little Blue Heron🔥 [Ottawa (Sep 17)], White-crowned Sparrow🔥 [Ottawa (Sep 17), Gatineau (Sep 17), Prescott and Russell (Sep 17), La Vallée-de-la-Gatineau (Sep 17)], Rusty Blackbird [Ottawa (Sep 16), Gatineau (Sep 16), Lanark (Sep 16), Renfrew (Sep 16), Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry (Sep 16)]

6 notable species from last update are now being seen as non-notable:

• – Lesser Scaup → last notable report on Sep 07 in Gatineau with at least 2 recent non-notable reports at locations in Prescott and Russell [1], Gatineau [1]
•  Common Goldeneye → last notable report on Sep 10 in Lanark with at least 2 recent non-notable reports at locations in Ottawa [1], Lanark [1]
• Red-necked Grebe → last notable report on Sep 06 in Lanark with a single recent non-notable report in Prescott and Russell
• Carolina Wren → last notable report on Sep 10 in Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais with at least 6 recent non-notable reports at locations in Ottawa [3], Gatineau [3]
• Evening Grosbeak → last notable report on Sep 10 in Ottawa with
• Dark-eyed Junco → last notable report on Sep 04 in Ottawa with at least 27 recent non-notable reports at locations in Ottawa [20], Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais [3], Lanark [1], Gatineau [3]

10 species not reported since the last update (including 9 notables):
– Hudsonian Godwit🔥 [Ottawa (Sep 03)], Short-billed Dowitcher [Prescott and Russell (Sep 09)], Long-billed Dowitcher🔥 [Prescott and Russell (Sep 09)], Red-necked Phalarope🔥 [Prescott and Russell (Sep 10)], Buff-breasted Sandpiper🔥 [Ottawa (Sep 04)], Least Bittern🔥 [Prescott and Russell (Sep 07)], Olive-sided Flycatcher🔥 [Ottawa (Sep 03), Renfrew (Sep 08), La Vallée-de-la-Gatineau (Sep 10)], Alder Flycatcher🔥 [Ottawa (Sep 06), Papineau (Sep 06)], Grasshopper Sparrow🔥 [Ottawa (Sep 05)], Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle)🔥 [Gatineau (Sep 06)]

The 5 most active hotspots within the circle:
1. Hwy 7 Storm Pond [Lanark] – 32
2. La cour de Guy, Val-des-Monts [Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais] – 31
3. Rapides Deschênes (incluant parc) [Gatineau] – 26
4. Andrew Haydon Park [Ottawa] – 21
5. Mud Lake [Ottawa] – 18

Plus other hotspots outside the circle:
– Alfred Sewage Lagoons [Prescott and Russell] – 40
– Summers Rd [Leeds and Grenville] – 28
– Algonquin Tr, Laurentian Valley ON [Renfrew] – 20
– Cooper Marsh CA (Marais de Cooper) [Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry] – Marais aux Rubaniers [Papineau] – 18

The start of the coming week might be a good time for nocturnal birding (10:00 PM and 2:00 AM) – cooler temps, clear skies and light to moderate winds from the north should prompt millions of birds to take flight; however, these favourable conditions will allow them to fly at higher altitudes making it harder to hea much harder to hear from the ground. Another strategy would be to head out at dawn as the birds look for foraging spots along ridge lines, tree lines, and riverbanks.

Current notable birds

Greater White-fronted Goose: two reports of 1 at Andrew Haydon Park [Ottawa] on Sep 12-13

Cackling Goose: 3 reports of 2 at Fox Run stormwater ponds [Ottawa] between Sep 12-14

Rock Pigeon: a single unconfirmed report of at least 1 at Cury Park [Leeds and Grenville] on Sep 14… this may be a mis-entry in eBird (Rock Pigeon vs Feral Rock Pigeon)

Chimney Swift: a single report of 1 at Rapides Deschênes (incluant parc) [Gatineau] on Sep 11; plus a single non-notable report in Ottawa

American Golden-Plover: 2 reports of 3 at Hwy 7 Storm Pond [Lanark] on Sep 16; plus 2 non-notable reports in Ottawa

Wilson’s Phalarope: a single report of 1 at Andrew Haydon and Dick Bell Park [Ottawa] on Sep 16

Sabine’s Gull: a single report of 1 at Britannia Ridge [Ottawa] on Sep 16

Franklin’s Gull: 10 reports at 3 locations – 1 at Andrew Haydon Park [Ottawa] (8 times between Sep 10-16); 1 at Andrew Haydon Park east (formerly Ottawa Beach) [Ottawa] (on Sep 15); 1 at Rapides Deschênes (incluant parc) [Gatineau] (on Sep 11)

Little Blue Heron: 3 reports of 1 at Didsbury Rd Scrape – Carp Watershed Restoration Area [Ottawa] between Sep 16-17

Yellow-throated Vireo: 2 reports at 2 locations – 1 at Clyde Woods [Ottawa] (on Sep 14); 1 at Pioneer Plains Park [Ottawa] (on Sep 12); plus a single non-notable report in Lanark

Gray-cheeked Thrush: 2 reports at 2 locations – 1 at Rue Paradis [Gatineau] (on Sep 16); 1 at Aylmer [Gatineau] (on Sep 16); plus at least 18 non-notable reports at locations in Ottawa [17], Prescott and Russell [1]

White-crowned Sparrow: a single report of 1 at Helene St, Clarence-Rockland ON [Prescott and Russell] on Sep 17; plus at least 5 non-notable reports at locations in Ottawa [3], Prescott and Russell [1], Gatineau [1]

Eastern Towhee: a single report of 1 at Britannia CA [Ottawa] on Sep 15

Bobolink: a single report of 1 at Almonte Lagoons [Lanark] on Sep 12

Orange-crowned Warbler: 6 reports at 3 locations – 1 at Fletcher Wildlife Garden [Ottawa] (3 times between Sep 11-17); 1 at Filtration Plant/Point [Ottawa] (on Sep 15); 1 at Britannia CA [Ottawa] (twice between Sep 10-14)

Northern Yellow Warbler: a single report of 2 at Almonte Lagoons [Lanark] on Sep 17; plus at least 22 non-notable reports at locations in Ottawa [20], Gatineau [2]

As always, send questions, comments or photos to sightings@ofnc.ca. Your feedback is appreciated.

Ottawa and area bird sightings to 10 September 2026

by Al Caughey at sightings@ofnc.ca

This update comes to you (severely jetlagged) from Düsseldorf Germany.  Along with me, it looks like the Hudsonian Godwit and Greater White-fronted Goose have finally left the area.  The Buff-breasted Sandpiper also has not been refound since Sep 4. There are still at least a dozen species of sandpiper (including new notable Sanderlings and a single  non-notable Stilt Sandpiper) and about 20 species of warblers. The number of notable species in the 50km Circle increased from 17 last week to 19 in this update; and the total number of species seen jumped up from 178 to 185.

Common Merganser (by Catherine Lawrence) – the distinct thin white line running under the eye, above a white chin patch indicates that is a juvenile/immature rather than an adult female (which would have just the white chin patch). Females would also have a more prominent, shaggy crest.

Wilson’s Warbler (by Catherine Lawrence) – the sharp black cap and black eye on a vibrant yellow face indicates that this is an adult male. Some adult females. will have a partial black cap but it is typically smaller & duller

Great Egret (by Dalhia S) – Dahlia ‘digiscoped’ this image on her phone through her binoculars and managed to get the egret as well as the mallards with the Hudsonian Godwit in the background – well done!

There have been 8 arrivals since the last update (including 4 notables):

• Short-billed Dowitcher [Prescott and Russell (Sep 09)]
• American Woodcock [Ottawa (Sep 04)]
• Sanderling🔥 [Ottawa (Sep 07), Renfrew (Sep 10)]
• Dunlin [Prescott and Russell (Sep 08)]
• White-rumped Sandpiper [Ottawa (Sep 09)]
• Grasshopper Sparrow🔥 [Ottawa (Sep 05)]
• Orange-crowned Warbler🔥 [Ottawa (Sep 10), Gatineau (Sep 10), Renfrew (Sep 10)]
• Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle)🔥 [Gatineau (Sep 06)]

5 notable species from last update are now being seen as non-notable:

• Trumpeter Swan → last notable report on Sep 02 in Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais with at least 6 recent non-notable reports at locations in Lanark [3], Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais [1], Ottawa [2]
• Bonaparte’s Gull → last notable report on Aug 28 in Lanark with at least 9 recent non-notable reports at locations in Ottawa [5], Gatineau [4]
• Blue-headed Vireo → last notable report on Aug 30 in Prescott and Russell with at least 20 recent non-notable reports at locations in Ottawa [11], Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais [6], Gatineau [2], Prescott and Russell [1]
• American Pipit → last notable report on Sep 02 in Prescott and Russell with at least 17 recent non-notable reports at locations in Ottawa [15], Gatineau [2]
• Northern Parula → last notable report on Aug 31 in Leeds and Grenville with at least 56 recent non-notable reports at locations in Ottawa [35], Gatineau [11], Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais [7], Lanark [1], Prescott and Russell [1], Papineau [1]

5 species have not been reported since the last update (including 1 notable):
– Sora [Ottawa (Sep 02)], American Coot [Prescott and Russell (Aug 29)], Ruddy Turnstone🔥 [Ottawa (Aug 28), Renfrew (Aug 29)], Baird’s Sandpiper [Ottawa (Aug 28)], Bank Swallow [Prescott and Russell (Aug 30)]

The 5 most active hotspots within the circle (but, sorry, there’s no easy way on my tablet to confirm what is causing the excitement at these sites):

• Rapides Deschênes [Gatineau] – 42
• Almonte Lagoons [Lanark] – 31
• Auto selected [Prescott and Russell] – 25
• Sewage Lagoons [Prescott and Russell] – 24
• Hwy 7 Storm Pond [Lanark] – 23

Plus other hotspots outside the circle:

• Long Sault Parkway & Area [Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry] – 37
• Tay-Havelock Trail [Lanark] – 34
• Ch Sloan, PPJ, Vinton [Pontiac] – 26
• Lac Pemishangan, Gracefield [La Vallée-de-la-Gatineau] – 26

In terms of the coming week, it looks like the best birding days could be:

• Monday (best overall day): Northwest tailwinds & cooler temperatures should encourage southbound movement of song & shore birds and clear skies for soaring raptors.
• Tuesday & Wednesday (fallout potential): Light rains could cause migrants to drop into shoreline trees & thickets.

Prime birding locations could include:

• Champlain Lookout & Gatineau Park Escarpment looking for Broad-winged Hawks, Sharp-shinned Hawks & falcons utilizing ridge lift.
• Shoreline thickets and mudflats (e.g., Britannia Conservation Area & Shirleys Bay) during/after rainy stretches (forecasted for Sept 13 & 15–16) for grounded warblers, vireos & shorebirds.

Current notable birds

Greater White-fronted Goose: a single report of 1 at Andrew Haydon Park [Ottawa] on Sep 5; and not a single report since then,  I guess it has headed south

Lesser Scaup: a single report of 1 at Piste cyc. Sentier des Voyageurs  [Gatineau] on Sep 7; plus 3 non-notable reports in Ottawa

Common Goldeneye: 18 reports of 6 at Almonte Lagoons [Lanark] between Sep 3-9; plus at least 3 non-notable reports at locations in Ottawa [1], Prescott and Russell [2]

Hudsonian Godwit: 6 reports of 1 at Andrew Haydon Park [Ottawa] on Sep 3; and none since then… looks like it’s headed south

Long-billed Dowitcher: 19 reports of 1 between Sep 3-9 at, or close to, Central Park Blvd/Russell Stormwater Pond [Prescott and Russel]

Red-necked Phalarope: a single report of 1 Casselman Sewage Lagoons [Prescott and Russell] on Sep 6

Buff-breasted Sandpiper: 4 reports of 1 at Dunning Rd [Ottawa] on Sep 4;  and no sightings since then

Franklin’s Gull: 12 reports continuing at 4 locations – 1 at Andrew Haydon Park [Ottawa] (6 times between Sep 3-10); 1 at Rapides Deschênes [Gatineau] (twice between Sep 4-6); 1 at Andrew Haydon Park east [Ottawa] (twice between Sep 3-5); 1 at Mud Lake [Ottawa] (twice on Sep 3)

Red-necked Grebe: 6 reports at 2 locations – 1 at Storm Pond, Carleton Place, ON/Hwy 7 Storm Pond [Lanark] (5 times between Sep 3-6); 1 at Andrew Haydon Park [Ottawa] (on Sep 5); plus a single non-notable report in Prescott and Russell

Least Bittern: a single report of 1 at Casselman Sewage Lagoons [Prescott and Russell] on Sep 7

Alder Flycatcher: a single report of 1 at Baie Noire [Papineau] on Sep 4; plus 2 non-notable reports in Ottawa

Yellow-throated Vireo: a single report of 1 at Mud Lake [Ottawa] on Sep 7

Carolina Wren: 5 reports of 1 at Lac McGregor sud est [Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais] between Sep 3-10; plus at least 7 non-notable reports at locations in Ottawa [3], Gatineau [4]

Grasshopper Sparrow: a single report of 1 at Burnt Lands Provincial Park [Ottawa] on Sep 5

Dark-eyed Junco: 2 reports at 2 locations – 1 at Hearst Way [Ottawa] (on Sep 4); 3 at Beaverbrook Park [Ottawa] (on Sep 4); plus at least 8 non-notable reports at locations in Ottawa [6], Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais [2]

Baltimore Oriole: a single report of 1 at Russell Stormwater Pond, Russell ON [Prescott and Russell] on Sep 6; plus at least 12 non-notable reports at locations in Ottawa [8], Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais [1], Gatineau [1], Papineau [1], Lanark [1]

Orange-crowned Warbler: 4 reports at 4 locations – 1 at Britannia CA [Ottawa] (on Sep 10); 1 at Pleasant Park-Kilborn Gardens Corridor [Ottawa] (on Sep 7); 1 at Rapides Deschênes [Gatineau] (on Sep 5); 1 at Stanley Park [Ottawa] (on Sep 4)

Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle): a single report of 19 at Rapides Deschênes [Gatineau] on Sep 6

As always, send questions, comments or photos to sightings@ofnc.ca. Your feedback is appreciated.

Ottawa and area bird sightings to 3 September 2026

by Al Caughey at sightings@ofnc.ca

Hopefully everyone who had an early return to school is adjusting well to their new routines. Sorry that I forgot to remind everyone about the lunar eclipse last Thursday night – the clouds cooperated nicely and I managed to get good views and some decent photos.

This will be my last ‘local’ update for a couple of weeks. My wife, Heather, and I are heading to Germany to visit our son who’s living in Düsseldorf. I’ll still do these updates but they might be a little more sparse as I struggle to edit on my tablet.

Warblers are moving through the area but they can be more challenging to identify because they’re in non-breeding plumage.  There are a number of resources that will help – including the free Fall Warbler ID Guide from the Bird Academy at Cornell (https://dl.allaboutbirds.org/fall-warbler-guide).

Yellow-rumped Warbler (by Sanam G) – look for the brownish/grey steaked body with small yellow side patches and, of course, the ever present bright yellow rump.

Blackburnian Warbler (by Steve S) – look for the yellow eyebrow and dark cheek patch and yellowish chest (males will be brighter yellow that females. Females and juveniles will have two distinct white wingbars (which may merge to form more of a patch on the male).

Northern Parula (by Sanam G) – look for a yellow breast, blue-gray upper parts and the distinctive olive-green/greenish-yellow patch on the center of the back. Females will be duller and paler and will not have the residual dark chestnut/black breast band of the males.

Northern Waterthrush (by Steve S) – these birds do not have a distinct fall plumage. Look for the prominent stripe above the eye and yellowish under parts with dark streaks running from the chin right down to the belly and flanks.

Bonaparte’s Gull (by Steve S) – Steve caught this juvenile/first cycle Bonaparte’s Gull along the river at Mud Lake. It nicely shows most of the key ID features for this species – the dark ear spot behind the eye, the prominent diagonal bars across the shoulder, and the dark trailing wing edge and tail band.

Least Flycatcher (by Sanam G) – another tough bird to ID (through out the year) but this image nicely shows the shorter bill, the bold eye-ring and short primary extension (i.e., the length of folded wingtips relative to the tail) which distinguishes it from the similar (but larger) Alder and Willow Flycatchers.

Over the past week, the Greater White-fronted Goose, Hudsonian Godwit & Franklin’s Gull all continued at Andrew Haydon Parrk and a good variety of warblers were seen at many locations. The exciting migrants this week included a Buff-breasted Sandpiper that Erin Wilson found on Sep 2 amongst American Golden Plovers along Dunnings Rd in Ottawa and the Red-necked Grebe that Bob Kennedy found today on the Hwy 7 Storm Pond in Carleton Place.

The number of notables in the 50km circle dropped from 22 last week to 17 this update. The total number of species seen also fell from 187 to 178.

There were 7 arrivals since the last update (including 3 notables):

• Andrew Haydon Park [Ottawa] – 111 (the continuing Goose, Gull & Godwit mentioned above
• Almonte Lagoons [Lanark] – 48 (early returning Common Golden-eyes)
• Rapides Deschênes (incluant parc) [Gatineau] – 35 (Franklin’s Gull & Red-necked Phalarope)
• Britannia Ridge [Ottawa] – 27 (warbler-palooza)
• Auto selected [Prescott and Russell] – 27 (I’m not sure how this one got onto this list – it’s actually outside the circle?!? Ignore it!)

• Long Sault Parkway & Area [Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry] – 44
• Pembroke Marina [Renfrew] – 39
• CA_QC_Bristol – Annesley – Lac Ireland et environs [Pontiac] – 32

Current notable birds

Ottawa and area bird sightings to 27 August 2026

by Al Caughey at sightings@ofnc.ca

I’ll start with a quick disclaimer that some of my numbers this week might be slightly off… I forgot to save my sightings from the last update so this weeks totals are based on data from a few days later. (I’ve changed my code that queries the eBird database so that this will not happen moving forward).

On to this update – a day or two ago, as I was thinking about this update, I thought I was going to have to say that the photo-friendly Greater White-fronted Goose had finally moved on but after an absence of ~3 days, it returned to Andrew Haydon Park to join the continuing Hudsonian Godwit and Franklin’s Gull.  Otherwise, there were ~22 notables in the 50km Circle this week vs  21 last update and the total number of species reported dropped from 200 down to 187.

This is where the numbers get confusing… even though the total number of species dropped, there were no species reported last week that were not seen this week?!?!  And to further confound things, there were 5 arrivals since the last update (including 1 notable):

• Purple Martin [Leeds and Grenville (Aug 25)]
• American Pipit [Ottawa (Aug 26)]
• Dark-eyed Junco🔥 [Ottawa (Aug 27)]
• Lincoln’s Sparrow [Lanark (Aug 27)]
• Orange-crowned Warbler [Ottawa (Aug 26)]

This week, the 5 most active hotspots were:

• Andrew Haydon Park east (formerly Ottawa Beach) [Ottawa] – 293 entries → predominantly due to a Hudsonian Godwit, Franklin’s Gull and the long lasting Greater White-fronted Goose
• Andrew Haydon Park [Ottawa] – 170 → see above
• Rapides Deschênes (incluant parc) [Gatineau] – 75 → predominantly due to a Red-necked Phalarope and Franklin’s Gull
• Hwy 7 Storm Pond [Lanark] – 58 → predominantly due to a Red-necked and Wilson’s Phalarope
• Filtration Plant/Point [Ottawa] – 58 → predominantly due to a Red-necked Phalarope

Slightly outside of the 50km circle

• Pembroke Marina [Renfrew] – 103 → predominantly due to a Willet

In terms of the coming week, Friday & Saturday should be prime migration days.  Clear skies, light winds and cool overnight temperatures should encourage nocturnal movements. Go out early to search for foraging warblers, vireos, and flycatchers in woodland canopies.  Rain and unfavourable winds on Sunday & Tuesday will likely force migratory songbirds to ground, concentrating them in lower tree layers and thickets.

Mudflats & river margins, storm ponds, and flooded fields throughout the Ottawa Valley will continue to host southbound shorebirds – when will Baird’s and White-rumped Sandpipers appear?

Warbling Vireo – look for a plain face, dark eyes and a faint whitish supercilium (i.e., the stripe of feathers that pass above the eye from beak to the back of the head). Its underparts will be off-white with varying pale yellow tinges on the flanks.

Red-eyed Vireo – look for a bold grey cap with black borders, a broad white supercilium and dark eye-line. Its underparts will be white with, perhaps, a faint olive wash on the flanks.

Philadelphia Vireo – look for a grey crown, white supercilium and dark eye-line. Its underparts will be yellow on the throat and breast and fade towards the flanks and tail.

Black-bellied Plover (by Steve Strauss) – Steve captured this image at Andrew Haydon Park in Nepean. The blotchy black patches on its belly and chest indicate that this is an adult bird moulting into its non-breeding plumage before it starts its migration to South America.

Lesser Yellowlegs (by Al Caughey) – I caught this bird touching down at the Hwy 7 Storm Pond in Carleton Place. It likely hatched earlier this season due to the crisp & uniform pattern across its mantle and wing coverts, the fine gray-brown upper chest band and white lower breast and belly. It is very hard to distinguish the sex of Lesser Yellowlegs.

Current notable birds

Greater White-fronted Goose: 36 reports continuing at 2 locations – 1 at Andrew Haydon Park/Andrew Haydon Park, ON [Ottawa] (29 times between Aug 20-26); 1 at Andrew Haydon Park east (formerly Ottawa Beach) [Ottawa] (7 times between Aug 20-26)

Trumpeter Swan: 4 reports of 2 at étang du stationnement P8 [Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais] between Aug 20-27; plus at least 7 non-notable reports at locations in Lanark [5], Ottawa [2]

Common Goldeneye: a single report of 2 at Almonte Lagoons [Lanark] on Aug 26

Hudsonian Whimbrel: 57 reports at 5 locations – as many as 5 at Andrew Haydon Park east (formerly Ottawa Beach) [Ottawa] (42 times between Aug 23-27); 1 at Britannia Ridge [Ottawa] (3 times on Aug 27); as many as 5 at Filtration Plant/Point [Ottawa] (4 times on Aug 27); 1 at Andrew Haydon Park [Ottawa] (7 times on Aug 23); 1 at Shirley’s Bay [Ottawa] (on Aug 23)

Hudsonian Godwit: 188 reports continuing at 2 locations – 1 at Beltown Park/Andrew Haydon Park/Ottawa – Andrew Haydon Park/Andrew Hayden Park [Ottawa] (66 times between Aug 23-27); as many as 2 at Andrew Haydon Park east (formerly Ottawa Beach)/ON-Ottawa Beach [Ottawa] (122 times between Aug 23-27)

Wilson’s Phalarope: 11 reports at 2 locations – 1 at Hwy 7 Storm Pond [Lanark] (10 times on Aug 25); 1 at Stonewater Bay stormwater pond [Lanark] (on Aug 25)

Red-necked Phalarope: 60 reports at 8 locations – 1 at Rapides Deschênes (incluant parc) [Gatineau] (10 times between Aug 23-25); 1 at Filtration Plant/Point [Ottawa] (30 times between Aug 23-25); 1 at Central Park Blvd, Russell ON [Prescott and Russell] (on Aug 25); 1 at Britannia Ridge/Britannia CA [Ottawa] (6 times between Aug 23-25); 1 at Casselman Sewage Lagoons [Prescott and Russell] (on Aug 25); 1 at Andrew Haydon Park [Ottawa] (on Aug 25); 1 at Hwy 7 Storm Pond [Lanark] (9 times between Aug 23-24); 1 at Mud Lake [Ottawa] (twice on Aug 24)

Willet: a single report of 2 at Baie Noire (est et ouest) [Papineau] on Aug 26 (plus several reports outside the 50km circle at the Pembrooke Marina)

Bonaparte’s Gull: 5 reports of 2 at Almonte Lagoons [Lanark] between Aug 21-26; plus at least 18 non-notable reports at locations in Ottawa [13], Gatineau [5]

Franklin’s Gull: 180 reports continuing at 6 locations – as many as 2 at Andrew Haydon Park [Ottawa] (57 times between Aug 20-27); 1 at Andrew Haydon Park east (formerly Ottawa Beach)/ON-Ottawa Beach [Ottawa] (114 times between Aug 20-27); 1 at Rapides Deschênes (incluant parc) [Gatineau] (6 times between Aug 22-25); 1 at Filtration Plant/Point [Ottawa] (on Aug 23); 1 at Britannia CA [Ottawa] (on Aug 22)

Lesser Black-backed Gull: 11 reports at 3 locations – as many as 7 at Britannia CA/Britannia Ridge [Ottawa] (7 times between Aug 20-23); as many as 12 at Cambrian Rd/Cambrian Rd W [Ottawa] (twice on Aug 23); 1 at Mud Lake [Ottawa] (on Aug 21); plus at least 9 non-notable reports at locations in Gatineau [4], Ottawa [5]

Common Loon: a single report of 1 at Lac Pink [Gatineau] on Aug 26; plus at least 7 non-notable reports at locations in Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais [5], Lanark [1], Papineau [1]

Least Bittern: a single report of 1 at Kinburn old rail trail [Ottawa] on Aug 22; plus at least 4 non-notable reports at locations in Gatineau [2], Ottawa [2]

Black-crowned Night Heron: a single report of 1 at Hwy 7 Storm Pond [Lanark] on Aug 24; plus at least 21 non-notable reports at locations in Ottawa [16], Gatineau [4], Lanark [1]

Red-headed Woodpecker: a single report of 2 continuing at Torbolton Forest [Ottawa] on Aug 26

Blue-headed Vireo: a single report of 2 at Drouin Rd [Prescott and Russell] on Aug 22; plus at least 8 non-notable reports at locations in Ottawa [3], Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais [4], La Vallée-de-la-Gatineau [1]

Philadelphia Vireo: a single report of 1 at Almonte Lagoons [Lanark] on Aug 21; plus at least 25 non-notable reports at locations in Ottawa [13], Lanark [1], Gatineau [8], Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais [3]

Ruby-crowned Kinglet: a single report of 1 at Rideau Tennis Club [Ottawa] on Aug 25; plus at least 4 non-notable reports at locations in Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais [3], Gatineau [1]

Carolina Wren: 7 reports of 1 at lac mcgregor sud est [Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais] between Aug 21-27; plus at least 6 non-notable reports at locations in Gatineau [5], Ottawa [1]

Grasshopper Sparrow: a single report of 1 at Burnt Lands Provincial Park [Ottawa] on Aug 26; plus a single non-notable report in Ottawa

Dark-eyed Junco: 4 reports at 4 locations – 1 at Clarence Island [Prescott and Russell] (twice on Aug 23); 1 at Mud Lake [Ottawa] (on Aug 22); 1 at Birchgove Rd, Sarsfield [Ottawa] (on Aug 21); a single report of 5 at 1644 Burnt Lands Rd (Private Backyard) [Ottawa] on Aug 27

As always, send questions, comments or photos to sightings@ofnc.ca. Your feedback is appreciated.

Ottawa and area bird sightings to 20 August 2026

by Al Caughey at sightings@ofnc.ca

This past week the total number of species reported within the 50km circle spiked up from 176 last week to 200 this update.  The number of notable species jumped from 14 to 21.  The long staying Greater White-fronted Goose at Andrew Haydon Park in Nepean and Red-headed Woodpeckers in Constance Bay are still here.  As is the Franklin’s Gull which can be found between Andrew Haydon Park and les Rapides Deschênes.  They’ve been joined by a White-rumped Sandpiper🔥 [Gatineau (Aug 17)], Red-necked Grebe🔥 [Ottawa (Aug 19), Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry (Aug 19)], and Blue-gray Gnatcatcher🔥 [Ottawa (Aug 16), Gatineau (Aug 18), Leeds and Grenville (Aug 19)].

Two notable species from last update are now being seen as non-notable:

• Baird’s Sandpiper → last notable report on Aug 13 in Ottawa with at least 5 recent non-notable reports at locations in Gatineau [4], Ottawa [1]
• Olive-sided Flycatcher → last notable report on Aug 07 in Ottawa with at least 10 recent non-notable reports at locations in Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais [2], Ottawa [7], Gatineau [1]

Six species have not been reported since the last update (including 3 notables):

• African Collared-Dove [Gatineau (Aug 08)]
• Hudsonian Whimbrel🔥 [Ottawa (Aug 10)]
• Ruddy Turnstone [Prescott and Russell (Aug 08)]
• Horned Lark [Ottawa (Aug 08), Leeds and Grenville (Aug 09)]
• Northern Mockingbird🔥 [Lanark (Aug 10)]
• Lincoln’s Sparrow🔥 [Ottawa (Aug 14)]

In terms of the coming week: Friday and Saturday are forecast to have light winds from the south/southeast and dry conditions which should slow migrants and provide good viewing opportunities for early passerines moving through local woodlots.  Thunderstorms and rain on Sun followed by cooler temperatures on Mon could cause a fallout of migrating warblers, vireos, and flycatchers.  Clearer and drier conditions on Tues and Wed should provide good conditions for active morning foraging along mudflats and river corridors as well as open fields, quarry edges, storm ponds and/or settling basins at sewage lagoons.  And finally, assuming the current forecast stands, starting on Thurs, the winds should shift back to the southwest which could bring another round of scattered thunderstorms and ground our southbound migrants.

Franklin’s Gull (by River Pascal) – Unlike most other gulls, Franklin’s Gulls undergo two full feather molts each year—one on their breeding grounds and the other on their wintering grounds along the Pacific coast of South America (predominantly Peru and Chile). It takes 3 years (or 3 cycles) for them to attain full adult breeding plumage. This one is likely a non-breeding adult or in its second cycle.

Green Heron (by Nina Stavlund) – Nina’s photo shows an adult Green Heron (characterized by its rich chestnut neck, deep greenish-blue cap and back, yellow legs, and striped throat) Green Herons often use lures (e.g., twigs, leaves, insects, or bread crusts) to attract their prey into striking distance.

Indigo Bunting (by Gillian Wright) – Gillian got this picture at the Rockcliffe Airport area in Ottawa. It is either a female or juvenile bird but which is hard to determine. Bill coloration can sometimes be helpful – i.e., immature birds have a darker upper mandible and a paler yellowish lower mandible while females have a uniform silver-gray to dark horn bill.

Northern Cardinal (by Chris Brunke) – Chris’s picture (above) is a male undergoing a full moult on its head while Al’s (below) shows a juvenile male without the black face mask and dark (rather than orange) bill. By late fall, the juvenile should have an orange bill and will be virtually indistinguishable from older adult birds.

Northern Cardinal (by Al Caughey)

Common Yellowthroat (by Gillian Wright) – Gillian got this picture at the Rockcliffe Airport as well. It shows an adult female with perhaps a sawfly larva presumably to feed the juvenile in the background. Yellowthroats often hunt for these caterpillars because they are soft-bodied, non-stinging, high in protein and do not have hard exoskeletons or hard to digest bristles.

Current notable birds

Greater White-fronted Goose: 46 reports at 2 locations – 1 at Andrew Haydon Park/.35089° N° W [Ottawa] (44 times between Aug 13-20); 1 at Andrew Haydon Park east (formerly Ottawa Beach) [Ottawa] (twice between Aug 15-18)

Trumpeter Swan: 5 reports at 2 locations – 1 at étang du stationnement P8 [Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais] (4 times between Aug 15-20); 2 at Ch. Eardley-Masham [Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais] (on Aug 15); plus at least 3 non-notable reports at locations in Lanark [2], Ottawa [1]

Bufflehead: a single report of 1 at Sewage Lagoons [Prescott and Russell] on Aug 14

Common Goldeneye: 4 reports at 2 locations – 1 at Shirley’s Bay (boat launch) [Ottawa] (twice on Aug 18); 1 at Almonte Lagoons [Lanark] (twice on Aug 16)

Purple Gallinule: a single report of 2 at Parc Nature Éco-Odyssée [Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais] on Aug 14 (Although, based upon photos attached to the eBird report, I believe that it was actually a Common Gallinule)

Red-necked Phalarope: 6 reports at 3 locations – 1 at Chaudière Island [Ottawa] (3 times on Aug 19); as many as 2 at Embrun Sewage Lagoons [Prescott and Russell] (twice on Aug 16); 1 at the Casselman Sewage Lagoons [Prescott and Russell] (on Aug 14); plus a single non-notable report in Gatineau

White-rumped Sandpiper: a single report of 1 at Parc Brébeuf [Gatineau] on Aug 17

Bonaparte’s Gull: 2 reports of 1 at Almonte Lagoons [Lanark] on Aug 18; plus at least 17 non-notable reports at locations in Ottawa [11], Gatineau [6]

Franklin’s Gull: 65 reports at 6 locations – 1 at Andrew Haydon Park [Ottawa] (45 times between Aug 13-20); 1 at Andrew Haydon Park east (formerly Ottawa Beach) [Ottawa] (13 times between Aug 18-20); 1 at Ottawa River Pathway (view of Britannia Bay) [Ottawa] (on Aug 19); 1 at Filtration Plant/Point [Ottawa] (on Aug 13); 1 at Rapides Deschênes (incluant parc) [Gatineau] (4 times on Aug 13); 1 at Britannia Ridge [Ottawa] (on Aug 13)

Lesser Black-backed Gull: 6 reports at 5 locations – as many as 6 at Britannia CA* general (use more precise loc.) [Ottawa] (twice between Aug 14-20); 1 at Moodie Drive Quarry [Ottawa] (on Aug 19); 1 at Twin Elm Rugby Park [Ottawa] (on Aug 19); 1 at Richmond NE – Moodie Dr [Ottawa] (on Aug 16); 3 at Filtration Plant/Point [Ottawa] (on Aug 14); plus at least 7 non-notable reports at locations in Gatineau [4], Ottawa [3]

Red-necked Grebe: 2 reports of 1 at Shirley’s Bay (boat launch) [Ottawa] on Aug 19

Common Loon: 2 reports of 1 at Lac Pink [Gatineau] between Aug 15-16; plus at least 19 non-notable reports at locations in Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais [15], Lanark [1], Papineau [1], Ottawa [1], La Vallée-de-la-Gatineau [1]

Least Bittern: a single report of 1 at Riverfront Trail [Lanark] on Aug 18; plus at least 3 non-notable reports at locations in Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais [1], Ottawa [2]

Red-headed Woodpecker: 9 reports at 2 locations – as many as 3 at Constance bay access at end of Whistler Rd/Bayview Dr [Ottawa] (eight times between Aug 13-19); 2 at Doris Currie Rd [Ottawa] (on Aug 17)

Red-bellied Woodpecker: a single report of 1 at South Nation River, The Nation ON [Prescott and Russell] on Aug 15

Yellow-bellied Flycatcher: 2 reports at 2 locations – 1 at Andrew Haydon Park [Ottawa] (on Aug 14); 1 at Pioneer Plains Park [Ottawa] (on Aug 13); plus at least 6 non-notable reports at locations in Ottawa [5], Gatineau [1]

Yellow-throated Vireo: 5 reports at 2 locations – 1 at Andrew Haydon Park east (formerly Ottawa Beach) [Ottawa] (3 times on Aug 18); 1 at Britannia CA* general (use more precise loc.) [Ottawa] (twice on Aug 16); plus 2 non-notable reports in Lanark

Philadelphia Vireo: 22 reports at 11 locations – as many as 2 at Rockcliffe Airport Woods [Ottawa] (6 times between Aug 14-17); 1 at Britannia Ridge [Ottawa] (4 times between Aug 14-17); 1 at Fletcher Wildlife Garden [Ottawa] (twice between Aug 14-17); 2 at Mud Lake [Ottawa] (on Aug 16); 1 in Crystal Beach [Ottawa] (on Aug 16); 1 at Stanley Park [Ottawa] (3 times between Aug 14-15); 2 at Andrew Haydon Park [Ottawa] (on Aug 15); 1 at Parc Brébeuf [Gatineau] (on Aug 15); 1 at Riverrain Park south end [Ottawa] (on Aug 14); 2 at Petrie Island [Ottawa] (on Aug 14); 2 at Pioneer Plains Park [Ottawa] (on Aug 13); plus at least 13 non-notable reports at locations in Ottawa [9], Gatineau [4]

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher: 2 reports at 2 locations – 1 at Mon jardin [Gatineau] (on Aug 18); 1 at Greenbelt Trail 10 [Ottawa] (on Aug 16).  Plus some non-eBird reports at the Shirley’s Bay boat launch in Nepean and Millenium Park in Orleans

Blackpoll Warbler: a single report of 1 at Parc Brébeuf [Gatineau] on Aug 15; plus 4 non-notable reports in Ottawa

Wilson’s Warbler: a single report of 1 at Parc Brébeuf [Gatineau] on Aug 15; plus 2 non-notable reports in Ottawa

As always, send questions, comments or photos to sightings@ofnc.ca. Your feedback is appreciated.

Ottawa and area bird sightings to 13 August 2026

by Al Caughey at sightings@ofnc.ca

This past week there were 14 notables in the 50km Circle (down slightly from 16 last week) and the total number of species rose from 169 to 176.

I was wrong (yet again) when I predicted last week that Tuesday & Wednesday mornings would be the best bet to find new arrivals… on Monday evening, Tony Tran found a Hudsonian Whimbrel at Andrew Haydon Park but unfortunately, it only hung around for a few hours. On Tuesday evening, Rodolphe Dubois spotted a Franklin’s Gull at Baie Simard in Gatineau and it has since been seen at a couple of locations on the Ottawa side.  Today (Thursday), Tony Tran continued his good week and found a pair of Baird Sandpipers on the mud flats at Andrew Haydon Park.  There were 5 additional arrivals (or re-appearances) this week – including :
– Northern Shoveler [Lanark (Aug 12)], African Collared-Dove [Gatineau (Aug 08)], Stilt Sandpiper [Prescott and Russell (Aug 10)], Clay-colored Sparrow [Ottawa (Aug 08)], and Golden-winged Warbler [Ottawa (Aug 13)]

Three notable species from last update are now being seen as non-notable:

• Black-bellied Plover → last notable report on Aug 02 in Ottawa; with a single recent non-notable report in Ottawa on Aug 12
• Ruddy Turnstone → last notable report on Aug 01 in Gatineau with 2 non-notable reports in Prescott and Russell (as recently as Aug 8) and one in Ottawa on Aug 3
• Tennessee Warbler → last notable report on Jul 31 in Ottawa with at least 24 recent non-notable reports at locations in Ottawa [20], Gatineau [2], Renfrew [1], Lanark [1]

Four species have not been reported since the last update:

• Redhead (last seen in Ottawa on Aug 01)
• Short-billed Dowitcher (last seen in Prescott and Russell on Aug 03)
• American Woodcock (last seen in Ottawa on Aug 04)
• Pectoral Sandpiper (last seen in Ottawa on Aug 03)

Other than Sunday – when the winds should shift to the east – most of the coming week should provide good tailwinds for southbound migrants – especially early warblers, flycatchers, and shorebirds.  It might be a good time to listen for nocturnal flocks.   Monday morning (Aug 17) could be a good day to look for mixed flocks of warblers along forest edges – perhaps the Champlain Lookout, King Mountain, and Luskville Falls base. North-northwest winds on Aug 14-15 and Aug 17 will likely push migrating flocks of waterfowl, gulls, terns, and shorebirds down the Ottawa river corridor. If it rains on Sunday night, these flocks could drop into sheltered river bays and sandbars at Shirley’s Bay, Mud Lake, Andrew Haydon Park, and elsewhere.  With all of the recent rain, many shorebirds will instead seek out temporary surface pools in open fields, quarry edges, storm ponds and/or settling basins at sewage lagoons.  

 All of this means we should be looking everywhere for migrants this week!

Olive-sided Flycatcher (by Janet McCullogh) – These flycatchers are beginning to move through the Ottawa Valley and will be a good find until mid-September. During their fall migration, it’s less likely that they’ll announce their presence with their “Quick, THREE BEERS!” song so, instead, you’ll have to look for them perched at the top of tall bare snags and/or listen for their “puip-puip-puip” calls.

Hermit Thrush (by Nui Esser) – Nui spotted this thrush in the Luskville Caves [Gatineau] area. Don’t let its unassuming appearance fool you! They can independently control how air flows through the left and right sides of their syrinx (aka voice box) which allows them to produce their haunting/ethereal “oh, holy holy, purity purity…” song. Apparently, if you playback their song a 1/4 speed, the fast trills transform into clear, flute-like arpeggios… must try this!

Great Crested Flycatcher (by Steve Strauss) – Steve found this flycatcher at the Fletcher’s Wildlife Gardens in Ottawa. By mid-to-late August, most of them will have already started their migration to Central and South America. They are the only cavity-nesting flycatcher in our area – relying on old Northern Flicker or Pileated Woodpecker holes which they line with shedded snakeskins (often Eastern Gartersnake) perhaps to scare away small mammalian nest predators like chipmunks.

Red-eyed Vireo (by Christopher Clunas) – For much of the summer, it is hard to get photos of Red-eyed Vireos because they spend most of their time foraging high up in the dense forest canopy. By late August, they’ll be easier to spot as their diet changes to berry-bearing shrubs (like elderberry, dogwood, and Virginia creeper). Birds born this year will still have dark brown irises which’ll change to deep crimson towards the end of their first winter in South America.

Bobolink (by Steve Strauss) – Steve took this gorgeous picture in a private sunflower field west of Ottawa. It is very difficult to distinguish male, female and juvenile Bobolinks at this time of year – especially in the field. Males have moulted out of their ‘backwards-tuxedo’ plumage and now look very much like the females. The throat, breast, and belly of this bird are consistently buff-yellow without blotchy black patches which most likely rules out a male; the fine streaks on its flanks means it is not a juvenile… so by elimination, this is likely a female (but I am often wrong!)

Current notable birds

Greater White-fronted Goose: continues with 56 (and counting) reports at Andrew Haydon Park [Ottawa] (Aug 6-13)

Trumpeter Swan: continues with a single report of 1 at étang du stationnement P8 [Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais] on Aug 12; plus a single non-notable report in Lanark

Hudsonian Whimbrel: 4 reports at 2 locations – 1 at Andrew Haydon Park [Ottawa] (3 times on Aug 10); 1 at Andrew Haydon Park east (formerly Ottawa Beach) [Ottawa] (on Aug 10)

Baird’s Sandpiper: at least 15 reports of as many as 2 at Andrew Haydon Park [Ottawa] on Aug 13

Franklin’s Gull: 8 reports at 5 locations – 1 at Andrew Haydon Park [Ottawa] (on Aug 13); 1 at Filtration Plant/Point [Ottawa] (3 times on Aug 12); 1 at Mud Lake [Ottawa] (on Aug 12); 1 at Rapides Deschênes (incluant parc) [Gatineau] (twice on Aug 12); and 1 at Baie Simard [Gatineau] (on Aug 11)

Lesser Black-backed Gull: 5 reports at 3 locations – as many as 5 at Filtration Plant/Point [Ottawa] (twice on Aug 12); 4 at Brophy Drive [Ottawa] (on Aug 11); as many as 14 at Mud Lake [Ottawa] (on Aug 7); plus at least 5 non-notable reports at locations in Gatineau [3]

Least Bittern: 4 reports at 4 locations – 1 at Moodie Drive Quarry [Ottawa] (on Aug 11); 1 at Bruce Pit [Ottawa] (on Aug 11); 1 at Almonte Lagoons [Lanark] (on Aug 8); 1 at Carp River Watershed Reclamation Area [Ottawa] (on Aug 7); plus at least 6 non-notable reports at locations in Ottawa [1], Gatineau [2], Papineau [3]

Black-crowned Night Heron: a single report of 1 at Hwy 7 Storm Pond [Lanark] on Aug 12; plus at least 26 non-notable reports at locations in Ottawa [19], Gatineau [6], Prescott and Russell [1]

Red-headed Woodpecker: continuing with at least 18 reports of as many as 3 along Whistler Rd, Bayview Dr and Doris Currie Rd in Constance Bay [Ottawa] (between Aug 7-13)

Red-bellied Woodpecker: a single report of 1 at Parc Queen [Gatineau] on Aug 11

Olive-sided Flycatcher: 12 reports of 1 at Rockcliffe Airport Woods/Old Military Base, Ottawa ON [Ottawa] between Aug 6-7; plus at least 7 non-notable reports at locations in Ottawa [5], Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais [2]

Yellow-bellied Flycatcher: 6 reports at 5 locations – 1 at Pioneer Plains Park [Ottawa] (twice between Aug 9-13); 1 at Rockcliffe Parkway at Green’s Creek, Ottawa (2012-2013) [Ottawa] (on Aug 11); 1 at Richmond CA (formerly Richmond Sewage Lagoons) [Ottawa] (on Aug 9); 1 at Innis Point Bird Observatory [Ottawa] (on Aug 8); 1 at Innis Point Maps Plot [Ottawa] (on Aug 8); plus a single non-notable report in Gatineau

Philadelphia Vireo: 10 reports at 4 locations – as many as 2 at Pioneer Plains Park [Ottawa] (twice between Aug 10-13); as many as 2 at Rockcliffe Airport Woods [Ottawa] (6 times between Aug 7-12); 1 at Stanley Park [Ottawa] (on Aug 7)

Northern Mockingbird: 3 reports at 2 locations – 1 at Roger Stevens Dr [Lanark] (on Aug 10); 1 at Marais Perras Nord (Accès Privé) [Papineau] (twice between Aug 6-7)

As always, send questions, comments or photos to sightings@ofnc.ca. Your feedback is appreciated.

Ottawa and area bird sightings to 6 August 2026

by Al Caughey at sightings@ofnc.ca

This week, the number of reported species and notables in the 50km circle remained the same (i.e., 169 species & 16 notables).  I suggested last week that it would be a good idea to keep an eye on mud flats – especially at Andrew Haydon Park – and the shorebirds were beginning to show up until the heavy rain falls midweek caused the river levels to rise.  Fortunately, the very photogenic Greater White-fronted Goose was still present as a consolation bird at Andrew Haydon.  Otherwise, there are 8 new species appearing in this update (including 8 notables):

• Mallard x American Black Duck (hybrid) [Ottawa (Aug 03)]
• Redhead [Ottawa (Aug 01)]
• Olive-sided Flycatcher🔥 [Ottawa (Aug 05)]
• Yellow-bellied Flycatcher🔥 [Ottawa (Jul 31), Prescott and Russell (Jul 31)]
• Philadelphia Vireo🔥 [Ottawa (Aug 04), Pontiac (Aug 04)]
• Northern Mockingbird🔥 [Papineau (Aug 06)]
• Red Crossbill🔥 [Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais (Aug 05)]
• Palm Warbler [Ottawa (Aug 04)]

In addition, 5 notable species from last update are now being seen as non-notable:

• Gadwall → last notable report on Jul 30 with at least 9 recent non-notable reports at locations in Ottawa [3], Lanark [6]
• Sanderling → last notable report on Jul 28 with at least 11 recent non-notable reports at locations in Ottawa [8], Gatineau [3]
• Semipalmated Sandpiper → last notable report on Jul 28 with at least 26 recent non-notable reports at locations in Prescott and Russell [3], Ottawa [10], Gatineau [11], Lanark [2]
• Cape May Warbler → last notable report on Jul 25 with at least 11 recent non-notable reports at locations in Ottawa [6], Gatineau [3], Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais [1], Lanark [1]
• Northern Parula → last notable report on Jul 29 with at least 24 recent non-notable reports at locations in Ottawa [14], Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais [2], Gatineau [7], Leeds and Grenville [1]

And finally, 4 species in the last update were not reported at all in the 50km circle this week (including 1 notable):

• Northern Shoveler [Ottawa (Jul 27), Prescott and Russell (Jul 30)]
• American Coot [Papineau (Jul 27)]
• Little Gull🔥 [Ottawa (Jul 29)]
• Sedge Wren [Prescott and Russell (Jul 30), Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais (Jul 30)]

In terms of the coming week – for the next several days, southerly and southwesterly winds should stall early-migrating warblers, flycatchers, and shorebirds.  Convective storms and rain on Saturday and then again on Monday could ground any birds moving through the area before winds shift to the northwest starting on Tuesday and providing better conditions for songbirds and shorebirds to push into our area.  So, it looks like Tuesday and Wednesday mornings will be the best bets to find new arrivals – check exposed mudflats, riverbanks, and flooded fields for sandpipers and plovers and/or sheltered brush and woodland edges for songbirds.

Greater White-fronted Goose (by AudreyLee Shaw) – AudreyLee captured this image at Andrew Haydon Park in Nepean where it has been hanging out with the resident Canada Geese for several weeks. The easiest way to find it is to a) find the resident geese at the park and then b) look for its bright orange feet (and bill).

Peregrine Falcon (by Steve Strauss) – Steve captured this image on the Algonquin trail in Arnprior and “complains” that “it was too bad it was 100 feet away and the lighting was terrible”… most of us are jealous that you got this pic! After the near-total collapse of their population due to DDT-induced eggshell thinning, there are now several breeding pairs in the 50km circle and they’ve recently been reclassified from endangered to special concern.

Least (above) and Semipalmated (below) Sandpipers (by Al C) – As shorebirds begin their southbound migration through the area, we’ll see a mix of juvenile and worn adult plumages which’ll make identification more challenging – in particular for our smallest species: the Least and Semipalmated Sandpipers. I was lucky to have both walk right past me a few days ago at the east end of Andrew Haydon Park in Nepean. You can see that the Least Sandpiper has lighter yellow or greenish legs while the Semipalmated has dark black legs (although, they’re usually wading in mud so that can make leg colour harder to discern). If you can get a good enough look at their feet, the `Semipalms` will have small flaps of skin between their toes (hence their name). Other ID tips include: Least plumage will generally be brownish with rufous highlights and they’ll have needle-like bills that droop at the tip while Semipalms will look cool grey to drab grey-brown and have more tubular looking bills with a blunt tip.

Current notable birds

Greater White-fronted Goose: continuing with at least 99 reports at Andrew Haydon Park [Ottawa] (between Jul 30-Aug 6)

Trumpeter Swan: 2 reports at 2 locations – 1 at Parc de la Gatineau, Marais du Soleil [Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais] (on Aug 5); 1 at étang du stationnement P8 [Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais] (on Jul 30); plus a single non-notable report in Lanark

Black-bellied Plover: 2 reports at 2 locations – 2 at Moodie Drive Quarry [Ottawa] (on Aug 2); 2 at Andrew Haydon Park east [Ottawa] (on Aug 1)

Red-necked Phalarope: 2 reports of 1 at Embrun Sewage Lagoons [Prescott and Russell] on Jul 30

Ruddy Turnstone: 14 reports at 5 locations – 1 at Rapides Deschênes (incluant Parc) [Gatineau] (on Aug 1); 1 at Parc Brébeuf [Gatineau] (on Jul 31); 1 at Embrun Sewage Lagoons [Prescott and Russell] (4 times on Jul 31); 1 at Embrun Sewage Lagoons [Prescott and Russell] (twice on Jul 30); 1 at Andrew Haydon Park east (formerly Ottawa Beach) [Ottawa] (6 times on Jul 30); plus at least 2 non-notable reports at locations in Ottawa [1], Prescott and Russell [1]

Lesser Black-backed Gull: 9 reports at 2 locations – 1 at Britannia CA [Ottawa] (twice between Aug 1-4); as many as 2 at Moodie Drive Quarry [Ottawa] (7 times between Aug 1-3); plus at least 4 non-notable reports at locations in Gatineau [3], Ottawa [1]

Red-headed Woodpecker: Also continuing with at least 8 reports of as many as 4 in the Constance Bay area (between Jul 30-Aug 6)

Olive-sided Flycatcher: 9 reports of 1 at Rockcliffe Airport Woods/Wateridge Pond and Former Military Base Area [Ottawa] between Aug 5-6

Yellow-bellied Flycatcher: a single report of 1 at Stanley Park [Ottawa] on Jul 31

Philadelphia Vireo: 2 reports of 1 at Rockcliffe Airport Woods [Ottawa] on Aug 4

Carolina Wren: a single report of 1 at Chrysler Sewage Lagoons [Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry] on Aug 5; plus at least 5 non-notable reports at locations in Ottawa [3], Gatineau [2]

Northern Mockingbird: 2 reports of 1 at Marais Perras Nord [Papineau] between Aug 4-6

Red Crossbill: a single report of 5 at Wright Lake (Private) [Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais] on Aug 5

Eastern Towhee: 2 reports of 1 in Clarence-Rockland ON [Prescott and Russell] on Jul 30; plus at least 10 non-notable reports at locations in Ottawa [9], Lanark [1]

Tennessee Warbler: 5 reports at 4 locations – 1 at Stanley Park [Ottawa] (on Jul 31); 1 at Remic Rapids Lookout [Ottawa] (on Jul 31); 1 at McRobie Ave [Ottawa] (on Jul 30); as many as 2 at Rockcliffe Airport Woods [Ottawa] (twice on Jul 30); plus at least 15 non-notable reports at locations in Ottawa [10], Gatineau [3], Lanark [1], Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais [1]

Bay-breasted Warbler: 2 reports of 4 at Spring St [Lanark] between Aug 2-6; plus at least 14 non-notable reports at locations in Ottawa [10], Gatineau [2], Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais [2]

As always, send questions, comments or photos to sightings@ofnc.ca. Your feedback is appreciated.

Older sightings

Sightings from earlier in 2026

Sightings from 2025

Sightings from 2024

Sightings from 2023

Sightings from 2022

Sightings from 2021