Ottawa and area bird sightings to 30 December 2021
by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca
Many previously overlooked seasonally rare birds reported in the flurry of Christmas Bird Counts this week. More to come next week as the CBCs wrap up?
Male Black-backed Woodpecker, Torbolton Forest, by Tony Beck. Count the number of, and positions of, the toes. One of the toes on each foot can be held forward or backward, as show in this photo.
Adult male Redhead, Pakenham, by Tony Beck. This is the first time a Redhead has been recorded in the Arnprior Christmas Bird Count.
Female Red-breasted Merganser, Strathcona Park, by Judith Gustafsson. Female breeding plumage, but the eye is brown not red, hinting at a first year bird.
Adult male Barrow’s Goldeneye, Strathcona Park, by Judith Gustafsson. Note how different the bill is from the merganser above, despite both birds being divers feeding in the same habitant.
Pine Siskin, Marlborough Forest, by Erik Pohanka. All the winter finches are around, just in small numbers so far this winter.
Female plumage Merlin, Blakeney, by Tony Beck. One of 5 found on the Arnprior Christmas Bird Count.
Wood Duck – Female Dec 30, Armitage Ave, Ottawa.
Northern Pintail – Male Dec 30, Iber Road storm pond, Ottawa.
Green-winged Teal – Dec 29, Rideau River Eastern Pathway north of Hurdman Bridge, Ottawa. Dec 28, Etang Grimes, Gatineau.
Black Scoter – Female Dec 26, Rideau Tennis Club, Ottawa.
Redhead – Dec 26, Pakenham, South of bridge; east of Co. Rd 29, Lanark.
Red-breasted Merganser – Dec 26-30, Rideau River Eastern Pathway north of Hurdman Bridge, Ottawa.
Virginia Rail – Dec 23-24, Nortel Marsh, Ottawa
Northern Harrier – Dec 26, Janka Private, (Stittsville), Ottawa.
Red-shouldered Hawk – Dec 29, Trim Road near McFadden, Ottawa.
Northern Harrier – Dec 28, Innes Rd, Ottawa.
Belted Kingfisher – Dec 28, Aridus Cres, Ottawa. Dec 30, Andrew Haydon Park, Ottawa.
Red-bellied Woodpecker – Dec 27, Mackey west of Malakoff, Ottawa. Dec 29, River Rd, Ottawa. Dec 28, 2021 Chemin Queen’s Park, Gatineau.
Red-headed Woodpecker – Possibly 2 adults and an immature continue at Constance Bay, Ottawa.
Black-backed Woodpecker – Dec 28-30, Torbolton Forest, Ottawa.
Carolina Wren – Dec 24, Rivermill Cres, Ottawa.
Winter Wren – Britannia CA, Ottawa.
Marsh Wren – Dec 27, Nortel Marsh, Ottawa.
Hermit Thrush – Dec 30 Britannia CA (around the ridge), Ottawa. Dec 24 Parc du Lac-Leamy, Gatineau.
Brown Thrasher – Dec 29, Alcove, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais.
Gray Catbird – Laderoute Ave, Ottawa, at least until Dec 30. Dec 28 Balena Park, Ottawa.
Swamp Sparrow – Dec 24-29, Nortel Marsh, Ottawa.
White-crowned Sparrow – A pair, Dec 29, Richmond, Ottawa. Dec 27, Huntmar Drive, Ottawa. Dec 30, Central Experimental Farm, Ottawa.
Common Grackle – 28, Constance Lake Rd, Ottawa. Woodkilton Road, Ottawa.
Brown-headed Cowbird – Dec 28, Torbolton Ridge Road, Ottawa.
Ottawa and area bird sightings to 23 December 2021
by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca
Adult male Barrow’s Goldeneye – Rideau River, Strathcona Park/Rideau Sports Centre – by Tony Beck. Tony says: While Barrow’s Goldeneye is rare in Ontario, Ottawa consistently attracts a few each year. Every winter, we’re lucky to have at least one Barrow’s Goldeneye somewhere in the Ottawa area.
Adult male Common Goldeneye – Rideau River, Billings Bridge – by Judith Gustafsson. A couple of Common Goldeneye for comparison to the Barrow’s. The difference in the cheek patch is very noticeable.
First winter Ring-billed Gull – Britannia Conservation Area – by Tony Beck. Tony says: Ring-billed Gulls might be abundant throughout most of the year. However, in winter they are uncommon to rare. Although we still have a few gulls in our region, the majority have left. Currently, the most common gull is Herring. If winter becomes harsh for extended periods, they will likely leave.
Red Shouldered x Red-tailed Hawk Hybrid – West Ottawa – by Joshua McCullough. This photo was taken Dec 09, but the bird was reported again on Dec 21. Sometimes a bird just doesn’t fit the images in the field guides. When that happens, try for lots of photos. The right shot can really help when consulting the experts.
Snow Buntings – Ramsayville Road – by Tony Beck. Tony says: Part of a flock (1000+) feeding on various seeds in a fallow field – many Snow Buntings, and a few other hardy species, arrived here with the recent snow cover.
Wood Duck – Dec 17, Constance Bay, Ottawa.
Northern Pintail – 34 on Dec 17, Constance Bay Rd, Ottawa.
Virginia Rail – A real surprise at Nortel Marsh, Ottawa, Dec 23.
Purple Sandpiper – Dec 18, Britannia Park (pier), Ottawa.Glaucous Gull – Trail Road Landfill, Ottawa.
Double-crested Cormorant – Dec 18, Bren-Maur Rd, Ottawa.
Great Blue Heron – Dec 19, Musée canadien de la nature, Gatineau.
Northern Harrier – Dec 23, Janka Pvt, (Stittsville), Ottawa. Dec 18, Perth Wildlife Reserve, Lanark. Also one on Dec 19th on Conroy Road at Davidson, Ottawa.
Red-shouldered x Red-tailed Hawk – For the hawk lovers, not the listers. Hanging around for a while, most recently reported from Algonquin College on Dec 21.Red-bellied Woodpecker – Dec 22, Manotick, Ottawa.
Red-headed Woodpecker – At least 2 continue, Constance Bay, Ottawa: Len Purcell Dr, Ritchie Ave, etc.
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker – Dec 19, Sentier du corridor Champlain, Gatineau.
Carolina Wren – The pair at Frank Ryn & Elmhurst Parks, Ottawa, continues. Dec 19, Rivermill Cres, Ottawa.
Winter Wren – Dec 18, Britannia CA, Ottawa, just east of the filtration plant.
Hermit Thrush – Begonia Ave, Polanyi Rd, and Britannia CA (around the ridge), Ottawa. Parc du Lac-Leamy, Gatineau, and Sentier du Ruisseau-de-la-Brasserie, Gatineau.
Eastern Bluebird – 9 on Dec 22, Osgoode Trail. Also seen on McCaffrey Trail, on the Jock trail, and onGaletta Side Rd, all Ottawa. A pair at the Perth Wildlife Reserve, Lanark
Gray Catbird – Hanging tough off Laderoute Ave, Ottawa, at least until Dec 23. Dec 22 Balena Park, Ottawa. Another in the Hurdman Woods near the 417.
Evening Grosbeaks – At least one lingered at the Mer Bleue Bog feeder, Ottawa, until Dec 18.
White-winged Crossbill – A flyover on Dec 21 along the Kerwin Rd Trail, Ottawa.
Red Crossbill – Single birds counted on CBCs, one in Stony Swamp on the 18th (on NCC 27 near post D), and another near Mer Bleue.
Chipping Sparrow – Dec 21, Viewbank Rd, Ottawa.
Red-winged Blackbird – Dec 23, Manotick, Ottawa. A flock of 25 at the Tim Hortons on Perth Street Ottawa on Dec 18.
Common Grackle – 70 flocking with the Red-winged Blackbirds at the same Tim Hortons.
Yellow-rumped Warbler – Dec 19, Parc Brébeuf, Gatineau. A second individual nearby on the Sentier des Voyageurs near the Pont Champlain.
Ottawa and area bird sightings to 16 December 2021
by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca
Immature Bald Eagle being mobbed by a Common Raven, Gatineau Park near Masham, by Tony Beck. Tony says: Like many species, Ravens often harass eagles and other predators. With the success of both Bald Eagles and Common Ravens, this behaviour has become a relatively common sight in local Canadian Shield habitats. Note the dark belly and pale wing linings of this eagle. This highly variable plumage character usually suggests juvenile plumage. However, note that this individual has a pale crown and pale eye with a bill that’s advancing from dark to light. This indicates the bird is between 2 and 3 years of age.
Adult Great Black-backed Bulls, Billings Bridge, by Judith Gustafsson. Week after week, Judith finds beautiful birds in the heart of the city. You don’t need to go to the country to find nature to photograph.
Herring Gull and Great Black-backed Gull, Billings Bridge, by Judith Gustafsson. Great Black-backed are only 4 inches longer than Herring Gulls (on average), but a full 50% heavier. Herring Gulls are the most common local gull by mid-December. When mixed in with Ring-billed Gulls, Herring Gulls look like big bruisers. But standing next to the largest gull in the world, their legs and bill seem lightweight in comparison.
Adult Cedar Waxwing, Vance’s Side Road, by Arlene Harold. Unlike Bohemian Waxwings, Cedar Waxwings are restricted to North and Central America. Don’t feel bad if you cannot tell them apart instantly. It took early North American naturalists decades of detailed drawings and descriptions to convince European ornithologists that they really are two different species. With a good look, the rufous undertail coverts of the Bohemian become obvious. But with a poor view, the overall bright yellow of the Cedar vs the more somber gray impression of the Bohemian is helpful.
Northern Shrike, Mountainview Road, by Arlene Harold. Never common in the region, they are at peak population here in Dec-Jan, and with many local sightings, now is the time to look for them.
Northern Pintail – 2 at the Iber Road storm pond, Ottawa. 14 on Dec 15 at Armitage Ave (Dunrobin), Ottawa. A single bird Dec 12, Etang Grimes, Gatineau
Wood Duck – A pair Dec 13, Sawmill Creek at Goth Avenue Ottawa.
Brant – 17 very late birds reported on Dec 13, Chapman Mills CA, Ottawa.
Cackling Goose – Dec 15, (Giroux Road Ponds), Ottawa. Dec 16, fields on way into Constance Bay, Ottawa.
Black-crowned Night-Heron – Dec 10, Etang Grimes, Gatineau.
Glaucous Gull – Trail Road Landfill, Ottawa.
Red-bellied Woodpecker – Dec 11 Manotick, Ottawa.
Red-headed Woodpecker – Constance Bay, Ottawa.
Tufted Titmouse – A pair! Dec 10, Reveler CA, Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry.
Winter Wren – Britannia CA, Dec 10 at the turtle bridge, Dec 14 at the drainage creek, Ottawa.
Hermit Thrush – Dec 10, Continue at Britannia CA, Ottawa, and Dec 11-12 Parc du Lac-Leamy, Gatineau.
Eastern Bluebird – 5 Dec 15, McCaffrey Trail, Ottawa.
Gray Catbird – Laderoute Ave, Ottawa.
Evening Grosbeaks – Back at the Mer Bleue Bog feeder, Ottawa.
Savannah Sparrow – Dec 12, Innes, Gloucester, Ottawa.
Red-winged Blackbird – Dec 11, Cumberland Village, Ottawa. Reported Dec 10, Manotick, Ottawa.
Common Grackle – Reported Dec 09, Nepean Creek, Ottawa.
Yellow-rumped Warbler – Dec 15, Parc Brébeuf, Gatineau.
Ottawa and area bird sightings to 9 December 2021
by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca
Juvenile Cooper’s Hawk, Mechanicsville, by Tanya Brunet. Juvenile accipiters can be tough to ID, but by December, it’s pretty much just the Cooper’s Hawks who remain here. Their larger size retains heat better. And much of their prey overwinter here as well: starlings, Mourning Doves and Rock Doves. Those huge talons and thick legs are a nice ID feature. In comparison, sharpies take smaller prey and so have smaller weapons.
Northern Shrike, Metcalfe, by Erik Pohanka. The birds of fall have given over to the birds of winter. Zoom in and check out the sharp tip on the beak of this predator. Where Cooper’s Hawks subdue their prey with their talons, shrikes use their beaks. There are lots of shrikes around now, so double check any large grayish song birds.
Great Black-backed Gull, Billings Bridge, by Judith Gustafsson. Another sign of winter is the disappearance of most of the small gulls, leaving only big gulls such as the Great Black-backed, Glaucous, Iceland, and Herring gulls. Although a generalist, that huge bill is a weapon, and this monster is very capable of killing prey as large as a duck.
Adult male Common Merganser, Billings Bridge, by Judith Gustafsson. Ever notice how rare the males seem around here in the summer? Once the females are brooding, the males take off for secluded locations to molt their flight feathers. So while the females can be year-round residents, the males are seasonal.
Taiga Merlin – female plumage – Shirley’s Bay, Tony Beck. Once a rare bird in the Ottawa area, Merlins are now somewhat uncommon, yet regular throughout the year. Since the mid-90s it’s been observed virtually every winter in our region. Look for them hunting in your neighbourhood, especially where there are active bird feeding stations.
Ruddy Duck – Continues Baie Simard, Gatineau.
Northern Pintail – Single birds at Britannia CA, and the Iber Road storm pond, Ottawa. This small patch of water can have huge numbers of ducks in winter. A whole flock of Pintails on Dec 6 at Armitage Ave (Dunrobin), Ottawa.
Brant – One bird, Nov 21-Dec 05, Rideau Canoe Club/Mooney’s Bay Park, Ottawa.
Glaucous Gull – Dec 08, Britannia CA (general location), Ottawa. Trail Road Landfill, Ottawa.
Red-throated Loon – Continues Baie Simard, Gatineau.
Red-bellied Woodpecker – Manotick, Ottawa.
Say’s Phoebe – The very tough Say’s Phoebe returned to the Trail Road Landfill, Ottawa, for a one-day repeat performance on Dec 04.
Ruby-crowned Kinglet – Dec 03, Britannia CA, Ottawa.
Carolina Wren – Frank Ryn & Elmhurst Parks, Ottawa.
Winter Wren – Britannia CA, Ottawa.
Hermit Thrush – Continue on Dec 09 at Britannia CA, Ottawa, and Parc du Lac-Leamy, Gatineau. Dec 04, Sentier du Ruisseau-de-la-Brasserie, Gatineau.
Red-winged Blackbird – Dec 05, Akins at Shea, Ottawa.
Ottawa and area bird sightings to 2 December 2021
by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca
First year Herring Gull, Billings Bridge, by Judith Gustafsson. Judith found this bird standing on a rock in the Rideau River. It would dip its all black beak in the water now and then and preen. Otherwise it stood quietly among many Mallards and Ring-billed Gulls.
Adult male Common Goldeneye, Strathcona Park, by Eric Leger. Eric caught this male and his huge orange feet coming in for a landing. We rarely see the feet of diving ducks, but not surprisingly, they are built to propel the bird quickly underwater. It’s also easy to see how this species earned its name.
Common Goldeneyes, Strathcona Park, by Judith Gustafsson. Judith found the male goldeneyes performing their impressive head-throw-kick display, hoping to impress a female. They manage to throw their heads all the way back to their rumps. The males also make a very un-quacklike call as they perform. It’s very much worthwhile to seek them out between Strathcona Park and Billings Bridge on a quiet winter morning just for the calls.
Have a local photo you want to share with the birding community? Send your photo to sightings@ofnc.ca. Weekly photos are chosen for a random combination of seasonality, rarity, demonstration of behaviour or id features, beauty, composition, how recently this species has been featured, and whim. Mostly whim. Please include date, location, and photographer’s name. Ideally photos should be at most 1200 pixels long on the longest edge.
Ruddy Duck – Continues Baie Simard, Gatineau.
Northern Shoveler – Nov 26, Dow’s lake, Ottawa.
Wood Duck – A female hanging tough at Dow’s Lake to Dec 02, Ottawa. Another or the same bird, Nov 30, Billings Bridge, Ottawa.
Northern Pintail – Dec 01, Giroux Road Ponds, Ottawa.
Greater White-fronted Goose – Two continued to Nov 28, Moodie Drive Quarry, Ottawa.
Brant – One bird, Nov 21-Dec2, Rideau Canoe Club/Mooney’s Bay Park, Ottawa.
Cackling Goose – Dec 01, PN de Plaisance–Tête de la Baie, Papineau. Nov 29, Sentier des Voyageurs, Gatineau, and all over Ottawa.
American Coot – Dec 02, Mooney’s Bay Park, Ottawa.
Sandhill Crane – A flock of 250! Nov 27-28, Lalonde Road, Clarence Creek, Prescott and Russell.
Glaucous Gull – Nov 20-30, Trail Road Landfill, Ottawa.
Red-throated Loon – Instead of the usual single birds, at least 120 migrated through on Nov 26, seen from both sides of the river at Shirleys Bay.
Golden Eagle – Nov 27, Remic Rapids, Ottawa. Dec 01, Giroux Road Ponds, Ottawa.Northern Goshawk – Nov 28, Quarry concession 5A, Lanark.
Red-headed Woodpecker – Continues at Constance Bay (Goodin St), Ottawa.
Red-bellied Woodpecker – Baie Noire, Papineau.
Northern Shrike – Dec 01, Rifle Road near Carling, Ottawa.
Ruby-crowned Kinglet – Nov 27, Britannia CA, Ottawa.
Winter Wren – Britannia CA, Ottawa.
Marsh Wren – Nov 30, Almonte Lagoons, Lanark.
Hermit Thrush – To Dec 01, Britannia CA, Ottawa.
Eastern Bluebird – Concession Roads 5A, 7B, and 9, Lanark. Woodkilton Rd, Ottawa. Osgoode Trail, Ottawa.
Song Sparrow – Nov 30, Almonte Lagoons, Lanark.
Common Grackle – Nov 28, Fletcher Wildlife Garden, Ottawa.
Yellow-rumped Warbler – Nov 29, Forêt Chantegrive, Gatineau.
Ottawa and area bird sightings to 25 November 2021
by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca
Adult Cooper’s Hawk – Pioneer Trail, Gatineau Park, by Tony Beck. Tony says that in less than three decades, the Cooper’s Hawk has gone from the rarest accipiter to the most common in our region. One of the primary reasons is its ability to adapt to urban environments, something it does better than Sharp-shinned Hawk or Northern Goshawk.
Hermit Thrush – Pioneer Trail, Gatineau Park, by Tony Beck. Tony says that this is a hardy species. Compared to others in its genus, Hermit Thrushes sometimes overwinter in our region. Sadly, this individual would occasionally show discomfort relating to damage on its bill.
Say’s Phoebe – Trail Road, by Arlene Harrold. When seen well, it seems flamboyant by local phoebe standards with its fancy salmon belly. But as Pete Dunne points out, the salmon color is low contrast to the rest of the bird, making it hard to spot at a distance. Those of us who watched it for any length of time can attest to how easily it can disappear from plain sight. They tend to hunt low, frequently diving to the ground, and change perch more frequently than an Eastern Phoebe. But even when this bird perched for a period, it could seemingly disappear, the low contrast colours camouflaging it well against the overgrown field. It bobs its tail like an Eastern Phoebe, but with a jaunty flaring of the tail at the end, making the movement even more noticeable.
Snow Goose – Dow’s Lake, by Judith Gustafsson. Is this a blue morph Snow Goose? At a quick glance it seems like it, but the black doesn’t really go up the back of the neck like a classic blue morph. Does its appearance imply some white morph genes? Morphs are not subspecies, and depending on the species, different morphs can show up in the same nest.
Female and male Common Goldeneye – Dow’s Lake, by Alan Short. Females tend to be more loyal to their birth lakes, and their wintering grounds (a trait referred to as site fidelity). Males tend to disperse from where they were born, and be more variable in their wintering choices. This allows genetic mixing of the species, a reproductive strategy used by many species, not just birds.
European Starlings – Trail Road, by Janet McCullough. A huge flock of starlings – called a murmuration – are much easier to find in the city than a similar flock of Snow Geese. They can be mesmerizing to watch as they can seem to move as a single organism. This effect is sharpened when a predator attempts to hunt a bird from the flock. The whole flock appears to move as one, making it very difficult to pick out (and attack) one individual. They are also great for practicing counting huge flocks.
Northern Shoveler – A male and female pair, Dow’s Lake, Ottawa.
Ruddy Duck – Continues off the Sentier des Voyageurs, Gatineau.
Ross’s Goose – Continued at Moodie Drive Quarry until Nov 21.
Greater White-fronted Goose – Nov 21, Quarry Lake , Prescott and Russell. Up to 5, Nov 21-22, Moodie Road Pond, Ottawa. Nov 22, Anderson at Russell, Ottawa.
Brant – One bird, Nov 21-25, Rideau Canoe Club/Hog’s Back road, Ottawa.
Cackling Goose – Nov 23, off Martin St, Almonte, Lanark.
Trumpeter Swan – To Nov 19, Marlborough Forest–Roger’s Pond, Ottawa. Nov 21, Eagleson at Fallowfield, Ottawa.
American Coot – Britannia CA, Nov 23-24. Nov 23 Fletcher Wildlife Garden, Ottawa.
Dunlin – Nov 20, Shirley’s Bay, Ottawa.
Bonaparte’s Gull – Nov 20, Shirley’s Bay, Ottawa.
Glaucous Gull – Nov 20-23, Trail Road Landfill, Ottawa. Lesser Black-backed, Great Black-backed, and Iceland reported as well.
Black-crowned Night-Heron – Nov 21, Deschenes Rapids Lookout, Ottawa.
Golden Eagle – Nov 21, Earl Armstrong Road, Ottawa. Nov 22, Greenbelt Trail 10, Ottawa.
Red-headed Woodpecker – Continues at Constance Bay, Ottawa.
Say’s Phoebe – Great views and photos for some birders, tantalizing glimpses for others, Nov 16-22, Trail Road Landfill, Ottawa.
Red-eyed Vireo – Nov 20-21, Fisher Heights, Ottawa.
Ruby-crowned Kinglet – Nov 21, Britannia CA, Ottawa.
Winter Wren – Britannia CA, Ottawa. Wolf Grove Road, Lanark.
Carolina Wren – Conroy Pit, Ottawa.
Hermit Thrush – Nov 20, Nortel Marsh, Ottawa. Nov 21, Britannia CA, Ottawa. Nov 23, Sentier des Pionniers (Parc de la Gatineau), Gatineau.
Wood Thrush – Nov 23, Ch Cowden, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais.
Brown Thrasher – Nov 23, Rue Denise-Friend, Gatineau.
White-winged Crossbill – Nov 20, Ramsay Con. 5A, Lanark.
Rose-breasted Grosbeak – Dead birds don’t show up in eBird, but a recently predated individual was found in Lanark this week.
White-crowned Sparrow – Nov 19, Rue de Bourgogne, Gatineau. Nov 24, Sentier des Voyageurs, Gatineau.
Fox Sparrow – Nov 22, Fine Estate, Ottawa. Nov 22-23, Kanata Lakes, Ottawa.
Blackburnian Warbler – Nov 21, Moodie Drive Quarry, Ottawa.
Yellow-rumped Warbler – Nov 19, Val-Tétreau, Gatineau.
Common Yellowthroat – Nov 21, Stony Swamp (Lime Kiln Trail), Ottawa.
ID these late warblers carefully. November is for vagrants.
Ottawa and area bird sightings to 18 November 2021
by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca
A fantastic week of birding. November is for vagrants: SAY’S PHOEBE, BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKE, SLATY-BACKED GULL, and RED PHALAROPE. Winter finches continue to trickle in.
Say’s Phoebe, Trail Road Landfill, by Eric Heisey. The star of the fall so far, this colourful western flycatcher breeds from Mexico to Alaska, but appears in the east only as a vagrant. This is a first record for Ottawa, and well worth the trip to Trail Road (and its special smell).
Red Phalarope, Remic Rapids, by Steve Bencze. Like many shorebirds, phalaropes – even rare ones like this Red – are fairly confiding and will ignore humans once we stop moving, and come close for photos.
Red-breasted Merganser – female/juvenile plumage, Shirley’s Bay, by Tony Beck. Tony says note how the reddish head blends into the gray neck. Compared to Common Merganser, Red-breasted female plumages lack the bright white chin spot and the clear separation of red-to-gray on the neck. In all plumages, the bill is much thinner on Red-breasted.
Adult Ross’s Goose, farm fields near Embrun, by Tony Beck. Tony says note the general small size, short neck, small roundish head and short bill. The bill is the most consistent character that separates Ross’s Goose from Snow Goose. Note how the Ross’s completely lacks the “grinning patch” of Snow Goose.
Snow Goose, Dow’s Lake, by Judith Gustafsson. When there is just one goose, size can’t help with ID. Note the big grin patch, and large bill, compared to Tony’s photo. The orange staining is caused by the iron-rich water and mud of the arctic.
Red-breasted Merganser, female/juvenile plumage, Andrew Haydon Park, by Alan Short.
Rough-legged Hawk, Cambrian Road, by Janet McCullough. Easier to find here in winter than summer, and more common in the agricultural lands to the southeast of Ottawa.
Leucistic American Crow, Trainyards, by Kate MacDonald. Almost all the feathers on this individual are white, but the bare parts are the normal black. White feathers are less strong than black feathers, and they gather less heat from the sun, so this bird may have a tough winter. On the other hand, it seems to be finding plenty of its natural prey, wild French fries.
Blue-winged Teal – Nov 14, Dow’s Lake, Ottawa.
Common Goldeneye x Hooded Merganser – A very striking (if uncountable) bird for the duck connoisseur, continues at the Pont Champlain, Gatineau.
Ruddy Duck – Continues at the Cabane Beige, Gatineau.
Ross’s Goose – Continued at Moodie Drive Quarry until Nov 14. County Road 31, Winchester, Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry, Nov 17.
Greater White-fronted Goose – Nov 13, Moodie Drive Quarry, Ottawa.
Trumpeter Swan – Nov 16, Marlborough Forest–Roger’s Pond, Ottawa.
Pied-billed Grebe – Continues at Britannia CA, Ottawa.
Sandhill Crane – 600 on Nov 16 at Lalonde and Labelle, Prescott and Russell. Not exactly eBird rare, but those are astounding numbers for Eastern Ontario, and an amazing sight and sound.
RED PHALAROPE – Nov 16, Remic Rapids, Ottawa.
Killdeer – Nov 14, Hwy 7 Storm Pond, Lanark.
BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKE – A first winter bird Nov 13, Moodie Drive Quarry, Ottawa.
SLATY-BACKED GULL – Continues at Moodie Drive Quarry, Oct 08-Nov 17 at least.
Turkey Vulture – Nov 14, Britannia CA (general location), Ottawa.
Golden Eagle – Reported Nov 16, Lalonde Road, Clarence Creek, Prescott and Russell.
SAY’S PHOEBE – A stunning county first record, Nov 16-18, Trail Road Landfill, Ottawa.
Winter Wren – Britannia CA, and Jack Pine Trail, Ottawa.
Northern Mockingbird – Nov 18, Woodgate Way, Ottawa
White-winged Crossbill – Nov 16, Ramsay Con. 5A, The Quarry, Lanark.
Red Crossbill – Nov 13, Hammond, Ontario.
White-crowned Sparrow – Nov 17, Rue de Bourgogne, Gatineau.
Blackburnian Warbler – Nov 14, Rockcliffe Airport, Ottawa. Will this be the last non-yellow-rumped warbler of the year?
Ottawa and area bird sightings to 11 November 2021
by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca
Female Black Scoter, Grandview, by Arlene Harrold. At this time of year, all three scoters can be found in the area, usually far from land. Black Scoter seem more inclined to come close enough to actually photograph without digiscoping.
Greater Snow Geese, Embrum, by Tony Beck. What happens when you take thousands of geese and add an eagle? Chaos in the sky! The swirling mass of panicked Snow Geese is one of the great nature sights of Eastern Ontario, briefly available each spring and fall as the geese pause their migration here to stage (or refuel). This time it was a Bald Eagle, but if you see the swirl and no eagle, look way, way up for a tiny dot in the sky that might be a huge Golden Eagle. Photographed from the roadside beside the lagoon pump station without trespassing. For those who don’t know, the eastern lagoons in the OFNC circle no longer welcome birders. Fortunately, the observation tower at Alfred Lagoons is still open to the public, and the geese leave water a few times a day to visit fields to feed.
American Coot, Dow’s Lake, by Al Short. No idea why “old coot” is an insult. Coots are interesting and attractive, and our biggest rail.
American Coot with Canada Goose, Dow’s Lake, by Judith Gustafsson. How big you ask? Huge. The Yellow Rail – our sneakiest local rail – weighs 51 g. The coot – our least sneaky rail – weighs 640 g. Size is very hard to judge when looking at a single bird, especially in the air or on water, but comparative photos like this are very helpful in learning to ID species.
Male Northern Shoveler, Dow’s Lake, by Al Short. Look closely to see the strainer on the side of the huge beak. In the female, the strainer is white, in the male it’s black. It’s normally hard to see but here it pops out, caught in the light. What a gorgeous and fascinating bird! Dow’s Lake in November is a great birding spot, where it can be possible to see and photograph a wide variety of water birds and gulls.
Male Purple Finch, Fletcher Wildlife Garden, by Judith Gustafsson. November is the month of ducks, not songbirds, but this is a great time to see Purple Finches in all their “dipped in raspberry juice” colour.
Bonus pic: Greater Snow Geese, by Tony Beck. Seriously, this sight should be seen (and heard) by every birder at least once.
American Coot, Britannia, by Tony Beck. Photo tip: low-angle shots of birds taken early or late in the day when the sun is low in the sky produce stunning photos like this.
Blue-winged Teal – Nov 06, Dow’s lake/Rideau Canal, Ottawa. Nov 10, Champlain Street Marsh, Ottawa.
Ruddy Duck – Continues at Baie Simard (and downriver), Gatineau.
Ross’s Goose – Continued at Moodie Drive Quarry until Nov 06.
Greater White-fronted Goose – Nov 06, Hanson Brick Quarry, Prescott and Russell.
Pied-billed Grebe – Nov 06-09 at Britannia CA. To Nov 10 at Constance Creek, Ottawa.
Red-throated Loon – Baie Simard, Gatineau.
Red Phalarope – Nov 06-07, Baie Simard, Gatineau, and Deschenes Rapids Lookout, Ottawa.
Slaty-backed Gull – Continues at Moodie Drive Quarry, Oct 08-Nov 11. How long will this awesome gull hang around?
Iceland Gull – Nov 09, Rapides Deschênes, Gatineau.
Red-throated Loon – To Nov 10, Baie Simard, Gatineau.
Black-crowned Night-Heron – Nov 06-08, Britannia CA, Ottawa.
Golden Eagle – Nov 07 Constance Lake, Ottawa. Nov 07 and 10, Pinhey’s Point Historic Site, Ottawa.
Red-headed Woodpecker – Constance Bay (at least 1 adult and 2 immature birds continue around Goodin St.), Ottawa.
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker – Nov 09, Fletcher Wildlife Garden, Ottawa.
Carolina Wren – Frank Ryan & Elmhurst Parks, Ottawa.
Winter Wren – Jack Pine Trail, Britannia CA, and Cooper St, Ottawa.
Hermit Thrush – Fine Estate, Shirley’s Bay (boat launch), Bruce Pit, Britannia CA), Remic Rapids Lookout, andRockcliffe Airport Woods, all Ottawa.
Eastern Phoebe – Nov 06, Britannia CA. Nov 07, Dolman Ridge Road, Ottawa.
Eastern Bluebird – Nov 09, Crazy Horse Trail, Ottawa. Nov 07-08, Osgoode Trail, Ottawa. As many as 9 birds, Nov 05-08, Pinhey’s Point Historic Site, Ottawa. Will they winter at this location again? Nov 08, Fletcher Wildlife Garden, Ottawa.
Orange-crowned Warbler – Nov 10, Pleasant Park-Kilborn Bike Path, Ottawa.
Ottawa and area bird sightings to 4 November 2021
by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca
FORSTER’S TERN and LITTLE GULL cruelly taunt birders with brief fly-by. RAZORBILL and SLATY-BACKED GULL continue. Golden eagles pass through. Sandhill Cranes stage. Winter finches arrive in small numbers.
Sandhill Crane, Navan, by Tony Beck. There are a handful of these beautiful birds giving their haunting calls in the OFNC circle. There are credible reports of over a 1000 birds staging just west of the circle in Renfrew last week.
Adult light morph Rough-legged Hawk, Ste Rose de Prescott, by Tony Beck. Taken just east of Casselman, outside the OFNC circle. Although Roughies do pass through the circle, the open agriculturial land to the southeast seems to attract more birds and they may winter there if they find enough food.
American Tree Sparrow, Shirley’s Bay, by Al Short. Al thinks that since it breeds on the tundra, it should be renamed to Canadian Tree Sparrow. He is not alone in that belief.
Hooded Merganser, Mud Lake, by Al Short. The males and females look very different. With their strong black and white, the males are strikingly beautiful, but the females are gorgeous too, if less flamboyant.
Male Hooded Merganser, Dow’s lake, by Jordan Milko. Would you even think this is the same species as the female above?
Male Hooded Merganser, Dow’s lake, by Jordan Milko. The same individual, with his crest down. Totally different silhouette.
Pied-billed Grebe, Mud lake, by Gerald MacGillivray. Comparing this beak to the Hooded Merganser, one might suspect a different diet, but in fact both species forage while diving and eat pretty much the same food: small fish, crustaceans, and aquatic insects. Both seem to relish crayfish. So what is the source of the very different bill designs?
Barrow’s Goldeneye – Continues in the Bate Island/Remic Rapids area.
Blue-winged Teal – Oct 29 – Nov 01 at Constance Creek, Ottawa. Nov 02, South March Highlands Conservation Forest, Ottawa.
Ruddy Duck – Continues at Baie Simard, Gatineau.
Ross’s Goose – Continues at Moodie Drive Quarry Nov 04.
White-rumped Sandpiper – Oct 28 – Nov 02 Shirley’s Bay, Ottawa.
RAZORBILL – Oct 10-Nov 02 at least. Constance Bay to Champlain Bridge, seen from both sides of the river.
FORSTER’S TERN – Nov 02, Andrew Haydon Park, Ottawa.
LITTLE GULL – Nov 02, Andrew Haydon park, with the Forster Tern in a flock of Bonaparte’s.
SLATY-BACKED GULL – Continues at Moodie Drive Quarry, Oct 08-Nov 04.
Iceland Gull – Nov 03, Rapides Deschênes, Gatineau.
Red-throated Loon – Nov 03, Baie Simard, Gatineau.
Black-crowned Night-Heron – Oct 31, Britannia CA, Ottawa. Nov 03, Fletcher Wildlife Garden, Ottawa.
Golden Eagle – 1-3 birds a day, Oct 30-Nov 03, Shirley’s Bay, Ottawa.
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker – Nov 04, Baxter Conservation Area, Ottawa.
Blue-headed Vireo – Oct 31, Richland Dr, Ottawa.
Carolina Wren – Frank Ryan & Elmhurst Parks, Ottawa.
Eastern Phoebe – Oct 29, Rapides Deschênes, Gatineau.
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher – Oct 28, Britannia CA (general location), Ottawa.
Purple Finch – Nov 02, Hammond, Prescott and Russell. Bruce Pit, Ottawa. Crazy Horse Trail, Ottawa.
Eastern Meadowlark – Nov 03, Carp Rd, south east of Kinburn, Ottawa
Blackburnian Warbler – Oct 28, Lac Meech, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais.
Northern Parula – Oct 29, Britannia CA (Woods), Ottawa.
Cape May Warbler – Nov 04, Kitchissippi Lookout, Ottawa.
Ottawa and area bird sightings to 28 October 2021
by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca
RAZORBILL and SLATY-BACKED GULL continue. The warblers are gone.
Drake American Wigeon – Mud Lake, Britannia Conservation Area, by Tony Beck.
Juvenile White-rumped Sandpiper, Shirley’s Bay, by Jon Ruddy. White-rumped sandpipers are arctic breeders. They pass through Ottawa in three waves annually. A short sharp wave of breeding adults heads north at the end of May/first week of June. The return is more relaxed and spread out. It starts with failed breeders as soon as July, with most adults passing south in August and early September, then another wave of juveniles in October with the last stragglers in November. Some of us have this mental image from childhood of young birds being taught the migration routes south in the fall, but that’s not what happens here. The route is encoded in the birds’ genes; parents don’t need to share the route and are gone before the young start their migration, so the adults don’t even tell the young when to leave. As in Baird’s Sandpiper, the long black primaries are so long they stick out well past the (white) tail. Despite that, the two species are easy to tell apart. Baird’s look svelte or stretched out, and White-rumped look rounder, as if they had swallowed a ball, resulting in very different silhouettes.
Hermit Thrush, Mud lake, by Alan Short. Most of the time when you see a thrush, it’s a quick shadowy bird seen poorly through branches, and recalling the field marks can be difficult. But sometimes the bird hops out into the sun and poses beautifully. That lovely red contrast on the tail makes this bird’s ID easy.
Juvenile Pied-billed Grebe, Mud Lake, by Tony Beck.
Dark-eyed Junco, Mud Lake, by Alan Short.
Great Blue Heron, Andrew Haydon Park, by Tony Beck.
Scaup species, Dow’s Lake, by Judith Gustafsson. In the fall, Dow’s Lake can be an amazing spot to look for unusual ducks and geese, with thousands of birds coming in to roost at dusk some nights. Do you think these are Lesser or Greater Scaup? Why?
Barrow’s Goldeneye – Oct 24-27, Bate Island.
Ruddy Duck – Oct 24, 27, Baie Simard, Gatineau.
Ross’s Goose – Continues at Barnsdale at Eagleson, Ottawa. Spotted at Moodie Drive Quarry, Ottawa, Oct 22.
Greater White-fronted Goose – Oct 23-24, Hwy 7 Storm Pond, Lanark.
Trumpeter Swan – Pair Oct 23, Hwy #7 east of Ashton Rd cut-off, Ottawa. Oct 25 Fine Estate, Ottawa.
White-rumped Sandpiper – Oct 28 Shirley’s Bay, Ottawa
RAZORBILL – Oct 10-28 Constance Bay to Champlain Bridge, seen from both sides of the river.
SLATY-BACKED GULL – Seen from the Moodie Drive Quarry and Trail Road Landfill, Ottawa, Oct 08-28. Often on the large sand piles with a mix of other gulls.
Red-throated Loon – Oct 27, Baie Simard, Gatineau.
Northern Goshawk – Oct 24, Rapides Deschênes, Gatineau. Oct 27, Chemin Younger, Lac McGregor, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais.
Red-bellied Woodpecker – Oct 23 Moorehead Drive, Ottawa.
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker – Oct 25,Fletcher Wildlife Garden, Ottawa.
Blue-headed Vireo – Oct 23, Sentier des Voyageurs, between Parc Brébeuf and the Pont Champlain, Gatineau.
Carolina Wren – St Joseph Blvd, Ottawa. Frank Ryn & Elmhurst Parks, Ottawa.
Lincoln’s Sparrow – Oct 23, Rockcliffe Airport Woods, Ottawa. Oct 27, Greenbelt Trail 10, Ottawa.
Northern Parula – Oct 22, Britannia Ridge, Ottawa. Oct 23 Britannia near the platform in the woods. Oct 27, Rockcliffe Airport Woods, Ottawa.
Orange-crowned Warbler – Oct 27,Stony Swamp (Sarsaparilla Trail), Ottawa.
Ottawa and area bird sightings to 21 October 2021
by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca
NORTHERN GANNET shows up for a scant five minutes! RAZORBILL and SLATY-BACKED GULL continue! The ducks are back with all three scoters at Shirley’s Bay, and all warblers except Yellow-rumped are now eBird rare.
Ross’s Goose, Barnsdale Rd, by Margaret Kenny. Plumage of a Snow Goose, but too small, tiny bill, very little grin patch, but the most important ID feature? Cute. Too damn cute.
Richardson’s Cackling Goose by Tony Beck. Tony says: This Cackling Goose shows how variable they can be. A classic Cackling Goose normally has a shorter neck and smaller size. But, this bird has a relatively long neck, and isn’t that much smaller than the nearby Canadas. Regardless, note the short stubby bill and pale plumage typical of Cackling Goose, Richardson’s subspecies (hutchinsii).
Presumed Greylag Goose x Canada Goose hybrids, Dunning Road near Cumberland, by Tony Beck. Tony says: These two birds reveal characters that suggest they have both Canada Goose and Greylag Goose genes. Note the underside of the wing, the hint of grey tones on the upper wing, and the extent of white on the tail. Where did these two birds come from, and are they genuinely wild?
Sandhill Cranes by Tony Beck. Part of a migrating flock of 38 birds flying over Lac Ramsey, Gatineau Park.
American Coot, Mud Lake, by Alan Short. According to Birds of the World this is the “most abundant and widely distributed species of rail in North America,” but you would never know that from birding in the OFNC circle. Here we see just a few migrating birds each fall, although this October seems especially good with sightings all over the region.
Rusty Blackbird, Mud lake, by Alan Short. The rusty fringes on some of this male’s feathers show where the bird got its name.
Wood Ducks, Brewer Park, by Judith Gustafsson. After a summer of dull plumages, the males are back in breeding colour.
Barrow’s Goldeneye – Oct 20-21, Rapides Deschênes,Gatineau.
Ross’s Goose – Barnsdale at Eagleson. Moodie Drive Quarry.
Tundra Swan – A pair Oct 17-20 at Andrew Haydon, Ottawa. Possibly the same pair at Chapman Mill’s CA on Oct 18.
Sora – Oct 15, Andrew Haydon Park, Ottawa.
Spotted Sandpiper – Oct 16, Dolman Ridge Road, Ottawa. Britannia Filtration Plant/Point, Ottawa. Oct 19, Nolan Quarry, Prescott and Russell.
Semipalmated Plover – Oct 17, Shirley’s Bay, Ottawa.
RAZORBILL – At least one lingered until Oct 10-21 Constance Bay to Champlain Bridge, seen from both shores of the river.
SLATY-BACKED GULL – Seen from the Moodie Drive Quarry and Trail Road Landfill, Oct 08-21. Patience and a scope may be required.
NORTHERN GANNET – A juvenile Oct 17 flying west from Shirley’s Bay, Ottawa.
Red-throated Loon – A pair Oct 15, Parc des Cèdres, Gatineau.
Carolina Wren – Lismer Crescent, Kanata, Ottawa. Frank Ryn & Elmhurst Parks, Ottawa. Rue Lake, Gatineau. Parc du Lac-Beauchamp, Gatineau.
House Wren – Parc du Marais de Touraine, Gatineau.
Swainson’s Thrush – Oct 15, 19, Britannia CA, Ottawa.
Gray-cheeked Thrush – Oct 20, Rockcliffe Airport Woods, Ottawa.
Lincoln’s Sparrow – Oct 16, Stittsville Main St, Ottawa. Oct 17, Nepean Tent and Trailer Campgrounds, Ottawa. Oct 17, Maple Grove Rd, Ottawa. Oct 20, Rockcliffe Airport Woods, Ottawa.
Tennessee Warbler – Oct 18, Arboretum, Ottawa. Oct 19. Britannia CA , Ottawa. CISCO campus, Innovation Dr, Ottawa.
Orange-crowned Warbler – Oct 19, Britannia CA (general location), Ottawa.
Nashville Warbler – Oct 15, Fletcher Wildlife Garden, Ottawa. Oct 20, Britannia Ridge, Ottawa
Common Yellowthroat – Oct 15, Giroux Road Ponds, Ottawa.
Northern Parula – Oct 15-19, Britannia Ridge, Ottawa.
Magnolia Warbler – Oct 17, Filtration Plant/Point, Ottawa.
Black-throated Blue Warbler – Oct 14, Parc du Lac-Leamy, Gatineau.
Black-throated Green Warbler – Oct 15, Clayton Rd, Navan, Ottawa. Oct 20, CISCO campus, Innovation Dr, Ottawa.
Palm Warbler (Western) – Oct 17, Pleasant Park-Kilborn Bike Path, Ottawa.
Ottawa and area bird sightings to 14 October 2021
by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca
RAZORBILL and SLATY-BACKED GULL!
Razorbill, Ottawa River, by Richard Skevington. A genuine seabird, razorbills are uncommon in general, and very rare visitors to Eastern Ontario. Several flocks – including one of 44 birds – was seen flying past Qubéc City on the 8th, and they seem to have shaken out into small groups along the waterway from here to there.
Northern Shoveler, Andrew Haydon park, by Alan Short. The bill isn’t just huge. Alan points out the straining structure under the top bill–visible in this photo. According to Birds of the World, this specialized bill is ideally suited for straining small swimming crustaceans from the water.
Male “Taiga” Merlin, Ambleside Building, by Tony Beck. Birds from a single species can often be identified to their geographical origin based on plumage differences. For example, in Merlins, Prairie birds are paler, and Pacific birds are even darker than our local Taiga birds.
Hooded Merganser, Billings Bridge along the Rideau River, by Judith Gustafsson.
Juvenile Cooper’s Hawk – Ambleside Building, by Tony Beck.
Chukar, Alta vista, by Martin Good. Many species from far away are kept as game birds or pets, and birds inevitably escape. In the past couple of weeks, Chukar, Monk Parakeet, Northern Bobwhite, and Ring-necked Pheasant have been reported in the region. None of these are eBird-countable here, although where long-term populations develop, they may become countable. For example, Gray Partridge are countable because the population has been established for decades, even though these birds were originally released as game birds.
Razorbill, Ottawa River, by Jeff Skevington. Many species that are rarely near the shore can be approached without stress by drifting boats.
Ross’s Goose – Oct 08 Moodie Road Pond. Oct 08-09 Moodie Drive Quarry. Oct 11 Bankfield Road near Rideau valley Drive. Oct 13 Ottawa St and Eagleson Rd. All Ottawa.
Solitary Sandpiper – Oct 12 Bruce Pit, Ottawa.
Spotted Sandpiper – Oct 13 Rapides Deschênes, Gatineau.
RAZORBILL – At least 9, appearing all along the river from Constance Bay to Rapides Deschênes, Oct 10-14, seen from both sides of the river.
SLATY-BACKED GULL – Reported from Moodie Pond, Moodie Drive Quarry, Trail Road Landfill, south of Brophy Drive, and occasionally the Ottawa River at Shirley’s Bay and elsewhere, Oct 08-14. Lots of Lesser Black-backed Gulls around for comparison. Most frequently reported from Trail Road, Ottawa.
Red-throated Loon – Oct 11, Andrew Haydon park, Ottawa.
Rough-legged Hawk – Oct 14, Holland’s Marsh (Hwy 17), Ottawa.
Carolina Wren – Frank Ryn & Elmhurst Parks, Ottawa. Parc du Lac-Beauchamp, Gatineau.
Eastern Wood-Pewee – Oct 11 Britannia CA, Ottawa.
Brown Thrasher – Oct 11 Stony Swamp (Sarsaparilla Trail), and another in Orleans, Ottawa.
Wood Thrush – Oct 08 Stony Swamp (Sarsaparilla Trail), Ottawa.
Gray-cheeked Thrush – Oct 11 Parc Jacques-Cartier, Gatineau.
Red-eyed Vireo – Oct 12 CISCO campus, Innovation Dr, Ottawa.
Northern Shrike – Oct 09 Dolman Ridge Road, Ottawa. Oct 11 Vances Side Rd, Ottawa.
Nelson’s Sparrow – Continued at Constance Creek until at least Oct. 11.
Tennessee Warbler – Oct 08 Fletcher Wildlife Gardens, 08-09 Britannia CA (general location), Oct 11 Shirley’s Bay, Ottawa. Oct 12 CISCO campus, Innovation Dr, Ottawa.
Common Yellowthroat – Oct 09 Britannia CA (general location), Ottawa. Oct 11 TransCanada Trail at Island Park Dr, and at Andrew Haydon Park, Ottawa. Oct 12 CISCO campus, Innovation Dr, Ottawa.
Rose-breasted Grosbeak – Reported Oct 08, South March Highlands Conservation Forest, Ottawa.
Ottawa and area bird sightings to 7 October 2021
by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca
Sure the warblers are almost gone, but the ducks are increasing.
Rusty Blackbird, Bruce Pit, by Gillian Mastromatteo. Bruce Pit is a fantastic spot to see rusties in the fall, just before dusk when big mixed flocks of blackbirds come streaming in for the night. These flocks can take patience to sort through, but can reward with rusties, Brown-headed Cowbirds, or maybe, if you are really lucky, some awesome vagrant such as a Yellow-headed Blackbird.
Pied-billed Grebe, Mud lake, by Alan Short. Grebes are endlessly entertaining in their courting, hunting, and nest-building behaviour. Come on, who builds a floating nest?
A late Green Heron, and a late frog, Mud Lake, by Alan Short. Late for different reasons. Most Green Herons are already migrating by now, and the poor frog? Well, it’s expired.
Red-tailed Hawk and American Crow, by Arlene Harrold. The corvid vs raptor dance plays out at all sizes, whether or not the bird of prey is a danger to the particular corvid.
White-crowned Sparrow, Fletcher Wildlife Garden, by Judith Gustafsson. One of the real joys of fall is the annual return of the White-crowned Sparrows. The rest of the body is so sparrow-like, but what’s with the striking white and black head pattern? Don’t they know sparrows are low contrast and boring? Apparently not. According to Cornell, this is the most studied songbird in the world, and much of what scientists know about bird song comes from them.
Field Sparrow, Bruce Pit, by Gillian Mastromatteo.
Female Northern Shoveler, Bruce Pit, by Janet McCullough. Nothing to see here, just another female malla…what the?! Look at that bill! Female shovelers are easily overlooked because of their plumage, and a tendency to keep their bills underwater as they forage hides their most distinctive feature. But that behaviour becomes a good way to spot them: small nondescript ducks swimming forward with their bills submerged almost to their eyes.
Cackling Goose – Oct 04, just south of forêt Boucher, Gatineau.
Greater White-fronted Goose – Oct 01, route 148, Papineau.
Greylag Goose – A Greylag Goose with wild characteristics was reported on Sept. 30 in Embrun. This species is not on the Ontario list yet.
Gray Partridge – Photographed Oct 03, Giroux Road, Ottawa.
Solitary Sandpiper – Oct 05, Ottawa Business Park Woods, Ottawa.
Green Heron – Oct 03, CP storm pond, Lanark.
Golden Eagle – Oct 07, Kinburn Side Rd, Ottawa.
Red-bellied Woodpecker – Reported Oct 05, at the Hilda Road feeders, Ottawa.
House Wren – Oct 04, Bruce Pit, Ottawa.
Carolina Wren – Rue de Saint-Malo, Gatineau. Frank Ryn & Elmhurst Parks, Ottawa.
Veery – Fletcher Wildlife Garden, Ottawa.
Warbling Vireo – Oct 02, Rapides Deschênes (incluant Parc), Gatineau.
Pine Siskin – A flock of 25! Oct 01, Rue du Pavillon, Gatineau.
Eastern Towhee – Fine Estate, Ottawa.
Nelson’s Sparrow – Continuing to Oct 07 at the usual spot in Constance Bay, Ottawa.
Fox Sparrow – Quarry on concession 5A, Lanark. Fletcher Wildlife Garden, Ottawa. Cannonball trail, Ottawa (South March Highlands Conservation Forest).
Grasshopper Sparrow – Ottawa St west of Joy’s Rd, Ottawa.
Hybrid European Goldfinch x Canary – Half Moon Bay Park to Stonebridge Trail Park, Ottawa. A beautiful–if uncountable–escapee.
Black-and-white Warbler – Oct 04, Mud Lake, Ottawa. Oct 5, Richmond, Ottawa.
Scarlet Tanager – Oct 06, Fletcher Wildlife Garden, Ottawa.
Northern Wheatear – A late report of a bird that put in a one-day appearance on Sept 28 in Dunrobin.
Ottawa and area bird sightings to 30 September 2021
by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca
The fall turnover in species continues. Fox Sparrows are passing through. Duck and goose counts are increasing, and only the later warblers are still around. Now is the time to find your Orange-crowned Warbler.
Dark-eyed Junco, Andrew Haydon Park, by Tony Beck. It’s time for the fall sparrow turnover, and Juncos are back!
Domestic Mallards, Andrew Haydon Park, by Tony Beck. Tony says these bonded Mallard types appear to have domestic origin. They have spent all summer and fall around the western pond of Andrew Haydon Park, likely released there by an unknown source. They are larger than regular Mallards with a pot belly. Note the darker plumage of the females, also lacking white on their tail.
Adult Red-headed Woodpecker, Constance Bay, by Tony Beck.
Merlin (with American Crow), Nepean Creek, by Jarrett Hather. Jarrett observed the corvid vs raptor game, where a mixed group of corvids – in this case Blue Jays and an American Crow – band together to try to chase off a dangerous predator.
Cooper’s Hawk, Mud lake, by Alan Short. Accipiters like the Cooper’s have long tails and relatively short wings for maneuvering through branches to catch their prey birds.
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Shirley’s Bay, by Janet McCullough. This photo nicely shows a couple of cool woodpecker adaptations for vertical life: tail and toes. Most songbirds have 3 front-facing toes, and a single backwards toe, ideal for perching, but woodpeckers have 2 backwards toes for better vertical grip. Also woodpeckers use their tail like a third limb to stabilize the bird against the tree trunk (and keep their bellies off the trunk).
Bonaparte’s Gull (with Ring-billed Gulls), Shirley’s Bay, by Arlene Harrold. This picture really captures the size difference between our most familiar gull and the tiny Bonaparte’s. Bonaparte’s are a joy to watch feeding, whether gracefully catching flying insects on the wing, or diving from the air completely underwater to take small fish such as Emerald Shiners.
Lincoln’s Sparrow, Constance Bay, by John King. John noticed this well camouflaged ground specialist scurrying like a mouse.
Surf Scoter – Sep 25, Andrew Haydon Park, Ottawa.
Snow Goose – Sep 24, A pair on Chemin de la Rivière, Luskville, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais.
Yellow-billed Cuckoo – Sep 26, Stanley Park, Ottawa.
Red Phalarope – Sep 25. Locally rarest of the phalaropes, this bird was found by boat on the Ottawa River at Lac Dollard-des-Ormeaux, and later seen from shore from Voisine Road, Prescott and Russell
Long-billed Dowitcher – Reported Sep 25-26, Moodie Drive Quarry, Ottawa.
Caspian Tern – A late Caspian Sep 25-27, Britannia CA, Ottawa.
Rough-legged Hawk – A dark morph early migrant at Dick Bell Park, Ottawa, on Sep 29.
Red-headed Woodpecker – 6 continue in Constance Bay, Ottawa.
Carolina Wren – Frank Ryn & Elmhurst Parks, near Henley and Alpine, Ottawa.
Wood Thrush – Richmond, Knights Drive, and Mud Lake, all Ottawa.
Gray-cheeked Thrush – Sep 26, Wright Lake (Private), Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais. Rue Paradis, Gatineau. Sep 27, Rue de Saint-Malo, Gatineau. Three reported pre-dawn Sep 30 just south of Forêt Boucher, Gatineau. One at Bruce Pit, Ottawa, Sep 30.
Veery – Sep 30, Fletcher Wildlife Garden, Ottawa,
Least Flycatcher – Sep 26, Fletcher Wildlife Garden, Ottawa. Sep 28, Forêt Boucher, Gatineau.
Great Crested Flycatcher – Sep 27, Rockcliffe Airport Woods, Ottawa.
Eastern Towhee – Shirley’s Bay, Ottawa, at the Hilda Road feeders, and on Britannia Ridge, Ottawa. Fine Estate, Ottawa. Still lots on the Carp Barrens.
Nelson’s Sparrow – Sep 25-29. At least 4 Continuing at the usual spot in Constance Bay, Ottawa. Please respect the habitat. 12 reported by boat on Sep 25 in Baie Lafontaine, Ottawa.
Fox Sparrow – Mud Lake, Fletcher Wildlife Garden, and at the feeder on the bog trail at Mer Bleu, all Ottawa.
Yellow Warbler – A late bird Sep 25, at Baie Lafontaine, Ottawa.
Ovenbird – Shirley’s Bay, Britannia CA, and in Clyde Woods, Ottawa.
Mourning Warbler – Sep 26, Andrew Haydon Park east (formerly Ottawa Beach), Ottawa.
Ottawa and area bird sightings to 23 September 2021
by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca
Adult Red-tailed Hawk, Cumberland, by Tony Beck.
Juvenile Yellow-rumped (Myrtle) Warbler, Gatineau, by Tony Beck. Yellow rumps are the most common warbler this week, and will be the last common warbler heading south.
Black-bellied Plover, Andrew Hayden Park, by Alan Short. Where is the namesake black belly? How do we know it’s not an American Golden Plover which migrates through the region on the same schedule? The heavy bill separates it from Golden. The faint tan wash and streaked breast that goes from the breast to past the legs tells us it’s a juvenile.
Field Sparrow, Shirley’s Bay, Eric Leger. Field Sparrows breed at Shirley’s Bay, but this week many are migrating through and showing up in places other than the usual weedy fields for which they are named. Migrating birds have preferred habitat, but can show up almost anywhere, especially after heavy rains.
Black-throated Green Warbler, Rideau River at Billings Bridge, by Judith Gustafsson. Where is the black throat? Who names these birds? Many males have molted out of the strong black throat of spring by now, but the faint streaks along the side may indicate this is a female.
Red-headed Woodpecker, Larose Forest, by Bree Tucker. Although there is a small breeding population in Ottawa, this is a rare bird for Prescott and Russell. This bird spent the morning of the 17th feeding on peanuts. Is it an Ottawa bird looking for a new home?
White-winged Scoter – Andrew Haydon Park, Ottawa.
Cackling Goose – Six on Sep 21, Moodie Road Pond, Ottawa. One at Vincent Massey/Hog’s Back Parks, Ottawa, Sep. 8.
Ross’s Goose – 17-18, Parc Brebeuf, Gatineau. Same bird seen from the Remic Rapids Lookout, Ottawa. One Sep 18, Quarry Lake ( Russell ), Prescott and Russell.
Trumpeter Swan – A pair of adults, Sep 21, Roger’s Pond, Ottawa.
Baird’s Sandpiper – Sep 17, Andrew Haydon Park east (formerly Ottawa Beach), Ottawa. Sep 18, Rapides Deschênes, Gatineau.
Red-necked Phalarope – Sep 17, Andrew Haydon Park east (formerly Ottawa Beach), Ottawa.
Red-headed Woodpecker – Adults and immatures continue at Constance bay (Ritchie Street), but more exciting on Sep 17, a single bird showed up at a feeder on Clarence Cambridge Boundary Rd, Prescott and Russell.
Yellow-throated Vireo – Sep 18-19, 2021 09:14 by Richard Rowlee, Britannia CA, Ottawa. Apparently seen inside the Yacht Club from Britannia CA.
Cliff Swallow – Three seen at Andrew Haydon Park, Ottawa, on Sep 23.
Northern Mockingbird – Went unreported at the usual spot on Perrault Rd. this year, but was seen nearby on Sep 18, on Frank Kenny Rd, Ottawa. Was it there all summer or a migrant?
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher – Sep 20, Birchgrove Rd, Sarsfield, Ottawa.
Eastern Towhee – Sep 19-20, Shirley’s Bay, Ottawa, at the Hilda Road feeders. One on the Rideau Trail near Heaphy Road heading towards Kingston, on Sep. 23.
Notice: Did you lose a scope around Crysler recently? Send an email to sightings@ofnc.ca and a kind birder will help reunite you.
Ottawa and area bird sightings to 16 September 2021
by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca
Shorebird migration picked up. Who needs Shirley’s Bay when the birds are showing up anywhere along the river? Look for birds who keep the same migration schedule such as American Pipits.
Cackling Goose, Richardson’s subspecies – Moodie Drive Quarry Ponds, by Tony Beck. Tony says, with the second wave of fall migration in progress, we should expect waterfowl and gull numbers to increase. Although a bit early for Cackling, it’s always a good idea to study flocks of waterfowl for unusual species. Compare the Cackling Goose in the centre of the image to the other nearby Canada Geese. Note the brighter appearance, the smaller size, and the shorter bill of the Cackling.
Immature male Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Mud Lake, by Alan Short. Migrating Rose-breasted Grosbeaks can be enticed to visit yards with feeders full of sunflower seeds or landscaped with dogwoods. They love the berries in the fall.
Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Fletcher Wildlife Garden, by Judith Gustafsson. Hummingbirds can also be attracted by feeders or by landscaping with the right flowers. If you do use feeders and are very patient, leave the feeder out until ice up. Once in a very long while, a rare vagrant hummingbird shows up at someone’s feeder long after the last Ruby-throated has left for warmer climes.
Cackling Goose – Sep 15 One early bird seen from both the Moodie Drive Quarry and Barnsdale Road, Ottawa.
American Golden-Plover – Sep 6-10, Carleton Place Stormwater pond, Lanark. Sep 12: Régimbald Road (SW of Dunning), Moodie Quarry, and Scrivens Street, all Ottawa. Sep 15 in the field SE of Brophy & Twin Elm, Ottawa.
Black-bellied Plover – Scriven’s Street, Ottawa, Sep 12.
Sanderling – Ottawa beach, Sep. 12.
Pectoral Sandpiper – Scrivens Street, Ottawa, Sep 12.
Ruddy Turnstone – Sep 10 Deschênes Rapids, Gatineau.
Red-necked Phalarope – A juvenile stayed Sep 11-14 at Andrew Haydon Park, Ottawa.
Baird’s Sandpiper – Sep 14 Parc Brébeuf, Gatineau, Sep 15 Moodie Drive Quarry, and Sep 16 on Scrivens Street and Andrew Haydon Park East (formerly Ottawa Beach), Ottawa.
Yellow-throated Vireo – Sep 11-12, Britannia CA (on the ridge). Sep 15 TransCanada Trail and NCC 24, Ottawa.
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher – Reported Sep 13, Rapides Deschênes (incluant Parc), Gatineau.
Gray-cheeked Thrush – Reported Sep 14, Rapides Deschênes (incluant Parc), Gatineau, and Sep 16 Rue de Saint-Malo, Gatineau.
White-winged Crossbill – Sep 14, Kitchissippi Lookout, Ottawa. Sep 15, Constance Creek Mouth (Constance Bay).
Ottawa and area bird sightings to 9 September 2021
by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca
Blackburnian Warbler, Mud lake, by Alan Short. The textbook confusing fall warbler; this bird looks nothing like a spring bird. Notice how the soles of this bird’s feet are bright yellow? That’s an easy way to separate it from similar species – the 0.1% of the time when you can actually see this field mark.
Adult Black-crowned Night Heron, the Arboretum, by Judith Gustafsson. The green duckweed covering the water really makes the red eye pop out, but how does it affect fishing success?
Male Wilson Warbler, Mud Lake, by Aaron Hywarren. Wilsons have been hard to find this year in Ottawa, then this week they descended in large numbers.
Ottawa and area bird sightings to 2 September 2021
by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca
Least Bittern, Petrie Island, by Tony Beck.
Least Sandpiper, Stonewater Bay Stormwater pond, by Tony Beck.
Indigo Bunting, Rockcliffe Airport Woods, by Gregory Zbitnew. Greg notes the hint of blue throwing off this otherwise non-descript sparrow-like bird as an indication to look closer.
Hudsonian Godwit, Scrivens Street mudflat, by Aaron Hywarren. How did Aaron get a “good-enough-for-ID-evidence” photo of a bird 150 m out in the river? Digiscoping! Digiscoping is the art of holding a camera, even a phone camera, up to binoculars or a scope to photograph a far-away bird. Adapters are available to make this easy, but in an emergency, just holding the camera carefully will work, if painfully.
House Finches, Strathcona Park, by Judith Gustafsson. Even at this late date, some bird parents are still feeding their young-of-year. Note the soliciting posture of the young bird.
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Mud lake, by Aaron Hywarren.
Black-throated Blue Warbler, Mud lake, by Alan Short. No confusing fall warbler is this bird; it wears its colours spring and fall.
Ottawa and area bird sightings to 26 August 2021
by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca
Migration continues with reports of kinglets and juncos trickling in and Common Nighthawks everywhere. North winds and cooling temps tease the possibility of many more migrants starting Friday morning. Possible rain Saturday and Sunday could drop some very interesting birds. Don’t commit to cleaning out the garage this weekend.
Yellow-throated Vireo, Mud Lake, by Nina Stavlund. Lots of song birds have yellow throats, but add in the yellow spectacles, and the only local probability is Yellow-throated Vireo. We only get a handful of these gorgeous birds each year, so enjoy them when you can.
Juvenile Lesser Yellowlegs and juvenile Greater Yellowlegs, Carleton Place, Stonewater Bay Stormwater Pond, by Tony Beck. In a perfect side-by-side comparison like this, these species are easy to tell apart. But each bird carries other identifiers than just relative size. The Lesser’s bill is barely longer than its head. The Greater’s bill is 1.5 times the length of the head. The Greater’s bill is obviously bi-colour: gray at the base and black at the tip. The Greater’s bill is subtly, but noticeably, upturned. Knowing many ID points really helps when only one species is present, or a bird only gives poor views, or you get that one weird in-between bird.
American Woodcock, Dunrobin Shores, by Jeremy Stewart. Technically a shorebird, this well-camouflaged, very shy bird of edges and well-overgrown fields is challenging to get a decent look at. Except for those occasions when they decide to dance across a road or, in this case, hang out in Jeremy’s yard for a week.
Confusing juvenile flycatcher, Mud Lake, by Alan Short. Derek had to consult an expert to ID this confusing young bird. Short wing, long tail, plain wing, bland face, all black bill – it’s an Eastern Phoebe. Another case where multiple features combine to reveal a tricky ID. And a bonus eBird tip – you don’t need to ID all birds. The eBird confirmation for a complete checklist is all the birds you were able to identify. “Flycatcher sp.” is a perfectly acceptable iID. On the other hand, if you love a challenge, go for it.
Eastern Wood-Pewee, Pontiac, Quebec, by Denise Therriault. At first glance, fairly similar to a phoebe, this bird has a bi-coloured bill and high contrast wing bars. Like all insectivorous birds, the pewee has seen a major population decline in recent decades. Beyond food problems, it has to contend with habitat loss (and changing habitat quality) and increased predation. And that’s just the half year they spend in North America. Like pewees, phoebes have declined, but not as steeply, probably due to their greater flexibility in habitat.
Baird’s Sandpipers, Carleton Place, Stonewater Bay Stormwater Pond, by Tony Beck. In a mixed flock, noticeably bigger than Semipalmated Sandpipers, but on their own? The long wingtips folded out past the end of the tail is the big ID point. There are other, more subtle points that Derek will share if he ever learns them.
Eastern Bluebirds, Auld Kirk Cemetery, by Arlene Harrold. Google Eastern Bluebird, and the first page of images will be smooth plumaged adults. They do not remind most people of thrushes. But look at this group of youngsters; the spots they share with young robins and other thrushes makes their heritage more obvious.
Scarlet Tanager, Mud Lake, by Alan Short. The single most important ID feature for Scarlet Tanagers is, in the spring, only half are scarlet and, in the fall, almost none are scarlet. Sometimes a name hides more than it reveals.
Horned Grebe – Continued until Aug 21, Moodie Drive Quarry, Ottawa.
Least Bittern – Rideau River near Lock 13, Ottawa.
Baird’s Sandpiper – Two during Aug 21-25, Carleton Place, at the Hwy 7 Storm Pond, Lanark.
Lesser Black-backed Gull – One or two continue in the Deschênes Rapids, countable from either side of the river. Several at the Moodie Drive Quarry, Ottawa.
Red-headed Woodpecker – 8 reported from Constance Bay Ottawa (Spinnaker Way, also Bayview Drive), Ottawa.
Red-bellied Woodpecker – Heard on chemin du Lac-Taylor, Sainte-Cécile-de-Masham, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais (i.e., Gatineau Park).
Philadelphia Vireo – Shirley’s Bay, Andrew Haydon Park, Britannia CA (check the sumac field or buckthorn patches), Champlain Park Woods, Champlain Street Marsh, all Ottawa.
Yellow-throated Vireo – Aug 20-25, 2021 – Britannia CA (general location), Ottawa, Ontario. Check the path behind the houses on the western edge, south of the sumac field.
Ruby-crowned Kinglet – Reported from Old Prospect Road, Ottawa. Vincent Massey/Hog’s Back Parks, Ottawa.
Carolina Wren – Trend Arlington Park, Ottawa. Hidden Lake Trail (Carp), Ottawa.
Dark-eyed Junco – Pakenham Concession 9, Lanark. Athlone Avenue, Ottawa. Ottawa St. west of Joy’s Road, Ottawa. Cooper St., Ottawa.
eBird Tip from the local reviewers: When recording data in eBird, only use subspecies when you are sure you can identify them (Yellow-shafted Flicker or Oregon Junco for example). Many subspecies listed on eBird cannot be easily identified based on morphology and cause headaches and unnecessary follow ups for reviewers (Sandhill Crane subspecies for example). Just go with the species unless you are sure of the subspecies.
Atlas tip: You can provide essential information for Canadian researchers, scientists, government officials and conservation professionals that will guide environmental policies and conservation strategies across Ontario for years to come by taking 90 seconds to share your eBird checklist with the Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas. Data compilation for this Atlas year will be underway shortly, and submitting your records by August 31 is particularly helpful.
For more information visit https://www.birdsontario.org/ or contact the Ottawa Regional Coordinator at Ottawa@birdsontario.org
Ottawa and area bird sightings to 19 August 2021
by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca
Red-eyed Vireo, Petrie Island, by Tony Beck. Although the shocking red eye of the adult is not always visible, here we have a very clear view of the eye, and it’s brown! That tells us it’s an immature bird.
Juvenile Brown-head Cowbird, Mud Lake, Tony Beck. This is a gorgeous bird, and Derek can’t imagine why some people hate them.
Adult Red-eyed Vireo feeding juvenile Brown-head Cowbird, Mud Lake, by Sai Wai Ip. Oh yeah, this is why. Brood parasitism is fascinating, evolution at its heartless best, finding niches where there are none to be seen. How can that bird not know that the chick is not theirs? It weighs three times as much as the vireo, with a demand for food to match. The parasite exploits the instinctive behaviour of the nest owner: feed the gaping mouth I found in my nest. This photo also serves as a nice reminder of how the red eye of the adult vireo can be hidden.
Canada Warbler, Mud Lake, Alan Short. Although Canada Warblers do breed (very locally) in Ottawa, the Mud Lake birds are probably migrants.
Eastern Kingbird, Rideau River at Billings Bridge, Judith Gustafsson. What’s a flycatcher doing with fruit? It turns out that, according to Cornell, Kingbird diets shift over the course of migration from almost entirely insects on the breeding grounds to fruit on the non-breeding territory. They also become social, traveling in flocks, instead of attacking everything in sight.
Common Goldeneye – One continues off Andrew Haydon Park, Ottawa.
Sandhill Crane – Fine Estate, Ottawa.
Least Bittern – Continues at Petrie Island, Ottawa. Reported from Andrew Hayden Park.
But what about the shorebirds? Scattered here and there. Check out the shores of the Ottawa river, Moodie Drive Quarry, the Crysler Waterfall, or any stormwater system in the region.
Red-necked Phalarope – One to three birds, Aug 17-19, Moodie Drive Quarry, Ottawa. Seen at different times from the Moodie or Barnsdale gates. Scope recommended.
Long-billed Dowitcher – The Crysler Waterfall bird – best seen from the bridge – was last reported on the 13th.
Short-billed Dowitcher – The other Crysler Waterfall bird was last reported on the 19th. The Andrew Haydon bird was last reported on the 15th.
Stilt Sandpiper – The other-other Crysler Waterfall bird was last reported on the 18th.
Baird’s Sandpiper – 17-19 Aug. Moodie drive Quarry.
Horned Grebe – Aug 17-18, Moodie Drive Quarry, Ottawa. Aug 19, Remic Rapids Lookout, Ottawa.
Red-necked Grebe – A pair seen Aug 13, Rapides Deschênes, Gatineau.
Lesser Black-backed Gull – At least one continues to be seen in the Deschênes Rapids, countable from either side of the river. As many as 11 seen at Moodie Drive Quarry, Ottawa.
Red-headed Woodpecker – A half dozen birds reported from Constance Bay Ottawa (Spinnaker Way, also Bayview Drive), Ottawa. The Chemin Sauve/Watson/Symphonie bird in Val-des-monts, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais, resurfaced after a long period with no reports.
Philadelphia Vireo – Shirley’s Bay, Andrew Haydon Park, Britannia CA (on the ridge, in the buckthorn forest to the West, Champlain Park Woods, Champlain Street Marsh, all Ottawa. Parc Brébeuf, Gatineau. Chemin Younger, Lac McGregor, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais.
Carolina Wren – Trend Arlington Park, Ottawa. Frank Ryan & Elmhurst Parks, Ottawa.
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher – Reported in Ottawa from: Nepean tent and trailer campgrounds, Britannia CA (the western sumac fields, where there are lots of Least Flycatchers for comparison, and the ridge), Champlain Park Woods, Dolman Ridge Road, Rockcliffe Airport Woods.
Olive-sided Flycatcher – Aug 13, Ramsay Concession 5A quarry trail, Lanark.
eBird tip from the local reviewers: You may have noticed some issues with eBird this week, including changes to your list tallies and problems submitting lists. Not to worry; this is due to their annual taxonomic update, it should settle down in a week or so. The good news for world listers: you are likely to have gained a few species!
Ottawa and area bird sightings to 12 August 2021
by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca
What a difference a week makes – Philadelphia Vireos and Yellow-bellied Flycatchers for everyone.
Olive-sided Flycatcher, Britannia, by Tony Beck. Huge flycatchers, such as Olive-sided, breed further north, so we only see them briefly in the fall and spring.
Solitary Sandpiper, Petrie Island, by Nina Stavlund. Outside breeding season, this bird is normally seen foraging alone, hence the name. The wind is ruffling its feathers, unmaking the white spur at the shoulder that normally makes this species easy to ID from a distance.
Green Heron, Strathcona Park, by Judith Gustafsson. This is the classic Green Heron look, standing around, possibly moving very slowly, looking awesome.
Green Heron, Britannia, by Alan Short. This photo shows how different the same species can look in a different pose. Compare with the previous photo. Would you expect a neck that can snake out like this? Neither do the frogs!
Greater Yellowlegs, Kanata, by Janet McCullough. Shorebird habitat seems in short supply this year, but some migrants are pretty flexible in where they stop. This bird was patronizing the storm water pond beside the LCBO.
Bay-breasted Warbler, Britannia, by Tony Beck. Bay-breasted Warblers are passing through Ottawa in surprising numbers right now. Well, only surprising compared to how rare they seem in the spring. These are early returnees because they breed near Ottawa, some as close as the Gatineau Hills.
Mystery immature, Britannia, by Gregory Zbitnew. At first glance this very non-descript bird is vaguely finch- or sparrow-like. We see a bit of a gape at the base of the bill. But if an adult were to come along and feed it, the mystery would evaporate, as the adult won’t look anything like this. This brood parasite is a Brown-headed Cowbird.
Bufflehead – A lone female at the Almonte Lagoons, Lanark, continued to at least Aug. 7.
Common Goldeneye – A female type at Andrew Haydon Park. Another sighting at Mooney’s Bay, Ottawa.
Trumpeter Swan – Brassils Creek/Marsh via Flood Rd, Ottawa.
Red-necked Phalarope – Three on Aug. 9-10, at the Alfred Sewage Lagoons, Prescott and Russell. Outside the OFNC circle , but this year you take your shorebirds where you can find them!
Sanderling – Aug. 9-10, Parc Brébeuf, Gatineau. On the rocks with other shorebirds.
White-rumped Sandpiper – Crysler, Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry.
Long-billed Dowitcher – Crysler, Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry. The shorebirds in Crysler are at the waterfall, not the lagoons, which are off-limits to birders.
Lesser Black-backed Gull – Hanging with the Great Black-backed Gulls, Britannia CA, Ottawa, in the Deschênes rapids.
Bonaparte Gull – Continued at the Carleton Place Drainage Pond, Lanark, at least until Aug. 8. Four were seen at the Moodie Drive Pond, Ottawa.
Least Bittern – Between the Black Rapids lockstation on the Rideau Canal (Lock 13), and Eccolands Park, Ottawa. Another one calling from the wetland off Stonecrest, Dunrobin, Ottawa.
Sandhill Crane – A pair over March Road just north east of Burnt Lands, Ottawa.
Red-headed Woodpecker – As usual in the Richie/Whistler area of Constance Bay, Ottawa. Twelve birds counted this year.
Philadelphia Vireo – Champlain Park Woods, Ottawa. Two in Parc Brébeuf, Gatineau.
Carolina Wren – A pair with a juvenile in Frank Ryan & Elmhurst Parks (at the twin bridge). Forêt Boucher, Gatineau (near the Antoine Boucher entrance).
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher – Britannia CA. Richmond–Fox Run storm water ponds, Ottawa.
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher – Aug 10, Marais aux grenouillettes, Gatineau.
Dark-eyed Junco – Immature reported in Chapel Hill, Ottawa.
Wilson Warbler – An early bird reported from Domaine de la ferme Moore, Gatineau.
You can provide essential information for Canadian researchers, scientists, government officials and conservation professionals that will guide environmental policies and conservation strategies across Ontario for years to come by taking 90 seconds to share your eBird checklist with the Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas.
For more information visit https://www.birdsontario.org/ or contact the Ottawa Regional Coordinator at Ottawa@birdsontario.org
Ottawa and area bird sightings to 5 August 2021
by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca
Not a lot of rare bird reports, but diversity picked up nicely this week, with over 150 species reported including at least 15 species of warbler. Lots of local first-year birds to add to the ID confusion.
Adult male fall plumage Black-and-White Warbler, Richmond, by Tony Beck. Yep, fall warbler ID sure is easy. Species not challenging enough? The solid dark stripes on the flank and the cheek patch say male (female would be paler), and the white edging on the throat and cheek feathers say fall plumage.
Cape May Warbler, Britannia Ridge, by Janice Stewart. The real face of fall warblers. Fall warbler ID is one of the fun challenges of birding. In the spring, most species have one or two, maybe three possible plumages (female, male, maybe first-year male). In the fall, the same species can seem to have 12 different appearances. Perhaps the only local species with more variety of appearance than the Cape May Warbler is the Yellow-rumped Warbler, but we have time to sharpen our skills before they arrive.
Male Bobolink, Marais des Laiches, by Arlene Harrold. We associate the singing of the flashy black, white and tan male bobolink with North American fields and meadows, but they spend at least half the year in South America looking very much like the tan females. This individual is well on his way to non-breeding plumage.
Immature Peregrine Falcons, Mud Lake, by Alan Short. Peregrines breed in the artificial cliffs of downtown Ottawa, and by August they are out at Mud Lake and other places, terrorizing the local birds.
Female Wood Duck, Arboretum, by Judith Gustafsson. Female Wood Duck plumage is cryptic, made for survival, not show. But that white tear drop shape around the eye can be seen at a great distance, and is a simple ID feature.
Eastern Wood Pewee, Richmond, by Tony Beck. According to Sibley, foraging birds choose a prominent perch, and this bird clearly read the book.
Yellow Warbler, Mud Lake, by Alan Short. Unlike most warblers, Yellow Warblers do breed in large numbers in the OFNC circle. Which migrating warbler also has yellow feet?
Bufflehead – A lone female at the Almonte Lagoons, Lanark.
Lesser Scaup – One bird at Moodie Drive Quarry, Ottawa.
Bonaparte’s Gull – Single birds, or one well-traveled individual: Moodie Drive Quarry, also near Remic Rapids on the Ottawa River, and Britannia Conservation Area, all Ottawa. Almonte Lagoons, Lanark.
Carolina Wren – Frank Ryan & Elmhurst Parks, and Trend Arlington Park, Ottawa.
Sedge Wren – Constance Bay, Ottawa.
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher – Reported from Fine Estate, Ottawa.
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher – Reported July 30, Rapides Deschênes, Gatineau.
Ottawa and area bird sightings to 29 July 2021
by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca
Mostly still local breeders, but an increase in returning warblers.
Adult Philadelphia Vireo, Shirley’s Bay, by Tony Beck. Almost certainly on the move. July records are rare in the OFNC circle, especially on the Ottawa side, and good quality photos like this are even rarer.
Juvenile Double-crested Cormorant, Strathcona Park, by Judith Gustafsson. From a distance cormorants might appear plain, but up close the feathers reveal beautiful patterns and the unfeathered parts of the bird can be very colourful. The jewel-like eye is nicely offset by the surprisingly orange skin around the beak in this immature bird.
Caspian Terns, Conroy island, by Alan Short. Caspian Terns are incredibly easy to ID, compared with many other tern species. First, as this photo shows, they appear as large as Ring-billed Gulls, unlike the other much smaller terns. Second, that enormous orange dagger of a bill can be seen at great distance. Conroy Island, with its breeding colonies of cormorants, Ring-billed Gulls, and Great Egrets is a fascinating spot to observe.
Juvenile Great Blue Heron, Andrew Haydon Park, by Tony Beck. Tony says juvenile herons and egrets are widely visible right now.
Adult hen Ring-necked Pheasant, near Kars, by Tony Beck. Tony says this hen was seen with two chicks along the roadside next to a corn field. However, this bird is likely an escapee from a local game-bird collection.
Sandhill Crane – March Road, northeast of Burnt Lands, Ottawa.
Bonaparte’s Gull – McNeely Ave., Carleton Place, Lanark.
Red-headed Woodpecker – Constance Bay, Ottawa. At least two juveniles have fledged.
Philadelphia Vireo – A very early bird photographed at Shirley’s Bay, Ottawa (see photo above).
Carolina Wren – Frank Ryan & Elmhurst Parks, Ottawa. Faraday St., Ottawa. Rue de Saint-Malo, Gatineau.
Sedge Wren – Dunrobin, near the West Carleton Secondary School, Ottawa.
Olive-sided Flycatcher – Carbine Road & Trail, Lanark.
White-winged Crossbill – A flock of 15 in Pakenham, Lanark. A smaller flock on Berry Side road, near Constance Lake, Ottawa.
Northern Parula – Suddenly everywhere! Too many to list. Go find your own.
Tennessee Warbler – Britannia Conservation Area, Frank Ryan & Elmhurst Parks, Greenbelt Trail 51, all Ottawa.
You can provide essential information for Canadian researchers, scientists, government officials and conservation professionals that will guide environmental policies and conservation strategies across Ontario for years to come by taking 90 seconds to share your eBird checklist with the Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas.
For more information visit https://www.birdsontario.org/ or contact the Ottawa Regional Coordinator at Ottawa@birdsontario.org
Ottawa and area bird sightings to 22 July 2021
by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca
Adult female Ruddy Duck, Centrepointe Park, by Janice Stewart. A small duck, half the weight of a Mallard. It’s easy to overlook this beautiful female hanging out with Mallards. Colour and pattern almost make her look like a young Mallard, until you give her a second glance. Ruddy Ducks belong to the stiff-tailed ducks. Then it’s easy to see where the name comes from. The long tail feathers stick up straight when the bird is at rest. Since our only local stiff tail is the Ruddy Duck, they become easy to ID at great distances.
Adult male Northern Parula, Rue Gamlin, Gatineau, by Tony Beck. Examining a range map, the whole OFNC circle is part of their breeding range, but at the local level, they breed in Gatineau but not really in Ottawa. The ones showing up recently in Ottawa are probably failed breeders.
White-winged Dove, Fletcher Wildlife Garden, by Janice Stewart. Only the second record for Ottawa, this bird was spotted on a Facebook page by some local birders who were out of town when the bird appeared on Sunday. Besides the obvious white on the wing, what other markers separate this bird from our local Mourning Doves?
Juvenile American Robin, The Arboretum, by Judith Gustafsson. These bespeckled juveniles are everywhere right now. If one appears to be abandoned, resist the urge to intervene. It is almost certainly still being fed by a parent, even though they may be out of sight for long periods.
Adult male Eastern Bluebird, Heyworth, by Tony Beck. Remember the recent discussion about the yellow gape at the base of the mouth making it easy to pick out juveniles? Every bird rule is broken by some species. The yellow here on this gorgeous male is not a juvenile feature. Juvenile bluebirds are IDed by spotted breast and back, instead of the bright solid colours of this adult.
Adult Common Terns, Ottawa, by Alan Short. A tern with a fish will never be lonely. Or enjoy a moment of peace. Terns (and gulls) try to breed in mammal-free environments, and so set up shop on some very forsaken looking small islands on the Ottawa River.
Ruddy Duck – Continues at Centrepointe Park, Ottawa. May require patience or moving to another vantage to see this small duck, somehow hiding in a tiny pond.
Gray Partridge – Last reported in February, at least one ninja grouse survived the winter and popped on July 17, on Huvelmans north of Magladry, Ottawa.
White-winged Dove – Seen by many observers July 18-19, Fletcher Wildlife Garden, Ottawa.
Yellow-billed Cuckoo – Reported near Chemin Klock and Chemin Cook, Gatineau.
Golden Eagle – Reported Jul 18, Weedmark Road, Smiths Falls, Lanark.
Olive-sided Flycatcher – Montague Boundary Road, Ottawa.
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher – Reported July 20, Marais des Laîches, Gatineau.
Carolina Wren – Frank Ryan & Elmhurst Parks, Ottawa (singing east of the playground). Rue de Saint-Malo, Gatineau.
Sedge Wren – Panmure Road, southwest of Upper Dwyer Hill. Multiple birds on Sturgess Road, Montague. Blakeney Road, Pakenham, all in Lanark.
White-winged Crossbill – One continues on Ramsay Concession 5A, Mississippi Mills, Lanark. Fletcher Wildlife Garden, Ottawa. Another in the Carp area near the Crazy Horse Trail, Ottawa. Larose Forest (Indian Creek Road corner), Prescott and Russell.
Rusty Blackbird – A trio in the Lindenlea area, Ottawa.
Northern Parula – Richmond CA, Ottawa. Britannia CA (woods). Greenbelt Pathway West, Ottawa. And so the warbler migration begins.
Ottawa and area bird sightings to 15 July 2021
by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca
A trickle of migrating shorebirds and warblers. But lots of fledglings and parenting behaviour to enjoy.
Adult male American Redstart carrying food, Shirley Blvd., by Tony Beck. American Redstart hunts are fun to watch. They flash the spots on their tail, believed to flush their prey into moving and revealing themselves. It’s even more striking in the dark shadows where they often forage.
House Wren, Shirley Blvd., by Tony Beck. Sure this beautiful bird looks innocent But it is a home wrecker, as in it will literally wreck the nests and eggs of other birds that attempt to nest in its territory, if the parents leave the nest unprotected. It’s a fairly unusual form of securing resources for its own offspring – remove the competition.
Barn Swallow, Burnt Lands, by Alan Short. When Europeans arrived in the Americas, Barn Swallows nested in caves. Now they build their mud nests almost entirely on buildings.
Double-crested Cormorant, Billing’s Bridge, by Judith Gustafsson. Many birds have far more neck vertebrae than humans do, allowing them a far greater range of motion and more curving options. That’s valuable when you have no hands.
Warbling Vireo, Mud Lake, by Alan Short. In this close-up the small hook on the tip of the bill is visible. This hook is the easiest way to separate a vireo from a warbler. The warbler and vireo families look very similar and fill similar niches in the environment, but are not closely related.
Sora, Goulbourn, by Erik Pohanka. Like most rails, Sora are easiest to hear, hard to see, and very hard to photograph. There is a common story that the rails are so named because their narrow frames can slide through the vertical rails on a fence. That makes sense, so you know it cannot be true of a bird name. According to Reedman’s book on bird names, it comes from a series of spelling changes between languages from old French for the scraping quality of some of their calls. Now that’s obscure enough for a bird name.
Redhead – Reported July 12, from Britannia CA (general location), Ottawa. Seen at the mouth of Pinecrest Creek.
Ruddy Duck – July 15, Centrepointe Park, Ottawa.
Semipalmated Plover – July 11, Strathcona Park, Ottawa.
Bonaparte’s Gull – July 10, Rapides Deschênes, Gatineau.
Lesser Black-backed Gull – Rapides Deschênes, Gatineau.
Black Tern – Not eBird rare, but hard enough to see in Ottawa in July. Heaphy Road, Ottawa.
Yellow-throated Vireo – Rockcliffe, Ottawa.
Carolina Wren – Frank Ryn & Elmhurst Parks, Ottawa. Mooney’s Bay Park, Ottawa. Rue de Saint-Malo, Gatineau.
Sedge Wren – July 09, Panmure Road, southwest of Upper Dwyer Hill, Lanark. July 11, Sturgess Road, Montague, Lanark.
Lincoln’s Sparrow – Dolman Ridge Road, Ottawa.
White-winged Crossbill – July 10, Ramsay Concession 5A, Mississippi Mills, Lanark. A single female. Might there be more?
Tennessee Warbler – July 12, Nortel Marsh, Ottawa.
Ottawa and area bird sightings to 8 July 2021
by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca
Shortest report in months, but some early migrants such as a Northern Parula. Can the fall flood be far behind? Look for some returning shorebirds this week.
Red-winged Blackbirds, Strathcona Park, by Judith Gustafsson. Judith found flocks of blackbirds feeding on the green algae on the rocks. During the breeding season their diet is mostly animal in nature. Were they picking invertebrates out of the algae? The immature bird on the left is starting to look a lot like an adult, but still has that yellow in the lower bill. It’s also in a soliciting pose. Judith saw it flapping its wings begging to be fed.
Juvenile Ring-billed Gull, Andrew Haydon Park, by Tony Beck. Tony says: Gulls are among the most difficult bird-identification challenges anywhere. Because of their similarities, it’s often easier to tell a gull’s age than which species it is. Fortunately, they like to be in the open and are relatively easy to observe. If you want to rise to the gull identification challenge, start by studying the most common local breeder – Ring-billed Gull. It takes “Ring-bills” 3 years to reach full adult plumage. Look for them now to familiarize yourself with the abundant juveniles (like the one in this photo). There will likely be adult plumages in their proximity, many in transition from breeding to winter. As the season progresses, look for subtle changes from juvenile to first winter, and adult breeders into adult winter. Almost in adult plumage, you should begin noticing small numbers of 2nd year birds among them. When Ring-billed Gulls return in spring, the adults will be in their immaculate breeding colours. Once you become familiar with the various plumages of Ring-billed Gulls, it should be much easier to notice different species.
Immature Peregrine Falcon and Eastern Kingbird, Mud Lake, by Alan Short. Is the kingbird a medium-sized flycatcher whose largest prey is a dragonfly? Yes. Is the peregrine a bird-killing machine and the fastest bird in the air? Yes. Yet Alan captured their natural relationship – the falcon made the mistake of entering the kingbird’s territory, and the kingbird is having none of it. The poor falcon is literally upside-down as it tries to escape. If you zoom in you can see the tiny red spot on the kingbird’s head. If you see that in real life, it’s time to run.
Adult molting Black-crowned Night-Heron, Andrew Haydon Park, by Tony Beck. Feathers always tell a story. Notice how this heron’s flight feathers are being replaced. The primary feathers, usually the outermost 10-11 feathers, are extremely important for flight, and so are replaced gradually rather than all at once. Here we see a gap showing a missing primary, and the next feather is shorter than the outer primaries, but longer than the feather next to it, indicating it is halfway grown.
Upland Sandpiper, Panmure Road & Upper Dwyer Road, by Arlene Harrold. If you find yourself out in the field wondering what kind of a self-respecting shorebird hangs out on a post in a field far from a shore, congratulations, you’ve found an Upland Sandpiper. Well camouflaged for their preferred breeding habitat, they can extend that neck considerably to look over the grass or snatch a bug. Sometimes all you see is a head on a thin neck peeking out of the grass.
Short-billed Dowitcher – Reported along the Ottawa river. Not unexpected for this time of year, but hopefully a harbinger of good things to come.
Lesser Black-backed Gull – Rapides Deschênes, Gatineau.
Yellow-throated Vireo – Continued until at least July 3 on Stonecrest Road (at the railway tracks), Ottawa.
Carolina Wren – Frank Ryn & Elmhurst Parks, Ottawa. Wychwood, Gatineau. Sentier des Voyageurs near the Champlain bridge, Gatineau. Recreational trail, Russell, Prescott and Russell.
Lincoln’s Sparrow – Dolman Ridge Road, Ottawa.
White-winged Crossbill – July 4, Quigley Hill Road, Ottawa. If there is at least one White-winged Crossbills in Ottawa, and Red Crossbills just outside the OFNC circle in Lanark, are we sure there aren’t more crossbills inside the circle?
Northern Parula – July 2, singing south-east corner of the Britannia Conservation Area.
Blue-winged Warbler – Jul 01, Ramsay Concession 5A, The Quarry, Lanark.
Tip from the local eBird reviewers: Remember that incidental counts are intended for any incomplete checklists that you submit on eBird. Travelling and stationary counts are intended to be a complete list and count of all the birds that you encounter. These complete counts are used for statistical analysis of population trends so please be sure to use incidental if you are not paying careful attention to everything around you or if you are only recording highlights.
Ottawa and area bird sightings to 1 July 2021
by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca
A quiet week, which is good, because–and I don’t want to panic anyone–the first Fall migrants arrived in the form of Greater Yellowlegs this week.
Yellow Warblers, Petrie Island, by Arlene Harrold. It’s not unusual for a fledgling to appear bigger than the parent. Fledglings can often be quickly identified by the fleshy yellow gape at the base of the mouth, especially obvious in species that don’t have yellow bills, and an overall fuzziness lacking in the streamlined adult on the right.
Great Crested Flycatcher, Mud Lake, by Alan Short. If you see a bird that normally quickly swallows its prey carrying around a beak full of food, it’s probably a parent collecting food for its off-spring. There is a special code for that in eBird, and using it helps researchers understand breeding patterns. Spiders are particularly important food items for young birds. Many juveniles birds get most of their energy and water requirements from caterpillars, but spiders contain an amino acid called taurine critical for brain development.
White-breasted Nuthatch fledgling, Fletcher Wildlife garden, by Judith Gustafsson. Here is a more advanced immature than the Yellow Warbler. No real gape and a noticeably mature bill shape, but the bill is yellow, not adult blue-gray and black. And It’s so fuzzy! Judith found a pair of immature nuthatches, capable of some flight, but still waiting around for the parents to bring the food.
Indigo Bunting, Schnupp Road, by Bree Tucker. A tireless singer, with a loud bouncy song that should be easy to recognize, this common brilliant blue bird can sing for hours from highly visible perches…and yet still feel impossible to find.
Downy Woodpeckers, Petrie Island, by Janet McCullough. Challenge time – Is the adult male on the right feeding an immature? Is there enough information to know the answer?
Sandhill Crane – Smith Road, Navan, Ottawa.
Least Sandpiper – Richmond CA (formerly Richmond Sewage Lagoons), Ottawa.
Solitary Sandpiper – Richmond CA (formerly Richmond Sewage Lagoons), Ottawa.
Greater Yellowlegs – June 30, Ile Kettle, Gatineau. Another on the 27th off Stonecrest Road, Ottawa.
Lesser Black-backed Gull – Rapides Deschênes, Gatineau.
Bonaparte’s Gull – June 30, Britannia Point, Ottawa.
Caspian Tern – Deschênes Rapids.
Yellow-billed Cuckoo – Kinburn Side Road, Ottawa. Stonecrest Road, Ottawa.
Red-headed Woodpecker – Lac McGregor, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais. All six adults are still present at Constance Bay, Ottawa.
Red-bellied Woodpecker – Stonecrest Road, Ottawa.
Yellow-throated Vireo – Stonecrest Road, Ottawa.
Sedge Wren – Concession Road 7B, Almonte, Lanark. Canaan Road, Ottawa.
Carolina Wren – Beaver Pond Trail (Kanata), Ottawa. Frank Ryn & Elmhurst Parks, Ottawa. Wychwood, Gatineau.
Pine Siskin – Northwoods Drive, Ottawa.
Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas tip from the best atlas region: You may be strolling along, enjoying all the birdsong in #themighty24 and even identifying some or most. You likely know that songbirds are able to perform these vocal aerobatics due to their specialized “voice box” called a syrinx: their trachea splits into separately controlled bronchial tubes. But instead of leaving those songsters as possible breeding birds based on only hearing them sing, try to catch a glimpse of that bird. You might be pleasantly surprised to see that little Chestnut-sided Warbler you are hearing is actually singing WHILE carrying food! The structure of the syrinx enables them to switch from one side to the other without taking a breath, or having to drop their food! You’ve just birded in “Atlas Mode” and as a result of your careful observation, you are able to actually CONFIRM breeding!
Ottawa and area bird sightings to 24 June 2021
by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca
For the first time in months, no rarities reported, and fall migration doesn’t start for a couple of weeks. So it’s a great time to get caught up on your atlassing. Go get those local breeders!
Female Baltimore Oriole, Brewer park, by Judith Gustafsson. It might appear injured, but Judith pointed out that the bare patch of skin is a “brood patch.” Many parents sitting on eggs will lose feathers from the belly and even grow extra arteries near the skin to better transfer heat to the eggs.
Marsh Wren, Marais aux grenouillettes wildlife refuge, by Arlene Harrold. Where there is Marsh Wren, there is Least Bittern. Birders have found many great birds here recently (and historically).
Juvenile European Starlings, Mud Lake, by Alan Short. Many insects have an aquatic stage and emerge en masse in huge clouds to breed as adults. In response, many bird species exploit this bounty, but so many insects fly at once that the next generation should still survive, despite the gluttonous birds. An event like this is called an emergence. Or as the Starlings refer to it: “a buffet.”
Vesper Sparrow, near Russell, by Gregory Zbitnew. Note the chestnut patch as the only colour on this otherwise gray sparrow. For a great tactic for finding Vespers, see the eBird tip below.
Black Tern, Smith’s Fall at The Swale, by Arlene Harrold. The smallest tern in the OFNC circle, it is also probably the easiest to identify from its size, dark gray breast and flanks, and black head.
Sandhill Crane – Carp Hills, Mer Bleue Bog, Smith Road (Navan), all Ottawa.
Semipalmated Sandpiper – Richmond CA (formerly Richmond Sewage Lagoons), Ottawa.
Semipalmated Plover – Richmond CA (formerly Richmond Sewage Lagoons), Ottawa.
Solitary Sandpiper – Richmond CA (formerly Richmond Sewage Lagoons), Ottawa.
Lesser Black-backed Gull – Rapides Deschênes, Gatineau.
Least Bittern – Reported from Baie McLaurin, Marais des laîches, Marais aux grenouillettes (all Gatineau), and on the Ottawa side at Champlain Street Marsh, and the Petrie Island Causeway. Rideau River south of Hunt Club. Probably much more wide-spread, but under-reported.
Yellow-billed Cuckoo – Hansen Road (off Upper Dwyer Hill road), Ottawa.
Red-headed Woodpecker – Lac McGregor, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais. Constance Bay, Ottawa.
Olive-sided Flycatcher – June 17, Green Creek from P27 Parking lot, Ottawa.
Sedge Wren – Concession Rd 7B, Almonte, Lanark. Concession 7 north of Clayton Road, Lanark. Nortel Marsh, Ottawa. Farmers Way North, Ottawa. Chemin Cross Loop, and Chemin Pine, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais.
Carolina Wren – Continues at Frank Ryn & Elmhurst Parks, Trend Arlington Park, and Beacon Hill North, all Ottawa. Sherbrooke Street East, Perth, Lanark.
Lincoln’s Sparrow – Continues at Mer Bleue, Ottawa.
eBird tip from the local reviewers: If you are out collecting data for the Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas, note that there are some very under-reported species that can easily be found by tweaking your search methods. One example is Vesper Sparrow. These sparrows are actually quite common in our region and can be heard singing in fields that have been recently tilled (bare fields) or soybean fields where the plants are not yet very big. Although they will use high quality grasslands, they seem to be much more common in these recently disturbed areas.
Summer is here and a great variety of young birds are being seen – and heard – across our region.
Did you know that your observations are valuable to the Third Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas? It’s a province-wide volunteer-based project to map the distribution and abundance of Ontario’s approximately 300 breeding birds. Data from the previous two Ontario Atlases have provided enormous contributions to bird and environmental conservation over the last 40 years.
For more information and to register for this important citizen science effort, please visit: https://www.birdsontario.org
#youcanatlasthat
Ottawa and area bird sightings to 17 June 2021
by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca
A brief window between migrations, with locally uncommon birds such as Yellow-billed Cuckoos and Yellow-throated Vireos seeming more findable this year, and a breeding plumage Red-throated Loon giving great views. Perhaps best of all, a brief overnight stay by a Western Kingbird.
Osprey, Cameron Harvey Drive, by Alan Short. Those talons look impressive, but the Osprey’s fishing gear is more sophisticated than just long sharp claws. A toe on each foot is reversible to allow it to hook prey solidly from both directions, and the pads on the bottom of the feet are barbed. Their feet are perfectly equipped to deal with struggling slippery fish.
Red-throated Loon, Carleton Place, by Aaron Hywarren. In Ottawa, the normal view of a Red-throated Loon is a distant drab speck in bad weather, and maybe if you squint real hard, showing a small upturned bill. This beautiful bird was fishing close to shore until June 16.
Pied-billed Grebe with chick, 10th Line-Mer Bleue, by Janice Stewart. The camouflage patterns of baby birds and other animals can be stunning, and often don’t make sense to humans. In this case, the white patches that seem so obvious to us also break up the profile of the head.
Common Gallinule with chicks, Ross Road Mars, by Arlene Harrold. In this scene from The Dark Crystal, the life-like puppets travel across the Unending Swamp…. Unlike grebe juveniles, rail juveniles are often black, which is excellent camouflage if you spend most of your time in the dark angular shadows of a marsh. Mmm, maybe less effective wandering around the open like this.
Great Blue Heron, Rideau River, by Judith Gustafsson. Judith found this bird 20 metres up a tree, which is not how we are used to seeing them during the day, as they hunt shallow waters. Great Blue Herons build large nests high in dead trees, preferably in swamps with lots of dead trees, so they can form a colony where most land predators cannot reach them.
Blackburnian Warbler, Larose Forest, by Derek Dunnett. This is the only orange-throated warbler that breeds in North America, so one might expect it to be easy to find. But its niche is high in the forest canopy, and the distinctive high-pitched final syllable of its song is harder and harder to hear as a birder ages. So any sighting of one brings joy.
Alder Flycatcher, Almonte, by Tony Beck. Tony says: Although this flycatcher has a substantial bill and faint eye ring, it’s always best when members of the Empidonax genus reveal their species identity with their vocalizations.
Male Eastern Towhee, Carp Ridge, by Tony Beck. If the hard-drinking Alder Flycatcher is easily identified by calls for “Free Beer!”, then the Eastern Towhee is just as easily distinguished by its drink preference: “Drink your tea!”
White-winged Scoter – Jun 11, Rockcliffe Airport Woods, Ottawa.
Common Goldeneye – Jun 11, Rockcliffe Airport Woods, Ottawa.
Sandhill Crane – Mer Bleue bog, Ottawa.
Black-bellied Plover – June 09, Chemin Industriel, Gatineau. June 12, Ottawa River pathway, Ottawa.
Semipalmated Sandpiper – June 16, Parc Brébeuf, Gatineau.
Solitary Sandpiper – June 15, Richmond CA (formerly Richmond Sewage Lagoons), Ottawa.
Lesser Black-backed Gull – Rapides Deschênes, Gatineau.
Red-throated Loon – June 14-16, Bridge street, Carleton Place, Lanark.
Cuckoos continue to be reported calling everywhere, even suburban city parks.
Yellow-billed Cuckoo – Wagon Drive, Thomas A Dolan, Fine Estate, Rockcliffe Airport Woods, all Ottawa.
Red-headed Woodpecker – The Lac McGregor bird continued until at least June 12, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais. The Constance Bay birds are attempting three nests this year, which is a lot of Red-headed Woodpeckers.
Western Kingbird – Jun 11-12, Britannia CA, Ottawa.
Yellow-throated Vireo – Continues in Dunrobin (Carp Hills), on Monty drive in Constance Bay, along the Jock River through Richmond Fen, McBean Street in Richmond, and in the Rockcliffe Airport Woods, all Ottawa.
Sedge Wren – Concession 7 north of Clayton Road, Lanark. Nortel Marsh, Ottawa. Canaan Road, Sarsfield. The Canaan bird is right on the border of Ottawa and Prescott Russell.
Carolina Wren – Continues at Frank Ryn & Elmhurst Parks, Ottawa. Trend Arlington Park, Ottawa.
Northern Mockingbird – A pair reported June 12 at the Ottawa International Airport.
Lincoln’s Sparrow – Mer Bleue Bog.
Nelson’s Sparrow – Actually photographed–which is no easy feat–Jun 13-14, Baie McLaurin, Gatineau.
Tennessee Warbler – A handful of late warblers reported this week, one from Munster Road, and another from Sarsaparilla Trail, Ottawa. One from Petrie Island, Ottawa.
eBird tip from the local reviewers: If you are atlassing, take careful note of the temperature and your impression of overall bird song. The cool mornings recently have really depressed bird song and point counts will be artificially low if they are conducted on such days.
Ottawa and area bird sightings to 11 June 2021
by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca
Finally a quiet week with nothing more exciting than some amazing American White Pelicans! And this time they stuck around just long enough for many people to see them.
Wilson’s Snipe, Watts Creek, by Arlene Harrold. Look closely at the placement of the eye and how it protrudes from the skull. Does it seem like the bird might be able to see behind it’s own back? According to Cornell, it can see almost as well behind as forward. That’s a useful ability when one is both delicious and prone to spending time with their bill six inches deep in the mud.
Adult American White Pelican, Britannia Point, by Janice Stewart. In this close up you can see the black patch on the head that tells us this is an adult bird. How big is a pelican compared to other birds? One adult weighs more than 2 Great Blue herons (or more than 2000 Ruby-throated Hummingbirds).
Juvenile European Starling, Strathcona Park, by Judith Gustafsson. Although this starling has some golden highlights from the early morning sun, juveniles are easily identified by how gray they appear compared to the black adults. Juvenile feathers have less melanin, trading faster growth for less strength.
Adult Common Loon, Mississippi River, by Janet McCullough. Ever notice how water birds seem to spend an awful lot of time scratching their own butts? They use the tip of their bills to collect oil from the preen gland near the base of the tail, and then use it to keep their feathers in good condition. Most birds have this gland, but water birds seem especially obsessed, as they must constantly fight the effects of water exposure.
Adult male Wilson’s Phalarope, Bruce Pit, by John King. The subtle color of this bird during breeding season identifies it as a male.
Breeding plumage Semipalmated Sandpiper, Richmond Lagoon, by Tony Beck. If you are going to memorize one shorebird, this is the one. Knowing the length, size and shape of this specie’s bill, and noticing how the tips of the wing feathers align with the end of the tail, and just keeping a solid search image of this bird in your mind will open up the world of shorebirds. Many of the rarities are spotted by how they differ from this bird.
Adult breeding Great Egret, Andrew Haydon Park, by Tony Beck. Once locally rare, these beautiful birds now breed here annually. And once upon a time, they were rare everywhere, as they were chased towards extinction by the feather trade. Practical feathers for pillows or beds to keep humans warm? Nope, those long trailing plumes were worth a fortune as accents on fashionable people’s hats.
Redhead – June 5, Carleton Place Drainage pond, Lanark.
American White Pelican – 3 on June 5-6, 1 on June 7. Are these the ones that previously flew to Montreal? Rapides Deschênes , Gatineau, but also visible from Britannia Point, Ottawa. A single bird reported from Mississippi Mills, Lanark, on June 7.
Sandhill Crane – Locally rare but known breeders, Dolman Ridge Road, Ottawa.
American Coot – Reported June 5, The Swale, Lanark.
Black-bellied Plover – June 8-9, Parc Brébeuf, Gatineau.
Least Sandpiper – Parc Brébeuf, Gatineau, Quebec
Semipalmated Sandpiper – Richmond CA (formerly Richmond Sewage Lagoons), Ottawa. Deschenes Rapids Lookout, Ottawa.
Wilson’s Phalarope – A single male, June 08, Bruce Pit, Ottawa.
Greater Yellowlegs – June 7, Richmond CA, Ottawa.
Lesser Yellowlegs – June 5, Greenbelt Pathway West, Ottawa.
Lesser Black-backed Gull – Rapides Deschênes, Gatineau.
Caspian Tern – Britannia CA, as well as Remic Rapids Lookout, Ottawa.
Eurasian Collared Dove – June 3, Cambrian Road, Ottawa.
Yellow-billed Cuckoo – Thomas A Dolan, Rockcliffe Airport Woods, on the Jock River downstream of the Richmond fen, all Ottawa.
Red-headed Woodpecker – Chemin de la Symphonie, Val-des-Monts, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais.
Yellow-throated Vireo – Continues in Dunrobin (Carp Hills), and along the Jock River through Richmond Fen, Ottawa.
Sedge Wren – 3 on June 7 at Long Bay and Burridge Road, Lanark. Another at Nortel marsh on June 10.
Carolina Wren – Continues at Frank Ryn & Elmhurst Parks, Ottawa. Britannia CA, Ottawa. Wychwood, Gatineau.
Lincoln’s Sparrow – Locally rare, but breeding at Mer Bleue Bog.
Nelson’s Sparrow – A surprise singer was reported on June 5, Greenbelt Pathway West, Ottawa.
Orchard Oriole – May 26-June 4, Richmond CA, Ottawa.
Cerulean Warbler – Carbine Road & Trail, Lanark. Just a smidge outside the OFNC circle.
eBird tip from the local reviewers: It’s the time for juvenile sparrows. These can be really tricky! Any Lincoln’s Sparrows away from Mer Bleue will require photo documentation. Check out the great birding article on separating young sparrows at
Birding article on separating young sparrows.
Ottawa and area bird sightings to 3 June 2021
by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca
More exciting shorebirds, a Little Gull, and a late-breaking Eurasian Collared-dove!
Ring-billed Gull, Rideau River just below Carleton University, by Judith Gustafsson. Ever wonder what gulls eat besides fries? Opportunistic and adaptable, gulls eat a wide range of foods. Judith observed many Ring-billed Gulls diving for crayfish this week. They dove down into the water, submerged completely, and if successful, emerged from the water with prey in their beak.
Marsh Wren, Petrie Island, by Tony Beck. It’s interesting that Marsh Wrens and Red-winged Blackbirds share habitant and mating strategies. Males mate with multiple females. Is there something about the environment that rewards this strategy?
Green Heron, Ferguson Falls, by Janet McCullough.
Female Purple Finch, Cumberland, by Tony Beck.
Eastern Kingbird, Woodlawn, by Tony Beck.
Turkey Vulture, Ottawa Pathway, by Paul Stewart. This view makes it easy to see how a Turkey Vulture is often mistaken for a Wild Turkey.
Redhead – Baie Simard, Gatineau.
Ruddy Duck – Moodie Quarry, Ottawa.
Trumpeter Swan – Four on June 02, Baie Fraser, Gatineau.
Horned Grebe – In full breeding plumage, May 29, Baie Simard, Gatineau.
Eurasian Collared-dove – Reported from the corner of Cambrian Road West and Old Richmond Road, Ottawa
Yellow-billed Cuckoo – Thomas A Dolan, Rockcliffe Airport Woods, and Richmond – Jock River downstream of Fen, all Ottawa. Other birds singing YBCU songs are being recorded, for example on Dolman Ridge Road, but require visual confirmation.
Sandhill Crane – Dolman Ridge Road, Ottawa.
White-rumped Sandpiper – June 03, Richmond CA (formerly Richmond Sewage Lagoons), Ottawa.
Red Knot – As many as 32 on June 01, Baie Simard, Gatineau. Also seen from Britannia Point Ottawa.
Black-bellied Plover – Jun 02 Pont Champlain, Gatineau, Moody Pond, and Andrew Haydon Park, Ottawa.
Wilson’s Phalarope – May 17-June 2, Greenbelt Pathway West, Ottawa. Viewing is more challenging due to long grass, but great June birds.
Red-necked Phalarope – May 31, Baie Simard, Gatineau, and Britannia Point Ottawa.
Whimbrel – May 28, Greenbelt Pathway West, Ottawa.
Lesser Black-backed Gull – Rapides Deschênes, Gatineau.
Little Gull – May 30, Baie Simard, Gatineau.
Red-throated Loon – June 02, Grandview Road (Crystal Beach boat ramp), Ottawa.
Caspian Tern – Britannia CA, and Constance Creek, Dunrobin, Ottawa.
Red-headed Woodpecker – Chemin de la Symphonie, Val-des-Monts, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais.
Yellow-throated Vireo – Dunrobin (Carp Hills), and along the Jock River through Richmond Fen, Ottawa.
Carolina Wren – Continues at Frank Ryn & Elmhurst Parks, Ottawa. Wychwood, Gatineau.
Lincoln’s Sparrow – Mer Bleue Bog, Ottawa.
Orchard Oriole – May 26-Jun 01. A first-year male at the Richmond CA (formerly Richmond Sewage Lagoons), Ottawa, singing near the observation platform.
Cerulean Warbler – Murphys Point Provincial Park, McParlan House Trail. Outside the 50k, but a great bird.
The DND property at Shirley’s Bay is now restricted to official business only. If this changes in the future, there will be an announcement.
Ottawa and area bird sightings to 27 May 2021
by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca
A big push of shorebirds and great migrants such as lots of Dunlin and Black-bellied Plovers, Blackpoll and Wilson Warblers, and a single Ruddy Turnstone. Some other amazing birds such as Laughing Gull, Red Knot, Hudsonian Godwit, Orchard Oriole and Pelicans! Many individuals and flocks were seen from both shores of the Ottawa River in what seemed like some great teamwork among birders.
First-year male Orchard Oriole, Richmond Conservation Area, by Gillian Mastromatteo. This brash yet handsome first summer bird looks very little like the subtle chestnut and black older male. Note how frayed the tail feathers are. Immature birds often have weaker feathers than mature birds, because of differences in molt timing in the first year, or in really young birds, because it’s more important to put the energy into fledging than building long-lasting feathers.
Yellow-billed Cuckoo, High Lonesome, by Arlene Harrold. The cuckoos are back, and are frequently confused for each other, as they are heard far more often than seen, and have overlapping songs. Yet somehow we have two gorgeous cuckoo photos submitted this week. The yellow lower mandible is an obvious field mark, but the rufous in the wing shows remarkably well, even in quick wing flashes as the bird disappears in the millisecond before you press the shutter.
Black-billed Cuckoo, near North Gower, by Tony Beck. Here we see the bill is all black, and the wing is dull brown, not rufous. See the eBird tip above about reporting these species as heard-only.
Least Bittern, Dunrobin, by Aaron Hywarren. More common than it would seem from the hours it takes to actually see one. If a wetland in Ottawa has Marsh Wrens, there are probably Least Bittern too. But good luck seeing them. And they laugh unseen from the reeds, adding insult to injury.
Female Wood Duck with her 4 ducklings, Billings Bridge, by Judith Gustafsson. Unlike songbirds that spend vulnerable days or weeks in the nest, juvenile ducks are precocial, meaning the young can move around on their own almost immediately after hatching. Parents still provide some care and protection.
Arctic Tern, Britannia, by Aaron Hywarren. Unlike Common Terns which breed locally, Arctic Terns are usually only seen in Ottawa a couple of days a year as they migrate through.
Male Scarlet Tanager, Ravine Park, Orleans, by Sherry Nigro. Despite their scarlet color, the males can be hard to see, but fairly easy to hear right now, as they are singing their raspy song all over the Greenbelt and any decently-sized forest in the region.
Great Blue Heron, Britannia, by Alan Short. Not just a stunning composition, this photo hints at how many different feather types a single bird can have.
Redhead – Westbrook Rd., Ottawa From 22 birds on the 21st, the flock dwindled to a single bird, last reported May 24.
Snow Goose – One at Riverain Park, Ottawa. A pair at the Centre touristique du Lac-Simon, Papineau.
Trumpeter Swan – Singles reported: Marais des Laîches, Gatineau. Heaphy Road. Marlborough Forest, Ottawa. McTeer Road, Prescott and Russell
Yellow-billed Cuckoo – Burnt Lands Road Ottawa. Watts Creek pathway, Ottawa.
Sandhill Crane – Dolman Ridge Road, Ottawa.
Hudsonian Godwit – May 26, Parc Brébeuf, Gatineau.
Red Knot – A flock of 5-7 on May 26, Baie Simard, Gatineau. Also seen from Britannia Point, Ottawa.
Wilson’s Phalarope – May 17-27, Greenbelt Pathway West, Ottawa. May require patience and a scope. A great opportunity to see male and female plumage as a pair linger.
Lesser Black-backed Gull – Britannia Point, and Moodie Quarry, Ottawa.
Laughing Gull – May 21, Deschenes Rapides, Ottawa.
Red-throated Loon – May 25, Shirley’s Bay, Ottawa and Parc des Cèdres, Gatineau.
American White Pelican – 4 seen flying east over the river on May 21. Possibly the same 4 were seen in Montreal the same day.
Caspian Tern – Britannia CA, and Shirley’s Bay (Boat launch), Ottawa.
Arctic Tern – 4 photographed May 24, Rapides Deschênes, Gatineau.
Red-headed Woodpecker – At least two adults continue in Constance Bay, Ottawa. Lac-McGregor, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais. Chemin de la Symphonie, Val-des-Monts, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais. Copeland Road, Ottawa.
Carolina Wren – Continues at Frank Ryn & Elmhurst Parks, Ottawa. Wychwood, Gatineau.
Evening Grosbeak – The last reports? May 23, Manotick, Ottawa. Rolston Way, Kanata, Ottawa.
Dark-eyed Junco – May 24, Mer Bleue Bog, Ottawa, singing. Rockcliffe Park & McKay Lake, Ottawa.
Orchard Oriole – May 26-27. A first-year male at the Richmond CA (formerly Richmond Sewage Lagoons), Ottawa, singing and nest-building near the observation platform.
Rusty Blackbird – Twin Elm Road Wetlands, Ottawa.
Cerulean Warbler – Murphys Point Provincial Park, Lanark: Silver Queen Mine Trail, McParlan House Trail, and Lally Homestead Trail. Berry Side Road, Dunrobin.
eBird tip from the local reviewers: Two species pairs pose problems for birders when it comes to heard only birds: Blue-winged and Golden-winged Warblers and Black-billed and Yellow-billed Cuckoos. These species pairs cannot be confidently separated by their vocalizations. Because Golden-winged Warbler and Black-billed Cuckoo are the expected species of their sister species pairs in our region, we accept eBird records of these from heard only birds. However, if you want records of Blue-winged Warbler and Yellow-billed Cuckoo accepted for either eBird or the atlas, you need to actually see these birds. Golden-wings and hybrids routinely sing Blue-winged Warbler songs. Black-billed Cuckoos often sing Yellow-billed songs and often give perfect imitations. If you have a Yellow-bill that slips into Black-billed song briefly, it is almost certainly a Black bill. If it only sings like a Yellow-bill, you need to see it to confirm.
Ottawa and area bird sightings to 20 May 2021
by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca
More warblers, more shorebirds, and huge numbers of Brant and Bonaparte’s Gull migrating through. The great Blue Jay migration continues during the day.
Adult breeding Bonaparte’s Gulls, Petrie Island, by Tony Beck. Many of these gorgeous birds are passing through the OFNC region right now.
Black-crowned Night Heron, Airport Parkway bike trail, by Allan Robusky. Fairly common breeders in the Ottawa area, this is another species that seems to surprise many people. Despite the vibrant white, it is surprising how well they disappear into the trees at the water’s edge when not hunting.
Juvenile Carolina Wrens, Frank Ryn & Elmhurst Parks, by Sanam Goudarzi. Sanam has been carefully observing the male since the winter, noticed when he was joined by a female, and was ready to snap this picture of the fledgling young when they arrived. Young birds are easily identified by the yellow gape at the corner of the mouth.
Adult male Black-throated Blue Warbler, Andrew Haydon Park, by Alan Short.
Semipalmated Plover and Least Sandpiper, Richmond Conservation Area, by Janice Stewart. Great composition with the tiny plover towering over the world’s smallest shorebird, the Least Sandpiper. If an observer stops moving, both of these species will come very close to them.
Yellow-throated Vireo, Ottawa, by Aaron Hywarren. The least common of the annual vireos in Ottawa, this one is easily identified by its yellow spectacles.
Tree Swallows, Brewer Park, by Judith Gustafsson. If you’ve ever wondered how they hang on with their short little legs when mating, now you know. They cheat.
Wilson Phalaropes, Ottawa, by Arlene Harrold. Phalaropes have a fascinating form of breeding plumage and behavior. Sure, the females still lay the eggs, but the rest of the sex roles are reversed. The female is brightly colored to attract males, and each female will mate with multiple partners, then leave all the child-rearing to the more subtly colored males.
Garganey – A heart-breaking single observer sighting, never refound bird, at Shirley’s Bay, Ottawa, on May 17.
Redhead – Britannia Pier, Ottawa.
Brant – Moving through in big numbers. Look for them flying over Ottawa, then turning west to follow the river.
Snow Goose – One or two between Champlain Bridge and Britannia, on the Ottawa River.
Black-bellied Plover – Moodie Drive Quarry, Ottawa.
Wilson’s Phalarope – May 17-20, Greenbelt Pathway West, Ottawa. May 18-19, Holland’s Marsh, Ottawa.
Lesser Black-backed Gull – Britannia Point, and Moodie Quarry, Ottawa.
Iceland Gull – May 19, Rapides Deschênes, Gatineau.
Caspian Tern – Shirley’s Bay (Boat launch), Ottawa.
Arctic Tern – May 19, Rapides Deschênes, Gatineau.
Red-headed Woodpecker – At least two adults continue in Constance Bay, Ottawa. A rare sighting outside Constance Bay on Copeland Road (Ashton), Ottawa. Another at Lac-McGregor, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais.
Red-bellied Woodpecker – Shirley’s Bay, Britannia CA (general location), Stanley Park, all Ottawa.
Yellow-throated Vireo – May 15, Richmond CA (formerly Richmond Sewage Lagoons), Ottawa. Malakoff Rd, Paden to Cowell, (Richmond), Ottawa.
Olive-sided Flycatcher – Terry Carisse Park, Ottawa.
Northern Mockingbird – May 17, Murphys Point Provincial Park–Silver Queen Mine Trail, Lanark. Remic Rapids Lookout, Ottawa.
Gray-cheeked Thrush – Reported from the Sentier du corridor Champlain, Gatineau,
Carolina Wren – Frank Ryn & Elmhurst Parks, Ottawa.
White-winged Crossbill – Monty Drive, Ottawa.
Common Redpoll – Guertin Ave. Last one in Ottawa?
Evening Grosbeak – Still lots of reports of single birds and pairs.
Blue-winged Warbler – May 15, Richmond CA, Ottawa.
Cerulean Warbler – May 18, Murphys Point Provincial Park, Lanark. Singing May 18-20, Berry Side Road, Ottawa.
Louisiana Waterthrush – Continues on Sentier Lauriault, Parc de la Gatineau, Gatineau.
Prothonotary Warbler – Reported on Magladry Road, Ottawa, May 20.
Not quite triggering a rare alert, but still much desired, warblers such as Golden-winged Warbler and Canada Warbler returned this week.
E-Bird tip from the local reviewers: We had record numbers of Carolina Wren and Red-bellied Woodpecker in Ottawa this winter. Some are hanging around and now is the time to look for breeding evidence; freshly fledged Carolinas are already being seen! If you do find either of these breeding please report them to e-Bird and to the Atlas.
Ottawa and area bird sightings to 14 May 2021
by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca
Another week, another vagrant! A Ruff showed up on the 10th at the Richmond Lagoons. Warbler diversity and numbers continue to increase, at the same time as more winter finches (Evening Grosbeaks, Pine Siskins, Redpolls) show up at feeders on their way north. It’s the best of spring and winter birding! Brant migrated up the river 8-9 May, along with Common Loons, Bonaparte Gulls, and more grebes. Blue Jays are passing through in large numbers during the day.
Female Ruff, Richmond Lagoons, by Aaron Hywarren. That is excellent camouflage. The nearby Yellowlegs stand out by comparison. Differentiated from the similar-sized Lesser Yellowlegs by the small, drooped bill, the buffy head, the black back feathers with the lovely scalloped edges, the orange (not yellow) legs, and the dark chevrons along the flank.
Female Ruff, Richmond Lagoons, by Arlene Harrold, with Lesser Yellowlegs. A lovely comparison in flight shot! Not all the id points are visible in this view, but check out the overall buffiness, and the slightly shorter, slightly dropped bill. In comparison, the Yellowlegs’ eye ring pops, and its bill is regulation straight.
Palm Warbler – Andrew Haydon Park, by Tony Beck. Tony says: “Male and female Palm Warblers look similar. But, they consist of two subspecies – Western/Brown and Eastern/Yellow. Interestingly, Western is a common migrant here while Eastern is a rare migrant, and a rare nester in our local bogs. Their breeding range overlaps east of the Ontario/Quebec border, well north of Ottawa. Within this overlap region, subspecies sometimes interbreed. With prominent yellow on the throat and undertail, the individual in this photo superficially looks like the Western subspecies. However, the extent of yellow on the face, breast, belly & flanks is more than what I expect from a typical Western. This suggests that this bird is either a Western at the yellowish extreme, or an Eastern/Western intergrade.”
Hoary Redpoll, Ottawa, by Maureen Mark. This Hoary Redpoll is long overdue for a northern departure, but has just found another Hoary friend. Have they decided on an extended vacation?
Chimney swift, Overbrook, by Bertrand Michaud. A cigar with wings. Pre-colonization, these birds nested in hollow trees. Now they nest almost exclusively in human structures.
American Redstart male in full song. Britannia by Alan Short. Those front facing bristles are modified feathers called rictal bristles. What do they do? Long believed to act as an insect catching net, they are now thought to be used for sensory input.
This beautiful leucistic white-throated sparrow is hanging in South Mountain. Picture by Carole Duford. Interesting that the yellow, made from different compounds than the brown, is unaffected.
Male Cape May Warbler, Britannia, by Gregory Zbitnew. Ever notice that male warblers show up and start singing before the females arrive? They race north to establish the best territories, and the females can take more time and less risk.
Eurasian Wigeon – Britannia on May 9.
Long-tailed Duck – Marais aux grenouillettes, and Parc des Cèdres, Gatineau.
Black Scoter – Shirley’s Bay. Not rare, White-winged Scoter also reported.
Trumpeter Swan – Heaphy Road, Shirley’s bay, and Moodie Drive Quarry, Ottawa.
Sandhill Crane – Baskin Drive East (Arnprior), Fine Estate, Mer Bleue, and Petrie Island, Ottawa.
Red-headed Woodpecker – Constance Bay, Ottawa.
Red-bellied Woodpecker – Shirley’s Bay, and Kanata Lakes, Ottawa. Rue de Saint-Malo, Gatineau. Parc de Plaisance, Papineau.
Dunlin – Holland’s Marsh, the ponds just North of the Moodie Drive Quarry, and Richmond Sewage lagoons, Ottawa.
Black-bellied Plover – Dilworth road (Kemptville), Ottawa.
Ruff – Identified on May 13 at the Richmond Conservation Area, Ottawa. An adult female spent the day mostly hiding in the vegetation in the North (mostly dry) lagoon, and occasionally flying or swimming with Lesser Yellowlegs in the middle Lagoon. This incredibly well camouflaged bird requires patience, and a scope wouldn’t hurt. The bird was photographed but not identified on the 10th. Weird shorebirds are always worth a second or third look.
Purple Sandpiper – Continues on the rock at the base of the Deschênes rapids on the Gatineau side.
Some of the smaller shorebirds occasionally reported from Richmond lagoons, Wesley Clover park, and Petrie Island, Ottawa, as well as Parc de Plaisance, Papineau.
Lesser Black-backed Gull – Andrew Haydon Park, Britannia Point, Ottawa. Moodie Quarry and Trail Road Landfill, Ottawa. Rapides Deschênes, and Parc Brébeuf, Gatineau.
Neotropic Cormorant – Continues to the 13th. More variation in its travels recently. Reported recently from Dow’s lake, Lemieux Island, Britannia Point, and still roosting at night in Gatineau.
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher – Hurdman Wood, Ottawa.
Yellow-throated Vireo – Vincent Massey/Hog’s Back Parks, and Strathcona Park on May 9, Ottawa.
Hoary Redpoll – Applewood Acres, Ottawa. Not satisfied with being an extremely late solo record, this bird has found a friend and the pair continues as of the 13th.
Common Redpoll – Everywhere in small numbers.
White-winged Crossbill – Crazy Horse Trail, Ottawa.
Evening Grosbeak – Everywhere in small numbers.
Louisiana Waterthrush – Sentier Lauriault (Parc de la Gatineau), Gatineau
Golden-winged Warbler – Birchgove Road (Sarsfield), Ottawa.
Orange-crowned Warbler – Birchgove Road (Sarsfield), Ottawa.
E-Bird tip from local reviewers: One duo that occasionally trips up observers are the two yellowlegs. Their status changes over the migration period: Greater is commoner in April, Lesser in May. If you are not sure, please record them as Yellowlegs species.
Ottawa and area bird sightings to 7 May 2021
by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca
A tale of two vagrants! No, it’s not a cut and paste error (this time). The region’s exceptional spring continues with two new mega-rare birds: a Painted Bunting and an Eurasian Collared Dove. Amazingly, the Purple Sandpiper and the Neotropical Cormorant continued until at least May 5. Winter Finches – Common and Hoary Redpolls, Evening Grosbeaks, and Pine Siskins continue to hit local feeders. American Tree Sparrows and Fox Sparrows linger. Shorebirds are beginning to build up, and Richmond is a good spot to see them. A good selection of warblers was seen.
Female plumage Painted Bunting, Hilda Road feeders, by Tony Beck. Only the second confirmed record for Ottawa, this beauty has been fairly cooperative for birders. Gaps between feeder visits can be as long as 90 minutes or more.
Eurasian collared-dove, Hilda Road feeders, by Aaron Hywarren. Introduced to the Bahamas only in the 1970’s, this species spread rapidly across North America. Compared to our native Mourning Dove, it has: red eyes, the collar on the back of the neck, a square tail quite unlike the work of art that is the Mourning’s tail, and is a bit bigger. This is the first confirmed record for Ottawa.
‘Green’ Pine Siskin, Hammond, by Bree Tucker. The yellow on most Pine Siskins is very subtle, but for a small number it is very striking. This morph is referred to as green Pine Siskin, because bird names are weird, whether for official species or just interesting color variations. Why call a yellow bird yellow when you can call it green?
Palm Warbler (Eastern subspecies), Andrew Hayden Park, by Richard Rowlee. The Western subspecies of Palm Warblers is our expected bird, and they flooded in this week. This locally less common bird, however, is identified as an eastern breeder from it’s vibrant yellow color that extends over the breast, belly, and undertail, as well as the red stripes on it’s breast. Derek is surprised it’s not called a green morph.
Greater Yellowlegs, Brewers Park, by Judith Gustafsson. Sometimes the Yellowlegs species feel challenging to tell apart, but this bird has the classic markers even without a Lesser for comparison: the bill is 1.5 times the length of the head, slightly upturned, and gray at the base, and the bird sports heavy barring on the flanks.
Common Raven, Britannia, by Alan Short. That poor baby Snapping Turtle was hatched last year, survived the cruel winter, only to become a probably unrewarding lunch for this raven.
Leucistic male Downy Woodpecker, central Ottawa, by Amberlea Williams. Look how frayed almost every feather on this birds body appears. White feathers are weaker than black feathers, and don’t last as long.
Horned Grebe, Shirley’s Bay, by Janice Stewart. We don’t see many of these, and especially not close to shore, but there was a large movement here last week. Janice caught this shot of a bird in beautiful breeding plumage. This bird will return in the fall wearing shades of grey and white instead of red.
Greater White-fronted Goose – May 3, Baie Parker, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais.
Cackling Goose – May 3, Baie Parker, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais.
Long-tailed Duck – Parc des Cèdres, Gatineau.
Ruddy Duck – Parc de Plaisance (Tête de la Baie), Papineau.
Sandhill Cranes are passing through, seen or heard flying over many locations, as well as returning to local breeding areas such as Mer Bleue, Ottawa.
Eurasian Collared-Dove – Seen on May 5 only, as birders were looking for the Painted Bunting at the Hilda Road feeders, Ottawa.
Ruby-throated Hummingbird – Rainbow Lake, Lanark. Elm Grove Road, Perth, Lanark. Kettles Road, Ottawa.
Red-headed Woodpecker (5) – Len Purcell Drive (Woodlawn), Ottawa.
Red-bellied Woodpecker – Chemin Champlain, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais. In Ottawa on Monty Drive, Hilda Road feeders, Shirley’s Avenue, and Kanata lakes, Ottawa. Rue de Saint-Malo, Gatineau. Parc de Plaisance, Papineau.
Purple Sandpiper – Continues on the magic rock at the base of the Deschênes rapids on the Gatineau side.
Iceland Gull – Britannia Point, Ottawa. Moodie Quarry (the northern ponds), Ottawa.
Lesser Black-backed Gull – Britannia Point, Ottawa. Moodie Quarry and Trail Road Landfill, Ottawa.
Caspian Tern – Constance Lake (southern bay), Ottawa. Rapides Deschênes, Gatineau.
Neotropic Cormorant – Continues to spend most days at Dow’s Lake, Ottawa, with the Double-crested Cormorants. Roosts in Gatineau at night, visible from the Sentier des Voyageurs. Seen most days from April 21-May 05.
Rough-legged Hawk – Breckenridge, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais.
Carolina Wren – Pair continues in Frank Ryn & Elmhurst Parks, Ottawa. Britannia CA, Ottawa.
Hoary Redpoll – Applewood Acres, Ottawa. Seen up to May 6, this is possibly the latest ever Ottawa spring record for this species.
Red Crossbill – Flock continues in Larose Forest, Prescott and Russell.
White-winged Crossbill – Visiting a feeder on Monty Drive, Ottawa.
Painted Bunting – Female plumage, Hilda Road feeders, Ottawa, seen daily from May 2 to 6. Sightings can be 90 minutes apart.
Cape May Warbler – Hilda Road feeders, and the Arboretum, Ottawa. Parc de Plaisance, Papineau.
Palm Warbler – Everywhere. The locally less common Yellow or Eastern Palm Warbler seen at Andrew Haydon Park and Britannia CA on May 02.
Northern Parula – Kizell Pond, Ottawa.
The DND property at Shirley’s Bay is now restricted to official business only. If this changes in the future, there will be an announcement.
Ottawa and area bird sightings to 29 April 2021
by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca
A tale of two vagrants! A rare Willow Ptarmigan followed the usual mega rarity script and was not seen again, but the Neotropical Cormorant broke with tradition, and seems to have set up a pattern that allows for as many (distant) photos as a birder could ask of a lifer. In the background, expected birds continue to stream in early, geese linger, and winter finches trickle back north.
Female Purple Martin, Dick Bell Park, by Tony Beck. Large numbers of swallows arrived in the district this past week, and Purple Martins are our largest swallows.
Willow Ptarmigan, Sarsfield, by Devon Fyson. For a moment on April 25, this tundra breeder hung out in Sarsfield. Some populations of Willow Ptarmigan do migrate in winter, but migration is relative, and a warm summer vacation for this hardy bird is still hundreds of kilometres north of Ottawa.
Tree Swallows, Brewer Park Pond, by Judith Gustafsson. Judith found a few more Tree Swallows starting to use the new nest boxes this week.
Purple Sandpiper, Deschênes Rapids, by Jon Ruddy. Spring records of this shorebird are rare, but one has been seen on the same rock twice this week. If there is only one good enough rock, maybe that is why the records are so rare.
Pair of Pied-billed Grebes, Nepean, by Jarrett Hather. Unlike most of our ducks which are dimorphic, grebe females and males are hard to tell apart.
Carolina Wren, Frank Ryn and Elmhurst, by Sanam Goudarzi. Having successfully overwintered at the north of his species range, this wren now faces the next challenge – finding a mate. He has been singing away for a while, and may have succeeded, as Sanam noticed a second, silent, bird recently.
Greater White-fronted Goose – Richmond Sewage Lagoons, Ottawa on the 29th. Pair reported Apr 28, Parkway Rd, (Greely), and another on Armitage Ave, Ottawa. On the 27th, in the small Ponds north of the main Moodie Ponds (near Cambrian), Ottawa, and the Kars flood plain, Rideau Valley Drive South, Ottawa.
Cackling Goose – Chemin Mulligan, and Chemin River (both Quyon), Chemin Kennedy (Luskville), Baie Parker, all in Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais.
Long-tailed Duck – Marais aux Massettes, Papineau. Parc des Cèdres, and Marais des Laîches, Gatineau.
Willow Ptarmigan – It wasn’t just finches and owls that came South this winter. Willow Ptarmingan were found in many places south of thier usual range, but Sarsfield on April 25? A team of excellent birders was unable to relocate the bird and it was never seen again. Those fields are worth a scan from the road.
Purple Sandpiper – On April 23, a rare spring sighting of Purple Sandpiper at the base of the Deschênes rapids on the Quebec side. Another(?) seen on the same rock on the 29. Close to the Quebec shore, they were just visible from Britannia Point, Ottawa, with a good scope, the right air conditions, and a lot of squinting.
Purple Sandpiper – On April 23, a rare spring sighting of Purple Sandpiper at the base of the Deschênes rapids on the Quebec side. It was seen again on the 29th. Close to the Quebec shore, it was just visible from Britannia Point, Ottawa, with a good scope, the right air conditions, and a lot of squinting.
Solitary Sandpiper – At the usual spot on Twin Elm Road, Ottawa.
Iceland Gull – Moodie Drive Ponds, Ottawa.
Lesser Black-backed Gull – Reports of first, second, and adult birds from Rapides Deschênes, Gatineau. First year bird reported from Moodie Quarry from Barnsdale, Ottawa.
Neotropic Cormorant – Continues to spend most days at Dow’s Lake, Ottawa, with the Double-crested Cormorants. Roosts in Gatineau at night, visible from the Sentier des Voyageurs. Seen most days from April 21-29.
Glossy Ibis – Reported Apr 23, from the Marais aux Massettes, Papineau. The bird was not refound.
Golden Eagle – Apr 25, Britannia Conservation Area, Ottawa. Apr 24, Brophy Drive (Kars), Ottawa.
Blue-headed Vireo – Reported Apr 18, Marlborough Forest (Roger’s Pond), Ottawa.
Warbling Vireo – Heard warbling in Stanley Park, Ottawa.
Grasshopper Sparrow – Panmure Road, Pakenham, Lanark.
Bobolink – Chemin Kennedy (Quyon), Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais.
Red Crossbill – Hammond, Prescott and Russell.
Northern Waterthrush – Osgoode Trail, Ottawa. Bedell Road south of Kemptville, Leeds and Grenville.
Scarlet Tanager – Cannonball trail, Ottawa.
A timely tip from the local eBird reviewers:
Did you know that the default scaup in Ottawa county is Lesser? Normally Lessers outnumber Greater, often by a ratio of 100:1 or more. This is particularly true away from Lac Deschênes. If you are not sure, please enter sightings as “scaup species.”
Ottawa and area bird sightings to 22 April 2021
by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca
Spring migration continues despite the cold, with Sora and Solitary sandpipers arriving, and Golden Eagle migration resumed on the 17-19.
Ring-necked Duck, Brewer Park Pond, by Judith Gustafsson. Named for the brown ring around the neck, this detail is almost never visible in real life. The white outline on the bill is actually visible from a surprising distance, and that super white spur on the side is noticeable from extremely far away, even in poor light. Both of those details are much more useful for identification than the eponymous ring.
Tree Swallow, Richmond CA, by Gregory Zbitnew. Counting the Purple Martin, we have six swallow species that nest in the region annually. Each has a different nesting strategy. Tree Swallows nest in old woodpecker holes (and human-made nest boxes).
Neotropic Cormorant, Dow’s Lake, by Aaron Hywarren. The Dow’s Lake bird is only the second record of this species for the OFNC Circle. It’s breeding range is from the North of Mexico to the Southernmost tip of South America. What’s it doing here? Probably feeling pretty small compared to all the native Double-crested Cormorants.
Female Red-winged Blackbird, Brewer Park Pond, by Judith Gustafsson. This has to be the most widely mis-identified bird in Ottawa. Male Red-winged Blackbird are everywhere in Summer, screaming loudly from prominent perches, and generally unmistakable. The females are cryptic, and tend to keep a low profile, making hidden nests in cattails. And when a female does venture out, she finds herself chased back into hiding by her possessive mate. So it’s no wonder new birders are unfamiliar with this common bird.
Horned Grebe, Ottawa, by Aaron Hywarren. This species winters on the East Coast and breeds in Western Canada (and Alaska), so in Ottawa we see them only for a short period during migration.
Common Grackle, Brewer Park Pond, by Judith Gustafsson. This bird is gathering nesting material, a sure sign of attempted breeding. Quick, someone atlas that bird!
Trumpeter Swan – Marlborough Forest (Roger’s Pond), Ottawa. Greenland Road Hawkwatch, Ottawa.
Long-tailed Duck – Three at Parc des Cèdres, Gatineau.
Solitary Sandpiper – Twin Elm Road, Ottawa.
Little Gull – Reported April 17, Rifle Road, Ottawa.
Iceland Gull – Rapides Deschênes, Gatineau. Moodie Drive Ponds, Ottawa.
Glaucous Gull – Moodie Drive Quarry, Ottawa.
Bonaparte’s Gull – Reported April 17, Britannia Park (pier), Ottawa.
Lesser Black-backed Gull – Rapides Deschênes, Gatineau. Parc des Cèdres, Gatineau.
Neotropic Cormorant – Only the second ever confirmed sighting of this species in the OFNC Circle. April 21 & 22 at Dow’s Lake, Ottawa, with the Double-crested Cormorants.
Golden Eagle – April 17, Cumberland Ridge Drive. April 18, Petrie Island. April 19, Greenland Road Hawkwatch, all Ottawa.
American Pipit – April 19, Parc des Cèdres, Gatineau.
Snow Bunting – April 17, Shirley’s Bay, Ottawa.
Lark Sparrow – The Ashton bird is apparently still around, at least as of April 21. McCaffrey Trail, Ottawa.
Did you know that your observations are valuable to the Third Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas? It’s a province-wide volunteer-based project to map the distribution and abundance of Ontario’s approximately 300 breeding birds. Data from the previous two Ontario Atlases have provided enormous contributions to bird and environmental conservation over the last 40 years.
For more information on this important citizen science effort, please contact the Ottawa Regional Coordinator at Ottawa@birdsontario.org. Or you could consider participating in the virtual launch of the first year of the third Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas on Saturday April 24 and Sunday April 25, 2021. Sessions scheduled throughout the weekend will provide volunteers with everything they need to know about atlassing and how they can get involved in Atlas-3. Click here for more
The DND property at Shirley’s Bay is now restricted to official business only. If this changes in the future, there will be an announcement.
Ottawa and area bird sightings to 15 April 2021
by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca
Not many new species since last week, but a stunning number of birds have arrived early this year. Vesper Sparrows are the latest species to join the sparrow invasion. Brown Thrashers and Great Egrets are suddenly everywhere.
Adult male Lesser Scaup – Andrew Haydon Park – Tony Beck. Tony says this individual reveals its diagnostic head shape with the peak on the head toward the back, behind the eye.
Pied-billed Grebe – Brewer Park – Judith Gustafsson. These small duck-like waterfowl have a haunting call that is frequently misidentified, and frequently used in movies.
Purple Finch – Hammond – Bree Tucker. Take a House Finch, dip it in Raspberry Juice, and make it live in the forest. Instant Purple Finch!
Vesper Sparrow – Russell – Erik Pohanka. Easily confused with Song Sparrows, Vespers are grayer, and that small and rarely seen rufous spot is a dead giveaway.
Pine Warbler – Mud Lake – Arlene Harrold. A small bird trilling from the top of a huge pine tree is usually either a Pine Warbler or a Chipping Sparrow. If you can see the songster, a bright yellow Pine Warbler is easy to identify. Even the underside of the tail is enough to id it, as those black slashes at the base of the tail are unique locally.
Rough-legged Hawk – Vances Side Road – Arlene Harrold.
Immature Red-shouldered Hawk – Galetta – Tony Beck. Tony says the clear, loud, “Kee-ahh” call of the Red-shouldered Hawk brought this youngster to our attention.
Ross’s Goose – Two hiding in a field of 4000 Snow Geese on Dunning Road (Sarsfield), Ottawa.
Redhead – A pair off Machardy Road, Arnprior, Ottawa.
Ruddy Duck – Giroux Road Ponds, Ottawa, on April 10-11.
White-winged Scoter – Shirley’s Bay, Andrew Hayden Park, and Britannia Point, Ottawa.
Trumpeter Swan – Constance Creek (at Thomas Dolan), Ottawa. Heaphy Road, North Gower, Ottawa.
Tundra Swan – Parc de Plaisance (Tête de la Baie), Papineau.
Greater Yellowlegs – Highway 17, Kinburn, Ottawa.
Lesser Yellowlegs – With more Greater Yellowlegs at the Fourth Line Rd and Callendor Road flooded fields, Ottawa.
Iceland Gull – Trail Road Landfill, Ottawa.
Glaucous Gull – Trail Road Landfill, Ottawa. Quigley Hill Rd, Ottawa.
Bonaparte’s Gull – Andrew Haydon Park, Ottawa.
Lesser Black-backed Gull – Rapides Deschênes, Gatineau. Baie Simard, Gatineau. Parc de Plaisance, Tête de la Baie, Papineau.
American Pipit – A flock of five birds on chemin Crossloop, Chelsea, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais.
Red Crossbill – A flock of 15, Big Rideau Lake, Lanark. Ten in Hammond, Prescott and Russell.
Palm Warbler – Beaver Pond Trail, Ottawa. Strathcona Park, Ottawa.
Yellow-rumped Warbler – Chapman Mills Conservation Area, Hurdman Bridge, Petrie Island, Britannia Conservation Area (Ridge), all Ottawa.
The DND property at Shirley’s Bay is now restricted to official business only. If this changes in the future, there will be an announcement.
Ottawa and area bird sightings to 8 April 2021
by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca
Adult male Wood Duck, Britannia, by Tony Beck. A beautiful photo and the image we tend to imagine in our minds of when thinking of Wood Ducks – a male in breeding plumage, moving gracefully in perfect light.
Red-Bellied Sapsucker, Hammond, by Bree Tucker. It’s fun to see a sapsucker on a tree with only three freshly dug holes so far. True to thier name, sapsuckers make wells in live trees to collect sap and any insects that get caught in the sticky liquid. When migrating Ruby-throated Hummingbirds arrive before there are enough flowers to feed off, they rely on such sapsucker wells.
Common Redpolls and Hermit Thrush, North River Road, by Emilia Michaud. Thrushes are rare at feeders, but this early Hermit is taking advantage of a ready food source.
Hoary Redpoll, Billings Bridge, by Peter Hall. Among the many redpolls still here lurk a few frosty white Hoary redpolls.
Male Dark-eyed Junco, Metcalfe, by Erik Pohanka. Although many juncos overwintered in Ottawa, many more flew south of us. Last weekend there were suddenly big flocks of male juncos migrating back through. In many species, the males pass the winter closer to the breeding grounds than the females. The males need to rush early to claim breeding territory, so they risk hasher winters and the possibility of arriving too soon.
Adult Tree Swallow, Richmond lagoons, by Arlene Harrold. The risk of a dangerously premature arrival is even higher for insectivores such as this swallow. If they time it correctly, they arrive to food flying around and suitable breeding cavities. A late spring or a prolonged cold spell is very challenging for swallows.
Female and male Wood Ducks, Davidson road, by Derek Dunnett. The other side of the Wood duck, and how it gets its name, is that not only do they spend time 40 feet up a tree like this pair, but the female will lay her eggs and brood them in a tree cavity.
Last weekend brought many early returnees. There was a big push of Brown Creepers and Golden-crowned Kinglets, so walking in the woods was a constant game of “What’s that high-pitched call?” Expect new birds this weekend.
Greater White-fronted Goose – Reported Apr 06, Holland’s Marsh (April 06), Cobb Lake Creek flood plain (April 04), and Embrum, Prescott and Russell.
Ross’s Goose – Andrew Hayden Park (April 02), Ottawa. Cobb Lake Creek flood plain (April 04), Prescott and Russell.
Barrow’s Goldeneye – Strathcona Park, Ottawa.
Redhead – Frank Kenny Road and area, Ottawa.
American Coot – Marais des Laîches, Gatineau.
Tundra Swan – April 05, Heritage Drive, Merrickville, Lanark. April 03, Cobb Lake Creek flood Plain, Prescott-Russell Recreational Trail (Curran), Prescott and Russell.
Greater Yellowlegs – Holland’s Marsh, Ottawa.
Iceland Gull – Moodie Drive Quarry on April 6, Ottawa.
Glaucous Gull – Moodie Drive Quarry, and Trail Road, Ottawa.
Lesser Black-backed Gull – Rapides Deschênes, Gatineau.
Tufted Titmouse – Flood Road (Marlborough Forest), Ottawa, on April 6.
Barn Swallow – Britannia Conservation Area (Filtration Plant/Point), as well as Fine Estate, Ottawa.
New sparrows are flooding in – Savannah, Chipping, and Field.
Eastern towhee – At Fletcher, singing south of the ravine on April 6, Ottawa.
Palm Warbler – Deschenes Rapids Lookout, Ottawa.
Pine Warbler – Crazy Horse Trail, Monty Drive, Britannia CA (forest and ridge), Deschenes Rapids Lookout, Petrie Island Park, Ottawa.
Yellow-rumped Warbler – Woodkilton Road, Britannia Conservation Area (Ridge), as well as Nepean Street, Ottawa. Domaine de la ferme Moore, and Sentier des Voyageurs, Gatineau.
Black-throated Blue Warbler – In addition to the three expected warblers above, a male Black-throated Blue was reported singing in Larose forest, Prescott and Russell.
Special note about Shirley’s Bay. The DND property is now restricted to official business only. If this changes in the future, there will be an announcement.
Did you know that your observations are valuable to the Third Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas? It’s a province-wide volunteer-based project to map the distribution and abundance of Ontario’s approximately 300 breeding birds. Data from the previous two Ontario Atlases have provided enormous contributions to bird and environmental conservation over the last 40 years.
For more information and to register for this important citizen science effort, please visit: https://www.birdsontario.org/
Ottawa and area bird sightings to 1 April 2021
by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca
Drake Hooded Merganser displaying – Mud Lake, Britannia, by Tony Beck.
Greater White-fronted Goose – Russell Road, by Arlene Harrold.
Cooper’s Hawk – Britannia, by Alan Short. Why do you think the accipiter family (Goshawk, Sharp-shinned, and Cooper’s) have a middle toe that is significantly longer than the others? The long toe is visible in this shot.
Sandhill Cranes – Smith Road, by Janice Stewart.
Golden-crowned Kinglet, Mud Lake, by Sanam Goudarzi.
Drake Wood Duck, Billings Bridge, by Judith Gustafsson.
Eastern Bluebird, Hammond, by Bree Tucker.
Spring continues with the return of ducks, herons, egrets and cranes. A surprising number of swallows showed up for the last days of March.
Greater White-fronted Goose – Moodie Drive Quarry, Frank Kenny, Milton Road, Richmond Lagoon, Wall Road, all Ottawa.
Pink-footed Goose – Milton Road on the 27th and 30th. Where was it on the 28-29th?
The flood plain at Milton Road has been very generous with waterfowl this week: Northern Shoveler, Redhead, Gadwall, Green and Blue-winged Teal, both Trumpeter and Tundra Swans, and even a singing Vesper Sparrow, as well as the aforementioned rare geese. Frank Kenny has been good as well.
Long-tailed Duck – A pair in breeding plumage east of the Rapides Deschênes.
Trumpeter Swan – In Prescott and Russell at Cobb Creek flood plain, Lalonde Road, and Clarence Creek. In Ottawa at Vances Side Road (Dunrobin), Roger’s Pond, and Dilworth Road (Kemptville), Ottawa.
Tundra Swan – Usually rarer than Trumpeters in the region, but many sightings this week:
Lalonde Road, Clarence Creek, Riceville Floodplain, all Prescott and Russell
Red-necked Grebe – Britannia Point, Ottawa, on the 31st.
Golden Eagle – Eagles continue migrating through the region. Cobb Lake Creek flood plain, Prescott and Russell. Moodie Drive, Kars, and Frank Kenny, Ottawa.
Glaucous Gull – Moodie Drive Quarry, and the Trail Road landfill, Ottawa.
Black-crowned Night Heron – Pair photographed in the Hunt Club area on the 29th-30th.
Red-headed Woodpecker – Continues on Bayview and/or Goodin Street, Ottawa.
Tree Swallow – Rideau Trail between Scotch Line and Wild Life Road, Lanark. Constance Creek, Andrew Hayden Park, Britannia Conservation Area, Shirley Avenue, Richmond Lagoons, Kars, in Ottawa.
Barn Swallow – Andrew Hayden Park, Britannia Conservation Area, Ottawa.
Red Crossbill – Larose Forest, Prescott and Russell.
Lark Sparrow – McCaffrey Trail, Ottawa, near Ashton.
Yellow-rumped Warbler – Britannia Conservation Area (Woods), Ottawa.
Special note about Shirley’s Bay. The DND property is now restricted to official business only. If this changes in the future, there will be an announcement.
Did you know that your observations are valuable to the Third Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas? It’s a province-wide volunteer-based project to map the distribution and abundance of Ontario’s approximately 300 breeding birds. Data from the previous two Ontario Atlases have provided enormous contributions to bird and environmental conservation over the last 40 years.
For more information and to register for this important citizen science effort, please visit: https://www.birdsontario.org/
Ottawa and area bird sightings to 25 March 2021
by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca
Spring roared into town, and the dawn chorus rings with drama! The first warbler and hummingbird of the season were photographed this week. Suddenly Woodcock skydance nightly, Eastern Phoebes bob away, and Fox Sparrows kick the leaves. Six species of geese reported on the 25th. Too many early FOY to list.
Pine Warbler, Monaghan Forest, by Catherine Lawrence. Usually one of the first warblers to arrive, these tough birds eat more seeds than most warblers, and are very flexible in their cold-weather diet.
Two Richardson’s Cackling Geese, Emerald Meadows, by Tony Beck. Tony says these are likely a bonded pair travelling north with the Canada Geese – note smaller size, shorter neck, stubby bill and squarish head.
Eastern Meadowlark, Navan, by Tony Beck. One of our most striking breeding birds, with a beautiful song as well. This rural bird can be found overgrown fields.
European Starling, Brewer Park, by Judith Gustafsson. Derek says the first Meadowlark he hears in Ottawa every single year turns out to be a starling. Starlings are skilled mimics and total jerks. If you hear a warbler, meadowlark or phoebe in a heavily urban area, look for a starling.
Ring-necked Ducks, Milton Road, by Janice Stewart. Unlike most of our diving ducks, Ring-necked Ducks eat a mostly plant-based diet.
The Third Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas is a valuable citizen-science project that we can all participate in.
Ross’s Goose – Cobb Lake Creek flood plain, Prescott and Russell (along with 45,000 Snow Geese) on the 25th.
Greater White-fronted Goose – Frank Kenny, Milton Road, and Thomas Dolan at Carp River, Ottawa.
Barnacle Goose – Sorry about mixing up my Aylmers last time, but this week there really is a Barnacle Goose on the Carp flood plain, March 22-25. Honestly. Check John Shaw / Grant Side Road.
Trumpeter Swan – Dunrobin (Constance Creek), Greenland Road Hawkwatch, and Heaphy Road (Marlborough Forest), Ottawa.
Tundra Swan – (5) Cobb Lake Creek flood plain, March 23, Prescott and Russell.
Barrow’s Goldeneye – Anywhere from Strathcona Park to Billings Bridge, Ottawa.
Redhead – Britannia Yacht Club, and Milton Road (Vars), both Ottawa.
Many other duck species hit town, including Northern Shoveler, Northern Pintail, Long-tailed Duck, and Gadwell, all seen from the Britannia Yacht Club, Ottawa. Pintails and Shovelers seen from Milton Road as well.
White-winged Scoter – Britannia Point, Ottawa.
Golden Eagle – Migrating through now. Reported this week over the Cobb Lake Creek flood plain, Prescott and Russell, as well as Milton Road, Preston Street, Perrault Road, Brophy Drive, Ottawa.
Sandhill Crane – Heritage Drive (Montague), Lanark. Chemin Therien, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais.
Lesser Black-backed Gull – As many as 4, seen from Parc Moussette, to the Rapides Deschênes, Gatineau.
Ruby-throated Hummingbird – Milton Road, Ottawa, March 22.
Red-headed Woodpecker – Continue on Bayview and/or Goodin Street, Ottawa.
Lark Sparrow – After a mysterious two week absence, the Lark Sparrow is back on McCaffrey Trail, Ottawa, near Ashton.
Pine Warbler – Well photographed in Monaghan Forest, Ottawa, March 20. Look for other early warblers.
With the arrival of spring, you have probably enjoyed our local birds beginning to breed. Many more species will be arriving in the weeks ahead.
Did you know that your observations are valuable to the Third Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas? It’s a province-wide volunteer-based project to map the distribution and abundance of Ontario’s approximately 300 breeding birds. Data from the previous two Ontario Atlases have provided enormous contributions to bird and environmental conservation over the last 40 years.
For more information and to register for this important citizen science effort, please visit: https://www.birdsontario.org/
Ottawa and area bird sightings to 18 March 2021
by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca
This week brought new geese and blackbirds to town! Check flocks of both for rarities and other new arrivals. The big flocks are still south of us, but at least five species of geese are here now. Killdeer are back and Woodcock will soon follow.
Female Pine Grosbeak, Shirley’s Bay , by Tony Beck. Tony says that although most Pine Grosbeaks have left, there are still small numbers present in the Ottawa District.
Small goose, Billings Bridge, by Judith Gustafsson. Cackling Goose or small Canada? Not much bigger than a mallard, and one of the three small geese there that day, smaller than the other Canadas. Short neck. Forehead not steep enough, bill not short enough to make it easy. A small Canada holding its head low? It’s worth studying every bird, but it’s not always worth driving yourself crazy identifying every bird. But since Derek is going to anyway, let’s call it a small Canada Goose.
Bohemian Waxwings, Billings Bridge, by Maureen Mark. Maureen found a flock of 50 Bohemians polishing off the last of the berries. Bohemian will soon be much rarer locally.
Cedar Waxwing, Trail at Birchgrove, by Bree Tucker. As the Bohemians wane, the Cedars will … uh, wax? The Cedars will breed locally, and soon be the dominant waxwings until next winter.
Hermit Thrush, Mud Lake, by Ed Hodgins. At least one tough little Hermit Thrush managed to over-winter at Britannia. It must be very sick of buckthorn berries by now, especially since given its purgative properties.
Incoming songbird of death! Northern Shrike, Vance’s Side Road, by Janet McCullough.
Greater White-fronted Goose – Eagleson storm water ponds, Mar 17, and the Jock River at Eagleson Road on the 14th, both Ottawa.
Trumpeter Swan – Rideau Creek at Rideau River, Ottawa. Donnelly Drive (Merrickville), Ottawa.
Barrow’s Goldeneye – Anywhere from Strathcona Park to Hurdman Bridge, Ottawa. Time is running out to list this bird.
Lesser Black-backed Gull – Parc Moussette, Gatineau.
Golden Eagle – Eagles are migrating through now. Look for tiny dots migrating high up, or swirling panicked masses of geese. Sightings from Emerald Meadows, Milton Road, and Vance’s Side Road Ottawa, or anywhere along the escarpment in Quebec.
Red-shouldered Hawk – Richardson Road, (Merrickville), Lanark. Greenland Road Hawkwatch, Ottawa.
Red-Bellied Woodpecker – Kanata Lakes, Shirley’s Bay (Hilda Feeders), Britannia CA. Parc du Lac-Leamy, Gatineau. Chemin Fer- à-Cheval/sentier des Libellules, Gatineau. Rue de Saint-Malo, Gatineau.
Red-headed Woodpecker – Continues on Bayview and/or Goodin Street, Ottawa.
Tree Swallow – March 11 at the Rapides Deschênes, Gatineau.
Carolina Wren – Everywhere.
Eastern Bluebird – Greenland Road Hawkwatch, Ottawa.
Hermit Thrush – Britannia CA, Ottawa, and Lime Kiln Trail, Ottawa.
Winter finches seem to be winding down.
Pine Grosbeak – One on March Valley Road, one at the Hilda Road feeders, Ottawa. 6 on Winding Lane, Ottawa.
Red Crossbill – Three over Clarence Cambridge, Limoges, Prescott and Russell. 25 in Larose Forest, Prescott and Russell. These birds are showing breeding behavior including males feeding females and lots of singing. And of course, Crazy Horse Trail, Ottawa.
White-winged Crossbill – Eight in Larose Forest, Prescott and Russell, loosely associated with the Red Crossbills.
Swamp Sparrow – Stony Swamp (Chipmunk Trail), Ottawa
Ottawa and area bird sightings to 11 March 2021
by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca
Thursday evening as I type there is a glorious southwest wind that is surely bringing back the migrants, and maybe even some vagrants to the region. And now a storm to drop the birds down into our laps. Get out and bird Friday and this weekend.
Trumpeter Swan, Carleton Place, by Tony Beck. From a distance, few sights are as graceful and peaceful as a pair of bonded swans. Trumpeters however are great believers in personal space, and the peaceful illusion is quickly shattered when the wrong bird gets too close to another, and suddenly you have a 12-kg hissing, striking, and biting dinosaur with great reach.
Common Goldeneye, Deschenes Rapids, by Arlene Harrold. Courting activity is increasing among the ducks, as these males try their best to impress the female.
Northern Pintail, Mud lake, by Kevin Baldelli. This presumably bonded pair arrived together this week.
Female and male Red Crossbill, Larose Forest, by Bree tucker. In Red Crossbills the bills cross equally often to each direction. In White-winged crossbills the lower bill crosses to the right 75% of the time. What the heck, evolution? What could be the advantage that makes a trait 3 times more likely, but only for one of the two similar species.
Lark Sparrow, Ashton, by Tony Beck. One of the three local celebrity birds to successfully make it to March. Like the Kars Titmouse and the Fernbank Boreal Chickadee who are also wintering out of range, this bird sticks close to a human source of seed.
Large Black birds, Ottawa, by Janet McCullough. Blackbirds? Crows? Nope, a rafter of Wild Turkeys.
Female Wood Duck, Billings Bridge, by Judith Gustafsson. The appearance of the feathers of a wood duck varies by sex, season, health, light, and angle of view, resulting in what feels like an infinite array of plumages.
Green-winged Teal – Nepean Creek, and Billings Bridge, Ottawa.
Long-tailed Duck – Rapides Deschênes, Gatineau.
Barrow’s Goldeneye – Billings Bridge, Ottawa.
Ring-necked Duck – Britannia Conservation Area (CA), Ottawa.
Lesser Scaup – Bate Island, Ottawa.
Pied-billed Grebe – Britannia CA, Ottawa.
Sandhill Crane (2) – Murphys Point Provincial Park-Lally Homestead & Trail, Lanark.
Turkey Vulture – Lismer Crescent (Kanata), Shirley’s Bay (Hilda Road feeders), Tewin Circle (Orléans), Ottawa.
Golden Eagle – Veterans Memorial Hwy (Richmond), Britannia CA, and Gossamer St., Ottawa.
Red-Bellied Woodpecker – Kanata Lakes, Shirley’s Bay (Hilda Feeders), Britannia CA. Parc du Lac-Leamy, Gatineau. Corner of Castor and Gregoire, and Plantagenet, Prescott and Russell.
Red-headed Woodpecker – Continues on Bayview and/or Goodin Street, Ottawa.
Boreal Chickadee – Fernbank, Ottawa.
Tufted Titmouse – Kars.
Winter Wren – Rapides Deschênes, Gatineau,
Eastern Bluebird – Sentier des Voyageurs, Gatineau.
Hermit Thrush – Merivale Gardens, and Britannia CA, Ottawa.
Red Crossbill – Many reports: Highway 7 (Maberly), Lanark. Crazy Horse trail, Chipmunk Trail, Jack Pine Trail, and Central Riverside South, Ottawa. Larose Forest, Prescott and Russell.
White-winged Crossbill – Parc de la Gatineau – Chemin Eardley Masham, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais. Britannia CA, Ottawa. Domaine de la ferme Moore, Gatineau. Larose Forest, Prescott and Russell.
Northern Mockingbird – Lac Leamy, Gatineau.
Eastern Towhee – Fine Estate, Ottawa.
Lark Sparrow – Ashton.
Swamp Sparrow – Stony Swamp (Chipmunk Trail), Ottawa
Ovenbird – Reported from Britannia CA . Did the early winter bird manage to survive here?
Ottawa and area bird sightings to 4 March 2021
by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca
Forget robins. They overwinter here. The return this week of the beloved Ring-billed Gull heralds the true change of the seasons! Get your shrikes and redpolls now before they are gone.
Lapland Longspur (and photobomb by Horned Lark), north of Crysler, by Bree Tucker. Never common in Ottawa, longspurs breed in the far north, and mostly winter well south of Ottawa. But every year a few pass the winter here among flocks of Snow Buntings. Like the larks and buntings, they are easiest to see on quiet farm roads, and with patience they may come quite close to a photographer who holds still and/or uses their car as a blind.
Hairy Woodpecker, Mud Lake, by Arlene Harrold. This unusual perspective nicely shows how these birds hold themselves away from the tree using their stiff tail. The extra point of contact may also help support the bird’s weight.
American Goldfinch, Fletcher Wildlife Garden, by Judith Gustafsson. Primarily seen as seed eaters, goldfinches will also eat fruit (as seen here), some small insects, and even spring buds and bark.
Hooded Merganser, Rideau river, by Kevin Baldelli. Another week, another happy hoodie with a presumably less happy crayfish. If anyone is curious about Ontario’s ten species of crayfish, here is a link.
Green-winged Teal – Nepean Creek, Ottawa.
Long-tailed Duck – Rapides Deschênes, and Parc Moussette, Gatineau.
Barrow’s Goldeneye – Strathcona Park, Ottawa.
Ring-necked Duck – Riverain Park, Ottawa.
Wood Duck – Sentier du Ruisseau-de-la-Brasserie, Gatineau. Billings Bridge, Ottawa.
Gray Partridge – Magladry-Heuvelmans Road, Ottawa. Last reported on the 27th. Deep snow in this location may have forced them to seek better foraging.
Northern Flicker – Fletcher Wildlife Garden, Ottawa.
Red-Bellied Woodpecker – Kanata Lakes, Shirley’s Bay (Hilda Feeders), Britannia CA . Parc du Lac-Leamy, Gatineau. Corner Castor and Gregoire, Prescott and Russell.
Red-headed Woodpecker – Continues on Bayview and/or Goodin Street, Ottawa.
Boreal Chickadee – Fernbank, Ottawa.
Carolina Wren – Britannia CA, Island Park Drive, du Bois Ave., Delong/Combermere,
Eastern Bluebird – Sentier des Voyageurs, Gatineau.
Fewer reports of crossbills, but both species still present in some places such as Larose Forest Grant Road trails, Prescott and Russell, and Red Crossbills have been consistent all winter on the Crazy Horse trail.
Northern Mockingbird – Continues at Lac Leamy, Gatineau.
Eastern Towhee – The female towhee in Fine Estate, Ottawa, is very close to successfully overwintering.
Lark Sparrow – Ashton. Last reported Feb. 28.
Red-winged Blackbird – Rue Rémi, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais, CA-QC. Caprihani Way, Ottawa.
Common Grackle – Maberly, Lanark.
Rusty Blackbird – Continues in Quyon, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais.
Ottawa and area bird sightings to 25 February 2021
by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca
New for the year, a Northern Mockingbird singing in Gatineau is a sign of Spring, or perhaps misplaced optimism.
Black-back Woodpecker – Loch Garry Trail, by Janet McCullough. Outside the OFNC circle, but a great find this winter at Loch Garry Trail, Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry, on the 20th.
Red-Headed Woodpecker, Constance Bay, by Janet McCullough. At least one of the Red-Headed Woodpeckers is over-wintering in Constance Bay.
Female Hooded Merganser, Billings Bridge, by Kevin Baldelli. Diet varies by region and season, but crayfish make up a significant food source for these mergs. Bonus points if you can id the species of crayfish.
Green-winged Teal, Billings Bridge, by Kevin Baldelli. Just a hint of the namesake green patch on the wing, but no question about id.
Mallard, Strathcona Park, by Judith Gustafsson. Speaking of id features, this is more challenging. At first glance it might look like a hybrid. Male-like plumage, but a female from the dark patch atop the bill. These are often older females experiencing a hormonal change. This happens in many species, but locally we notice it most often in mallards. If it happened in a species where the male and female bill are not significantly different, would we even notice?
Carolina Wrens, Frank Ryan Park, by Gillian Boyd. What’s better than a Carolina Wren? Two Carolina Wrens! And hopefully a sign of breeding.
Green-winged Teal – Billings Bridge, Ottawa.
Long-tailed Duck – Rapides Deschênes, Gatineau.
Turkey Vulture – Trans-Canada Highway near Walkey Road, Ottawa
Northern Goshawk – Lodore Road, Lanark.
Black-backed Woodpecker – Outside the OFNC circle, but a great find this winter at Loch Garry Trail, Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry, on the 20th.
Northern Flicker – Fletcher Wildlife Garden, Ottawa.
Red-headed Woodpecker – Continues on Bayview and or Goodin Street, Ottawa.
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker – Photographed in Metcalfe, Ottawa.
Canada Jay – Continues on Lavant, Lanark.
Boreal Chickadee – Fernbank, Ottawa.
Eastern Bluebird – Sentier des Voyageurs, between Parc Moussette and
golf Château Cartier, Gatineau. Quigley Hill Road (Cumberland),
Ottawa.
Northern Mockingbird – Reported several times at the Marais nord, Lac Leamy, Gatineau.
Eastern Towhee – Fine Estate, Ottawa.
White-throated Sparrow – Raftsman Lane, Ottawa.
Song Sparrow – Wolf Grove Road, Lanark.
Lark Sparrow – Ashton bird continues.
Red-winged Blackbird – Caprihani Way, Ottawa.
Ottawa and area bird sightings to 18 February 2021
by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca
The Great backyard Bird Count and perhaps the lifting of lockdown led to a huge number of reports this week. Some of the irruptive species that went south for the winter seem to be dispersing round the region as well.
Northern Horned Larks – Vernon, by Tony Beck. Tony says: “For me, the first sign of spring is when I see increased numbers of Horned Larks in our local farm fields. Although a small number might stick around for the winter, many Horned Larks begin their return through Eastern Ontario’s open country by mid to late February.”
Common Redpoll and Evening Grosbeak, Metcalfe, by Erik Pohanka. Appreciated by species as diverse as tiny redpolls and huge grosbeaks, black oil sunflower seeds pack a very high caloric payload. Mammals as varied as mice, black bears, and certain primates enjoy them too.
Cooper’s Hawk, Fletcher Wildlife Garden, by Judith Gustafsson. Juvenile Cooper’s (and Sharpie’s) chase agile squirrels into and even through trees, but usually give up in frustration. Every once is a while though.
Carolina Wren, Kars, by Bill Buchanan. Our largest wren continues to be reported in amazing numbers this winter. If they all survive the winter – the obstacle that restrains their range expansion – we can expect even more next year.
Red-tailed Hawks, Eagleson Road, by Janet McCullough. A pair of Red-tails hanging out together in February is probably a breeding pair.
Wood Duck – Sentier du Ruisseau-de-la-Brasserie, Gatineau. Billings Bridge, Ottawa.
Green-winged Teal – Nepean Creek Park, Ottawa. A Gadwall x Mallard hybrid at the same location.
Long-tailed Duck – Rapides Deschênes, Gatineau.
Barrow’s Goldeneye – Between Hurdman Bridge and Adawe Crossing Bridge, Ottawa.
Great Blue Heron – Parc de la Gatineau–Lac-des-Fées, Gatineau.
Turkey Vulture – Five gathered at road kill in Cumberland Village, Ottawa.
Golden Eagle – Reported from Ridgetop road, Ottawa.
Gray Partridge – Latest reports from Beckwith Park, Lanark, and Dunning Road, Navan.
Belted Kingfisher – Kanata Lakes, and at March Valley Road, Ottawa.
Northern Flicker – Fletcher Wildlife Garden, Ottawa.
Red-bellied Woodpecker – Dozens of reports this week from all over the region.
Red-headed Woodpecker – Continues on Goodin Street, Ottawa.
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker – A big surprise, continuing at Van Rens Street, Metcalfe, Ottawa.
Canada Jay – Continues on Lavant, Lanark.
Boreal Chickadee – Fernbank, Ottawa.
Eastern Bluebird – A pair continues in Gatineau on the Sentier des Voyageurs, between Parc Moussette and golf Château Cartier.
Hermit Thrush – South West corner of Britannia. Stoney Swamp South West of the intersection of NCC 24 and the Trans Canada Trail.
Another near Rideau Hall.
Gray Catbird – reported overwintering in Bel-Air Heights, Ottawa.
Evening Grosbeak – After a few quiet weeks, suddenly flocks everywhere. Dozens of flocks reported from all over the circle. A spot that continues to be reliable is the Dewberry Trail Parking Feeder, Ottawa.
Pine Grosbeak – Everywhere, but small flocks and single birds, smaller numbers than Evening.
Eastern Towhee – Fine Estate, Ottawa.
Lark Sparrow – Continues near Ashton.
White-throated Sparrow – A flock of five in hurdman Woods, and then several single birds: Sherbrooke St. E., Perth, Lanark. In Ottawa
at: Monty Drive, Shirley’s Bay (Hilda Road feeders), Britannia Road, Nepean creek, Mandor Cres., (Metcalfe), and Raftsman Lane.
A surprising number of blackbirds this week:
Red-winged Blackbird – The overwintering male continues near Caprihani Way, Ottawa.
Brown-headed Cowbird – A male on Aikens, Ottawa, present for a week. Another reported from Manotick.
Rusty Blackbird – A continuing bird on Chemin Stanley, Quyon, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais.
Common Grackle – River Road, Ottawa.
Ottawa and area bird sightings to 11 February 2021
by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca
Northern Shrike, Prescott/Russell recreation trail, by Janice Stewart. Janice identified this as a first-year or immature bird, based on the incomplete gray band behind the eye, pale base of the bill, and brown cheek. An adult bird presents more starkly: dark areas blacker, pale areas whiter.
Female Common Goldeneye, Adawe Bridge, by Kevin Baldelli. From the shore, the female plumage seems drab compared to the male, but up close the colours are beautiful and the eye is stunning.
Male Common Goldeneye, Adawe Bridge, by Kevin Baldelli. That powerful bill excels at prying mussels off the bottom of the river. Compare it to a flat Mallard bill, built mostly for eating vegetation, or a merganser, designed to catch and grip fast-moving fish. Much of the grinding of the mollusc shells occurs in the muscular crop, not the bill.
Male Hooded Mergansers, Adawe Bridge, by Judith Gustafsson. Judith shot these two males dancing, throwing their heads back and calling. Normally there would be a female pretending to ignore them, until she makes her choice. Adawe Bridge, and the stretch of river south of it, is a winter birding treasure for Ottawa. In February, walk south from the bridge and away from the rapids, and you can actually hear the strange calls of the males as they attempt to impress the females.
Common Goldeneye males, photographed by Judith Gustafsson at Strathacona Park. Insert your own joke about lining up your ducks. The young male at the end makes this an especially arresting image.
Snow Buntings, Akins Road, by Janet McCullough. Akins, Rushmore, and Brownlee are excellent roads to cruise looking for winter visitors such as huge flocks of Snow Buntings, small flocks of Horned Harks, and the occasional Lapland Longspur. The buntings are easy to see in their large flocks. The Longspurs are harder to find, but sometimes can be found as “that dark bird” in the bunting flock. The small flocks of larks move less, and so are less visible than the buntings, but can often be found by the unique – almost electric – quality of their calls.
Wood Duck – Sentier du Ruisseau-de-la-Brasserie, Gatineau. Billings Bridge, Ottawa.
Northern Pintail – Rapides Deschênes, Gatineau.
Green-winged Teal – Nepean Creek Park, Ottawa.
Long-tailed Duck – Rapides Deschênes, Gatineau.
Barrow’s Goldeneye – Between Hurdman Bridge and Adawe Crossing Bridge, Ottawa. This is a great spot to watch and listen to the mating dances of diving ducks in February.
Gray Partridge – Heuvelmans Road / Magladry Road (Navan), Ottawa.
Golden Eagle – Adult seen from Kilmaurs Side Road, Ottawa.
Belted Kingfisher – Kanata Lakes, Ottawa.
Red-bellied Woodpecker – Parc du Lac-Leamy, and Rue de Saint-Malo, Gatineau, Britannia Conservation Area, the Hilda Road Feeders, and in Kanata Lakes, Ottawa.
Boreal Chickadee – Fernbank, Ottawa.
Carolina Wren – In Ottawa at du Bois Avenue, Britannia Conservation Area, Frank Ryn & Elmhurst Parks, Revol Road, and Lismer Crescent.
Eastern Bluebird – Still a couple in Gatineau on the Sentier des Voyageurs, between parc Moussette and golf Château Cartier. A flock of 8 on Stonecrest Road, Ottawa.
Pine Grosbeak– Three in Carp, ten on Saint Laurent Boulevard, and 3 in Rockcliffe, all Ottawa.
Red Crossbills – Woodkilton Road, Monty Drive, Crazy Horse Trail, South March Highlands, Larose Forest, Ottawa. North of the river at Rivermead Club de Golf, and Sentier du corridor Champlain, Gatineau.
Eastern Towhee – Fine Estate, Ottawa.
Ottawa and area bird sightings to 4 February 2021
by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca
Lark Sparrow, near Ashton, by Paul Lagasi. Western birds, they came east as the eastern forests were cleared for agriculture, to the point they were even breeding in the Atlantic states. Now eastern farmland is all turning back into forest, or being replaced by urbanization, and these sparrows are retreating back to their historical range.
Lark sparrow, near Ashton, by Bree Tucker.
Grey Partridge, Magladry Road, by Janice Stewart. How hard can it be to see orange birds on white snow? Much harder than it might seem. Notice how hard it is to see two of these three birds, almost completely under the snow as they search for seeds. If the third was down, it would be easy to drive by.
Grey Partridge, Magladry Road, by Janice Stewart. Another trick they use is super slow motion if they notice you noticing them. It’s like watching stone flow imperceptibly.
Canada Goose, Billings Bridge, by Judith Gustafsson. The geese stayed late this year, but now that we have complete snow cover, they should all be gone. A single goose, all alone, is usually in trouble. The ducks (and goose) at Billings are fed daily, and it might make it through the winter.
Bohemian Waxwing, Shirley’s Bay, by Janet McCullough. This photo shows how the namesake waxy wingtips aren’t just colorful feathers, but actual 3-dimensional nubs. These increase in number and size with age, and correlate with breeding success.
Greater Scaup – One bird reported at various locations in Val des monts, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais.
Barrow’s Goldeneye – Continues between Hurdman Bridge and Adawe Crossing Bridge, Ottawa.
Wood Duck – Billings Bridge, Ottawa.
Long-tailed Duck – Rapides Deschênes.
Gray Partridge – Flocks continue on Magladry Road (Navan), and off Hazeldean, Ottawa, and perhaps a new flock was photographed this week as well, on private land. Months with no sightings of these non-migratory birds, and now three flocks.
Belted Kingfisher – A female still catching fish in an open pond in Kanata lakes, another along March Valley Road, Ottawa, one at Chemin Latulippe, Chénéville, Papineau, and a fourth in Gatineau Park, Chelsea, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais. These birds are tough!
Red-bellied Woodpecker – Britannia Conservation Area, the Hilda Road Feeders, near the Chapman Mills Conservation Area, and in Kanata Lakes, Ottawa. Parc du Lac-Leamy, and a new one on Chemin Fer-à-Cheval, Gatineau.
Canada Jay – Continues on Lavant, Lanark, just tantalizingly outside the circle.
Boreal Chickadee – Fernbank, Ottawa.
Carolina Wren – Continuing at Merivale Gardens, du Bois Avenue, and Britannia Conservation Area. And yet another previously unreported Carolina Wren has been coming to a feeder on Island Park Drive for weeks.
Eastern Bluebird – Continuing on Sentier des Voyageurs, between Parc Brébeuf and Pont Champlain, Gatineau, and on Quigley Hill Road, Ottawa.
All the winter finches have been reported in various locations across the OFNC circle in the first 4 days of February, (except the ever so difficult Purple Finch).
Eastern Towhee – Fine Estate, Ottawa.
Lark Sparrow – After years with no sightings, the third Lark Sparrow of 2020 showed up on Dec. 30 near Ashton on private land, and stayed well into January. It hasn’t been seen for about a week now.
White-crowned Sparrow – Continuing birds in Richmond, on Shirley Avenue, and a new one on Kathleen Crescent (Stittsville), Ottawa.
Red-winged Blackbird – The Cardinal Creek Karst Trail, Ottawa, male continues to defy winter and common sense.
Ottawa and area bird sightings to 28 January 2021
by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca
Several late birds went unreported this week. Did they succumb to the cold, flee, or were they simply not reported?
Brown Creeper, Hammond, by Bree Tucker. This is Brown Creeper camouflage at maximum effectiveness. The feathers have all the same colors as the old birch bark. Creepers look like bark, hunt in the crevasses of bark, and even roost overnight behind loose bark. In winter they may even roost communally. That must be a sight in the morning, as bird after bird magically emerges from the bark of tree.
Female Ring-necked Pheasant, Metcalfe, by Erik Pohanka. There are four species of wild (or at least feral) Galliformes (pheasants, grouse, allies) in Ottawa: Ruffed grouse, Wild Turkey, Gray Partridge, and Ring-necked Pheasant. Only Ruffed Grouse are native. The other three are deliberate introductions, although of them only the Wild Turkey is doing great now. There used to be hundreds of Gray Partridge in Ottawa when the county was more agricultural. Now there are about 15 known birds? And just a handful of free pheasants which may not even be feral, but just recent releases.
Mourning Dove, Fletcher Wildlife Garden, by Judith Gustafsson. Some days its just nice to puff out your feathers, close your eyes and nap in the sun. Feathers evolved before birds did, probably for body insulation, and that is the use this dove is putting them to.
American Tree Sparrow, Russell, by Karine Scott. Sparrows can be tough, but that bi-colour bill, dark on top, bright yellow underneath, is an amazing field mark, visible at a distance and in poor light. The other common field mark – the black smudge on the breast – is almost absent in this bird.
_______ Woodpecker, Beaver Trail, by Janet McCullough. This is a fun image. The beak is at a weird angle and there is nothing for size comparison. So which local woodpecker is this?
Barrow’s Goldeneye – Continues between Hurdman Bridge and Adawe Crossing Bridge, Ottawa.
Wood Duck – Sentier du Ruisseau-de-la-Brasserie, Gatineau, and Billings Bridge, Ottawa.
Long-tailed Duck – Rapides Deschênes.
Gray Partridge – Flocks at Magladry Road (Navan), and off Hazeldean, Ottawa.
Great Blue Heron – Really pushing its luck at Leitrim and Albion, Ottawa.
Turkey Vulture – Larose Forest, Prescott and Russell.
Northern Harrier – Akins Road, and off Hazeldean in the Gray Partridge fields.
Belted Kingfisher – Only one report this week in Kanata North.
Red-bellied Woodpecker – Britannia Conservation Area, the Hilda Road Feeders, near the Chapman Mills Conservation Area, and in Kanata Lakes, Ottawa. Parc du Lac-Leamy, Gatineau.
Boreal Chickadee – Fernbank, Ottawa.
Tufted Titmouse – Kars, Ottawa.
Carolina Wren – The winter of the wren continues at du Bois Avenue, as well as Shirley’s Brook Park (Kanata), Avonmore Crescent, Britannia Conservation Area, and with new reports from the Cardinal Creek Trail ( in Orleans), and Marlborough Avenue, near Strathcona Park, Ottawa.
Eastern Bluebird – Small flocks near Pont Champlain, Gatineau, and Merrifield Farm, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais.
Hermit Thrush – In the woods behind the Musée canadien de la nature, Gatineau.
Wood Thrush – Continued to at least the 22nd near Dale park, Ottawa.
Pine Siskin – Not eBird rare, but tough enough to find this winter, there were a few more reports this week, including a flock at Jack Pine Trail, Ottawa.
White-winged Crossbill – A small flock Larose Forest, Prescott and Russell.
Red Crossbill – Another small flock in Larose Forest, Prescott and Russell.
Eastern Towhee – Fine Estate, Ottawa.
White-crowned Sparrow – Aylmer (secteur Lakeview), Gatineau, and in Ottawa in New Edinburgh, and at the Trail Road Landfill.
Swamp Sparrow – Chemin Freeman, Gatineau.
Red-winged Blackbird – One male desperately trying to hang onto territory at Cardinal Creek Karst Trail, Ottawa, and two more on Concession Rd 4, (White Lake ), Lanark.
Baltimore Oriole – Photographed on Jan. 20 on Rue Du Duche, Gatineau. No reports since then.
Ovenbird – Britannia Conservation Area, near the bridge. Last photographed on the 21st.
Ottawa and area bird sightings to 21 January 2021
by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca
Lockdown leads to fewer reports, but people still see great birds in their yards or while walking dogs, etc.
American Goldfinch, Bells Corners, by Janet McCullough. Ever wonder what those birds are doing hanging off the brickwork? Sometimes they are collecting grit to help grind seeds in thier crop, sometimes trying to eat calcium, and sometimes just grabbing a snack of spiders and insect larvae.
Rock Pigeon, Strathcona Park, by Judith Gustafsson. The plumage of this Rock Pigeon is a far cry from the blue-gray that most closely matches the original wild populations of this species. Unusual white in pigeons (and mallards) is often a sign of the influence of human breeding attempts. The white nails do imply a lack of pigment. So leucism? Domestic ancestry? Or both?
Female Evening Grosbeak, Dewberry Trail parking lot, by Vladimir Branicki. Much more subtle than the gaudy, bickering males. Ever wonder why males and female of some species are so different? This comes about in species where the selective pressures for successful breeding are different in males and females. The main criteria for breeding success for a vibrant male like a grosbeak is sexual selection, i.e., the females choose which males get to breed based on their appearance. So females control male appearance. On the other hand, the main criteria for breeding success for the female of the same species may be predators, so subtly helps.
Immature Cooper’s Hawk, Kars, by Bill Buchanan. As feeder birds go, this is both exciting and terrifying. Please don’t eat the titmouse, please don’t eat the titmouse. At least until after the lockdown.
Female White-winged Crossbill, Larose forest, by Bree Tucker. This is the rare case of a bird whose common name makes sense. That bill is super crossed, and those wings have white wing bars. Must have been an off-day for the ornithologist who named it.
First year male White-winged Crossbill, Larose forest, by Bree Tucker. The messy orange plumage tells us the age and sex of this bird, and look how he puts that crossed bill to work removing spruce seeds from deep in the cone.
Lockdown bonus photos
Adult male White-winged Crossbill, Orleans, by Janice Stewart.
Pine Grosbeak, Stittsville, by Vladimir Branicki.
Snow Goose – MacLaren’s Landing, Ottawa.
Barrow’s Goldeneye – Hurdman Bridge, Ottawa.
Wood Duck – Sentier du Ruisseau-de-la-Brasserie, Gatineau, and Billings Bridge, Ottawa.
Long-tailed Duck – Rapides Deschênes.
Northern Harrier – Barnsdale, Ottawa.
Black Vulture – Continued until at least the 15th on Chemin de la Rivière, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais.
Belted Kingfisher – Hendrick Farm trail, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais.
Red-bellied Woodpecker – Britannia Conservation Area, the Hilda Road Feeders, and in Kanata Lakes, Ottawa. Parc du Lac-Leamy, and Chemin Champlain, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais.
Canada Jay – Continues (outside the circle) on Levant Mill Road, Lanark.
Boreal Chickadee – Fernbank, Ottawa.
Carolina Wren – du Bois Avenue, as well as Shirley’s Brook Park, Kanata, Ottawa. Avonmore Crescent, Ottawa. Orleans Park and Ride, Ottawa
Eastern Bluebird – Pont Champlain, Gatineau.
Hermit Thrush – Sentier des Voyageurs, between Parc Brébeuf and Pont Champlain, Gatineau. Another further west in Aylmer, Gatineau.
Wood Thrush – A third thrush species is trying to over-winter near Hurdman, Ottawa.
White-crowned Sparrow – Shirley Ave, Ottawa. Forest creek Drive, Ottawa. Quartier Lakeview-Terrasse, Gatineau.
Eastern Towhee – Fine Estate, Ottawa.
Ovenbird – Continued in the Britannia Conservation Area, Ottawa, until at least the 16th.
Ottawa and area bird sightings to 14 January 2021
by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca
Some snow and falling temperatures in the next week should drive more birds to feeders, improving the view for some birders stuck at home during lockdown.
Snow Buntings, Akins Road, by Vladimir Branicki. A close-up revealing details of the amazing camouflage that makes all or part of the bird disappear against a dirty snowy background. Watching the back of a flock continually fly to the front of the flock as it moves over a good source of food is one of the most mesmerizing sights in winter birding.
Barrow’s Goldeneye – Hurdman Bridge, Ottawa.
Wood Duck – Sentier du Ruisseau-de-la-Brasserie, Gatineau, and Billings Bridge, Ottawa.
Long-tailed Duck – Rapides Deschênes.
Red-breasted Merganser – Remic Rapids Park, Ottawa.
Gray Partridge – Continue on Hazeldean. If you are wondering why these birds go unreported for months, try spending a cold hour not finding these bright orange birds. Wait until the lockdown is over though. Explaining to by-law that you are there to not see a bird would be awkward. A flock was also reported from Huisman Road, Ottawa.
Northern Harrier – Terry Fox at Fernbank, Ramsayville Road, and Mer Bleue Road, all Ottawa.
Belted Kingfisher – Continues near the Chapman Mills Conservation Area, and another reported from Stony Swamp (Chipmunk Trail), Ottawa.
Red-bellied Woodpecker – Reports continue from Relais Shilly-Shallly, Parc de la Gatineau, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais, as well as Britannia Conservation Area, at the Hilda Road Feeders, and in Kanata Lakes, Ottawa. Continues in Parc du Lac-Leamy, and on Rue de Saint-Milo, Gatineau.
Red-headed Woodpecker – Continues in Constance Bay, Ottawa. New reports from Chemin Link, Chelsea, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais.
Northern Flicker – Photographed at the Fletcher Wildlife Garden, Ottawa. Another on Shirley Avenue.
Canada Jay – Continues (outside the circle) on Levant Mill Road, Lanark.
Boreal Chickadee – Fernbank, Ottawa.
Tufted Titmouse – Kars, Ottawa.
Carolina Wren – du Bois Avenue, as well as Shirley’s Brook Park, Kanata, Ottawa.
Eastern Bluebird – Pinhey’s Point Park, Ottawa.
Hermit Thrush – Sentier des Pionniers, Parc de la Gatineau, and along the Sentier des Voyageurs, between Parc Brébeuf and Pont Champlain, Gatineau.
Eastern Towhee – Fine Estate, Ottawa.
Ovenbird – The most surprising bird of the week was a very late Ovenbird reported at various locations in Britannia Conservation Area, Ottawa. Well photographed on the 8th, it was also reported on the 9th and 13th.
Common Goldeneye, Strathcona Park, by Judith Gustafsson. Two female ducks? Nope, those developing face patches show that the bird behind is a first-winter male, developing into adult plumage for the first time.
Bohemian Waxwing, Rockcliffe Rockeries, by Gregory Zbitnew. That weird triangle sitting on the tongue is still the tongue. Possibly driven by the lack of forelimbs to manipulate food, birds have evolved an impressive variety of useful tongue shapes. Do not google ‘goose tongues’ if you wish to sleep well tonight.
Pine Siskin, Barrhaven, by Arlene Harrold. The second hardest to find of the winter finches this year in the OFNC region, after the nearly impossible Purple Finch. A low colour individual like this one could go unremarked in the many redpoll flocks around, but a close look shows the un-redpoll like thin dark beak, and the faintest hint of yellow in the wings and tail.
Ottawa and area bird sightings to 7 January 2021
by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca
Barrow’s Goldeneye – Continues at Hurdman Bridge, Ottawa.
Barrow’s Goldeneye, Hurdman Bridge, by Janet McCullough. Barrow’s are rare in Eastern Ontario, but we are lucky to have one or more over-winter on the Rideau most winters.
Wood Duck – The duck at Sentier du Ruisseau-de-la-Brasserie, Gatineau, continues, as does the pair at Billings Bridge, Ottawa.
Long-tailed Duck – One in Rapides Deschênes.
Northern Harrier – Hunting the undeveloped land around Huntmar and the 417, Ottawa. Possibly the same bird along Terry Fox / Fernbank. Another South-west of the airport. One on Saint Rose Road (Fournier), Prescott and Russell.
Red-shouldered Hawk – Kerwin Rd trail, Ottawa.
Belted Kingfisher- Proving their dominance over the polar bear dip at Shirley’s Brook, along March Valley Road, on Dunrobin Snowmobile Trail, and near the Chapman Mills Conservation Area, all Ottawa.
Red-bellied Woodpecker – The invasion grows: new reports from Wilhaven Drive in Cumberland, Ottawa, Relais Shilly-Shallly, Parc de la Gatineau, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais, and Plantagenet, Prescott & Russell. Continuing at Britannia Conservation Area, at the Hilda Road Feeders, in Kanata lakes, and on Manotick Island, all Ottawa. Continues to be reliable in Gatineau at Parc du Lac-Leamy.
Red-headed Woodpecker – Constance Bay, Ottawa.
Black Vulture – Continues on Chemin de la Rivière, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais.
Canada Jay – Continues (outside the circle) on Levant Mill Road, Lanark.
Boreal Chickadee – Still visiting Fernbank, Ottawa.
Tufted Titmouse – Flying around Kars in a mixed flock.
Tufted Titmouse, Kars, by Bill Buchanan. This bird is hanging around with a mixed flock of chickadees, nuthatches and woodpeckers. It’s assumed these mixed flocks form for mutual protection, but maybe the birds just like to party.
Winter Wren – Chemin Vanier, Gatineau, and on the Chipmunk Trail, Ottawa.
Carolina Wren – Continues on du Bois Avenue, as well as Frank Ryn & Elmhurst Parks, Ottawa. New birds reported from Shirley’s Brook Park, Kanata, Ottawa, and Allbirch / Shady Lane, Constance Bay, Ottawa, as well as Marathon Village, Ottawa.
Eastern Bluebird – The birds on Quigley Hill Rd, and Pinhey’s Point Park, Ottawa, and the flock on Chemin d’Aylmer, Gatineau, all stuck around another week. New birds were reported from Torbolton Ridge, Ottawa, and Blakeney Park, Lanark.
Eastern Bluebirds at Piney’s Point, by Tony Beck. Thrushes are tough, and both bluebirds and robins can handle Ottawa winters if they have enough food.
Hermit Thrush – Prescott Russell Rec. Trail at Magladry & Belvedere Road, Ottawa.
Red Crossbill – Larose Forest, Prescott and Russell. Along Chemin Eardley Masham, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais, Constance Bay and around Dunrobin, Ottawa.
White-winged Crossbill – Larose Forest, Prescott and Russell. In Lanark at Carleton Place, at the Almonte Lagoons, and on Wolf Grove Road. Everywhere in Gatineau and Ottawa in small flocks. Check every spruce tree with decent cones. Even showing up in very urban parks this year.
White-winged Crossbill, Riverain Park, by anonymous photographer. Birds of the Boreal Forest, this winter small flocks of these birds are showing up in any urban park big enough to host a few spruce trees.
White-crowned Sparrow – First winter birds continue on Trail road, and on Shirley Avenue, Ottawa.
Eastern Towhee – Fine Estate, Ottawa.
Song Sparrow – Wolf Grove Road Lanark, Lanark, and at Hurdman Bridge, Ottawa.
Swamp Sparrow – Hurdman Bridge, Ottawa.
Red-winged Blackbird – Birds at Cardinal Creek Trail, Grasshopper Lane (Dunrobin), Thomas Argue Road (Carp) , and March Valley Road, all Ottawa.
A note on COVID and birding in the National Capital Region: Crossing health unit boundaries or provincial borders for non-essential reasons could lead to big fines, as could a spontaneous gathering of birders around a rarity.
Bald eagle, Rockdale, by Weldon Flemming. Let’s call this a second winter or 1.5 year old bird based on eye colour and the white mottling. Or not. Bald eagles take at least 4 years to reach full adult plumage. Most Golden Eagles that are reported to Sightings@OFNC.ca are actually immature Bald Eagles. That’s not surprising, since even John James Audubon had trouble with immature Bald eagles, famously inventing an imaginary species based on a sighting.
Redpoll, Brownlee Road, by Catherine Lawrence. After reading 8 articles on separating Hoary Redpolls from Common Redpolls, Derek has determined that this is, in fact, a redpoll.
American Black Ducks, Billings Bridge, by Judith Gustafsson. The bright all yellow beaks mean the two front ducks are male, and the complete lack of white in the wing patch suggests that the very front duck has little or no mallard genetic material.