Ottawa and area bird sightings to 29 December 2022
by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca
Female Dark-eyed Junco, Jack Pine, Janet McCullough. The group of Dark-eyed Juncos we get here are the slate-coloured, named for the crisp slate and white plumage of the males. We see fewer females, and those mostly on migration, as most of them breed north of Ottawa, and most females over-winter south of Ottawa. But many males do stay here, as anyone with a feeder can attest. So a brown junco in winter really pops.
Snow Buntings, Dunrobin, Janet McCullough. Every winter local birders search through the many big flocks of Snow Buntings looking for longspurs, but this interloper is different. Can you ID the odd bird out? It hasn’t been common in Ottawa this winter.
Female Common Goldeneye, Mud Lake, Alan Short.
Male Northern Cardinal, Mud Lake, Alan Short.
Gray Partridge, Kinburn side & Farmview, Arlene Harrold. The remnants of this once common feral (released but reproducing on their own) species are challenging to spot. They blend very well into agricultural fields and can move imperceptibly if they feel they are being watched.
Bohemian Waxwings, Dunrobin, Arlene Harrold. Sparse in the region this year until very recently, flocks are everywhere this week.
Male Barrow’s Goldeneye, Adàwe Crossing, Gillian Wright. The crescent mark is an easy id point, but note also the interesting head pose. Head shape is a trickier id tool, especially in diving ducks, because the feathers get moved around by the water. But all the photos of this individual submitted recently show this distinctive pose.
Male Barrow’s Goldeneye, Adàwe Crossing, Judith Gustafsson. Even in this very distant photo, notice how the Barrow’s head shape jumps out.
Male Common Goldeneye, Adàwe Crossing, Judith Gustafsson. A nice male in full display mode.
Male American Three-toed Woodpecker, Pine Grove, Gillian Wright. There are (or were) at least 6 of this rare species in Ottawa this winter, probably more, and they are easy to find if you are skilled, plan well, monitor reports, track down every soft tapping, invest (many) dozens of hours, get lucky, and your name isn’t Derek.
Wood Duck – Rideau River between Adàwe Crossing and Billings Bridge, Ottawa. (3) Dec 27, Sawmill Creek, Ottawa.
Northern Pintail – Dec 27, Etang Grimes, Gatineau.
Harlequin Duck – Continuing to at least Dec 27, Bate Island, Ottawa.
Barrow’s Goldeneye – Continuing Adàwe Crossing, Ottawa.
Turkey Vulture – Dec 29, Eagleson Road at Faulkner, Ottawa.
Northern Harrier – Dec 22, 26, 29 Trail Road Landfill, Ottawa.
Belted Kingfisher – Dec 28, Poole Creek, Stittsville, Ottawa. Dec 29, Carp River Watershed Reclamation Area, Ottawa. Near open creek below filtration point.
Eastern Phoebe – Dec 29, Britannia CA, Ottawa.
Red-bellied Woodpecker – Continuing to Dec 27 Dewberry Trail Parking Feeder, Ottawa. Dec 10-26, Chemin Steele, Pontiac, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais. Dec 24 Parkway Rd, Ottawa. Dec 29, Manion Heights, Ottawa. Dec 28, Chemin du Fer à Cheval, Gatineau.
American Three-toed Woodpecker – Dec 29, “Greenbelt Pathway (East/West of Conroy)” is the eBird hotspot. The bird is seen east of Conroy, Ottawa. Dec 18-23, Stony Swamp (Jack Pine Trail), Ottawa. All Three-toed sightings are intermittent.
Black-backed Woodpecker – Dec 28, Pierce Rd (unmaintained portion), Ottawa. Dec 26, NCC Trail 24, Ottawa.
Boreal Chickadee – Continuing Dec 01-29, Birchgrove x Magladry Rd., Ottawa.
Brown-headed Cowbird – Reported Dec 28, North Gower, Ottawa.
Common Grackle – Continuing to Dec 29, Dewberry Trail Parking Feeder, Ottawa.
Dec 27, O’Hara Drive, Ottawa
Tufted Titmouse – Dec 29, McCordick Road North from Fairhurst, Kemptville, Ottawa. Continuing to Dec 29, Fairmile Rd, Ottawa.
Eastern Towhee – December 23-24, Kincardine Dr., Kanata, Ottawa.
Fox Sparrow – Dec 25, Wellsmere Ct, Ottawa.
White-crowned Sparrow – Dec 25-26, Rue de la Loire, Gatineau. Dec 26, Trail Road Landfill, Ottawa.
Yellow-rumped Warbler – Dec 27-29, Crystal Bay-Lakeview Park, Ottawa. At suet feeder on trail.
Rose-breasted Grosbeak – Dec 22, Saint Fillans Road, Lanark.
Ottawa and area bird sightings to 22 December 2022
by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca
The Winter of the Woodpecker continued into the Christmas Bird Count season with American Three-toed Woodpeckers resurfacing for the Ottawa CBC. Lots of open water means lots of late waterbirds.
American Crow roost, St. Laurent at Tremblay, Aaron Hywarren. Ever wonder about the never-ending flows of crows on some winter mornings and evenings? In winter crows may roost communally. A group has been monitoring the Ottawa crow roosts for decades.
Following text provided by Aaron:
Over the years, their final evening roost site has been in a number of locations in this end of town, including the Ottawa General Hospital Ring Road, Pleasant Park Woods, Coronation Park, Hurdman Woods and the woodlot at the corner of St. Laurent and Innes. This year the roost is located on St. Laurent at Tremblay but over the past five years, the birds have been alternating between the two sites on St. Laurent.
The birds depart the roost at dawn and return at dusk in three or four flyways: easterly, southerly, southwesterly, and northeasterly. The majority of the birds spend their days in the vicinity of the Trail Road Landfill with a second sizable component going to the former Huneault Dump/Waste Connections Canada facility in Navan. Smaller daytime gatherings, however, occur across the NCR particularly in areas where they can feed on the ground.
At the peak of the roost flight, several hundred birds will pass overhead every minute. Not all birds return directly to the roost in the evening: many make stops at pre-roosts along the way including McCarthy Woods, Billings Bridge and some of the older roost sites. There are almost certainly other pre-roost sites, but eventually the majority of the birds end up at the final roost site. Throughout the winter, they are enjoyed by commuters as they too make their home way.
During this year’s CBC, we were able to establish that the roost has increased in size and there are likely 30,000 crows using the roost. When the days get longer and spring arrives, the roost will melt away until the fall.
Ring-billed Gull, Half Moon Bay Park, Arlene Harrold. Gulls can seem overwhelming. The breeding plumages are mostly OK; it’s the other forms. But this specific plumage is easy to spot, and worth learning. The first winter Ring-billed Gull has a pink bill with a black tip, and that lovely gray mantle contrasting with all the other brown messiness. The brown color is weak juvenile feathers wearing away.
Adult Iceland Gull (Thayer’s), Trail Road Landfill, Tony Beck. Wait, aren’t white-winged gulls, well, white-winged? This bird has black primaries. Iceland gulls from a cline from very white to birds with lots of color. We see more of the Kumlien’s (classic white-winged gull) end of the spectrum than the Thayer’s in our region. But many Thayer’s probably go unreported. The dark eye is the first flag that this bird deserves a second look. Bonus points for id’ing the immature bird.
Male Common Goldeneye displaying, Remic Rapids, Jordan Milko.
Hermit Thrush, Richmond Landing, Aaron Hywarren.
Adult Great Black-backed Gulls, Rideau River, Billings Bridge, Judith Gustafsson.
Merlin, McKellar Park, Judy Mayerovitch. Merlins are fierce predators, regularly taking prey 50% larger than themselves.
Carolina Wren, Honey Gables, David Enstrom.
Female Pileated Woodpecker, Greenbelt Pathway east of Conroy, Gillian Wright. Gillian caught the tongue in action. First the woodpecker chips her way into the tunnels left by beetle larvae or especially carpenter ants, then flicks her incredibly long weird tongue into the hollow spaces and pulls out dinner. It’s basically a horror movie for ants. Is it wrong and human-centric to call a beautifully-evolved bird tongue ‘weird?’ Go read up on woodpecker tongues and get back to me.
Wood Duck – Rideau River between Adàwe Crossing and Hurdman Bridge, Ottawa. (3) Dec 18, D’Aoust Avenue, Ottawa.
Northern Pintail – Dec 17-18, Half Moon Bay Park, Ottawa.
Green-winged Teal – Dec 18, Hurdman Bridge, Ottawa. Brantwood Park Trail, Ottawa.
Barrow’s Goldeneye – Continuing Strathcona Park, Ottawa.
Horned Grebe – Continuing, Parc Moussette, Gatineau/Bate Island, Ottawa.
American Coot – Dec 18-19, Lemieux Island, Ottawa.
Iceland Gull – As many as 14 first winter birds on Dec 18 at Andrew Haydon Park east (formerly Ottawa Beach), Ottawa. 7 Reported at Trail Road landfill, including an adult.
Lesser Black-backed Gull – Dec 22, Andrew Haydon Park east (formerly Ottawa Beach), Ottawa. Moodie Drive Quarry, Ottawa.
Glaucous Gull – Continuing Trail Road Landfill, Ottawa.
Golden Eagle – Dec 21, Stony Swamp (Jack Pine Trail), Ottawa.
Northern Harrier – Dec 22, Trail Road Landfill, Ottawa.
Belted Kingfisher (2) Dec 18, Manotick–George Mclean Park, Ottawa.
Red-bellied Woodpecker – Continuing Dewberry Trail Parking Feeder, Ottawa. Dec 10-19, ch. Steele, Pontiac, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais. Dec 17, Twin Elm Rd, Ottawa. Dec 18, Fourth Line Rd, Ottawa.
American Three-toed Woodpecker – Dec 20-21, Du Golf Rd, Clarence-Rockland, Prescott and Russell. Dec 21, Pine Grove (South), Ottawa. Dec 18, Greenbelt Pathway (East/West of Conroy), Ottawa. East Of Hawthorne, Greenbelt Pathway, Ottawa. Dec 18-20, Stony Swamp (Jack Pine Trail), Ottawa. Dec 18, Stittsville, Ottawa.
Black-backed Woodpecker – County Road 1, Clarence Creek, Prescott and Russell.
Ruby-crowned Kinglet – Dec 15, Parc de la Gatineau–Relais Plein Air, Gatineau.
Hermit Thrush – Dec 17, Stittsville–Trans Canada Trail, Ottawa.
Swainson’s Thrush – Dec 20, Crystal Beach, Ottawa.
Boreal Chickadee – Continuing Dec 01-21, Birchgrove x Magladry Rd., Ottawa.
Tufted Titmouse – Continuing Dec 04-21, Fairmile Rd, Ottawa.
Winter Wren – Dec 16, Clyde Woods, Ottawa.
Carolina Wren – Continuing to Dec 18 Richland, Ottawa. Continuing Frank Ryn & Elmhurst Parks, Ottawa. Dec 18, Ch de Vorlage-Heights, La Pêche, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais.
Northern Mockingbird – Dec 16, Stittsville, Ottawa. Dec 15, Golden Line Rd, Mississippi Mills, Lanark.
Brown-headed Cowbird (11) Dec 17, Trail Road Landfill, Ottawa.
Red-winged Blackbird – Dec 17, Mansfield Road, Ottawa. Munster Wetlands, Ottawa. Malakoff Road, Richmond, Ottawa.
Common Grackle – Continuing , Dewberry Trail Parking Feeder, Ottawa.
Eastern Towhee – Continuing, Voyageur Dr, Orleans, Ottawa.
White-crowned Sparrow – Dec 19, Rue de la Loire, Gatineau. Dec 18, Trail Road Landfill, Ottawa.
Ottawa and area bird sightings to 15 December 2022
by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca
It’s count week for the first Christmas Bird Counts of the season, and some great birds are still here.
Northern Shrike, Greenbelt Pathway east of Conroy, Gillian Wright.
Merlin, Dewberry Trail, Jim Robertson.
Boreal Chickadee, Magladry Road, TJ Way. A couple of great things about this picture: The bird’s colors are gorgeous. And, the bird is shown in context. We all like to see beautiful shots of birds against a natural background, but a photo like this shows the bird’s real behaviour in a world altered by people, and that’s valuable.
Golden Eagle, Eardley Escarpment (Gatineau Park), Tony Beck. This bird was using updrafts to soar west along the escarpment. Besides the golden nape, note the overall darkness with a hint of white on the edges of some of the tail feathers. This suggests that the bird is a subadult (near full adult).
Common Ravens, Shirley’s Bay, Dan Vasiu. Last week we had a photo of courting birds on the ground. This week Dan caught a pair in flight together. Have you noticed when a lone female raven flies through another’s territory the resident bird may fly out to court with an ariel display? The male will try to impress the female. If you’re ever bored in December at the Algonquin bus station, watch for this entertaining display. This may result in the birds flying in parallel for a while, with much manuverouring, as she tests him.
Immature Northern Goshawk, Ottawa, Dan Vasiu.
Iceland and Glaucous Gulls, Moodie Drive Quarry, Gillian Mastromatteo. Size can be a real red herring when identifying birds. But relative size is amazingly helpful. We could discuss bills, head shape, plumage, and of course wings, but just by seeing that the first white-winged gull is a little smaller than a Herring Gull, and the other is larger than one, we instantly id them as Iceland (left) and Glaucous (right). And what a great comparison, with the birds so close and in similar poses. For bonus points, what’s the bird behind them?
Male Northern Cardinal, Fletcher Wildlife Garden, Judith Gustafsson.
Male House Finch, Fletcher Wildlife Garden, Judith Gustafsson. What would Ottawa winter be like without the bright red of House Finches and Northern Cardinals? Neither species was established here 50 years ago.
Cackling Goose – Dec 08, Russell storm pond, Prescott and Russell
Northern Shoveler – Dec 13-14, Emerald Meadows x Eagleson storm water ponds, Ottawa.
Green-winged Teal – Continuing to Dec 10, Andrew Haydon Park, Ottawa.
Harlequin Duck – Continuing Dec 01-15, Ottawa River at Champlain Bridge, Ottawa.
Barrow’s Goldeneye – Continuing Strathcona Park, Ottawa.
Horned Grebe – Dec 13-15, Bate Island, Ottawa. Dec 10, Britannia Park (pier), Ottawa.
Iceland Gull – Not rare but since now is the time to see them, there are at least 3 immature and an adult, Trail Road Landfill, Ottawa. Scope helpful. May be seen along the Ottawa river as well.
Lesser black-backed Gull – Dec 15, Moodie Drive Quarry, Ottawa.
Glaucous Gull – A gorgeous and enormous second winter bird, Trail Road Landfill, Ottawa.
Red-bellied Woodpecker – Continuing Dewberry Trail Parking Feeder, Ottawa. Dec 10-15, ch. Steele, Pontiac, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais. Dec 09 Parkway Rd, Ottawa. Dec 11, Prescott Russell Rec Trail at Magladry & Belvedere Rd, Ottawa.
American Three-toed Woodpecker – Dec 12, Stony Swamp (Jack Pine Trail), Ottawa.
Black-backed Woodpecker – Dec 10, Greenbelt pathway south of Davidson Road, Ottawa.
Boreal Chickadee – Continuing Dec 01-13, Birchgrove x Magladry Rd., Ottawa.
Tufted Titmouse – Continuing Dec 04-15, Fairmile Rd, Ottawa.
Winter Wren – Dec 14, Pinecrest Creek/George C. Brown Park, Ottawa. Dec 13, Stony Swamp (Jack Pine Trail), Ottawa.
Carolina Wren – Continuing Richland, Ottawa. Continuing Frank Ryn & Elmhurst Parks, Ottawa.
Northern Mockingbird – Dec 10-15, Golden Line Rd, Mississippi Mills, Lanark. 1/2 mile south of Old Almonte Rd.
Brown-headed Cowbird (up to 50 reported at times) Dec 10,11, Trail Road Landfill, Ottawa.
Red-winged Blackbird (4) Dec 14, Crystal Beach, Ottawa. Dec 09, Andrew Haydon Park, Ottawa.
Common Grackle – Continuing Dec 13, Dewberry Trail Parking Feeder, Ottawa.
Fox Sparrow – Dec 08, de Marseille, Gatineau.
Savannah Sparrow – Dec 13-14, Central Experimental Farm, Ottawa. Check the manure pile.
Swamp Sparrow – Dec 09, Parc Guillot & Marais Lamoureux, Gatineau.
Eastern Towhee – Dec 11, Voyageur Dr, Orleans, Ottawa.
Yellow-rumped Warbler – Dec 10, Rapides Deschênes (incluant Parc), Gatineau. Près du belvédère.
Ottawa and area bird sightings to 8 December 2022
by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca
The American Three-toed Woodpecker has resurfaced in time for Christmas Bird Count season! The Harlequin Duck and Boreal Chickadee stuck around, and are joined by a Tufted Titmouse.
Great Black-backed Gull, Rideau River at Vimy Memorial bridge, Arlene Harrold. The red orbital ring around the eye is supposed to show in breeding plumage birds, but the timing is wrong. These gulls are supposed to be non-breeding from September to February. Apparently this species is too big and tough to obey such rules.
Tufted Titmouse, Fairmile Road, Aaron Hywarren. See the special note above from the regional Birding Bird Atlas coordinator about this species of interest.
Boreal Chickadee, Magladry Road, Gillian Wright.
Ross’s Goose, Hawthorne Road, Aaron Hywarren. Some hybrids are confusing, but this Ross’s ticks all the id points: half the size of the Canada Goose, tiny pink bill with a gray base, just a hint of a grin patch, tiny round head.
Harlequin Duck, Ottawa River near Champlain Bridge, Gillian Wright. Summers in rapids, winters on the roughest parts of the coasts, so it’s only a little surprising that most adults live with multiple healed fractures. Thanks allaboutbirds.org for that disturbing fact.
Female Long-tailed Duck, Andrew Haydon Park, Alan Short. Alan caught her diving in 3 feet of water at the foot bridge between Andrew Haydon and Dick Bell parks. Compare the short powerful bill, perfect for crushing shellfish, to the slight bill of the Harlequin Duck. The Harlequin focuses more on aquatic insects during the breeding season.
Adult Cooper’s Hawk, Gatineau, Tony Beck. Tony’s impression of this individual is that it was fairly small. His first thought was it could be a Sharp-shinned Hawk. However, he quickly noticed that it had a dark cap and rounded tail tip – diagnostic characters for Cooper’s Hawk. The small size suggests this is a male.
Female plumage Green-winged Teal, Andrew Haydon Park, Tony Beck.
Common Goldeneye, Mud Lake, Alan Short.
American Three-toed Woodpecker, Greenbelt pathway East of Conroy, Gillian Wright. Gillian captured why woodpeckers don’t have more eye injuries from all the wooden shrapnel: an extra protective eyelid that closes horizontally instead of vertically! Called a nictitating membrane, this superpower is common in birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish and some mammals, but not primates. So wear safety goggles when chopping up trees.
Greater White-fronted Goose – Dec 04, Giroux Road, Ottawa.
Ross’s Goose – Continuing until at least Dec 05, Embrun Sewage Lagoons, Prescott and Russell. Dec 05, Ottawa River pathway at Green’s Creek. Dec 04-05, Baillie Ave, Ottawa. Dec 04, Hawthorne Road, Ottawa.
Northern Pintail – Dec 02-04, Navan (Giroux Road Ponds), Ottawa.
Green-winged Teal – Continuing Dec 08, Andrew Haydon park, Ottawa. Dec 04, Winterset Road, Ottawa. (8) Reported Dec 02-04, Giroux Road, Ottawa.
Black Scoter – Continuing Dec 08, Andrew Haydon park, Ottawa.
Surf Scoter – Dec 02-06, Baie Simard (Cabane brune), Gatineau.
Harlequin Duck – Continuing Dec 01-07, Ottawa River at Champlain Bridge, Ottawa.
Barrow’s Goldeneye – Continuing Strathcona Park, Ottawa. Dec 08 Bates Island, Ottawa.
American Coot – Dec 03, Chaudière Island, Ottawa.
Sandhill Crane (40) Dec 08, Fairmile, Ottawa.
Black-crowned Night-Heron – Dec 03, Emerald Meadows x Eagleson storm water ponds, Ottawa.
Turkey Vulture – Dec 05, Trail Road, Ottawa.
American Three-toed Woodpecker – Dec 08, Greenbelt Pathway, Just East of Conroy, Ottawa.
Red-bellied Woodpecker – Continuing Dewberry Trail Parking Feeder, Ottawa. Continuing Parkway Rd, Ottawa. Dec 01, Chemin Deschênes, Chelsea, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais.
Carolina Wren – Continuing Richland, Ottawa. Continuing Frank Ryn & Elmhurst Parks, Ottawa.
Boreal Chickadee – Continuing Dec 01-08, Birchgrove x Magladry Rd., Ottawa.
Tufted Titmouse – Continuing Dec 04-08, Fairmile Rd, Ottawa. Observers are welcome but please remain on the street and be respectful of private property.
Evening Grosbeak – Scattered reports all over. A couple of more reliable spots are the Crazy Horse Trail in the West, the Greenbelt Pathway East of Conroy in the East, and the Dewberry Trail feeders.
Pine Grosbeak – Scattered reports all over. A couple of more reliable spots are The Crazy Horse Trail in the West, and the Greenbelt Pathway East of Conroy in the East.
Rusty Blackbird – Dec 01, Ch Fer- à-Cheval/sentier des Libellules, Gatineau.
Brown-headed Cowbird – Dec 04, Trail Road Landfill, Ottawa
Red-winged Blackbird – Dec 03, Frank Kenny Rd, Ottawa. Dec 02,Trail Road Landfill, Ottawa.
Common Grackle – Continuing Dewberry Trail Parking Feeder, Ottawa.
Yellow-rumped Warbler – Dec 03, Rapides Deschênes (incluant Parc), Gatineau.
Atlas note
Tufted Titmouse is one of handful of species that we are keeping a special look out for here in our region as a part of the Third Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas: an effort to catalogue all of Ontario’s breeding birds that occurs every twenty years.
The species can be found down in southwestern Ontario, Niagara, and one or two spots along the St. Lawrence. They are also making substantial inroads to the east of us in the Richelieu Valley and into Montréal, but they aren’t really found here very often. That may be changing, however, hence our interest in reports of this attractive little bird with a big voice.
Ottawa and area bird sightings to 1 December 2022
by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca
A late-breaking Harlequin Duck on the Ottawa River at the Champlain Bridge. Another Boreal Chickadee. A surprising flock of 17 distant American Coots.
Brown Creeper, NCC Trail 21, Janet McCullough.
Common Grackle, Dewberry Parking Lot, Keith Wickens.
Red-winged Blackbird, Riverside South, Erik Pohanka.
Greater Scaup, Andrew haydon, Alan Short. Those huge powerful bills are used to crush shellfish such as mussels.
American Goldfinch, Fletcher Wildlife Garden, Alan Short.
Northern Shrike, Blakeney Road, Packenham, Arlene Harrold.
Bohemian Waxwing, Mountainview Road, Packenham, Arlene Harrold. One of the rare well-named bird species, Bohemian Waxwings are non-territorial, and possibly as a result, they have no true song.
Harlequin Duck, Bate Island, Aaron Hywarren. Rarely seen in Ottawa, Harlequin Ducks breed near fast freshwater, but winter on the coasts of Canada and Asia.
Harlequin Duck, Bate Island, Aaron Hywarren. Harlequins are unusual in their nest site selection. Many species of ducks have very specific needs, but these ducks will nest on the ground, on cliffs, or even in tree cavities as long as there is access to fast flowing water.
Common Raven, NCC 21, Arlene Harrold. Arelene observed some interesting interactions in these birds. The smaller, presumably female, bird appeared to gather deer hair, possibly as nesting material. Both birds ignored a deer carcass and the food it represented. The female wandered around with her trophy, and the male hopped around, following her closely. There was a lot of hopping and bowing that was hard to interpret as anything other than courting.
Ross’s Goose (2) Dec 01 Embrun Sewage Lagoons, Prescott and Russell. Dec 01, Forest Park Sewage Lagoons, Prescott and Russell.
Northern Pintail (2) Dec 01, Navan (Giroux Road Ponds), Ottawa.
Green-winged Teal Dec 01, Navan (Giroux Road Ponds), Ottawa.
Redhead – Nov 27, Winterset pond, Carp Watershed Restoration Area, Ottawa.
Harlequin Duck – Dec 01, River Trail at Island Park Drive, Ottawa.
Barrow’s Goldeneye – Continuing Strathcona Park, Ottawa.
Black Scoter – Black and Surf are expected now in Ottawa, but a female Black Scoter in Quyon is late and rarely reported there. Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais.
Ruddy Duck – Nov 29, Andrew Haydon Park, Ottawa.
American Coot (17) Nov 26-27, Shirley’s Bay, Ottawa. Late season flocks used to be common there, but a flock this big is now notable concentration.
Golden Eagle – Dec 01, 2022 Embrun Sewage Lagoons, Prescott and Russell.
Black-backed Woodpecker – Nov 26-27, Stony Swamp (Jack Pine Trail), Ottawa.
Red-bellied Woodpecker – Continuing Dewberry Trail Parking Feeder, Ottawa. Nov 27, Ch Pine Ridge, Wakefield, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais.
Winter Wren – Nov 27, NNC Trail 21, Ottawa.
Carolina Wren – Continuing Richland Dr, Ottawa. Continuing Frank Ryn & Elmhurst Parks, Ottawa. Nov 27, NNC Trail 21, Ottawa.
Boreal Chickadee – Dec 01, Magladry Rd., Ottawa.
Hermit Thrush – Nov 28, Pleasant Park Woods, Ottawa.
There seems to an irruption of not rare, but always sought after, winter finches:
Evening Grosbeak – Scattered reports all over. A couple of more reliable spots are the Crazy Horse Trail in the West, and the Greenbelt Pathway East of Conroy in the East.
Pine Grosbeak – Scattered reports all over. A couple of more reliable spots are the Crazy Horse Trail in the West, and the Greenbelt Pathway East of Conroy in the East. Sound familiar?
Bohemian Waxwings – Scattered reports. Bigger numbers west of the circle, for example in Renfrew County.
White-crowned Sparrow – Nov 26, Moodie Drive Ponds, Ottawa.
Red-winged Blackbird – Dec 01, Andrew Haydon Park, Ottawa.
Rusty Blackbird (7) Nov 27, Monson Ave, Ottawa. Nov 24, Chemin du Fer à Cheval, Gatineau.
Common Grackle – Continuing Dewberry Trail Parking Feeder, Ottawa.
Common Yellowthroat – Nov 26, Petrie Island, Ottawa.
Did you know that even though fall is upon us, there are local birds that could be breeding at this time of year including both Red and White-winged Crossbills, Eastern Screech Owls, and Great Horned Owls. The Third Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas welcomes your observations of these species even if they are only heard or seen. The Atlas is a five-year effort that will 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. For more information, visit https://www.birdsontario.org/ or contact the Atlas Ottawa Regional Coordinator at Ottawa@birdsontario.org
Ottawa and area bird sightings to 24 November 2022
by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca
Horned Grebe, Andrew Haydon Park, Al Short. The red eye of some diving birds is always captivating, but it’s stunning against the stark black and white non-breeding plumage.
Horned Grebe, Andrew Haydon Park, Al Short. Most diving birds invest time in grooming their feathers to preserve the interlocking mechanisms and applying oil for waterproofing. Look at the water bead off this bird.
Leucistic Black-capped Chickadee, location unknown, Richard Till.
Female Red-bellied Woodpecker, Dewberry Trail, Eric Leger.
Adult Bald Eagle, Carp, Mona Williams. Heck of a yard bird.
Adult Ring-billed Gull, Fletcher Wildlife Garden, Gillian Wright. The streaked head is a far cry from the crisp white of breeding plumage, which is how the adults show up here each spring. The subtle pink blush is believed to be diet-related.
American Robin, Fletcher Wildlife Garden, Gillian Wright. This looks like an example of avian keratin disorder in which fast growth of the outer layer of the beak causes long crossed bills. This is a fairly new disease and poorly understood.
Evening Grosbeak, Greenbelt Pathway just east of Conroy, Janet McCullough. Although Evening Grosbeaks are appearing all over Ottawa, the flock in this location has returned consistently for a couple of weeks now. This photo shows the tree seeds they are feeding on.
Sharp-shinned Hawk, Pinecrest Creek, Derek Dunnett. With enough experience, sharpies and coops become easy to tell apart. After 30+ years of birding, Derek expects the “easy” to kick in any decade now. The size of this very large female fooled him into overlooking other field marks such as the lack of a white tail tip, the white supercilium, and head shape.
Ross’s Goose – Continuing Winchester sewage lagoons, Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry. Nov 18, Cayer Rd, North Dundas, Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry. Embrun Sewage Lagoons, Prescott and Russell.
Northern Shoveler (7) Nov 20, Shirley’s Bay, Ottawa.
Barrow’s Goldeneye – A male back in Strathcona Park, Ottawa, once again.
Turkey Vulture – Nov 19, Britannia, Ottawa.
Golden Eagle – Nov 20, -Trail Road Landfill, Ottawa.
Black-backed Woodpecker – Nov 19, Stony Swamp (Jack Pine Trail), Ottawa. Have you found your own northern woodpecker yet? There is one for everyone this year, you just have to find it.
Red-bellied Woodpecker – Continuing Dewberry Trail Parking Feeder, Ottawa. Continuing Parkway Road (East of Greely), Ottawa. Nov 23, Ch Pine Ridge, Wakefield, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais. Nov 21,Quigley Hill Rd, Ottawa.
Winter Wren – Nov 24, Pine Grove Trailhead P19, Ottawa. Stony Swamp (Jack Pine Trail), Ottawa.
Carolina Wren – Continuing Richland Dr, Ottawa. Continuing Frank Ryn & Elmhurst Parks, Ottawa.
Ruby-crowned Kinglet – Nov 23, Strathcona Park, Ottawa. Nov 18-19, Rideau Tennis Club, Ottawa.
Swainson’s Thrush – Nov 20, Rideau Tennis Club, Ottawa.
Evening Grosbeak. Continuing Greenbelt Pathway (East/West of Conroy), Ottawa. Everywhere in small numbers.
Fox Sparrow – Nov 22, Osgoode Trail, Ottawa. Nov 20, Stony Swamp (Jack Pine Trail), Ottawa. Fletcher Wildlife Gardens, Ottawa. Nov 12-20, Devlin Cres, Ottawa.
White-crowned Sparrow – Nov 21, Pinetrail Crescent, Ottawa.
Eastern Towhee – Nov 18, Voyageur Dr, Orléans, Ottawa.
Rusty Blackbird – Nov 23, Ch Fer- à-Cheval/sentier des Libellules, Gatineau. Osgoode Trail, Ottawa.
Common Grackle – Continuing Dewberry Trail Parking Feeder, Ottawa. Continuing, Fine Estate, Ottawa.
Bay-breasted Warbler, Nov 18, Rideau Tennis Club, Ottawa. An unidentified warbler was seen in addition. Keep an eye out.
Did you know that even though fall is upon us, there are local birds that could be breeding at this time of year including both Red and White-winged Crossbills, Eastern Screech Owls, and Great Horned Owls.
The Third Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas welcomes your observations of these species even if they are only heard or seen. The Atlas is a five-year effort that will 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. For more information, visit https://www.birdsontario.org/ or contact the Atlas Ottawa Regional Coordinator at Ottawa@birdsontario.org
Ottawa and area bird sightings to 17 November 2022
by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca
A big movement of flocks of Red-throated Loons on Nov 16, with one flock of 120 birds. Three-toed woodpeckers continue with a new male at a new site this week. And a brief visit from a Kittiwake.
Mystery Mallard, Greenbelt East, Gillian Wright. Gillian has seen this individual at this location for the last couple of years. What do you think? Hybrid? If so, with what?
Black-crowned Night Heron, Eagleson Ponds, Gillian Mastromatteo.
Rock Pigeon, Strathcona Park, Judith Gustafsson. Birds love water and will bathe in cold water even in cold weather. The value for plumage maintenance must outweigh the risk of freezing.
European Starlings, The Arboretum, Judith Gustafsson. Again with the water, and cold weather wading.
Evening Grosbeaks, Dewberry Feeders, Gillian Wright. Gillian observed one of the apparently adult males was begging from another male. Is this an immature bird with adult plumage?
Leucistic Canada Goose, near Embrun, Mary Jane Armstrong. At first glance, especially from a distance, this might be a hybrid. But zoom in on the face, and the pigmentless red eye, dark bill, and no trace of a grin patch tell us this is actually a leucistic Canada Goose, missing pigment starting at the base of the neck.
Pine Grosbeak, Greenbelt East, Derek Dunnett. Birders staking out the rare woodpeckers just east of Conroy are seeing lots of good birds: Evening Grosbeaks, Pine Grosbeaks, Red Crossbills, Northern Goshawk, weird ducks, etc. In a case like this, it’s hard to know if the spot is special, or if all the extra eyes just eventually see everything.
American Wigeon, Andrew Haydon, Alan Short. That white forehead can be seen a considerable distance away, helping with id.
Common Merganser, Andrew Haydon, Alan Short. Which is the parent, and which is the child?
Ross’s Goose (4) Nov 11, 15, Winchester sewage lagoons, Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry. Nov 15, PN de Plaisance–Tête de la Baie, Papineau. Nov 13, Embrun Sewage Lagoons, Prescott and Russell. Nov 13, Route 500 W, The Nation, Prescott and Russell.
Greater White-fronted Goose – Nov 12-15, Hidden Lake Trail, Carp, Ottawa. Nov 10, 11, 14, Moodie Drive Quarry, Ottawa.
Black-legged Kittiwake – Nov 14, Shirley’s Bay, Ottawa.
Black-crowned Night-Heron – Nov 11, Emerald Meadows x Eagleson storm water ponds, Ottawa.
Red-shouldered Hawk x Red-tailed Hawk – Nov 13, Colonnade Road South, Ottawa.
American Three-toed Woodpecker – Continuing to at least Nov. 15, Greenbelt Pathway (East/West of Conroy), Ottawa. Another male Nov 15, Rideau River Eastern Pathway, Ottawa. North of Billings Bridge?
Red-bellied Woodpecker – So many Red-bellied Woodpeckers! Continuing Dewberry Trail Parking Feeder,Ottawa. Nov 14-16, Rue Wells, Gatineau. Nov 15, Constance Bay, Ottawa (Along Bayview Drive near Ritchie). Nov 15, Beacon Hill North (calling near Rebecca and Oriole), Ottawa. Nov 14, Ch. Fer-à-Cheval/sentier des Libellules, Gatineau. Nov 13, Parkway Road (East of Greely), Ottawa.
Winter Wren – Nov 11, De La Sapinière, Luskville.
Carolina Wren – Continuing Richland Dr, Ottawa. Continuing Frank Ryn & Elmhurst Parks, Ottawa. Nov 12, Greenbelt Pathway (East/West of Conroy), Ottawa.
Gray Catbird – Nov 13, 15, Baie Simard, Gatineau.
Common Grackle – Continuing, Fine Estate, Ottawa.
Ovenbird – Nov 11-14, Apache Crescent, Ottawa.
Ottawa and area bird sightings to 10 November 2022
by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca
Hooded Merganser, Rideau Canal (at the Arboretum), Judith Gustafsson. Possibly the greatest natural display in the urban area is the mating display of ducks in the fall and winter. These males are competing for the attention of the same female. The condition of their feathers and the vigour and endurance of their dance signals a lot of health information to the females watching. Often the female seems to be totally ignoring the display, and then suddenly swims off with the winner. Turns out she was gauging his efforts all along.
Hooded Merganser, Rideau Canal (at the Arboretum), Judith Gustafsson. Derek has observed the chest-out/head back display many times, but has never noticed the neck extension that Judith captured here.
European Starling, Ottawa, Christopher Clunas. Water features are often the best way to attract birds to your yard. They involve some commitment: daily water changes and frequent cleaning will prevent mosquito breeding and disease transmission. The reward is worth the work. Many birds that will scorn feeders will stop for a drink or a bath, even migrating warblers.
Merlin, Mud lake, Eric Leger. Once while your humble compiler motionlessly scanned Mud lake, the resident Merlin attacked a Wood Duck at his feet. It’s not clear who ended up more shocked or scared: the duck, the falcon, or the birder. All three fled with racing hearts.
Pink-footed Goose, Concession road 2, East Hawkesbury, Arlene Harrold. Outside the OFNC circle, but since some people are driving all the way from Toronto to see it, it’s definitely worth mentioning.
Snow Goose, Embrum, Janet McCullough. Another local wonder, but usually outside the city and east or southeast of Ottawa.
Red-bellied Woodpecker, Dewberry Trail, Aaron Hywarren. This gorgeous–if poorly named bird–is pretty easy to photograph near the feeders. Perhaps it’s not easy to get a great photo, but seeing the bird just takes a little patience.
Black-backed Woodpecker, Greenbelt Pathway east from Hawethrone, Aaron Hywarren. The awesome fall of northern woodpeckers continues, and the American Three-toed and the Black-backed will probably continue in the area for a while. Don’t be discouraged if they go a couple of days without reports. There is a lot of territory there.
Female and male Hooded Merganser, Dow’s lake, Alan Short.
Female Scaup, Dow’s lake, Alan Short. As you can clearly see by the, um, ID points, this is obviously a, uh, greater? Maybe lesser? Ok, this is now a quiz bird. Which is it, and why?
Ross’s Goose (5) Nov 09, Winchester sewage lagoons, Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry. Nov 08, Nov 04, Embrun Sewage Lagoons, Prescott and Russell. Nov 06, County Road 5, Limoges, Prescott and Russell. Nov 05, Moodie Drive Quarry, Ottawa.
Greater White-fronted Goose (2) Nov 10, Nov 05-06, Moodie Drive Ponds, Ottawa. Nov 07, Hidden Lake Trail, Ottawa,
Blue-winged Teal (2) Nov 06, Dunrobin (Constance Creek), Ottawa. Nov 04, Bruce Pit, Ottawa.
Pied-billed Grebe (2) Nov 07, Britannia CA (general location), Ottawa.
Greater Yellowlegs (4) Nov 06, Carleton Place–Hwy 7 Storm Pond, Lanark.
Great Egret – Continuing, Petrie Island, Ottawa.
Turkey Vulture – Nov 06, County Road 22, Ottawa.
Red-shouldered Hawk – Nov 06, Kerwin Rd trail, Ottawa.
Golden Eagle – Nov 08, Shirley’s Bay, Ottawa.
American Three-toed Woodpecker – At least 3, last reported Nov . 06. Male and female, Greenbelt Pathway (East/West of Conroy), Ottawa. East Of Hawthorne, Greenbelt Pathway, Ottawa.
Black-backed Woodpecker – Nov 06, Greenbelt Pathway East from Hawthorne Rd, Ottawa. Nov 04, Greenbelt Pathway (East/West of Conroy), Ottawa.
Red-bellied Woodpecker – Continuing Dewberry Trail Parking Feeder, Ottawa. Parc Marlene-Goyet, Gatineau.
Carolina Wren – Continuing Frank Ryn & Elmhurst Parks, Ottawa. Nov 08, Heart’s Desire Park, Ottawa.
Evening Grosbeak – large numbers in the region this week. The small flock at the woodpecker stakeout has been consistent.
Townsend’s Solitaire – Nov 09, Nepean/Barrhaven, Ottawa. Window strike.
Swamp Sparrow (5) Nov 07, PN de Plaisance–Presqu’îles (Grande & Petite), Papineau
Yellow-rumped Warbler – Nov 04, Perth Wildlife Reserve, Lanark.
Ottawa and area bird sightings to 3 November 2022
by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca
Boreal treats for halloween: American Three-toed Woodpeckers, Black-backed Woodpeckers, and 2 recent Boreal Chickadees. The chickadees seem to be part of a larger movement with reports from Renfrew as well. 8 unseasonable warblers is noteworthy. A large flock of 37 Bonaparte’s was unusual for Oct 31.
Boreal Chickadee, Orlando Park, Aaron Hywarren. Part of a bigger movement beyond Ottawa, there are probably more out there to find.
Male and Female American Three-toed Woodpeckers, Greenbelt Pathway, east of Conroy, Gillian Wright. With all the windthrow, might some try breeding in Ottawa?
Female Black-backed Woodpecker, Old Quarry trail, Gillian Mastromatteo. Both woodpecker species share the unusual three-toed arrangement, but the solid back black is unique to the Black-backed.
Female and Male Hooded Mergansers, Rideau Canal, Judith Gustafsson. There is stunning nature to be found in urban areas, and Hooded Mergansers in winter are among the most stunning. If not for the long white feathers, would you even guess these are the same species?
First-year Northern Shrike, Lime Kiln Trail, Janet McCullough. Immature birds of many species lack the high contrast of adult plumage. Individual survival matters more than passing on the genes at that life stage.
Brant Geese, Andrew Haydon, Alan Short.
Pileated Woodpecker, Mud Lake, Alan Short. Pileated Woodpeckers have the more standard 4-toe arrangement of most woodpecker species.
Snow Bunting, Andrew Haydon, Alan Short.
Male American Three-toed Woodpecker, Greenbelt Pathway, east of Conroy, Gillian Wright. Not just a nice pic of the male, this photo captures some cool behaviour. Examine the bark. Both Three-toed and Blacked backed are known for flicking off flakes of bark instead of digging holes. They do dig nesting cavities, so this is a feeding adaptation.
Highlights
American Three-toed Woodpecker – Continuing. Both male and female seen on the greenbelt pathway trail just east of Conroy, Ottawa. Male last reported Nov 01.
Black-backed Woodpecker – Continuing. Female seen on the greenbelt pathway trail just east of Conroy , Ottawa. Another female Nov 03, Old Quarry Trail, Ottawa.
Little Gull – Oct 31, Petrie Island, Ottawa. Hanging with some Bonaparte’s.
Boreal Chickadee – Oct 27-28, Orlando Park, Ottawa.
Other interesting birds
Greater White-fronted Goose – Nov 03, Chapman Mills CA, Ottawa. North of Vimy Memorial Bridge. Oct 29, -Moodie Drive Quarry, Ottawa.
Ross’s Goose – Oct 31, Embrun Sewage Lagoons, Prescott and Russell.
Not to be confused with …
Snow x Ross’s Goose – Oct 29, Embrun Sewage Lagoons, Prescott and Russell.
Blue-winged Teal – Oct 30, Andrew Haydon Park, Ottawa. Oct 30, Richmond CA (formerly Richmond Sewage Lagoons), Ottawa.
Lesser Yellowlegs – Nov 02-03, Richmond CA (formerly Richmond Sewage Lagoons), Ottawa.
White-rumped Sandpiper (3) Oct 30, Rideau River – Black Rapids to Mosquito Creek, Ottawa.
Long-billed Dowitcher – Oct 31, Halte routière, Lochaber, Papineau.
Great Egret – Continuing, Petrie Island, Ottawa.
Black-crowned Night-Heron – Oct 30, Emerald Meadows x Eagleson storm water ponds, Ottawa.
Red-bellied Woodpecker – Continuing Nov 02, Parc Marlene-Goyet, Gatineau. Dewberry Trail Parking Feeder, Ottawa. Oct 31, Twin Elm Road Wetlands, Ottawa. Oct 29, NCC Trail 24, Ottawa.
Blue-headed Vireo – Nov 01, Rockcliffe Parkway between Ogilvie and Green’s Creek, Ottawa.
Carolina Wren – Continuing Frank Ryn & Elmhurst Parks, Ottawa.
Black-and-white Warbler – Oct 30, Baie McLaurin, Gatineau.
Tennessee Warbler – Nov 01, Quail Dr, Ottawa.
Nashville Warbler – Oct 30, Rockcliffe Airport Woods, Ottawa.
Common Yellowthroat – Nov 02, Greenbelt Pathway (East/West of Conroy), Ottawa.
Cape May Warbler – Nov 01, Rockcliffe Parkway between Ogilvie and Green’s Creek, Ottawa.
Bay-breasted Warbler – Oct 30, Britannia CA–Mud Lake, Ottawa.
Yellow Warbler – Nov 01, Rockcliffe Parkway between Ogilvie and Green’s Creek, Ottawa.
Palm Warbler – Oct 30, Rockcliffe Parkway between Ogilvie and Green’s Creek, Ottawa.
The second year of the Third Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas is coming to a close. It is a five-year effort that will 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. Data compilation for this year is underway and submitting your records as soon as possible will be particularly helpful. Do you have some interesting sightings in eBird? It takes only 90 seconds to share your eBird checklist with the Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas. For more information, visit https://www.birdsontario.org/ or contact the Atlas Ottawa Regional Coordinator at Ottawa@birdsontario.org
Ottawa and area bird sightings to 27 October 2022
by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca
This week’s October’s special is Surf & Turf. Alcids and Dickcissels!
A new American Three-toed Woodpecker! And a late-breaking Cattle Egret just outside the circle in Lanark. 12 noteworthy warblers at the end of October is surprising. There was a strong visible migration today (Thursday) at the west end of Lake Deschenes, driven by cold northwesterlies, with hundreds of Brant along with other “northern” ducks including numbers of Pintail and widgeon. Not surprisingly, a good raptor push included a Northern Goshawk.
Dickcissel, Ottawa (Derek’s yard), Tom Devecseri. Rare for our region, Dickcissel are known for vagrancy and associating with House Sparrows on their wanderings. So checking every single House Sparrow for years may actually pay off. Individuals in Gatineau, Ottawa and Kingston might suggest a movement. If so, how many more wait to be found?
Winter Wren, Ottawa (Derek’s yard), Brian Morin. Sometimes while waiting for a stakeout bird, one can get a spectacular shot of another species attracted to similar conditions (in this case tangled shelter and water).
Razorbills, Ottawa River, Brian Morin. Alcids like the Razorbills breed along the Atlantic coast. They are seen frequently as far as Québec city, but some years a few come inland as far as Ottawa.
Ruffed Grouse, Stoney Swamp, Brandon Lee. This bird followed Brandon around for a while as he hiked. This behaviour is often attributed to territoriality.
Northern Parula, Frank Ryn, Sanam Goudarzi. There was an impressive run of late warblers last weekend, and Sanam caught this gorgeous bird.
Scaup, Andrew haydon park, Alan Short. If ducks in non-breeding plumage weren’t hard enough, they can roll on their sides, making the white patches even more confusing from a distance.
Great Egret, Rideau Canal, Judith Gustafsson. Bonus points if you can ID the fish.
Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Alta Vista, Christopher Clunas.
Great Blue Heron, Arboretum, Judith Gustafsson. Judith watched this large bird hanging out on relatively thin branches, trying to catch something in the leaves.
Fox Sparrow, Mud lake, Alan Short.
Highlights
Razorbill (2-4) Oct 24 Seen from Bates Island to the Rapides Deschênes. The razorbills were accompanied by a smaller alcid identified as a Puffin.
Atlantic Puffin – Oct 24, Deschenes Rapids Lookout, Ottawa.
American three-toed Woodpecker– Oct 22, Greenbelt P19, Ottawa. Near the C marker. Beware impassable trails. This was a male, so this is a different bird than last week.
Cattle Egret – Lanark 43, Merrickville, Lanark.
Boreal Chickadee – Oct 27, Heron Park, Ottawa.
Dickcissel – Oct 21-27, Bloomsbury Crescent, Ottawa. And another Oct 26, Gatineau! The Bloomsbury bird is surprisingly gettable with some patience.
Other sightings
Ross’s Goose – Oct 22, PN de Plaisance–Tête de la Baie, Papineau.
Greater White-fronted Goose – Oct 23, Oct 27 Emerald Meadows x Eagleson storm water ponds, Ottawa. Oct 21, Wall and Trim, Ottawa.
Trumpeter Swan – Oct 23, Kettles Road, Ottawa, Ontario
Blue-winged Teal – Oct 24, Oct 22 Britannia CA (general location), Ottawa. Oct 24, Oct 22 Andrew Haydon Park, Ottawa. Oct 22 Richmond CA (formerly Richmond Sewage Lagoons), Ottawa.
Ruddy Duck – Oct 25 Seen from both sides of the river, from Britannia to Shirley’s Bay.
Sora – Oct 26, Dunrobin (Constance Creek), Ottawa,
Virginia Rail – Oct 23, Carleton Place–Hwy 7 Storm Pond, Lanark. Oct Kettles Road, Ottawa, Ontario
Common Gallinule – Oct 25, PN de Plaisance–Baie Noire (Est & Ouest), Papineau.
Spotted Sandpiper – Oct 21-26, Andrew Haydon Park, Ottawa.
Red-bellied Woodpecker – Oct 26, Rue Wells, Gatineau. Oct 25-26, Bon Echo, Ottawa.
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker – Oct 22, Petrie Island, Ottawa. Oct 22, Champlain Park Woods, Ottawa.
Green Heron – Oct 26, Carp River Watershed Reclamation Area, Ottawa. Oct 21-23, Andrew Haydon Park, Ottawa. Oct 21, Greenbank Pond, Ottawa.
Osprey – Oct 22, Britannia CA (general location), Ottawa.
Golden Eagle – Oct 21, Russell @ Rockdale, Ottawa. lAN
Blue-headed Vireo – Oct 23, Clyde Woods, Ottawa. Oct 22, Champlain Park Woods, Ottawa.
Carolina Wren (4) Frank Ryn & Elmhurst Parks, Ottawa. Oct 26, Pine Grove Trail, Ottawa. Oct 26, Gloucester-Southgate, Ottawa. Oct 26, Pine Grove Trailhead P19, Ottawa. Oct 23-24, Chapel Hill North, Ottawa. Oct 23, Russell, Prescott and Russell.
Gray Catbird – Oct 23, Rockcliffe Airport Woods, Ottawa.
Savannah Sparrow – Oct 23, Lalonde Road, Prescott and Russell.
Lincoln’s Sparrow – Oct 27, Manotick, Ottawa. Oct 23, Russell Trail Link, Ottawa. Oct 22, Rockcliffe Airport Woods, Ottawa
Eastern Towhee – Oct 27, Kirchoffer Ave, Ottawa. Oct 23, Manotick, Ottawa.
Nashville Warbler – Reported Oct 23, Parc Queen, Gatineau. Oct 23, Britannia CA (the ridge), Ottawa.
Tennessee Warbler – Oct 24, Chelsea, , Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais. Oct 23, Britannia CA (general location), Ottawa.
Nashville Warbler – Oct 22, Parc Guillot & Marais Lamoureux, Gatineau. Oct 22, Nepean Tent and Trailer Campgrounds, Ottawa.
Common Yellowthroat – Oct 22, Nepean Tent and Trailer Campgrounds, Ottawa.
Cape May Warbler – Oct 23, Britannia CA–Woods, Ottawa.
Northern Parula – Oct 27, Frank Ryn & Elmhurst Parks, Ottawa. Oct 25, Green’s Creek Sewage Treatment Facility, Ottawa. Oct 23, Britannia CA (general location), Ottawa. Oct 22, Remic Rapids and Champlain Bridge area (Kitchissippi Woods), Ottawa.
Bay-breasted Warbler – Oct 21, Bruce Pit, Ottawa.
Yellow Warbler – Oct 25, Green’s Creek Sewage Treatment Facility, Ottawa. Oct 24, Rockcliffe parkway between Ogilvie and Green’s creek, Ottawa.
Blackpoll Warbler – Oct 22, Britannia CA (general location), Ottawa.
Black-throated Blue Warbler – Oct 22, Strathcona Park, Ottawa. Oct 22, Frank Ryn & Elmhurst Parks, Ottawa.
Blue-headed Vireo (2) Oct 22, Nepean Tent and Trailer Campgrounds, Ottawa.
Palm Warbler – Oct 23, Britannia CA (general location), Ottawa.
Black-throated Green Warbler – Oct 23, Britannia CA (general location), Ottawa.
Scarlet Tanager – Oct 23, Morris Island CA, Ottawa.
Ottawa and area bird sightings to 20 October 2022
by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca
Barnacle Goose, Forster’s Tern, Boreal Chickadee, and nine species of woodpecker, including American Three-toed Woodpecker. Despite a lot of effort, few birders managed to find these birds. But there was plenty to see with an unusual number of late season warblers. And 4 Black-backed Woodpeckers within the 50-km circle this fall suggests some sort of movement for this irruptive species.
American Three-toed Woodpecker, Pine Grove, Gillian Wright. The white spots on the back reveal that this is not the more expected Black-backed Woodpecker. With all the dead trees in the Greenbelt from the storm, this rarity may still be around. Irruptive woodpeckers exploit the insects that follow fires and windthrow. Check out the position of the outermost toe. The bird can swing it forward or backwards, whichever is most helpful at the time.
Boreal Chickadee, Bates Island, Clifford Rostek. Clifford found this bird on a very foggy morning. It wasn’t associated with any of the black-capped chickadees present that morning. It’s unusual to find this species outside a spruce forest.
White-winged Scoter, Ottawa, Alan Short. Fall is waterfowl season, and there is a great diversity of birds to scan for in late October. All that is required is patience, although good gear and a hot thermos help.
Blue-winged Teal, Andrew Haydon Park, Tony Beck.
Cackling Goose with Canada Geese, Richmond Conservation Area, Tony Beck. Some Cackling Geese are challenging to id, but this one is all classic cackler: tiny, ‘cute’ head with short beak, short neck.
Forster’s Tern, Shirley’s Bay, Tony Beck. Breeding in marshy areas of the prairies, the southern great lakes, and a few other locations, Forster’s Tern is rarely seen in Ottawa, and this one got the birders racing.
Forster’s Tern, Shirley’s Bay, Arlene Harrold. Size is incredibly hard to judge in a lone bird, leading to a lot of incorrect ids. The Ring-billed Gull demonstrates just how small the tern is.
Bonaparte Gull, Shirley’s Bay, Arlene Harrold.
Double-crested Cormorants, Dow’s lake, Judith Gustafsson. Dow’s Lake can be a great bird watching destination once the water level is lowered in the fall. Many species of waterfowl will stop there, and sometimes thousands of geese will fly in for the night.
Cape May Warbler, Mud Lake, Gerald MacGillivray. There was a surprising number of late warblers this week.
Ross’s Goose – Oct 16, PN de Plaisance–Tête de la Baie, Papineau.
Greater White-fronted Goose – Oct 18, Halte routière, Lochaber, Papineau.
Barnacle Goose – Oct 19, Birchgrove Road, Ottawa.
Trumpeter Swan – Oct 20, Marlborough Forest–Roger’s Pond, Ottawa. Oct 19, Richmond CA (formerly Richmond Sewage Lagoons), Ottawa.
Long-billed Dowitcher – Oct 07-14, Carp River Watershed Reclamation Area, Ottawa.
Spotted Sandpiper – Oct 19, Nolan Quarry, Prescott and Russell. Oct 15, Ottawa River Pathway (view of Britannia Bay). Oct 15-16, Andrew Haydon Park, Ottawa.
Forster’s Tern – Oct 17, Shirley’s Bay (boat launch), Ottawa.
Osprey – Oct 15, Reeve Craig, Ottawa.
Red-bellied Woodpecker – Oct 16, Ch Fer- à-Cheval/sentier des Libellules, Gatineau. Oct 16, Parc Marlene-Goyet, Gatineau. Oct 15, Rapides Deschênes (incluant Parc), Gatineau.
American Three-toed Woodpecker – Oct 16, Pine grove trail, Ottawa.
Black-backed Woodpecker – Oct 16, Larose Forest, Prescott and Russell.
Boreal Chickadee – Oct 19, Bate Island, Ottawa.
Tree Swallow – Oct 20, Britannia area, Ottawa.
Carolina Wren – Pine Grove trail, Ottawa.
Evening Grosbeak – Still everywhere. Enjoy it.
Pine Grosbeak – Oct 18, Parc Martin Larouche, Gatineau
Lincoln’s Sparrow – Oct 19, Chapman Mills CA, Ottawa. Oct 18, Stittsville Main St, Ottawa. Oct 18, Merivale Gardens, Ottawa. Oct 16, Britannia Park (pier), Ottawa. Oct 16, Fletcher Wildlife Garden, Ottawa. Oct 16, McCooey Lane, Ottawa.
Tennessee Warbler Oct 18, Mud Lake, Ottawa. Oct 18, Merivale Gardens, Ottawa.
Orange-crowned Warbler – Oct 20, Carp River, Hazeldean Rd to Maple Grove Rd, Ottawa. Oct 18, Stittsville Main St, Ottawa.
Nashville Warbler – Oct 19, Pine grove trail, Ottawa. Oct 18, Greenbelt Pathway (East/West of Conroy), Ottawa. Oct 16, Rockcliffe Airport Woods, Ottawa. Oct 18, Merivale Gardens, Ottawa. Oct 16, Pleasant Park-Kilborn Gardens Corridor, Ottawa.
Common Yellowthroat– Oct 19, Richmond CA (formerly Richmond Sewage Lagoons), Ottawa. Oct 18, Marais Sabourin, Gatineau. Oct 18, Andrew Haydon Park, Ottawa.
American Redstart – Oct 16, Rockcliffe Airport Woods, Ottawa.
Cape May Warbler – Oct 19, Oct 16, Oct 14, Britannia Ridge, Ottawa.
Northern Parula – Oct 19, Fletcher Wildlife Garden, Ottawa.
Black-throated Blue Warbler – Oct 18, Merivale Gardens, Ottawa. Oct 16, Mud Lake, Ottawa.
Palm Warbler – Oct 19, Fletcher Wildlife Garden, Ottawa.
Scarlet Tanager – Oct 20, Fine Estate, Ottawa.
Ottawa and area bird sightings to 13 October 2022
by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca
There was a major movement of waterfowl on Oct 9, a day with strong northwesterlies and rain squalls, with birds seen in southward passage notably at the west end of Lake Deschenes. Not surprisingly, Oct 10 was an awesome day of birding.
Long-billed Dowitcher, Carp River Watershed Reclamation Area, Arlene Harrold. Common migrants in the West, a Long-billed Dowitcher is fairly rare in eastern Ontario, and this bird generated a lot of attention this week.
Wilson Snipe, Carp River Watershed Reclamation Area, Janet McCullough. Unlike the dowitcher, snipe are common in Ottawa, but so well camouflaged they often go unseen. Looks a lot like a dowitcher you say? Dowitchers were known as Red-breasted Snipe in the 1700s.
Song Sparrow, Fletcher Wildlife Garden, Judith Gustafsson. Ottawa’s ubiquitous sparrow is worth getting to know, for itself, and as a comparison species. This week you can hear young birds singing weird broken versions of the species’ song.
Eastern Bluebird, Beaver Trail, Richard Kohl. Richard found a pair hunting insects in the grass.
Orange-crowned Warbler, Carp River Watershed Reclamation Area, Erik Pohanka. Low contrast, muted, subtle beauty. Numbers peak in Ottawa in mid-Sept to mid-Oct in Ottawa.
Greater White-fronted Goose, Carp River Watershed Reclamation Area (Winterset pond), Arlene Harrold. The pond off Winterset has been amazing this week, with Redhead, Snow Goose, Cackling Goose, and other waterfowl and shorebirds.
Snow Bunting, Shirley’s Bay, Derek Dunnett. The camouflage works equally well on the shoreline or in a snow covered field of stubble.
Eastern Bluebird, Embrum, Arlene Harrold.
White-winged Scoter – (5) Oct 12, east of Britannia Point, Ottawa. Andrew Haydon Park, Ottawa. (7) Shirley’s Bay, Ottawa. (42) Oct 10, Andrew haydon park, Ottawa.
Long-tailed Duck – Oct 12, east of Britannia Point, Ottawa, and Shirley’s Bay, Ottawa.
Brant – Moving along the river since Oct. 08.
Greater White-fronted Goose – Oct 08-12, Carp River Watershed Reclamation Area, Ottawa (Winterset pond, in with Canada Geese, and sometimes Snow Goose and Cackling Goose).
Iceland Gull – Oct 07, Rapides Deschênes (incluant Parc), Gatineau.
Red-throated Loon (2) Oct 09, Shirley’s Bay (boat launch), Ottawa.
Black-billed/Yellow-billed Cuckoo – Oct 10, bike path south of Mud lake.
Common Nighthawk – Oct 11, Kanata–Beaverbrook Park, Ottawa.
Long-billed Dowitcher – Oct 07-12, Carp River Watershed Reclamation Area, Ottawa. Moves around and disappears. Often in the northernmost pond.
Green Heron – Oct 12, Andrew Haydon Park, Ottawa. Oct 11-12, Fox Run stormwater ponds, Ottawa. Oct 08-12, Carp River Watershed Reclamation Area, Ottawa. Oct 08, Richmond CA (formerly Richmond Sewage Lagoons), Ottawa.
Red-bellied Woodpecker – Oct 12, Rapides Deschênes (incluant Parc), Gatineau. Oct 08, Sentier des Voyageurs–Pont Champlain<->Parc des Rapides-Deschênes, Gatineau.
Wood Thrush – Oct 07, Beacon Hill North, Ottawa. Multi use path by river west of P7.
Swallow sp. – Oct 10, Shirley’s Bay (boat launch), Ottawa.
Eastern Wood-Pewee – Oct 10, Champlain Park Woods, Ottawa.
Carolina Wren – Frank Ryn & Elmhurst Parks, Ottawa.
House Wren – Oct 07, Almonte Lagoons, Lanark.
Marsh Wren – Oct 07-12, Almonte Lagoons, Lanark.
Evening Grosbeak – All over the region.
Pine Grosbeak – Oct 09, Britannia CA (general location), Ottawa.
Snow Bunting (15) Oct 10, McFadden Road, Ottawa. Oct 10, Shirley’s Bay (boat launch), Ottawa.
Baltimore Oriole – Oct 06, Wolf Grove, Lanark.
Tennessee Warbler – Oct 12, Champlain Park Woods, Ottawa. Oct 12, Britannia CA (general location), Ottawa. (3) Oct 10, Carp River Watershed Reclamation Area, Ottawa. Oct 09, Britannia Ridge, Ottawa.
Common Yellowthroat – Oct 09, Fletcher Wildlife Garden, Ottawa.
American Redstart – Oct 09, Nepean Tent and Trailer Campgrounds, Ottawa.
Magnolia Warbler – Oct 12, Champlain Park Woods, Ottawa.
Common Yellowthroat – Oct 11, Beacon Hill North-general area, Ottawa.
Ottawa and area bird sightings to 6 October 2022
by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca
A county first Tropical Kingbird! A nice influx of Evening Grosbeaks, and some lingering Nelson’s Sparrows.
Tropical Kingbird, Richmond Conservation Area, Chris Allen. Chris saw the bird for less than a minute, but captured several photos. This is a great habit for when you see a bird you think might be rare. Thanks to the photos this will probably be the first confirmed Tropical Kingbird for Ottawa. Many birders quickly descended on the CA, but the bird was never refound.
Tropical Kingbird, Richmond Conservation Area, Chris Allen. The enormous bill and the yellow all the way to the throat demonstrate that this is not the already rare-enough but expected Western Kingbird.
Great Blue Heron, Andrew Haydon, Alan Short. Who needs hands when your mouth can grab, spear and perform delicate grooming?
Field Sparrows, Shirley’s Bay, Arlene Harrold. The pink bill makes this an easy ID.
Blue-winged Teal, Andrew Haydon, Alan Short. Eponymous blue nowhere to be seen.
Blue-winged Teal (with lesser Yellowlegs), Andrew Haydon, Janet McCullough. Flaunting the blue.
Blue-winged Teal, Andrew Haydon, Janet McCullough. The blue is gone again, but zoom in on that bill for some nightmare fodder. Although ducks don’t have teeth, bills evolve and ducks specialize. Dabbling ducks such as Mallards and Teal have structures to assist straining their food from the water. Note how different this bill is from the Great Blue Heron. They feed in the same shallow waters, but using completely different equipment and strategy.
American Black Duck, Rideau Canal, Judith Gustafsson. This bird may have no Mallard blood. No white anywhere, not in the speculum, not on the butt, nor elsewhere.
Mallard, Rideau Canal, Judith Gustafsson. This is the latest in our collection of ducks eating unexpected things. Probably a nice change from duckweed and small invertebrates strained from dirty canal water.
Bufflehead – Oct 03, Parc Jacques-Cartier), Gatineau.
Greater White-fronted Goose (2) Oct 01, Sep 30, Richmond CA (formerly Richmond Sewage Lagoons), Ottawa.
Common Nighthawk – Oct 02 Rapides Deschênes (incluant Parc), Gatineau.
Sora – Oct 03, Mer Bleue Bog, Ottawa.
Long-billed Dowitcher – Sep 30, Carleton Place–Hwy 7 Storm Pond, Lanark. Immature bird.
Black-backed Woodpecker – Sep 30, Gatineau Park Trail 59, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais.
Tropical Kingbird – Oct 02, Richmond CA (formerly Richmond Sewage Lagoons), Ottawa. A 45-second, single observer sighting, but the observer had the presence of mind to snap off many photos.
Warbling Vireo – Oct 04, Britannia CA (general location), Ottawa.
Bank Swallow – Oct 01, Embrun Sewage Lagoons, Prescott and Russell.
Barn Swallow – Oct 01, Embrun Sewage Lagoons, Prescott and Russell.
House Wren – Oct 04, Rockcliffe Airport Woods, Ottawa.
Carolina Wren – Oct 05, Constance Bay, Ottawa. Corner of Bayview and Dunster.
Evening Grosbeak – Oct 06, Mer Bleue Bog, Ottawa. (15) Oct 05, Transitway along Corkstown Road, Ottawa. (3) Oct 05, Britannia CA (general location), Ottawa. (11) Oct 04, Fletcher Wildlife Garden, Ottawa, “Flock of 9 mostly adult males flyover, 2 immature in trees.” (4) Oct 03, Rockcliffe Airport Woods, Ottawa. Oct 03, Mer Bleue Bog, Ottawa. Oct 03, Britannia CA (general location), Ottawa. Oct 02, Fletcher Wildlife Garden, Ottawa. (6) Oct 01, West River Drive, Ottawa.
Eastern Towhee – Oct 01, Pinhey’s Point Historic Site, Ottawa.
Nelson’s Sparrow – Oct 03, Constance Bay, Ottawa. Oct 02, Beckwith trails, McTavish Branch, Lanark. Sep30-Oct 01, Ottawa River at mouth of Constance Creek, Ottawa
Fox Sparrow – Oct 02, Torbolton, Ottawa.
Chestnut-sided Warbler – Oct 02, Nortel Marsh, Ottawa.
Ovenbird – Sep 30, sentier de ski nakkertok, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais.
Ottawa and area bird sightings to 29 September 2022
by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca
Lingering birds and an influx of fall migrants. White-crowned Sparrows are suddenly everywhere, and scattered reports of Lincoln’s and Nelson’s Sparrow.
Gray Partridge, Giroux, Janice Stewart. Janice found a whole flock of the always challenging Gray Partridge. Even better, she captured this shot of a young bird growing in feathers. What are those white strings? Feather tubes: modified skin cells that grow as tubes, then unfurl into feathers that an animal can fly with. Evolution clearly works drunk.
American Pipit, Régimbald Rd near Dunning Rd, Janice Stewart. Janice saw 2 flocks of 20 pipits taking advantage of the plowed fields.
Double-crested Cormorant, Billings Bridge, Judith Gustafsson. Note the feather on the beak from preening. Outside the breeding season, birds’ priorities are feeding and feather maintenance, and not necessarily in that order.
Green Heron, Andrew Hayden Park, Alison Leith. Birds in parks with lots of human activity may start the season very wary, and by fall the same individuals may become acclimated to humans.
Golden-crowned Kinglet, Forest Valley Woods, Keith Wickens. Keith enjoyed one of the great fall experiences this week, becoming surrounded by a big flock of kinglets.
Mystery Warbler, Mud lake, Alan Short. Go ahead, ID me, I dare you!
Downy Woodpecker, Mud lake, Alan Short. Come for the insects, stay for the view. Sumac is full of vitamin C and can make a nice tea. And if I ever find a head that isn’t completely full of insects, I’m going to try it.
Rusty Blackbird, Carleton Place, Arlene Harrold.
Sparrows, Giroux, Nina Stavlund. We have entered the seasons of sparrows. How many can you find in this picture? How many species? (Click on the image for a larger view.)
Greater White-fronted Goose – (2) Sep 24-25, Moodie Drive Quarry, Ottawa.
Black-billed Cuckoo – Sep 24, Heart’s Desire Park, Ottawa.
Common Nighthawk – Sep 22, 24, Rapides Deschênes (incluant Parc), Gatineau.
Redhead – Sep 22-27, Moodie Drive Quarry, Ottawa.
American Coot – Sep 23-25, Moodie Drive Quarry, Ottawa.
American Golden-Plover (4) Sep 23, Fourth Line Road, Ottawa.
Whimbrel – Sep 23, Ottawa International Airport, Ottawa.
White-rumped Sandpiper – Sep 25, Moodie Drive Quarry, Ottawa.
Least Bittern – Sep 23, South March Highlands Conservation Forest, Ottawa.
Least Flycatcher – Sep 25, Fletcher Wildlife Garden, Ottawa.
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher – Sep 28, Fletcher Wildlife Garden, Ottawa. In the Old Field.
Olive-sided Flycatcher – Sep 25, Hunt Line Rd, Ottawa.
Carolina Wren – Sep 27, Greenview Ave, Ottawa Sep 23, Southmore Dr E., Ottawa.
Veery – Sep 25, Baie McLaurin, Gatineau.
Eastern Towhee (2) All on Sep 24: Fine Estate, Ottawa. Stony Swamp (Jack Pine Trail), Ottawa. Nepean Tent and Trailer Campgrounds, Ottawa. A movement on the 24th?
Clay-colored Sparrow – Sep 24, Rockcliffe Airport Woods, Ottawa,
Nelson’s Sparrow (6) Sep 27, Ottawa River, Ottawa. Sep 26, Saint Fillans Road, Carleton Place, Lanark. (5) Sep 24, Ottawa River, Prescott and Russell.
Fox Sparrow – Sep 25, Parc de la Gatineau–Sentier de la sucrerie, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais. Sep 24, Fletcher Wildlife Garden, Ottawa.
Lincoln’s Sparrow – Sep 28, Giroux Rd, Navan, Ottawa. Sep 26, Andrew Haydon Park, Ottawa.Sep 25, St west of Joy’s Rd, Ottawa. Sep 24, Britannia CA (general location), Ottawa. Sep 22, Rockcliffe Airport Woods, Ottawa. Probably many more.
Canada Warbler – Sep 24, Near Hampton Park, Ottawa.
Ottawa and area bird sightings to 22 September 2022
by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca
Orange-crowned Warbler season! Late swallows, and a continuous stream of warblers. Duck and goose diversity increases. And a super rare hawk!
Golden-crowned Kinglet, Kerwin Road Trail, Jordan Milko. This tiny species is tough. In a mild winter, some populations may not migrate at all, or may just do a small displacement south. Most birds winter south of Ottawa, but some tough it out in snow-laden places such as New Brunswick and Maine, tiny birds foraging for tiny moths in huge conifers.
Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Kerwin Road Trail, Jordan Milko. Although in the fall migration, Golden-crowned shows up here before Ruby-crowned, there is an overlap period when both species are easily phished in.
Blue-headed Vireo, Steeple Hill, Arlene Harrold.
American Golden-Plover, Jay St., Arlene Harrold. Many birders tried to see this beautiful individual, as it spent a couple of days at Jay St., Andrew Haydon, and parts unknown. It can be challenging to tell Golden-plovers from Black-bellied Plovers in some plumages, but Golden-plovers always have a relatively dainty bill. The Killdeer (another plover species) next to the plover shows how large this shorebird is.
Rusty Blackbird, Parc des Rapides-Deschênes, Keith Wickens. An interesting example of a species whose non-breeding plumage (shown here) is more distinctive than their breeding plumage.
Pectoral Sandpiper, Andrew Haydon Park, Alan Short. Larger than the “peeps,” the distinctive and clean cut breast marking and yellow legs make this an easy ID.
American Pipit, Cobden, Arlene Harrold. Pipits are common here in migration on shorelines and in farm fields. But they are frequently overlooked by casual observers as “just another flock of robins.” Unlike a pink and gray spring bird, this individual could easily be confused with a thrush. Other paler individuals can be mistaken for the much smaller Palm Warbler. Pipits are just full of mis-identification potential.
Wood Duck, Billing Bridge, Judith Gustafsson. Judith observed Wood Ducks and Mallards taking advantage of the many acorns dropped by the squirrels. Acorns require a lot of processing to remove tannins, and unprocessed acorns are considered poisonous to humans, cattle and dogs. As usual, ducks mock our human frailty.
Snow Goose – Sep 22, Burritt’s Rapids–Tip to Tip Trail, Leeds and Grenville. Check those flocks for Cacklers and Snows.
Cackling Goose (2) Sep 19, Andrew Haydon Park east (formerly Ottawa Beach), Ottawa.
Redhead (2-6) Sep 20-21, Moodie Drive Quarry, Ottawa.
American Golden-Plover Sep 18-19, Andrew Haydon Park, and Jay St, Ottawa. Presumably the same bird.
Baird’s Sandpiper – Sep 19, Constance Bay (river area), Ottawa. (2) Sep 17, Andrew Haydon Park, Ottawa.
Bank Swallow (2) Sep 20, Embrun Sewage Lagoons, Prescott and Russell.
Cliff Swallow – Sep 20, Embrun Sewage Lagoons, Prescott and Russell.
Northern Rough-winged Swallow (3) Sep 20, Britannia CA–Filtration Plant/Point, Ottawa.
Swainson’s Hawk – Sep 17, Breckenridge, Chemin Smith-Léonard, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais.
Red-headed Woodpecker – Sep 17, Constance Bay, Ottawa.
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher – Sep 21, John C. Foster Park, Leeds and Grenville.
Least Flycatcher – Sep 22, Andrew Haydon Park, Ottawa
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher – Sep 17, Chemin de la Rivière, Chelsea, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais.
Carolina Wren – Sep 17, Constance Bay, Ottawa. Sep 18, Pine Grove trail, Ottawa. Frank Ryn & Elmhurst Parks, Ottawa.
Evening Grosbeak (2) Sep 19, Gatineau view crescent, Ottawa. (5) Sep 17, Britannia CA (general location), Ottawa.
Clay-colored Sparrow – Sep 21, March Valley Road, Ottawa. Always double-check the little brown birds. Sep 16, Burnt Lands Provincial Park, Ottawa
Canada Warbler – Sep 18, Andrew Haydon Park, Ottawa.
Northern Waterthrush – Reported Sep 17, Britannia CA (general location), Ottawa.
Orange-crowned Warbler – Sep 17, Dolman Ridge Road, Ottawa. Sep 19, Britannia Ridge, Ottawa.
Ottawa and area bird sightings to 15 September 2022
by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca
Cerulean Warbler! Cold fronts! Nocturnal thrush migration!
Orange-crowned warblers incoming! What’s not to love about fall migration? Heavy migration overnight Wednesday – will Thursday night be as rich?
Cooper’s Hawk, Mud lake, Alan Short. Note the extra long toe. All 3 accipiter species have this foot design, believed to help in grasping prey birds in flight.
Shorebirds, Aaron Hywarren, Andrew Haydon Park (West). There are five species of shorebird in this remarkable photo. Can you name them all?
Northern Pintail and Mallard, Arlene Harrold, Andrew Haydon Park. Check all the brown ducks twice, then check them again. Blue-gray bill? That’s not a Mallard! The Northern Shoveler at the same location is also brown and easy to overlook.
Nashville Warbler, Alan Short, Mud Lake.
Empidonax flycatcher, Britannia Ridge, Sanam Goudarzi.
Palm Warbler, Experimental Farm, Arlene Harrold. Sometimes compost heaps and manure piles are a bird’s best friend.
Gray Catbird, Fletcher, Judith Gustafsson.
Juvenile American Robin, Fletcher, Judith Gustafsson. From this angle, the resemblance of the young robins to other thrushes is more obvious.
Wilson Warbler, Pinecrest Park, Derek Dunnett. Sometimes you walk for hours looking for a particular species to no avail, then return home, start your weekly bird report, and suddenly hear it calling five feet away from your window.
Snow Goose – Sep 10, Green’s Creek Sewage Treatment Facility, Ottawa.
Red-necked Grebe – Sep 09, Shirley’s Bay, Ottawa.
Baird’s Sandpiper – Sep 15, Constance Bay, Ottawa. Sep 11-14, Parc Brébeuf, Gatineau. Sep 14 , Andrew Haydon Park, Ottawa.
Least Bittern – Sep 11, South March Highlands, Ottawa.
Black-backed Woodpecker – Sep 15, Britannia CA (general location), Ottawa.
Red-bellied Woodpecker – Sep 10, River Road, Ottawa.
Alder Flycatcher – Sep 13, Britannia CA (general location), Ottawa. Sep 10, Rapides Deschênes, Gatineau.
Olive-sided Flycatcher – Sep 11, Stanley Park, Ottawa.
Yellow-throated Vireo – Sep 09, De La Sapinière, Luskville, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais.
Carolina Wren – Continuing Frank Ryn & Elmhurst Parks, Ottawa Mud Lake, Ottawa. Sep 10, Pinecrest Creek/George C. Brown Park, Ottawa. Sep 14, Frank Bender St, Ottawa. Sep 09, Olde Towne Ave, Russell, Prescott and Russell.
Evening Grosbeak – Sep 14, Athlone Avenue, Ottawa. (7) Sep 13, Britannia CA (general location), Ottawa.
Clay-colored Sparrow – Sep 13, Rideau Tennis Club, Ottawa. (2) Sep 11, Champlain Park Woods, Ottawa. Sep 10, Giroux Rd and ponds, Ottawa.
Bobolink (25) Sep 12, Marais des Laîches, Gatineau.
Orange-crowned Warbler – Sep 15, Britannia CA (general location), Ottawa.
Orange-crowned Warbler – Sep 11, Piste cyc. Sentier des Voyageurs-Parc Brébeuf-Pont Champlain, Gatineau.
Blue-winged Warbler – Sep 12, Strathcona Park, Ottawa.
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher – Reported Sep 11, Champlain Park Woods, Ottawa. Sep 10, Fine Estate, Ottawa.
Cerulean Warbler – Sep 10, Rapides Deschênes, Gatineau.
White-winged Crossbill – Sep 09, Britannia CA (general location), Ottawa.
Ottawa and area bird sightings to 8 September 2022
by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca
Philadelphia Vireo, Shirley’s Bay, Nina Stavlund.
Greater Yellowlegs, Andrew Hayden Park, Alan Short.
Red-eyed Vireo, Mud Lake, Alan Short.
Mystery Warbler, Mud Lake, Alan Short.
Northern Flicker and Hairy Woodpecker, Fletcher Wildlife Garden, Judith Gustafsson. “Wait, those come in yellow?”
Northern Cardinals, Fletcher Wildlife Garden, Judith Gustafsson. Juvenile songbirds (left) can be the same size as their parents (right) before they leave the nest.
Lesser Scaup, Station d’epuration, Gatineau.
Snow Goose, Sep 5 Carlton Place, Hwy 7 Storm Pond, Lanark.
Red-necked Grebe – Sep 05, 08 Moodie drive Quarry, Ottawa. Sep 07 Andrew Hayden park, Ottawa.
Black-crowned Night-Heron Carleton Place–Hwy 7 Storm Pond, Lanark.
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher, Sep 03 Nepean tent and Trailer Campgrounds, Ottawa.
Yellow-throated Vireo, Sep 05 Champlain Park woods, Ottawa.
Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Sep 04 Shirley’s Bay, Ottawa. Sep 02 Britannia Ridge, Ottawa.
Carolina Wren, Frank Ryn & Elmhurst Parks, Ottawa. Mud Lake, Ottawa.
Clay-colored Sparrow, Sep 08, Pinhey’s point, Ottawa.
Ottawa and area bird sightings to 1 September 2022
by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca
Broad-winged Hawk, Bruce Pit, Gillian Mastromatteo. The destruction caused by the ash die-off and subsequent storms created holes in the mixed deciduous canopy. This, and the nearby water, created ideal nesting habitat for the Broad-winged this year. The birds responded. Birders at Bruce Pit in July may have heard the territorial screams of the parents.
Common Loon, Clayton Lake, Janet McCullough. Ever wonder why loons have red eyes? A quick Internet search will assure you that the retina is red to help the bird see underwater. The main problem with that very easy to believe theory is that the iris is red, not the retina. And the iris just controls the amount of light entering the eye. So the real reason loons have red eyes is… unknown. Another theory is that the bright red eye is just another sexual display. We just don’t know yet.
Semipalmated Plover, Upper Canada Bird Sanctuary, Janet McCullough. We can tell this is a juvenile, and not just a faded post-breeding adult, by the white fringes to the feathers. This beautiful scalloping effect is a common juvenile shorebird trait.
Osprey, Cameron Harvey, Leah Mulligan. What’s the last thing a fish sees? Many birds sacrifice binocular vision for wide fields of view. Watch a bird feeder closely and you’ll see many prey birds cock their heads to watch the sky with a single eye. They can focus both eyes on a single object, but only in a very narrow range straight ahead. Raptors however -as this Osprey demonstrates – have excellent binocular vision, and hence great depth perception.
Immature Bald Eagle, Farran Park, Janet McCullough. All it would take to convince a casual observer that they had seen a Golden Eagle is some strong yellow early morning light on the nape.
Red Knot (1) – Last reported Aug 26, Petrie Island, Ottawa. (1) Aug 27, Halte routière, Lochaber, Papineau.
Baird’s Sandpiper (1) – Aug 31, Andrew Haydon Park, Ottawa. (2) Aug 29, Constance Bay, Ottawa.
Pectoral Sandpiper (1) – Aug 31, Andrew Haydon Park, Ottawa.
Ruddy Turnstone (1) – Aug 27, Britannia Point, Ottawa.
Least Bittern (2) – Aug 27, South March Highlands Conservation Forest, Ottawa.
Black-crowned Night-Heron (1) – Aug 27, Carleton Place–Hwy 7 Storm Pond, Lanark.
Red-headed Woodpecker (3) – Len Purcell Drive, Ottawa
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher (1) Aug 31, Petrie Island, Ottawa,
Yellow-throated Vireo (1) – Aug 29, Sheila McKee Park, Ottawa. (1) Aug 27, Britannia CA (general location), Ottawa. (1) Aug 27, Remic Rapids Lookout, Ottawa.
Ruby-crowned Kinglet (1) – Aug 30, Fine Estate, Ottawa.
Carolina Wren – Continuing Mud Lake, Ottawa.
Dark-eyed Junco (1) – Aug 27, South March Highlands Conservation Forest, Ottawa.
Ottawa and area bird sightings to 25 August 2022
by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca
A lovely week of birding with Yellow-throated Vireo, Ruddy Turnstone, a posing Red Knot and even some flyby Whimbrel.
Common Loons, Ferguson Falls area, Arlene Harrold. Young loons get about 12 weeks of parental care between hatching and their parents taking off.
Juvenile female 1st winter Wilson’s Warbler, Ridge path, Britannia, Keith Wickens. Not every yellow warbler is a Yellow Warbler. In fact, all three warblers shown this week are quite yellow.
Nashville Warbler, Mud lake, Alan Short. Subtle and beautiful.
Blackburnian Warbler, Mud lake, Alan Short. At least this one is an easy ID, with the bright yellow throat and the dark cheek patch. Look closely and it’s the same feather pattern as a bright male in the spring, but the blacks are muted to gray, and the oranges are now yellow.
Juvenile Red Knot, Petrie Island, Gregory Zbitnew. Sometimes we think of a species as “ours,” but Red Knots occur on all continents except Antarctica. Our population is in trouble though, as the eastern North American birds are declining rapidly, believed to be due to the decline of the Horseshoe Crab.
Solitary Sandpiper, Lime Kiln Creek, Janet McCullough. Looking at the structure and plumage, it’s easy to see this is a member of the Tringa family, like the Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs. Thank goodness the legs are greenish, and not bright yellow. The last thing beginning birders need is a Least Yellowlegs.
Common Goldeneye (3) – Aug 23, Shirley’s Bay (boat launch), Ottawa.
Red-necked Phalarope – Aug 20, Crysler Lagoons, Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry.
Ruddy Turnstone – Aug 24, Andrew Haydon Park, Ottawa.
Red Knot – Aug 23 To 25, Petrie Island, Ottawa. Juvenile.
Sanderling (2) – Aug 23, Andrew Haydon Park, Ottawa.
White-rumped Sandpiper (2) – Aug 23, Andrew Haydon Park, Ottawa.
Short-billed Dowitcher – Aug 21-23, Station d’épuration, (Masson-Angers), Gatineau.
Whimbrel (23) – Flyby of Andrew Haydon Park East (with many other shorebirds, including American Golden Plovers).
Lesser Black-backed Gull (5) – Britannia CA, Ottawa.
Yellow-throated Vireo – Aug 24-25, Britannia CA (general location), Ottawa. Just west of the entrance to the woods and the ridge, along Cassels. Aug 22, Rue Wells, Gatineau.
Philadelphia Vireo – Reported Aug 19-20, Aug 22, Britannia CA, Ottawa. Aug 20, Greenbelt Trail 10, Ottawa. Aug 19, South March Highlands Conservation Forest, Ottawa. Aug 21-22, Rockcliffe Airport Woods, Ottawa. Aug 21, Nolan Quarry, Prescott and Russell.
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher – Aug 25, Dovercourt, Ottawa. Aug 19, 21, Rockcliffe Airport Woods, Ottawa . ” In small woodlot just south of pumping station.”
Carolina Wren – Continuing Mud Lake, Ottawa.
Dark-eyed Junco (2) – Aug 20, Greenbelt Pathway West, Ottawa.
Ottawa and area bird sightings to 19 August 2022
by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca
An influx of Philadelphia Vireos and the expected migrant warblers spiced up the birding this week.
Juvenile Northern Harriers, Cameron Harvey Road, Alan Short. Alan continues to observe this family, and watches as the young try to steal food from one another.
Cape May Warbler, Mud Lake, Alan Short. There was an influx of colorful fall warblers this week. And by colorful, I mean every conceivable shade of yellow.
Juvenile Broad-winged Hawk, Mud Lake, Sanam Goudarzi. Wow, this was a tough ID, and Derek had to reach out to an expert.
Eastern Phoebe, White Lake, Arlene Harrold. This awesome composition also demonstrates common Phoebe behaviour – hunting insects from a very low perch, often over water, but occasionally in overgrown fields too.
Great Blue Heron, Arboretum, Judith Gustafsson. These huge birds can look ungainly, until you watch them stretching on a branch like this bird, or see the nests they build high in trees.
Eastern Kingbird, Rideau River, Judith Gustafsson.
Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs, Sanam Goudarzi. An excellent comparison of the relative size of the two species, and the relative proportional length of their bills. Easy to ID when they are feeding together; more challenging in a lone bird.
Common Goldeneye – Aug 17, Andrew Haydon Park, Ottawa. Female-type.
Yellow-billed Cuckoo – Aug 13, Fine Estate, Ottawa.
Red-necked Phalarope – Aug 12, Crysler Lagoons, Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry.
Baird’s Sandpiper (2-3) Aug 17, Andrew Haydon Park, Ottawa.
Lesser Black-backed Gull (4?) Britannia CA, Ottawa. 2 or more immatures and two adult birds. 1 Adult at Moodie Drive Quarry, Ottawa.
Black-crowned Night-Heron – Rare for Lanark, Aug 13-16, Carleton Place–Hwy 7 Storm Pond, Lanark. 2 juveniles.
Least Bittern (6) Aug 13,South March Highlands Conservation Forest, Ottawa.
Philadelphia Vireo – Aug 16-18, Rockcliffe Airport Woods, Ottawa. Aug 18, Richmond SW – Joys Rd south, Ottawa. Aug 13, Pinecrest Creek mouth, Ottawa, and Stanley Park, Ottawa. Aug 13, Parc de la Gatineau–Belvédère Champlain, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais.
Yellow-throated Vireo (2) Aug 15, Jock River through Richmond Fen, Ottawa. Probably breeding birds.
Ruby-crowned Kinglet – Aug 17, Fletcher Wildlife Garden, Ottawa.
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher – Aug 17, Rockcliffe Airport Woods, Ottawa.
Carolina Wren – Continuing Frank Ryn & Elmhurst Parks, Ottawa. Aug 14, Appaloosa Drive, Ottawa, and Britannia CA (general location), Ottawa. Aug 13, Stony Swamp (Sarsaparilla Trail), Ottawa.
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher – Aug 12, and Aug 14, Britannia CA (ridge), Ottawa. Aug 14, Dunrobin, Ottawa.
Willow Flycatcher – Aug 13, Marais des Laîches, Gatineau.
Olive-sided Flycatcher – Aug 14, Richmond CA.
Pine Siskin – Continuing Pinecrest Park, Ottawa. Aug 14, Monty Drive, Ottawa.
Wilson’s Warbler – Aug 16, Chemin Sauve, Younger to Baie, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais,
Across our region we’re encountering birds carrying food or young birds being fed by parents. These observations are welcome in the Third Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas, a five-year effort to provide data that will guide environmental policies and conservation strategies across Ontario for years to come. For more information on how you can easily contribute to this pan-Ontario community based science effort, please visit https://www.birdsontario.org/ or contact the Ottawa Regional Coordinator at Ottawa@birdsontario.org
Ottawa and area bird sightings to 11 August 2022
by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca
Recent rain means little to no shorebird habitat along the river, but lots of temporary puddles are attracting shorebirds to fields.
Immature Black Tern, Rideau River, Janet McCullough. Birding from a drifting boat is a wonderful way to get shots of unstressed birds.
Male American Goldfinch, Fletcher Wildlife Garden, Judith Gustafsson. Feeders aren’t the only way to attract birds to your yard. Adding flowers with edible seeds will draw in birds (and pollinators).
Cooper’s Hawk, Prince of Wales at Hogg’s Back, Madison Irons. Sometimes the best camera is the one at hand, and Madison had the presence of mind to quickly snap off a few shots with her phone as the hawk left the balcony. Note the full crop – this bird has recently consumed prey.
Adult Black-crowned Night-heron, The Arboretum, Judith Gustafsson. On an early morning visit Judith captured this Black-crowned Night-heron fishing in the small creek that runs through The Arboretum.
Double-crested Cormorants, Billings Bridge, Judith Gustafsson. Lacking sweat glands, birds cannot dissipate heat with sweat as humans do. Judith observed these birds doing their gular flutter. They breathe rapidly with an open beak while vibrating a membrane in their neck. Try slipping ‘gular flutter’ into a casual conservation this week and see how that goes.
Adult Pied-billed Grebe with 2 immature birds, Rideau River, Janet McCullough.
Yellow Warbler, Rideau River, Janet McCullough. Don’t eat the buckthorn! Sure, the berries look nice and juicy. But its natural laxative properties explain why the birds are so good at spreading buckthorn seeds to new spots. Hopefully the warbler is just looking for insects.
Great Crested Flycatcher, Mud Lake, Alan Short. This is an unusual view of this species – usually we are looking up at them and the yellow belly is obvious. But this is our only flycatcher with reddish brown. Check out the huge triangular flycatcher bill.
Adult Peregrine Falcon, Data Centre Parking Lot, Alan Short. Males and females look alike, but the female is much larger. For a summary of the OFNC’s falcon watch, 1997-2014, see Falcon Watch Chronology.
Horned Grebe – Aug 10, Parc Brébeuf, Gatineau. Breeding plumage.
American Coot – Aug 09, Moodie Drive Quarry, Ottawa. Immature.
Ruddy Turnstone (3) – Aug 08, Rapides Deschênes, Gatineau. Breeding plumage.
Red-necked Phalarope – Aug 11, Andrew Haydon Park, Ottawa. Juvenile at the mouth of the creek at the west end of AHP (the creek that flows into Graham Bay). Aug 07, Lac St Germain in Val des Monts, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais.
Lesser Black-backed Gull (5) – Britannia CA, all immature, seen from the west end of the base of the ridge, Ottawa. Moodie Drive Quarry, Ottawa. Bate Island, Ottawa.
Least Bittern – Aug 10, Carp River Watershed Reclamation Area, Ottawa.
Red-headed Woodpecker – (4) Torbolton Forest (Goodin St. Len Purcell, etc.), Ottawa.
Peregrine Falcon – Rare for Lanark, continues at the Carleton Place/Hwy 7 Storm Pond, Lanark.
Philadelphia Vireo – Aug 09, Britannia CA (ridge), Ottawa.
Ruby-crowned Kinglet – Aug 07, Britannia CA (general location), Ottawa.
Carolina Wren – Continuing Frank Ryn & Elmhurst Parks, Ottawa. Aug 09, Britannia CA(Britannia Ridge), Ottawa.
Sedge Wren – Continues on Stitsville Trans Canada Trail, observation deck next to the marshy area, Ottawa.
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher – Aug 10, Stanley Park, Ottawa, “in the small tree lot between the soccer field and the wildflower meadow”
Pine Siskin – Aug 10, Pinecrest Park, Ottawa. Aug 06, Stanley Park, Ottawa.
eBird tip direct from the eBird reviewers: At this time of year Mallards are in heavy moult, some individuals becoming so dark as to make confusion with American Black Duck (or hybrids) possible. A good feature to look for is tail colour, with mallards showing variable amounts of white in the tail; Blacks will have uniformly dark tails. American Black Duck is now a scarce breeder in our region, so the vast majority at this time of year will be Mallards, not Black.”
Ottawa and area bird sightings to 4 August 2022
by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca
Northern Harrier, Cameron Harvey Rd, Alan Short. Alan has been watching the adults training the 4 young birds. In this photo the adult male Northern Harrier (gray and white with black accents) dropped prey and the juvenile (bright orange) caught it in mid air. The young would pursue the parents and dive-bomb each other.
Greater Yellowlegs, LCBO pond, Kanata, Janet McCullough. How to tell which yellowlegs when there is only one, and nothing to compare it to? The yellow legs can’t get you to species. The flank is heavily barred, although that’s a bit hidden in this view. But thankfully the bill is on display. It’s angled away from us, hiding its true length, but we can see the tip is angled up, and the base is a different color than the rest of the bill. Definitely a Greater.
Caspian Tern and American Black Duck, Andrew Haydon Park, Janet McCullough. The giant size of the tern, and the proportionately enormous bill (for a tern) make it an easy ID. Despite the name, Caspian Terns have a world-wide distribution. The duck looks like a classic Black Duck, but zoom in on the barely visible secondary feathers, and they show white. At this location in the wing, it’s a sign of some genetic contribution by a Mallard, so the bird is a Mallard x American Black Duck.
Juvenile Black-crowned Night Heron, Strathcona Park, Judith Gustafsson.
Great Egret, Strathcona Park, Judith Gustafsson.
Marsh Wren, Marais des Grenouillettes, by Jordan Milko. A cooperative Marsh Wren is a contradiction, but maybe in the rain it decided to give up on the usual hide and seek.
Northern Harrier, Cameron Harvey Rd, Alan Short. Two juveniles chasing the mother. As in many species the juvenile plumage looks much like the adult female, but in this case much more orange.
Lesser Black-backed Gull – Moodie Drive Quarry, Ottawa. (5) Aug 03, Rapides Deschênes.
Least Bittern (4) Aug 04, South March Highlands Conservation Forest, Ottawa.
Red-headed Woodpecker – (5), Torbolton Forest (Goodin St. Len Purcell, etc.), Ottawa. Aug 01, Chemin de la Lyrique, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais.
Carolina Wren – Continuing Frank Ryn & Elmhurst Parks, Ottawa. Aug 01, Andrew Haydon Park east (formerly Ottawa Beach), Ottawa. Jul 29, Rue René-Thérien, Gatineau.
Olive-sided Flycatcher – Aug 03, Dolman Ridge Road, Ottawa.
Pine Siskin – Aug 04, Pinecrest Park, Ottawa. Aug 02, Cumberland Village, Ottawa. Jul 31, Dunrobin, Ottawa.
Red Crossbill – continuing to at least Jul 30, Concession 12 right-of-way, NW of Burnt Lands PP, Lanark.
Cerulean Warbler – Jul 28, Aylmer rural – secteur sud-ouest, Gatineau. A migrating Cerulean spotted in a mixed flock.
Ottawa and area bird sightings to 28 July 2022
by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca
Great Egret, Strathcona Park, Judith Gustafsson. In the 18th century, Great Egret bred over much of North America, as far north as New Jersey. Then hunting for feathers led to a huge range reduction in the 19th century. Since the feather collecting ban, the species has recovered and expanded far past its original range. Now it even breeds in Ottawa.
Spotted Sandpiper, parent with young, Navan, Keith Wickens. When flushed, Spotted Sandpipers usually fly away low over the water in a distinctive flight style. But unlike most sandpipers, Spotted Sandpipers may fly to trees instead.
Spotted Sandpiper, Navan, Keith Wickens. Keith points out that Spotted Sandpipers have a partial role reversal. Males handle about 60% of incubation, and most of the brooding duties.
Eastern Bluebird fledgling, Flower Station, Aaron Hywarren. Would you know this grumpy little bird is a Bluebird unless the parent showed up?
Red Crossbill, Fremo Corners, Aaron Hywarren. There have been a surprising number of red crossbill reports in the area this summer. Crossbills don’t return to breeding territory each year – instead they wander in search of food, and a spot with a huge supply may encourage them to set up shop and reproduce.
Female Belted Kingfisher, Petrie Island, Janet McCullough. We have many cavity nesting birds in our region, even quite a few that make their own cavity. But only the Belted Kingfisher digs a deep burrow in the ground, usually in the bank of a river.
Great Crested Flycatcher, Petrie Island, Janet McCullough. Our bird most likely to be confused with a Gray Tree Frog by call. Both call from up in the trees in wet forests. The flycatcher is much easier to see though.
Short-billed Dowitcher – Jul 24-27 Hanson Brick Quarry, Prescott and Russell (but keep an eye out at the Chrysler dam, Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry, for shorebirds).
Wilson’s Phalarope – Jul 26 Hanson Brick Quarry, Prescott and Russell.
Lesser Black-backed Gull – Jul 24 Moodie Drive Quarry, Ottawa
Red-headed Woodpecker – (as many as 12!) Torbolton Forest (Goodin St.), Ottawa.
Carolina Wren (2) – Frank Ryn & Elmhurst Parks, Ottawa.
Sedge Wren (2) – Jul 20-28, Trans Canada Trail just west of Stittsville, Ottawa. Reported SW of the observation deck.
Olive-sided Flycatcher – Jul 28, Britannia CA (general location), Ottawa.
Pine Siskin – Jul 26, Hanson Brick Quarry, Prescott and Russell. Jul 22, Pinecrest Park, Ottawa.
Tennessee Warbler – Jul 28, Shirley’s Bay, Ottawa. Champlain Park Woods, Ottawa. Jul 22 Stinson Ave, Ottawa
Northern Parula – Jul 28 Shirley’s Bay, Ottawa. Champlain Park Woods, Ottawa. Britannia CA (general location), Ottawa. Jul 26 Britannia CA (general location), Ottawa. Jul 24 Mud Lake, Ottawa, and Rockcliffe Airport Woods, Ottawa.
Ottawa and area bird sightings to 21 July 2022
by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca
Quiet, but multiple reports of Philadelphia Vireo hint at migration to come.
Adult female Northern Harrier vs Osprey, Cameron Harvey Dr, Alan Short. The Osprey and the Harrier nest only 300 metres apart. Alan witnessed the Osprey trespass into the Harrier’s no-fly zone, and quickly get escorted out. The fish-eating Osprey is no threat to the Harrier or her nest, but the Harrier makes no exceptions to her policy.
Black-and-white Warbler, Britannia Ridge, Sanam Goudarzi. One of the more curious warblers, Black-and-white warblers are easily attracted by phishing.
Red-tailed Hawk, Vincent Massey Park, Brandon Lee. Not just highway birds, red-tails haunt many of the region’s parks, at least those with sufficiently large trees. Ever see an eagle scream in a Hollywood movie? The sound was actually a Red-Tailed Hawk.
Male Purple Finch, Petrie Island, Eric Leger. How to tell male Purple finches from House finches? Purple Finches are more raspberry than orange-red like the House Finch, but that can be deceptive in a photo or bad light. Purple finches have more red areas: red backs, flanks, and even red fringes on the wings as seen in this photo.
Adult male Indigo Bunting, Watts Creek, Janet McCullough. How could vibrant blue ever hide a bird in plain sight?
Green Heron, Richmond lagoons, Arlene Harrold. Standard compact edition.
Green Heron, Watts Creek, Janet McCullough. Optional extended neck edition.
Adult male American Kestrel, Vances Side Rd, Alan Short. Unlike for the T-Rex, or a slow moving Green Heron, prey motion is the primary stimulus to trigger hunting in the Kestrel.
Adult male Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Queensway Terrace south, Alan Short. Goldfinch, what goldfinch? There was no goldfinch when I arrived, Officier. Grosbeaks’ red breast and taste for berries often leave them looking like an extra in a horror film.
Bonus pic: Common Grackle family, Richmond lagoons, Arlene Harrold.
Sanderling – Jul 18, Petrie Island Park, Ottawa.
Red-headed Woodpecker – Jul 15, Torbolton Forest, Ottawa.
Carolina Wren (2) – Frank Ryn & Elmhurst Parks, Ottawa.
Sedge Wren (2) – Jul 20, Trans Canada Trail just west of Stittsville, Ottawa. Seen singing from the observation deck.
Philadelphia Vireo – Jul 17, Mud Lake, Ottawa. Jul 15, Britannia Ridge, Ottawa. Jul 15, Cowell Rd, Ottawa.
Northern Mockingbird – Continues, Ottawa International Airport (Paul Benoit Driveway, Croil Private), Ottawa.
Red Crossbill (9) Jul 16, Burnt Lands from Concession 12 North, Lanark.
Northern Parula – Jul 21, Joys Rd south of Garvin Rd, Ottawa. Jul 18, Britannia CA (general location), Ottawa. Jul 17, Stony Swamp (Sarsaparilla Trail), Ottawa.
Tennessee Warbler – Jul 15, Cowell Rd, Ottawa.
Ottawa and area bird sightings to 14 July 2022
by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca
An out-of-season jaeger!
House Finches, Mud Lake sumac field, Alan Short. That fluttering wing pose that the juvenile is doing is a sure sign that something atlasible is about to happen.
Scarlet Tanager, Murphy’s Point Silver Queen Mine Trail, Alan Short. Murphy’s Point is just outside the OFNC circle, and is well worth visiting for a number of birds that are challenging to see in Ottawa.
Brown-headed Cowbirds, Mud Lake sumac field, Alan Short. Spiderwebs are valuable resources to songbirds. Some steal the webs for their nests. Some steal from the spider’s larder. Sometimes the spider becomes lunch, providing the valuable nutrient taurine. And sometimes the spider turns the table, as 54 species of small bird have been recorded caught in spiderwebs, unable to extricate themselves. Ruby-throated Hummingbirds play all 4 roles.
Juvenile Eastern Phoebe, Watts Creek, Janet McCullough. The messy brown young don’t look a lot like the cool gray adults, but they share the tail-bobbing habit.
Caspian Tern, Petrie Island, Eric Leger. Eric noticed this tern was as big as a gull. In fact, as the largest tern in the world, it is larger and heavier than a Ring-billed Gull. Even if this were the only bird in the sky, it can still be identified by the huge down curved bill. Our other terns have tiny straight beaks in comparison.
Clay-colored Sparrow, Burnt Lands, Keith Wickens. This is about as low-contrast and hard to ID as this normally colourful species can get. But the cool buzzy song is unmistakable around here.
Bonus pic: Grasshopper Sparrow, Burnt Lands, by Sanam Goudarzi. This beautiful sparrow is singing his heart out from the usual species perch – Common Juniper. And note how the top of the bill forms a line with the forehead, a rare profile for our sparrows. Although this shot is from a couple of weeks ago, the Grasshopper sparrows continue to sing this week.
Common Goldeneye – Jul 10, 50 Jay St, Ottawa.
Parasitic Jaeger – Jul 12-13, Andrew Haydon Park, Ottawa. Adult light phase. First seen below the Deschênes rapids, then re-found at Andrew Haydon.
Bonaparte’s Gull – (2) Jul 13, Andrew Haydon Park, Ottawa.
Carolina Wren – (2) Frank Ryn & Elmhurst Parks, Ottawa, defending territory. (2) Quartier Wychwood, Aylmer, Gatineau.
Olive-sided Flycatcher – Continuing Jul 09, Pakenham Concession 9, Lanark.
Northern Mockingbird – (4-5) Jun 22-Jul 014, Ottawa International Airport (Paul Benoit Driveway, Croil Private), Ottawa. At least 3 birds reported July 14.
A note for the atlassers: Red Crossbills have moved in, including a family group seen just west of the circle.
Northern Parula – Jul 10, Greys Creek Road at Stone School road, Ottawa.
Tennessee Warbler – In the green space between Featherston and Urbandale, Jul 08, Ottawa.
Ottawa and area bird sightings to 7 July 2022
by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca
Hungry baby birds everywhere! A few Siskins visiting feeders. If that isn’t your thing, hit the shorebird books – they are imminent.
Barn Swallow Fledglings, Trans Canada Trail in Stittsville, Sanam Goudarzi. Imagine receiving this enthusiastic welcome every time you walked into your home with groceries. Then imagine having to provide groceries every five minutes for weeks.
Adult Peregrine Falcon, east of Britannia, Tony Beck. Tony says this is one of a pair patrolling the Ottawa River near Britannia this week. Photographed from his balcony. Who says you have to leave the city to encounter exciting wildlife?
Common Grackles, Arboretum, Christopher Clunas. Could this parent and child look more different?
Male Scarlet Tanager, Gatineau Park, Jordan Milko. Jordan saw this beautiful male carrying food on Wolf Trail (#62), a sign of breeding.
Common Loon with chick, Fergussen Falls, Janet McCullough. Many water birds such as loons will let you drift close if you act calm and quiet. It’s not necessary to sit perfectly still or silent.
Least Bittern, Refuge faunique marais aux grenouillettes, Arlene Harrold. This rarely seen marsh bird has spectacular Halloween-themed plumage. It’s basically a heron, but the size of a large songbird. It’s so light that it can hunt above the water holding itself up by grasping a reed with each foot. Easier to hear than to see. A few years ago the NCC did a Least Bittern survey and discovered that any marshland hosting Marsh Wrens also held Least Bitterns.
Juvenile Northern Mockingbird, Ottawa Airport, Brian Morin.
Eastern Kingbird, Billings Bridge, Judith Gustafsson. Note the sharp predatory hook at the tip of the bill. Judith witnessed the bird sally back and forth from a tree where a fledgling waited.
Fledgling warbler, Mud Lake, Alan Short. Is it a yellow warbler? Derek thinks so because of the yellow edging to the wing and tail feathers, but many id details are different from an adult Yellow Warbler. Birds at this age should not be approached; the adult is almost certainly nearby.
Sandpiper, Giroux Ponds, Keith Wickens. Returning shorebirds are inbound this month, so feel free to id this bird as practice.
Trumpeter Swan – Jun 30, Marais aux Grenouillettes, Gatineau.
Greater Yellowlegs – Jul 03, Marais des Laîches, Gatineau.
Great Black-backed Gull – Jul 05, Britannia Point, Ottawa.
Carolina Wren – (2) Frank Ryn & Elmhurst Parks, Ottawa, defending territory. (2) Jun 18-Jul 03, Quartier Wychwood, Aylmer, Gatineau.
Olive-sided Flycatcher (2) Jul 02, Pakenham Concession 9, Lanark.
Northern Mockingbird – (3) Jun 22-Jul 06, Ottawa International Airport (Paul Benoit Driveway, Croil Private), Ottawa. Possibly only one bird left by Jul 06.
Yellow-throated Vireo (1) Jul 02, Old Quarry Road (off Torbolton Ridge Road, not old Quarry Trail), Ottawa.
Pine Siskin – Jul 7, Escarpment Cres, Ottawa. (4) July 02, Spruce Ridge Rd area, Ottawa. Jul 02, Watts Creek Pathway, Ottawa. Jul 01, Kanata near Tangiers Outlets, Ottawa.
Northern Parula – Jul 7, Stonebridge Trail Park, Ottawa. Jul 03, Ferry Road, Ottawa. Jul 02, Champlain Park Woods, Ottawa.
Ottawa and area bird sightings to 30 June 2022
by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca
Quiet, but a couple of nice breeding records: Pine Siskin and Northern Mockingbird.
Adult Northern Mockingbird, Ottawa Airport, Janet McCullough. A Northern Mockingbird carrying food – proof of breeding?
Fledgling Northern Mockingbird, Ottawa Airport, Janet McCullough. Proof of breeding indeed! Note the general roughness and the yellow gap around the mouth compared to the sharp, dark bill of the adult. Please give these birds lots of space during the stressful period of raising hungry young. Janet has a super zoom lens and shot from a safe distance.
Fledgling Northern Rough-winged Swallow, Brewer Park, Judith Gustafsson. A very different body-type than the fledgling Mockingbird, but the young of both species have that recognizable triangular yellow juvenile beak.
Red-headed Woodpecker, Kars, Bill Buchanan. This is the first Red-headed Woodpecker Bill has seen in Kars. Both this species and the Red-bellied seem to be showing up in many new places.
Turkey Vultures, near Parliament, Yves Sabourin. Yves snapped pics of these unconcerned birds on the 18th floor. Turkey Vultures sometimes nest on cliff ledges, and how different is a skyscraper?
Eastern Kingbird vs Common Grackle, Brewer Park, Judith Gustafsson. Kingbird aggression is a common sight, but getting to see the full crest display is a rarer experience, unless perhaps you are any bird larger than a warbler and unfortunate enough to wander into the wrong territory.
Adult Male Northern Harrier, Cameron Harvey Road, Alan Short.
Upland Sandpiper, Upper Dwyer Hill & Panmure Rd, Arlene Harrold. That’s a shorebird body type, but adapted for grassland. We associate this bird with that upright posture on a perch, but it walks in a horizontal posture in the grass unless alarmed.
Sedge Wren, Burnt Lands PP, Arlene Harrold. Many species attempt more than one brood a year, but only a few move significant distances between nesting attempts, and most of the others are desert birds taking advantage of regional weather patterns to move to areas with more water. One theory is that Sedge Wrens are looking for very specific habitant/water level combinations.
Great Blue Heron with Pumpkinseed (a locally common sunfish). Stevens Creek, Kars, Bill Buchanan.
Cackling Goose – Jun 25, Navan (Giroux Road Ponds), Ottawa.
Trumpeter Swan – (4) Jun 27, Heaphy Rd, Ottawa. (3) Jun 24-25, Bruce Pit Ottawa.
Common Goldeneye – Jun 26-27, Britannia CA (general location), Ottawa.
Red-breasted Merganser – Jun 27, Sentier des Voyageurs, Gatineau.
Little Gull – Jun 01-27, Rapides Deschênes.
Carolina Wren – Frank Ryn & Elmhurst Parks, Ottawa. (2) Jun 18-24, Quartier Wychwood, Aylmer, Gatineau.
Northern Mockingbird – (3) Jun 22-27, Ottawa International Airport (Paul Benoit Driveway, Croil Private), Ottawa.
Yellow-throated Vireo – Jun 28, Parc de la Gatineau–Lac Meech, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais.
Pine Siskin – Report of (4) Jun 25, Spruce Ridge Rd, Ottawa. Fledglings!
Golden-winged Warbler – Continues, Chemin de l’Hôtel de Ville, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais.
Blue-winged Warbler – Chemin de l’Hôtel de Ville, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais.
Ottawa and area bird sightings to 23 June 2022
by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca
Grasshopper Sparrow, Burnt lands, Tony Beck. For once, a well-named bird. The song sounds much more like an insect than a song bird. Found in overgrown grasslands, often singing from Common Juniper shrubs.
Little Gull, Deschênes, Aaron Hywarren. The long staying rarity will sometimes almost come with photo range. Almost. Rare in Canada, and far more consistently found in the eastern great lakes than Ottawa.
Northern Mockingbird, Ottawa Airport, Arlene Harrold. The Mimidae family of mimic thrushes have long mixed songs that confuse the heck out of the Merlin app. But you, a mere human, can separate them easily by sound. Catbirds rarely repeat the same sound consecutively. Thrashers liberally repeat sounds twice in a row. And Mockers go all out on sounds they like, with 3-5 or more repetitions. This mockingbird appears to be on territory and singing ardently.
Northern Harrier with prey, Cameron Harvey Rd, Alan Short. Despite its impressive size, the long wings and long tail create a very maneuverable predator. Alan says that when the male catches something he will drop it in midair to the female below him to catch and carry to the nest.
Cedar Waxwing gathering nesting material from a cattail, Nortel Marsh, Keith Wickens. #youcanatlasthat
American Redstart, Nortel Marsh, Keith Wickens. The redstart grabbed the damselfly right by Keith’s foot. If you see a bird catch and eat an insect, that’s fascinating. But if you see it fly off with the food, that’s data! It’s evidence of breeding behaviour, and #youcanatlasthat
Blue-headed Vireo, Larose Forest, Sanam Goudarzi. Many interesting birds breed here that are not easily found in the OFNC circle.
Savannah Sparrow, Rockcliffe Airport, Gregory Zbitnew. Another grassland sparrow with an insect-like song. Grasshopper and Savannah sparrows are not closely related, so is this a case of convergent evolution? Do the insect-like songs serve a purpose in open grasslands but not in a forest?
Eastern Bluebird, Fifth Line in Dunrobin, Sanam Goudarzi. That, my friends, is a bluebird of happiness singing in the rain.
Trumpeter Swan – Pair continues at Constance Creek, Ottawa. (3) Continuing, Marais aux Grenouillettes, Gatineau.
Greater Yellowlegs – Jun 22, Fine Estate, Ottawa. I hate to break the news, but that’s a slightly early returning fall migrant. Get ready for the fall shorebirds.
Curlew Sandpiper – Jun 20, Alfred Lagoons, Prescott and Russell. Outside the OFNC circle, but a good reminder to bird Alfred, because sometimes great stuff shows up there.
Little Gull – Jun 01-22, Rapides Deschênes.
Bonaparte’s Gull – Britannia CA–Filtration Plant, Ottawa.
Lesser Black-backed Gull – (2) Jun 17, Trail Road Landfill, Ottawa.
Red-headed Woodpecker – Constance Bay, Ottawa. Jun 19, Chemin Sauvé, Val-des-Monts, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais.
Carolina Wren – Frank Ryn & Elmhurst Parks, Ottawa. Jun 18, Piste cyc. Sentier des Voyageurs, Gatineau. (2) Jun 18, Quartier Wychwood, Aylmer, Gatineau.
Northern Mockingbird – Jun 22-23, Ottawa International Airport (Paul Benoit Driveway), Ottawa. Jun 20, Buckingham (sortie 174), Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais.
Pine Siskin – (2) Jun 23, Spruce Ridge Rd, Ottawa.
Red Crossbill – Jun 17, Monty Drive, Ottawa. Also on Jun 17, 9th Concession, Lanark. Other scattered reports from Eastern Ontario, so atlassers beware!
Golden-winged Warbler – Continues, Chemin de l’Hotel de Ville, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais.
Ottawa and area bird sightings to 16 June 2022
by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca
Quiet season. Catch up on your atlasing; fall migration starts in less than a month.
Male Golden-winged Warbler, Gatineau Park, Tony Beck. This bird was seen carrying food, and is presumed to be breeding.
Ruddy Turnstone, near Champlain Bridge, Sanam Goudarzi. Was this the same bird seen the previous day on the Quebec side? Our region is so well birded that it is sometimes possible to follow reports of a specific flock or even a single bird around the area.
Black-crowned Night Heron, Rideau River, Pierre Dorais. Most active at dusk and dark, but still occasionally seen hunting in the day.
Female Brown-headed Cowbird, Fletcher Wildlife Garden, Judith Gustafsson. She definitely didn’t just lay her eggs in other songbird’s’ nets, and now looks forward to a child-care free summer (she totally did, and does).
Young Male Red-winged Blackbird, Fletcher Wildlife Garden, Judith Gustafsson. At first glance, a female-type, but the tell-tale epaulette feather tracks are clearly defined, and the overall color is lighter than the female.
Female Belted Kingfisher, Thomas Dolan Pkwy bridge, Alan Short. Note how small her feet are compared to the bill. This is a bird that uses its bill, both for fishing and excavating its burrow, not its feet. We know she is female as the male only has one band across the front.
Osprey, Cameron Harvey Rd, Alan Short. A better naturalist would compare it to the Kingfisher, and write something about how it fishes and builds its nest with its huge feet. But I’m just going to say – check out that attitude. I’m intimidated.
Turkey Vulture LUVS you and wants to be your friend! Or possibly it is just regulating its temperature. Birds don’t sweat, and need other mechanisms to disperse heat. Trail Road, Janet McCullough.
Turkey Vultures, Trail Road Landfill, Janet McCullough. Janet saw at least 50 sitting on the roof.
Trumpeter Swan – Pair continues at Constance Creek, Ottawa. (3) Jun 14, Marais aux Grenouillettes, Gatineau. Jun 13, (near) Roger’s Pond, Ottawa. Jun 11, Stony Swamp (Sarsaparilla Trail), Ottawa.
Snow Goose – Jun 12, Field off Huntmar Dr., near Robert Grant Ave, Ottawa. Reported Jun 12, Carp Creek Retaining ponds, Ottawa. Same late bird?
Ruddy Turnstone – Jun 11, River Trail at Island Park Drive, Ottawa.
Jun 10, Parc des Cèdres, Gatineau.
Semipalmated Sandpiper – Jun 13, Appleton, Lanark. (10) Jun 11, Dilworth Rd, Ottawa.
Little Gull – Jun 01-16, Rapides Deschênes. Now officially ‘ridiculously long-staying’.
Bonaparte’s Gull – Continue in small numbers at Britannia CA–Filtration Plant, Ottawa/Baie Simard, Gatineau. (3) on Jun 16, Andrew Haydon Park, Ottawa. (2) Jun 12, Petrie Island, Ottawa.
Great Black-backed – Jun 15, Moodie Drive Quarry, Ottawa.
Caspian Tern – Jun 14 Britannia Point, Ottawa. Andrew Haydon Park, Ottawa.
Red-headed Woodpecker – Constance Bay, Ottawa. Jun 10, Chemin de la Symphonie, Val-des-Monts, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais.
Yellow-billed Cuckoo – Jun 11, Thomas Dolan (in the Carp Hills). Jun 15, Fine Estate, Ottawa.
Carolina Wren – Frank Ryn & Elmhurst Parks, Ottawa.
Golden-winged Warbler – Jun 13-15, Chemin de l’Hotel de Ville, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais.
Ottawa and area bird sightings to 9 June 2022
by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca
Gull month continues with a rare Laughing Gull and a long-staying Little Gull! With a lack of habitat to concentrate them, shorebird sightings are scattered.
Rough-winged Swallow, Brewer Park, Judith Gustafsson. It’s shocking the first time you see one of these fly into a tiny pipe in the canal at high speed, and you realize they are cavity nesters.
Northern Flicker, Fletcher Wildlife Garden, Judith Gustafsson. The northeastern subspecies comes by the name “Yellow-shafted” honestly, as seen in this pose.
Black Tern (and Red-winged Blackbird), Irish Lake, by Janet McCullough. Just how small is a Black Tern? Barely an inch longer than the blackbird, it has almost twice the wingspan. Mathematically speaking, that gives the tern 4 times the grace on the wing.
Red-shouldered Hawk, Greenland Rd, Alan Short. There is something weird about this beautiful raptor soaring peacefully.
Red-shouldered Hawk, Greenland Rd, Alan Short. Ah, that’s more like it. This is a more natural view, with the hawk harassed by an American Kestrel.
Osprey, Half-moon Bay, Richard Kohl. Many raptors can appear to hover, kiting in a strong wind. But the heavy Osprey has the design and strength to actually hover as it prepares to dive.
Sanderling in breeding plumage (with Dunlin), Petrie Island, by Michael Tate. Like many birds, Sanderlings are far more likely to be seen around here on the return migration, in summer and fall, instead of spring. Some of us have never seen this plumage.
Laughing Gull, Cambrian Road, by John King. Completely different-looking than the other small dark-mantled, black-headed, dark-billed gull with white eye arcs that recently visited Ottawa (Franklin’s Gull). That list shows why relying on one or two ID markers can really lead someone astray. Laughing gulls are built bigger than Franklin’s Gulls (despite weighing almost the same. The Laughing Gull’s bill is longer and droops a bit, and the tips of the primaries have less white.
Redhead – Jun 08, Baie Simard, Gatineau.
Red-necked Phalarope – Jun 03, Baie Simard, Gatineau.
Black-bellied Plover – Jun 06, Chrysler bridge and dam, Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry.
Semipalmated Plover – Jun 09, Flewellyn Road, Ottawa. Jun 08, Fourth Line Rd and Callendor Rd flooded fields, Ottawa.
Red Knot – Jun 09, Rapides Deschênes (incluant Parc), Gatineau. Seen only in flight.
Sanderling – Jun 05, Petrie Island, Ottawa.
White-rumped Sandpiper – Jun 05-06, RN du Marais-Trépanier, Gatineau.
Least Sandpiper (2) – Jun 04, Leitrim Road West, Ottawa.
Short-billed Dowitcher (2) – Jun 06-07, Moodie Drive Quarry, Ottawa. Jun 04-05, Dilworth Rd, Ottawa.
Little Gull – Jun 01-09, Britannia CA, Ottawa. Britannia CA–Filtration Plant/Point, Ottawa, also seen from Baie Simard, Gatineau. This is an extremely long visit from this beautiful and rare bird, and a rare chance to study it. The bird is immature.
Bonaparte’s Gull (as many as 12) – Jun 09, Britannia CA-Filtration Plant, Ottawa/Baie Simard, Gatineau. Acting as camouflage for the Little Gull and other vagrants, the Bonaparte’s continues. Most in non-adult plumage, so have fun spotting the Little Gull.
Laughing Gull – Jun 07, Moodie Drive Quarry, Ottawa. Also reported from Baie Simard/Deschênes, Gatineau on the 7th. Jun 06, Cambrian Rd W & Old Richmond Rd, Ottawa.
Lesser Black-backed Gull – Jun 05-06, Moodie Drive Quarry, Ottawa.
Franklin’s Gull – last reported here on May 29, but it’s just downriver near Hawkesbury on Jun 09, so might it return? Keep an eye out.
Caspian Tern – Jun 04-08, Moodie Drive Quarry, Ottawa. (2-3) Jun 07-08, Dilworth Rd, Ottawa.
Arctic Tern – Jun 06, Britannia CA-Filtration Plant/Point, Ottawa.
Red-headed Woodpecker – Constance Bay, Ottawa. Jun 08, Chemin de la Symphonie, Val-des-Monts, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais. Jun 03-04, Chemin de la Lyrique, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais. Jun 04, Osgoode, Ottawa.
Yellow-billed Cuckoo – Jun 03, Greenbelt Pathway West, Ottawa.
Carolina Wren – Frank Ryn & Elmhurst Parks, Ottawa.
Northern Mockingbird – Jun 05, River Trail at Island Park Drive, Ottawa.
White-winged Crossbill (3) – Jun 04, Manotick, Ottawa.
Northern Parula – Jun 04, Britannia Yacht Club, Ottawa.
Ottawa and area bird sightings to 2 June 2022
by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca
The game this week is “which of these things is not like the others?” with the flock of small black-headed gulls over Deschênes rapids. Check the Bonnies for vagrants. Arctic Terns were part of a very nice fallout that included Brant, White-winged Scoter, Red-breasted Merganser and shorebirds along the Ottawa river.
Male Baltimore Oriole, Mud Lake, Alan Short.
Cedar Waxwings, Mud Lake, Alan Short. Waxwings spend the winter in large gregarious flocks that break down in spring to smaller and smaller flocks until there are mostly just pairs.
Male Cape May Warbler, Mud Lake, Janet McCullough.
Male Yellow Warbler, Ottawa River Pathway (below the National Archives), Judith Gustafsson. Note the lovely red streaks that identify the male.
Red-eyed Vireo, Ottawa River Pathway (below the National Archives), Judith Gustafsson. The light has to be right to see the red eye on such a small bird.
Male Mourning Warbler, Concession Road 9, Lanark, Janet McCullough. We saw this beautiful warbler singing his rolling churry song from a relatively exposed perch in a dead conifer. He took breaks but kept returning to the same perch to sing.
Golden-winged Warbler, Concession Road 9, Lanark, Janet McCullough. We were being ever so quiet while recording the song of the Mourning warbler when we heard the buzzy Bee-Buzz-Buzz song of the Golden-winged warbler. For a few years we have walked by that stream lined with alders thinking ‘there should be a Golden-winged Warbler here.’ And finally there was.
Franklin’s Gull, Aaron Hywarren. One of two locally rare small gulls this week that appeared in the flock of Bonaparte’s Gulls at Deschênes. The Franklin’s is a western gull, identifiable at a fair distance by the prominent white eye arcs and the gray mantle, darker than that of the Bonaparte’s.
Lesser Scaup – (2) May 26-28, Andrew Haydon Park, Ottawa. Jun 02, Britannia Park (pier), Ottawa.
Snow Goose – Jun 01, Pine View Golf Course, Ottawa. Reported May 26, Shirley’s Bay (boat launch), Ottawa.
Cackling Goose – May 29, Marais aux grenouillettes, Gatineau.
American Golden-Plover – May 30-31, Brophy Road, Ottawa.
Red-necked Phalarope – Jun 02, Britannia CA (general location), Ottawa. Seen east of Britannia Point. Small shorebird sitting on the water.
White-rumped Sandpiper – May 28, Moodie Drive Ponds, Ottawa. May 28-30, RN du Marais-Trépanier, Gatineau. May 31, Carleton Place–Hwy 7 Storm Pond, Lanark.
White-rumped Sandpiper – May 26-30, RN du Marais-Trépanier, Gatineau.
Pectoral Sandpiper – May 26, RN du Marais-Trépanier, Gatineau.
Short-billed Dowitcher – Reported May 26-Jun 01, RN du Marais-Trépanier, Gatineau.
Whimbrel – (14) May 27, Shirley’s Bay (boat launch), Ottawa. (26) May 30, Britannia CA (general location), Ottawa. (2) May 31, Andrew Haydon Park, Ottawa.
Little Gull – Jun 01-02, Britannia CA, Ottawa. Britannia CA–Filtration Plant/Point, Ottawa, also seen from Baie Simard, Gatineau.
Franklin’s Gull – May 26-29, Britannia CA–Filtration Plant/Point, Ottawa, also seen from Baie Simard, Gatineau.
Lesser Black-backed Gull – May 30, Moodie Drive Quarry, Ottawa.
Caspian Tern – May 26, Britannia CA–Filtration Plant/Point, Ottawa. May 28, Moodie Drive Quarry, Ottawa.
Arctic Tern – May 26-27, and June 02, Britannia CA–Filtration Plant/Point, Ottawa, also seen from Baie Simard, Gatineau. Many small flocks migrated upriver, with at least one flock as large as 12 reported. Fewer birds on the 27. 1 on June 02. The terns were also seen from Shirley’s Bay.
Red-headed Woodpecker – Constance Bay, Ottawa. May 31, Chemin Sauvé, Val-des-Monts, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais.
Yellow-throated Vireo – May 31, Jock River thru Richmond Fen, Ottawa.
Carolina Wren – Frank Ryn & Elmhurst Parks, Ottawa. May 30, Rue René-Thérien, Gatineau.
White-winged Crossbill – (15 including juveniles) May 26, Greenbelt Pathway (East/West of Conroy), Ottawa.
Louisiana Waterthrush – Continues, Parc de la Gatineau–Sentier de la Chute, Gatineau.
Northern Parula – Jun 01, Britannia CA (general location), Ottawa.
Prothonotary Warbler – Recorded May 29, Forest Park, Prescott and Russell.
We are now in the second year of the Third Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas: an ambitious five-year effort to provide data that will guide environmental policies and conservation strategies across Ontario for years to come. Participation is easy and can be as simple as noting a singing bird in your neighbourhood, or watching a bird with nesting material. For more information, watch the introductory video on the OFNC Facebook Group, visit https://www.birdsontario.org/ or contact the Ottawa Regional Coordinator at Ottawa@birdsontario.org
Ottawa and area bird sightings to 26 May 2022
by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca
In the calm immediately following this week’s violent storm, the birds were singing like a dawn chorus. The dawn chorus sounds joyful and energetic to human ears, but it’s essentially a bunch of birds announcing that they are still here after the dangers of the night, and that they still hold their territories. Then again, why shouldn’t it feel joyful to us?
Great Crested Flycatcher, Mud lake, by Alan Short.
American Redstart, Mud lake, by Alan Short. Look at those rictal bristles around the bill. What purpose do you think these modified feathers serve?
Chestnut-sided Warbler, Mud Lake, by Richard Kohl.
Baltimore Oriole, Arboretum, by Judith Gustafsson.
Great Blue Heron, Arboretum, by Judith Gustafsson. The bill isn’t just a pincher, sometimes it’s a spear.
Ottawa and area bird sightings to 19 May 2022
by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca
All the flycatchers have returned, and most of the breeding warblers. Common Nighthawk and Eastern Whip-poor-will are back on territory. Yep, almost time to start thinking about fall migration.
Adult male Golden-winged warbler, Larose forest, by Janice Stewart. Janice reported that she stopped in her tracks by the buzzy song; a song that is not heard often in our region.
Spotted Sandpiper walking along the shore of the Rideau River, by Judith Gustafsson. This sandpiper is a common breeder in the OFNC Circle, nesting all along the Ottawa and Rideau rivers.
Black-crowned Night Heron, by Richard Kohl. Don’t stress a bird that looks nervous, but if you stay still, some Night Herons may approach you closely as they fixate on their hunt.
Female Harrier in hunting mode at the Cameron Harvey marsh, by Alan Short.
Mourning Warbler, Larose forest, by Janice Stewart. This hard to spot warbler gets its name from the dark hood and black breast band on the male; the dark colors implied to whomever named it. The dark hood serves a purpose; breaking up the shape of the bird in the shadowy shrubs and thick ground cover it prefers.
House Wren, Petrie Island, by Eric Leger. Learn this bird’s song and its chatter call, and it will save you a lot of time later as you play, ‘what bird is angry at me now?’
Baltimore Oriole, Brewer Park, by Judith Gustafsson. For stunning birds that nest right in our city parks, it’s hard to beat the orioles. Watching them hang upside-down and weave a hanging nest from grass is an amazing birding experience. But watch from a distance; they can be discouraged by too much attention and abandon the project.
Canada Warbler, Larose Forest, by Janice Stewart. So if this week has a theme, it’s that more people should bird Larose Forest. Support your local mosquito population!
Trumpeter Swan – Vances Side Road, Dunrobin, Ottawa.
Common Goldeneye – May 17, Almonte Lagoons, Lanark.
Redhead – Another lingerer, May 15, Almonte Lagoons, Lanark.
Greater Scaup – In with Lesser Scaup, May 16, Andrew Haydon Park, Ottawa.
Snow Goose – Reports of late Snow Goose from PN de Plaisance–Rivière des Outaouais, Papineau on May 14. 500 still around Giroux Road Ponds, Ottawa as late as May 17.
Cackling Goose – May 14, Navan (Giroux Road Ponds), Ottawa.
Lesser Black-backed Gull – (3) May 19, Rushmore Road, Ottawa. May 19, Moodie Drive Quarry, Ottawa
Iceland Gull – May 15, Moodie Drive Quarry, Ottawa.
Caspian Tern – Shirley’s Bay to Andrew Haydon Park, Ottawa. May 14,PN de Plaisance–Tête de la Baie, Papineau.
Red-headed Woodpecker – Constance Bay, Ottawa. At least 4 on Goodin this week. A rarer report from Burnt Lands PP, Ottawa, on May 14.
Olive-sided Flycatcher – (2) May 16, -Dolman Ridge Road, Ottawa.
Western Kingbird – May 16, Rapides Deschênes (incluant Parc), Gatineau.
Northern Mockingbird – May 14, David Bartlett Park, Ottawa.
Yellow-billed Cuckoo – Reported May 13, Parc Champlain, Aylmer, Gatineau.
Yellow-throated Vireo – May 18, Ch. de la Sapinière, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais.
Carolina Wren – Frank Ryn & Elmhurst Parks, Ottawa. Usually singing from whichever street your compiler is not at.
Gray-cheeked Thrush – May 18, Domaine Mackenzie-King, Gatineau.
Orchard Oriole – May 18, Green’s Creek Sewage Treatment Facility, Ottawa. No public access, but keep an eye/ear open when birding nearby.
Evening Grosbeak – May 14, Pinhey Forest, Ottawa.
Louisiana Waterthrush – Continues, Parc de la Gatineau–Sentier de la Chute, Gatineau.
Ottawa and area bird sightings to 12 May 2022
by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca
Not many rarities, but a nice influx of new birds plus a few late ones, and lots of reasons to go birding.
Tree Swallows, Brewer Park, by Judith Gustafsson. If you were expecting a lesson on the birds and the uh … birds, all I’m going to say is #youcanatlasthat.
Adult male Blackburnian Warbler, Larose Forest, by Janice Stewart. Blackburnians are canopy birds with high-pitched songs that not everyone can hear. The result is far fewer great photos than this beautiful bird deserves, and the bird is almost certainly underreported.
Adult male Scarlet Tanager, NCC pathway at Island Park Drive, by Catherine Lawrence. A real forest bird, it’s only on spring migration that they are relatively to see, showing up in weird places and sticking out in bright red. When this individual next passes through Ottawa, he will be yellow and blend into the fall leaves, probably unseen.
Gray Catbird, Kars, by Bill Buchanan. Although singing Catbirds never have the same song, catbird songs share an audible quality that can be recognized with some practice. The cat-like ‘mew’ call is much easier to id.
Adult male American Redstart, Andrew Haydon Park, by Alan Short. Although Redstarts share a palette with Blackburnians, they fill different niches. Redstarts prefer shrubs and willow, especially near water, and are far more likely to be found foraging or singing at human eye level.
Brown Thrasher, Tanglewood pedestrian pathway near Woodfield Drive, by Jarrett Hather. Thrashers have returned and set up territories all over the region. If you need one for your year list, several have claimed spots around NCC Trail 10, and are singing their hearts out this week.
Trumpeter Swan – Dunrobin (Constance Creek), Ottawa. Pair continues along Heaphy Rd., Marlborough Forest, Ottawa. Vances Side Road, Dunrobin, Ottawa.
Tundra Swan – May 09, Almonte Lagoons, Lanark.
Northern Pintail – May 10, Andrew Haydon Park, Ottawa.
Common Goldeneye – (8) May 09, Almonte Lagoons, Lanark. Rare for the date in Lanark.
Greater White-fronted Goose – May 11, PN de Plaisance–Baie Noire (Est & Ouest), Papineau.
Ross’s Goose – (2) May 06, Navan (Giroux Road Ponds), Ottawa, with 250 Snow Geese.
Brant – A flock seen from Andrew Haydon Park, Ottawa, May 12.
Dunlin – (3) May 06, Richmond CA (formerly Richmond Sewage Lagoons), Ottawa.
Iceland Gull – May 06, Trail Road Landfill, Ottawa. May 06, Second Line Rd S, Ottawa. First summer bird.
Lesser Black-backed Gull – Moodie Drive Quarry, Ottawa. (9) May 06, Second Line Rd S, Ottawa (various ages, no adults).
Caspian Tern – May 12, Shirley’s Bay, Ottawa. May 10, Marais des Laîches, Gatineau.
Black Tern – A single bird with Common terns, Moodie Drive Quarry, Ottawa, May 10.
Red-throated Loon – May 09, Armitage Ave, Ottawa.
Black Vulture – May 06, Blue Jay Drive, Clarence-Rockland, Prescott and Russell, soaring west. The same bird was then seen over Ottawa.
Golden Eagle – May 06, Britannia CA (general location), Ottawa.
Red-headed Woodpecker – Constance Bay, Ottawa.
Olive-sided Flycatcher – May 12, Britannia CA (general location), Ottawa. Sumac field, but beware the aggressive Wild Turkeys.
Yellow-throated Vireo – Reported singing in the Baxter CA, May 10. Ottawa.
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher – May 09, Kitchissippi Woods, just west of the Champlain Bridge.
Carolina Wren – Pair continues in Frank Ryn & Elmhurst Parks, Ottawa. May 06, J Henry Tweed CA, Prescott and Russell.
Louisiana Waterthrush – Continues to at least May 10, Parc de la Gatineau–Sentier de la Chute, Gatineau.
We are now in the second year of the Third Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas: an ambitious five-year effort to provide data that will guide environmental policies and conservation strategies across Ontario for years to come. Participation is easy and can be as simple as noting a singing bird in your neighbourhood, or watching a bird with nesting material. For more information, watch the introductory video on the OFNC Facebook Group, visit https://www.birdsontario.org/ or contact the Ottawa Regional Coordinator at Ottawa@birdsontario.org
Ottawa and area bird sightings to 5 May 2022
by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca
Big story of the week was the Lark Sparrow on Twin Elm Road May 02-03. This road produces good shorebirds, gulls, and apparently sparrows, from time to time. A sparse handful of new warblers in small numbers.
Lark Sparrow, Twin Elm road, by Janet McCullough.
Bohemian Waxwing, Greenbelt Trail 10, Shirley’s Bay, by Tony Beck. Tony shares that a few Bohemian Waxwings have lingered into May after being fairly common at this site all winter.
White-crown Sparrow, Mud lake, by Alan Short.
Wild Turkeys, Mud Lake, by Janet McCullough. Janet looked up from the warbler she was photographing to discover turkeys on the attack. Whether it’s because people feed them, the time of year, or because Turkeys are just jerks, this flock has been chasing people this spring, and not for hand-outs. They leave bruises in some cases. I joked that they are jerks, but that is unfair anthropomorphism. These are wild animals acting on motivations we may not fathom. These are not predictable domestic animals.
Bohemian Waxwings, Carp, by Ian Somerville. Ian found these in a crab-apple tree. Cedar Waxwings breed in Ottawa every year, but as their name suggests, Bohemians wander widely until they find a promising spot to feed or breed, with no site fidelity. Hopefully they will breed here for the atlas.
Great Blue Heron, Brewer Park, by Judith Gustafsson. Great Blue Herons, Great Egrets and Sandhill Cranes all breed to some extent in our region. And they all look about the same size. But size in the field is deceptive. At 2-2.5 kg, Great Blues weigh twice as much as the egrets, and half as much as the cranes.
Eastern Towhee, Jack Pine Trail, by Richard Rowlee. Our largest breeding sparrow, and our only one with blood red eyes, Towhees are striking birds when you can manage to see one. Usually well hidden, they are more easily heard, loudly scratching through leaf litter or by calling frequently.
Eastern Towhee, Kars, by Bill Buchanan. Towhees can be notoriously hard to see, until they decide to feed under feeders, which is what happened in Bill’s yard.
Blackburnian Warbler, Mud lake, by Arlene Harrold. Very large numbers of Yellow and Yellow-rumped Warblers have arrived, but only a handful of others, such as this stunning male. The good news is that we have lots of warblers in our near future.
Blue-headed Vireo, Fletcher Wildlife Garden, by Arlene Harrold. Like warblers, vireo species pass through in waves, and the first wave of the season is here in the Blue-headed.
Trumpeter Swan – Pair May 02, Vances Side Road, Dunrobin, Ottawa
Ruby-throated Hummingbird – A handful seem to have passed right over Ottawa: May 04 Wychwood, Aylmer, Gatineau. May 04, Parc Queen, Gatineau. May 03, Rue rémi , cantley, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais. May 01, Rue de Saturne, Cantley, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais.
Lesser Yellowlegs – 50+ at Richmond Lagoons, Ottawa, May 05.
Iceland Gull – May 05, Twin Elm Road, Ottawa.
Lesser Black-backed Gull – (7) May 05, Twin Elm Road, Ottawa. May 03, Moodie Drive Quarry, Ottawa. May 03, Andrew Haydon Park, Ottawa.
Bonaparte’s Gull – (14) on Lake Deschenes May 05.
Caspian Tern – Reported May 01, Baie McLaurin, Gatineau.
Rough-legged Hawk – May 02, Twin Elm Road Wetlands, Ottawa. May 01, RN de Breckenridge, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais.
Red-headed Woodpecker – Constance Bay, Ottawa.
Red-bellied Woodpecker – pair interacting May 04, Cowell Rd, Ottawa. Apr 30, Chemin Cook, Gatineau.
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher – May 03- 04, Imp de l’Excursion, Gatineau.
Carolina Wren – Pair continues in Frank Ryn & Elmhurst Parks, Ottawa. Apr 29, Mud Lake, Ottawa.
Marsh Wren – May 02-04, Cameron Harvey Drive, Ottawa. May 01, NCC greenbelt P27, Ottawa.
Bohemian Waxwing – (14) May 05, Greenbelt Trail 10, Ottawa. May 02, Frank Ryn & Elmhurst Parks, Ottawa. (25) Apr 29, Holbrook Rd, Montague, Lanark.
Lark Sparrow – May 02-03, Twin Elm Road Wetlands, Ottawa.
Fox Sparrow – May 03, Du Bois Ave, Ottawa.
Louisiana Waterthrush – May 04-05, Parc de la Gatineau–Sentier Lauriault and Sentier de la Chute, and Gatineau.
Cape May Warbler – May 03,Stanley Park, Ottawa
Blackburnian Warbler – May 01, Mud Lake, Ottawa,
Orange-crowned Warbler – May 04, Parc de la Gatineau–Sentier Gamelin, Gatineau.
Ottawa and area bird sightings to 28 April 2022
by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca
This was a big migration week. Some species such as Yellow Warbler and Spotted Sandpiper went from rare to ubiquitous. Lots of Palm and Pine Warblers now. The story of the week though was the stunning flight of Broad-winged Hawk on April 25. Many observers reported dozens of Broad-winged Hawks, and some even counted over 100.
Female Evening Grosbeak, Mer Bleue, by Aaron Hywarren. This is the long-staying grosbeak that has lingered for months. Aaron was excited to see her carrying nesting material, a sign of attempted breeding. #youcanatlasthat, or at least Aaron can, in this case.
Adult male Northern Harrier, Cameron Harvey Marsh, Alan Short.
Pine Warbler, Vincent Massey Park, by Aaron Hywarren.
Immature Bald Eagle, Shirley’s Bay, by Aaron Hywarren. Aaron says: I am including it as there have been a number of reports of Golden Eagle and this ain’t one! Instructive image though as it shows how readily folks can be fooled. The longer neck and dominant bi-coloured bill are good clues: and though not pictured here, the underside was dark with extensive white markings on the wings.
Vesper sparrow, Terry Carisse Park along Steeplehill Drive, by Gillian Mastromatteo.
Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Bruce Pit, by Janet McCullough. That bill is tiny, even for a tiny bird. It’s perfect for probing the nooks and crannies of rolled up leaves and bark for arthropods.
Warbler butt, Carleton Place, by Arlene Harrold. We are all looking for that perfect tack-sharp photo with the eye perfectly in focus. But that’s rarely what warblers give us. Still, this bird, like many warblers, is perfectly identifiable from this angle. Only a few local warblers have all yellow vents. Add in the black band at the base of the tail, and the white tail feathers, and this can only be one species. And hey, we didn’t even need to cheat and look at the Rufus cap. Or watch it bob its tail.
Carolina Wren, Elmhurst Park, by Sanam Goudarzi.
Ross’s Goose – Apr 14-28, Holland’s Marsh (Old HWY 7 just south of Hunt Line), Ottawa.
Barrow’s Goldeneye – Apr 25, Almonte Lagoons, Lanark, Ontario
Green-winged Teal (Eurasian x American) – Apr 24, Ch. de la Sapiniere, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais.
Trumpeter Swan – Apr24, Stonecrest Rd, Ottawa.
Solitary Sandpiper – Apr 25-27, Twin Elm Road Wetlands, Ottawa. Apr 26, Holland’s Marsh, Ottawa.
Iceland Gull – Apr 25-26, 2022 Dow’s Lake, Ottawa. Apr 25, Andrew Haydon Park, Ottawa. Adult Apr 21, Trail Road Landfill, Ottawa.
Lesser Black-backed Gull – Apr 26, Moodie Drive Quarry, Ottawa.
Black Vulture – Just on the edge of the OFNC circle, Apr 27, Richardson Rd, Montague, Lanark.
Golden Eagle – Apr 25 Migrating North over the Rideau and Sandy Hill, Ottawa. Apr 23, Shirley’s Bay (Hilda Road feeders), Ottawa.
Red-headed Woodpecker – Constance Bay, Ottawa.
Great Crested Flycatcher – Apr 28, Stony Swamp (Sarsaparilla Trail), Ottawa. Apr 26, Ch d’Amour, Gatineau.
Carolina Wren – Pair continues in Frank Ryn & Elmhurst Parks, Ottawa.
Snow Bunting – Apr 23, Bate Island, Ottawa.
Rose-breasted Grosbeak – Apr 27, Whitmore Ave, Ottawa. Apr 25, Orleans, Ottawa.
Gray Catbird – Apr 28, Richmond CA (formerly Richmond Sewage Lagoons), Ottawa. Apr 27, Britannia CA (general location), Ottawa. Apr 25, Almonte Lagoons, Lanark. Apr 22, 2022 Greenbelt Trail 51, Ottawa.
Northern Mockingbird – Apr 26, Central Experimental Farm Arboretum, Ottawa.
Northern Shrike – Apr 23, Dolman Ridge Road, Ottawa.
Northern Waterthrush – Apr 26, Greenbelt Pathway (East/West of Conroy), Ottawa.
Black-throated Green Warbler – Apr 26, Chemin Younger, Lac McGregor, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais.
Ottawa and area bird sightings to 21 April 2022
by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca
Interested in Ontario’s Breeding Bird Atlas project?
Birds are returning every day and as a result, Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas activity is ramping up again. Participation is easy and your observations will provide Canadian scientists, government officials, and conservation professionals with data that will guide environmental policies and conservation strategies across Ontario for years to come.
A number of events are planned as a part of the launch the second year of the Atlas. Find out more about the Atlas and the Ottawa Region on the OFNC Facebook page at 1900 Thursday for a live event. Or you can pop by the Bandstand at Vincent Massey park at 1100 on Sunday 24 April for a Meet and Greet. For more on the Atlas – including how to register – please visit: https://www.birdsontario.org/2022-kickoff/
Male Rusty Blackbird, Petrie Island, by Tony Beck. Tony notes this individual is almost in its full breeding plumage. However, it’s still showing some winter markings on its belly and flanks.
Double-crested Cormorant, Brewer Park, by Judith Gustafsson. Hated by some, dismissed by others, cormorants are really beautiful birds if one chooses to look closely.
Vesper Sparrow and Savannah Sparrow, Viewbank Road, by Arlene Harold. These are both birds of the agricultural lands around our region, but getting two in one shot is pretty rare.
Osprey, Thomas Dolan Parkway, by Alan Short. Ospreys are already back, paired off, and hard at work building new nests or shoring up old ones. Unlike smaller birds that may have time for two broods in a single Ottawa summer, it takes a lot of time and energy to get the huge Osprey young ready for migration before winter. For bonus points, can you id the fish? Fair warning, it’s probably a trick question.
Hermit Thrush, Clyde Woods, by Catherine Lawrence. Hermit thrushes are one of the birds that use foot quivering to stir food prey into motion, like some shorebirds.
Tree swallow, Richmond CA, by Janet McCullough. Tree Swallows live up to their names. Not only do they naturally nest in tree cavities, but they actually sit around on branches.
Ross’s Goose – Apr 14-15, Holland’s Marsh (Old HWY 7 just south of Hunt Line), Ottawa.
Greater White-fronted Goose – Apr 15, John Shaw Rd, Ottawa.
Green-winged Teal (Eurasian) – i.e. Common Teal. Apr 15-16, Dilworth Rd, Ottawa.
Tundra Swan – 7 on Apr 17, Sentier E Lalande, Plaisance, Papineau. 4 Apr 13-15, Marais des Laîches, Gatineau.
Trumpeter Swan – Apr 18 John Shaw Road. Apr 18, Stonecrest Rd, Ottawa.
Common Gallinule – Apr 18, Beaver Pond Trail, Ottawa.
Sora – Apr 19, Bruce Pit, Ottawa.
Golden Eagle – Apr 15, Greenbelt Trail 10, Ottawa.
Red-headed Woodpecker – Constance Bay, Ottawa.
Red-bellied Woodpecker – Apr 19, Dilworth Rd, Ottawa.
Gray Catbird – Apr 16, Sentier Lauriault, Parc de la Gatineau, Gatineau.
Cliff Swallow – Apr 19, Deschênes, Gatineau. Apr 16, Carlsbad Ln, Ottawa. Big flocks of swallows are being reported at various locations, so check for vagrants. Purple Martins have returned to Andrew Hayden park, ottawa.
Carolina Wren – Pair continues in Frank Ryn & Elmhurst Parks, Ottawa (singing near Tavistock). Hurdman Woods, Apr 20. Apr 18, Beaver Pond Trail, Ottawa. Kanata lakes, Apr 17.
Snow Bunting – 30 on Apr 15, Donald B. Munro Drive, Ottawa
Palm Warbler – A handful hit the region this week at: Watt’s Creek Pathway; Chapman Mills CA; Giroux Ponds; all Ottawa. Rapides Deschênes and Marais des Laîches, both Gatineau. Yellow-rumped and Pine warblers are already fairly common.
Ottawa and area bird sightings to 14 April 2022
by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca
Barnacle goose! Get out the shorebird guide, because the Greater Yellowlegs are back, and they are the leading edge of shorebirds. What new birds will arrive on Friday’s winds?
Golden-crowned Kinglet, Britannia Conservation Area, by Tony Beck. Although our Kinglets head south for the winter, these tiny birds are tough enough to overwinter in areas that can reach -40 at night.
Female plumage Merlin, Russel, by Tony Beck. Tony says: Note that this Merlin perches on one leg while the other is retracted into its belly feathers. Feathers have excellent insulating properties. Birds sometimes hide bare parts (like feet, legs and beaks) in their feathers to help conserve body heat. They are usually fairly relaxed when they do so.
Snow Geese, Winchester, by Tony beck. Tony says: Snow Goose numbers have dramatically increased in Eastern Ontario over the past 15 years. The vast majority seen east of Ottawa are of the Greater Snow Goose population which breeds in the eastern Canadian Arctic. The first Blue morph in this population was recorded in the 1970s. They now make up about 4 to 5 % of the population. Lesser Snow Geese occur mainly west of Ontario. Blue morph is much more common in this population, sometimes making up as much as half a flock. Tony was surprised to see a flock of approximately 1200 Snow Geese where about 65 to 70 % were Blue Morphs. This suggests that these birds are of the western Lesser Snow Goose population. Judging by the variable sizes, shapes and plumage characters, he suspects some of these individuals are Greater and Lesser intergrades.
Breeding plumage adult Pied-billed Grebe, just up river (east shore) from Rideau’s Adawe Bridge, by Keith Wickens. Birds don’t just change their feathers for breeding season. The pied bill is only strongly two-colored in breeding season.
Greater Yellowlegs (with Ring-billed Gull), Appleton Sideroad & Old Almonte Road, by Arlene Harrold. Greater Yellowlegs (and Pectoral Sandpipers) are the first of the ‘real’ shorebirds to arrive in the spring. Both were reported this week.
Female Mallard, Tomas Dolan at the bridge, by Alan Short. Although not a ‘Wood Duck’, this Mallard does not allow societal expectations to constrain her behaviour.
Fox Sparrow, Loney Crescent, by Erik Pohanka. Most migrants have a short season in Ottawa as they race north to the breeding grounds, and a leisurely return in the fall. This pattern holds for the Fox Sparrow. You have only a few weeks to see them in the spring, but almost two months in the fall. It’s worth seeking them out for their sweet slurring song.
Tree Swallows, Brewer Park, by Judith Gustafsson. Despite the area still being flooded on April 9, Judith found many Tree Swallows, some already claiming some of the nest boxes along the pond, and carrying small twigs to the boxes.
Ross’s Goose – Apr 14, Holland’s Marsh (Old HWY 7 just south of Hunt Line), Ottawa.
Barnacle Goose – Apr 10-13, Seen on back and forth between Russell Road and Milton Road, Ottawa.
Greater White-fronted Goose – Apr 13, John Shaw Rd, Ottawa. Apr 11, Holland’s Marsh, Ottawa. Apr 11, Giroux Road Ponds, Ottawa.
Barrow’s Goldeneye – Continues to Apr 12, Stanley Park, or Kingsview Park, Ottawa.
Redhead – 2 on Apr 12, Andrew Haydon Park, Ottawa.
Black Scoter – A single male Apr 10, Dick Bell Park, Ottawa.
White-winged Scoter – 2 Apr 08, Lake Park, Lanark.
Tundra Swan – 4 Apr 13, Marais des Laîches, Gatineau. 2-9 birds, continued to at least Apr 12, Cobb Lake Creek flood plain, Prescott and Russell. 3 Apr 11, Milton Road, Ottawa.
Trumpeter Swan – Continuing pairs in Marlborough Forest at Roger’s Pond, Ottawa, and at the creek on Kettles Road, Ottawa. Pair Apr 08, March Rd, Ottawa. Single flyover at Tunney’s pasture, Ottawa, on Apr. 08. Apr 13, Carlisle Circle, Ottawa.
Glaucous Gull – At least two in the area with an immature Apr 11, Deschenes Rapids Lookout, Ottawa. Adult Apr 09, Moodie Drive, Ottawa.
Iceland Gull – Apr 11, Moodie Drive Quarry, Ottawa.
Caspian Tern – Apr 08, Rideau River-long reach, Ottawa.
Golden Eagle – Apr 10, Milton Road, Ottawa. Apr 09, Bill Mason Centre, Ottawa. Apr 09, Frank Kenny Road at the bridge, Ottawa. Apr 09, Lake Park, Lanark.
Red-headed Woodpecker – 3-4 birds Constance Bay, Ottawa.
Red-bellied Woodpecker – Apr 10, Lauriault Trail, Chelsea, Gatineau.
Carolina Wren – Pair continues in Frank Ryn & Elmhurst Parks, Ottawa (singing near Tavistock).
American Pipit – 2 photographed Apr 08, Chemin Industriel, Gatineau.
Fox Sparrows – Suddenly everywhere, but only for the next three weeks
Yellow-rumped warbler – Not rare for the date, but an exciting sign of spring, a handful of yellow-rumps were reported this week: Roger’s pond in Marlborough Forest, Ottawa; Armitage Ave, Ottawa; Rideau Canal at the Ottawa River; and Mississippi Lake #7 bridge view, Lanark.
Shorebird tip – The fence at the Embrun has been moved, permitting views of two of the lagoons without trespassing. When parking, be careful not to block the gate or the blackwater dump.
Ottawa and area bird sightings to 7 April 2022
by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca
Most of the herons and many Tree Swallows returned this week. Still lots of great geese and waterfowl. A Pink-footed Goose and a male Tufted Duck put in brief, but well photographed, appearances.
Full adult breeding Lesser Black-backed Gull, near Kinburn, by Tony Beck. Tony says: Expanding their range from Europe, Lesser Black-backed Gulls were first recorded in Canada in 1968. They have since become fairly regular in the Ottawa area, especially during migration. When present, they’re usually seen associating with other gulls.
Adult male Common Grackle, Petrie Island, by Tony Beck. Tony says: Although Common Grackles can be highly visible in a variety of local habitats, since 1970, their numbers have declined by as much as 50%. They’re now red listed as “near threatened” with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Adult red-headed Woodpecker, Constance Bay, by Tom Devecseri. Tom watched a pair take turns excavating a nest cavity. In some areas this species prefers nesting in flooded swamps. In other areas, it seeks out oak savannah, neither of which describes Constance Bay. It would be fascinating to know what keeps them coming back year after year.
Male Pileated woodpecker, 5th Line Rd at Berry Side Rd, by Alan Short. The red moustache (or malar) identifies it as a male.
Female-type Ring-necked Duck, Mud Lake, by Sanam Goudarzi. These ducks prefer ponds but you will see them in rivers with Scaup on migration.
Double-crested Cormorant, Riverside Drive near the Bronson Bridge, by Judith Gustafsson. Note the breeding tufts. Sibley says the tufts are black in southeastern birds, and get whiter to the west and north.
Juvenile Northern Harrier, Lamours east of Birchgrove, by Keith Wickens. The owl-like facial disk of the harrier serves the same purpose as it does for owls; it helps the bird hunt by sound for rodents hidden in the reeds and tall grasses.
Part of an estimated flock of 70,000 Snow Geese, Cobb’s Creek flood plain, by Janet McCullough.
Male Blue-winged Teal, Eagleson Ponds, by Gillian Mastromatteo. This is a great learning photo, as it shows the danger of not checking multiple ID points. The green in the wing is clearly visible, the blue is hidden, so if one overlooks the white crescent on the face, it would be possible to misidentify this tiny duck.
Pink-footed Goose – Apr 01, Birchgrove Rd, Sarsfield, Ottawa.
Greater White-fronted Goose – 3 Apr 06, Holland’s Marsh, Ottawa. Apr 05, Monty Drive, Ottawa. Apr 03, Regional Road 55, Clarence-Rockland, Prescott and Russell.
Ross’s Goose – 1-2 Apr 02-03, Cobb Lake Creek flood plain, Prescott and Russell.
Tufted Duck – Apr 03, Chemin du fer à Cheval, Gatineau.
Barrow’s Goldeneye – Apr 01, Kingsview Park, Ottawa.
Blue-winged Teal – Apr 04, Twin Elm Road Wetlands, Ottawa. Also Richmond CA (formerly Richmond Sewage Lagoons), Ottawa. Sarsaparilla Trail), Ottawa. 2 on Apr 02, Emerald Meadows, Monahan Drain Ponds, Ottawa. 2 on Milton Road, Ottawa. 10 Apr 01, Sentier des Voyageurs, du parc Moussette à golf Château Cartier, Gatineau. 8 Apr 01, Carp River southeast of Carp, Ottawa.
Red-breasted Merganser – 2 Female-type Apr 06 Britannia Park (pier), Ottawa.
Tundra Swan – 3 Apr 05, De La Sapinière, Luskville, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais. 3 Apr 04, Baie Lafontaine, Ottawa. 10 Apr 03, Birchgrove Rd (then flew to Milton Rd), Ottawa. 34 Apr 02, only 3 the next day, Cobb Lake Creek flood plain, Prescott and Russell. 5 on Apr 02, Dilworth Rd, Ottawa.
Trumpeter Swan – 2 continue on Kettles Road, Ottawa. 2 Apr 01, Shirley’s Bay (Hilda Road feeders), Ottawa.
Glaucous Gull – Apr 06, Moodie Drive Quarry, Ottawa.
Black-crowned Night-Heron – Apr 06, Britannia CA, Ottawa. Apr 04, Emerald Meadows x Eagleson storm water ponds, Ottawa. 5 Apr 03, Lemieux Island, Ottawa.
American Bittern – Apr 04, Monty Drive, Ottawa.
Golden Eagle – Apr 06, Dobson Lane, Ottawa. Apr 03, Old Perth Road, Mississippi Mills, Lanark. Apr 03, Dilworth Rd, Ottawa. Apr 02, Cobb Lake Creek flood plain, Prescott and Russell. Apr 02, Birchgrove Road, Ottawa.
Red-headed Woodpecker – Constance Bay, Ottawa.
Red-bellied Woodpecker – Shilly-Shally, Gatineau Park, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais.
Ruby-crowned Kinglet – Apr 03, Britannia CA, Ottawa.
Carolina Wren – Frank Ryn & Elmhurst Parks, Ottawa (Singing near Tavistock).
Eastern Towhee – Apr 02, Rue de la Baie, Val-des-Monts, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais.
eBird Tip: When a heard-only bird comes up as rare in eBird, instead of saying ‘identified by Merlin,’ export the Merlin audio recording to eBird. While Merlin is good, it is not perfect, so consider the options it provides as ‘helpful suggestions.’
Ottawa and area bird sightings to 31 March 2022
by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca
Snow Geese, Mud lake, by Alan Short. Usually you have to leave the city proper and travel the backroads to see the Snow Geese during the annual migration, but if you spend enough time in the field, eventually really cool birds come to your patch, which is how Alan caught them at Mud Lake.
Swans in flight, Barnsdale, by Janet McCullough. Swans are usually not too hard to identify if you can see their bills, or their relative sizes. But flying in a single species flock in the distance? Better to just enjoy the sight, and resign yourself to ‘swan sp.’ in eBird – unless you can hear them, and then you are back in the ID game.
Female Pileated Woodpecker, Thomas Dolan Parkway, by Alan Short. This was a brand new pole, chemically treated, and unlikely to host food. So why do Woodpeckers attack new poles so often? So much has been written on this topic! One all encompassing theory is that the poles provide excellent vantage points for territorial defense, and while banging away, territorial birds sometimes hear hollows. Pileateds love the sound of hollow wood, for magnifying their drumming, as a – misleading in this case – potential source of food, and as a potential cavity for roosting. My favourite theory, that the poles carry vibrations from power lines, which the birds assume means insects, is easily debunked. The birds attack before the power lines are strung up.
Hooded Mergansers, Brewers Park, by Judith Gustafsson.
Greater White-fronted Goose – 3 Mar 31 Thomas A Dolan Pky, Ottawa. Mar 30 Armitage Ave , Ottawa. 2 on Mar 27, John Shaw Rd, Ottawa. Mar 26, Pilon Road, Clarence Creek, Prescott and Russell. Dilworth Rd, Ottawa.
Ross’s Goose – Mar 31, Milton Rd, Ottawa. Mar 29, Birchgove Rd, Sarsfield, Ottawa. In a flock with hundreds of Snow Geese and Canada Geese. Mar 27, Pilon Rd, Prescott and Russell. As many as 5, Mar 27, Cobb Lake Creek flood plain, Prescott and Russell.
Blue-winged Teal – Mar 31, Twin Elm Road Wetlands, Ottawa. Emerald Meadows x Eagleson storm water ponds, Ottawa (Hope Side Road end). Mar 29, Station d’épuration, Gatineau. Mar 27,Milton Road, Ottawa.
Gadwall – A pair Mar 26, Milton Rd, Ottawa.
Long-tailed Duck – Continuing female, Rapides Deschênes, Gatineau.
Northern Shoveler – Mar 31, Twin Elm Road Wetlands, Ottawa.
Redhead – 2 on Mar 25, Britannia CA–Filtration Plant/Point, Ottawa.
Barrow’s Goldeneye – Mar 28, Adàwe Crossing, Ottawa. Ranging further South along the river this week.
Tundra Swan – 11-16 birds continued to at least Mar 31 on Milton Road, Ottawa. 7 on Mar 28, Fourth Line Rd and Callendor Rd flooded fields, Ottawa. 5 on Mar 27, Pilon Rd, Prescott and Russell. Mar 26, Cobb River Floodplain, Prescott and Russell.
Trumpeter Swan – 2 Mar 30, Kettles Road, Ottawa. 2 Mar 25, Fine Estate, Ottawa
Red-breasted Merganser – Mar 29, Hurdman Bridge, Ottawa.
Horned Grebe – Mar 27, Baie Simard, Gatineau.
Golden Eagle – Mar 27, Rollin Rd, Prescott and Russell. Mar 26, Dunrobin (Carp Hills), as well as John Shaw Rd, Ottawa.
Red-headed Woodpecker – 4 Constance Bay, Ottawa.
Red-bellied Woodpecker – Huron, and Shilly-Shally, Gatineau Park, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais.
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker – Mar 31, Athlone Avenue, Ottawa.
Carolina Wren – 2 Frank Ryn & Elmhurst Parks, Ottawa.
Savannah Sparrow – Mar 30, John Shaw Rd, Ottawa
Ottawa and area bird sightings to 24 March 2022
by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca
Open water and flooded fields brought a massive influx of water birds.
Greater White-fronted Geese, John Shaw Road floodplain, Kinburn, by Aaron Hywarren. If you take the time to safely scan the huge flocks of geese in the flooded farm fields, you will eventually find rare geese, wild swans, and the less common dabbling ducks. Best viewed with a scope.
Adult male Wild Turkey, Britannia Conservation Area, by Tony Beck. All those wild shapes and colors serve an evolutionary purpose, but as soft tissue they don’t fossilize well. If birds are just dinosaurs, how many dinosaurs sported such finery? Try reimagining the T-rex with bright blue and red wattles.
Mating Peregrine Falcons, the CRA building roost site, Ottawa, by Jordan Milko. Peregrines are cliff nesters, and many have adapted to breeding on tall buildings. See history of Peregrines in Ottawa
Killdeer, Barrhaven, by Richard Kohl. The first shorebirds to return to the region each year are the non-shore shorebirds: Killdeer, American Woodcock, and Wilson Snipe. Not relying on a shore for gathering food frees them to start displaying before the river opens up.
Adult male Ring-necked Duck, Chapman Mills Conservation Area, by Keith Wickens. They dive for aquatic seeds, tubers, and invertebrates.
Merlin, Vance’s Side Road, by Arlene Harrold. Merlins are small-bird hunting specialists, and according to Birds of the World, tend to specialize in one or two of the most common species in an area.
Common Grackle, Brewer Park, by Judith Gustafsson. All the regular breeding blackbird species are back in the region, at least in small numbers.
Adult male Common Merganser, at Carleton Lodge, by Alan Short.
Barrow’s Goldeneye – Male all week to Mar 24, Adàwe Crossing, Ottawa.
Northern Shoveler – A pair Mar 19, Eagleson storm water ponds, Ottawa.
Gadwall – 3 on Mar 20, Milton Rd, Ottawa. One on Mar 21 off Long Island Drive Park, Manotick, Ottawa.
Greater Scaup – A male Mar 18, Britannia Yacht Club, Ottawa.
Blue-winged Teal – 6 on Mar 24, Carp River southeast of Carp, Ottawa.
Long-tailed Duck – Female, Mar 24, Britannia Yacht Club, Ottawa.
Greater White-fronted Goose – 3-5 reported Mar 23-24, John Shaw Rd floodplain, near Grant side Rd, Ottawa.
Tundra Swan – 16 East of Milton road, Ottawa, Mar 24. 2 at Petrie Island, Ottawa, on Mar 22. 2 on Mar 20-21, Frank Kenny Road at the bridge South of McFadden, Ottawa. 2 on Wall Rd, Ottawa, Mar 19.
Trumpeter Swan – 2 on Mar 23, Carp River southeast of Carp, Ottawa.
Horned Grebe – Mar 23, Parc Moussette, Gatineau. Mar 24, Carp River southeast of Carp, Ottawa.
Pied-billed Grebe – Reported Mar 17-18 at the base of the Rapides Deschênes, Gatineau.
Sandhill Crane – 2 on Mar 20, over Marais aux grenouillettes, Gatineau.
Lesser Black-backed Gull – Continues at Parc Moussette, Gatineau.
Double-crested Cormorant – Mar 24, Britannia CA, and Stanley Park, Ottawa. Mar 22, Billings Bridge, Ottawa. Arboretum, Ottawa (by the locks). Mar 21, Lemieux Island, Ottawa.
Golden Eagle – Several reports on Mar 20: Spring St, Mississippi Mills, Lanark; Milton Rd, Ottawa; and, Osgoode Trail, Ottawa.
Belted Kingfisher – Mar 24, Chapman Mills CA, Ottawa.
Red-headed Woodpecker – Constance Bay, Ottawa.
Red-bellied Woodpecker – Huron shelter, Gatineau Park, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais.
Carolina Wren – Mar 24, Frank Ryn & Elmhurst Parks, Ottawa. Check the feeder on the West side of Tavistock.
Hermit Thrush – Britannia CA, Ottawa.
Ottawa and area bird sightings to 17 March 2022
by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca
The first “pent!” of a displaying American Woodcock reported on the evening of the 17th. More and more spring birds, and suddenly lots of singing birds! The first wildly optimistic flycatcher arrived (an Eastern Phoebe). With interesting South winds over Thursday night, who knows what else will show up?
Female Hooded Merganser, Billings bridge, by Judith Gustafsson. Most ducks’ hips and feet are poorly adapted to walking on land, but are beautifully evolved for speed in or under water.
Red-tailed hawk, March Valley Rd at Terry Fox, by Allan Short. One of a pair that Allan saw.
American Robin, Cassels Street (Britannia CA), by Nina Stavlund. Unlike most species of songbird, the Robin has benefited from human transformation of North America. Their main summer foods are earthworms (invasive, brought over by European Settlers), and in winter fruit (think of all those crab-apple trees people landscape with).
Eastern Bluebird, SW Ottawa, by Janet McCullough. This is another species that can overwinter in Ottawa, but like robins, their numbers start increasing locally around this time of year.
Male Horned Lark, Navan, by Keith Wickens. Females are paler and lack the black eye patch of the males. But a pale bird isn’t necessarily a female. Some of the subspecies are much paler than others.
Purple Finch, female and male, SW Ottawa, by Arlene Harrold. A close look shows they share the same brown plumage pattern, with much of the white replaced by raspberry in the male.
Mallard x American Black Duck, Billings Bridge, by Judith Gustafsson. Ever wonder about the x and / in eBird? Choose Mallard/American Black Duck if you are not sure which species you saw. Choose Mallard x American Black Duck if you are sure you are looking at a hybrid. At first glance this could almost be a run-of-the-mill female Mallard, but Judith spotted the uniform dark olive bill of a Black Duck. The Mallard above her shows the typical female black splotch on an orange bill.
Barrow’s Goldeneye – A photogenic male all week at Strathcona Park, Ottawa.
Cackling Goose – Two, Mar 15, Martin/St. Paul St. lookout, Almonte, Lanark.
Tundra Swan – Mar 15, Martin/St. Paul St lookout, or along Spring St. Almonte, Lanark.
Trumpeter Swan – Mar 16, Dunrobin (Constance Creek), Ottawa.
Pied-billed Grebe – Reported Mar 17 at the base of the Rapides Deschênes, Gatineau.
Lesser Black-backed Gull – Mar 15, Parc Moussette, Gatineau.
Golden Eagle – A second year bird on Mar 17, Greenland Road Hawkwatch, Ottawa. An adult on the 16th in Dunrobin, in the Constance Lake area, Ottawa.
Red-headed Woodpecker – At least 3 adults and an immature reported this week from Constance Bay, Ottawa.
Red-bellied Woodpecker – At the usual spots in Gatineau Park – Huron and Shilly-Shally, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais.
Black-backed Woodpecker – Last reported Mar 12, Constance Bay, Ottawa. No reason to think it left.
Hermit Thrush – Britannia CA, Ottawa.
Eastern Bluebird – 2 on Mar 17, McBean St, (in Richmond) Ottawa. 4 at the Greenland Road Hawkwatch, Ottawa.
Hoary Redpoll – Common Redpolls linger around the circle, so of course a few Hoary Redpolls are mixed in. Reports this week from: 3 on Monty Drive, Ottawa; 1 at Lac Meech, LesCollines-de-l’Outaouais; 1 on Rue des Chardonnerets, Gatineau; and, 1 in Richmond, Ottawa.
Eastern Phoebe – Mar 17, Bowrin Rd, (in Richmond) Ottawa.
White-crowned Sparrow – Mar 14, Fine Estate, Ottawa.
Ottawa and area bird sightings to 10 March 2022
by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca
Woo! The real birds of spring have arrived: Ring-billed Gulls returned this week! Spring waterfowl and Red-winged Blackbirds are showing up, but lots of winter finches are still around. Not one but two Black-backed Woodpeckers!
Adult breeding Ring-billed Gulls, near Andrew Haydon Park, by Tony Beck. True signs of spring in Ottawa, unlike Robins–many which successfully overwintered here–these gulls leave us every winter.
Adult Bald Eagle, Breckenridge, QC, by Tony Beck.
Canada Goose, Britannia Conservation Area, by Tony Beck. Love ’em or hate ’em, Canada Geese are another sure sign of spring. Bonus points if you can identify the bird reflected in the goose’s eye.
Wood Ducks, Britannia Conservation Area, by Tony Beck. Sure, he’s handsome and attentive now, but when the chicks show up? He’s long gone. In species where the young are born able to move and feed themselves (precocial), the female is usually the only caregiver.
Hermit Thrush, Britannia Conservation Area, by Alan Short. Alan observed an American Robin guarding one of the holes in the ice where the minnows congregate. The robin chased off its fellow thrush, but others have reported that the thrush sometimes succeeds in snatching fish too.
Small fish, Britannia Conservation Area, by Alan Short. The thousands of minnows, catfish, and other small fish trapped in the very shallow water are compelled to the rare openings in the ice, presumably by low oxygen levels. This has been a surprising winter food source for a flock of robins, a Hermit thrush, and the local Mink. Zoom in on this photo, and the density of fish is amazing!
Horned Lark, Giroux Road area, by Keith Wickens. Surprisingly, Horned Larks are year-round in Ottawa, with some local breeders, although their population peaks in Feb-Mar as many birds pass through on the way to the breeding grounds.
Snow Bunting, Giroux Road area, by Keith Wickens. On the other hand, Snow Buntings are just here from Oct-April.
Barrow’s Goldeneye – Mar 06, Carleton Place, Riverside Park, Lanark. Rideau Tennis Club, Ottawa, Mar 10.
Gadwall – 4 at Britannia CA on Mar 09, Ottawa, ON. Also on Mar 09, Rapides Deschênes, Gatineau.
Tundra Swan – Mar 05, Martin/St. Paul St lookout, Almonte, Lanark.
Trumpeter Swan – A flyover Mar 09, Fine Estate, Ottawa.
Turkey Vulture – All over Ottawa: Mar 09, Lismer Crescent to Beaverpond, and over Carleton University. Mar 08, Barnsdale Rd. at Prince of Wales Dr. NW corner. Mar 06, Nicholas Street. Mar 04, George Etienne Cartier Pkwy. Shirley Avenue. In Lanark on Mar 05, over Highway 7 in Perth.
Red-headed Woodpecker – Constance Bay, Ottawa.
Red-bellied Woodpecker – Mar 08, Parc de la Gatineau at the Huron shelter feeder, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais. Mar 05, Groves Road, Prescott and Russell.
Black-backed Woodpecker – The continuing male Mar 05, Torbolton Forest, Ottawa. A female in Stony Swamp on the Sarsaparilla Trail, Ottawa, on Mar 05.
Northern Flicker – Mar 07, Walter Baker, Ottawa.
Carolina Wren – Frank Ryn & Elmhurst Parks, Ottawa. Last reported at the corner of Elmhurst and Forest.
Hermit Thrush – Mar 04, Britannia CA, Ottawa.
Winter finches – moving out. Still lots of Red Crossbills and Pine Grosbeaks.
White-winged Crossbill – A big flock of 25-30 on Mar 05, Boileau Road, Prescott and Russell. A pair on the Sarsaparilla Trail, Ottawa, on Mar 05.
Red Crossbill – Small numbers remain in Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais: Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais, in the Parc de la Gatineau, on Sentier P15, and on Ch. Eardley Masham. Also at Lac McGregor.
Evening Grosbeak – Small numbers in Parc de la Gatineau at Relais Renaud, Relais Healey, and Relais Herridge, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais. A flock of 13 in Crystal Beach Ottawa on Mar 09. A lone bird at the Mer Bleue Bog, Ottawa, on Mar 06.
Ottawa and area bird sightings to 3 March 2022
by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca
American Black Duck, Britannia, by Tony Beck. Tony says: This image reveals the dark speculum without white borders, and the overall dark colour contrasting with the white wing linings.
Bonded pair of Mallards, Britannia, by Tony Beck. Tony says: It’s early March, and several local Mallards have paired off, some intimately engaged in courtship. The white in the speculum
Black-capped Chickadee, Shirley’s Bay, by Tony Beck. Locally chickadees form the heart of mixed winter flocks. The membership of the flocks may change as the flock crosses territories. For example, as the flock crosses from one nuthatch pair’s territory into another, the first pair may drop out of the flock, and the second pair may join the flock for a while. o an external observer the flock looks the same.
Female House Finch, Fletcher Wildlife Garden, by Judith Gustafsson. We have enjoyed a lot more stripy finches than usual in the last two weeks. The large bill and lack of obvious supercilium identifies this as a House Finch.
Pine Grosbeak, Navan, by Keith Wickens. Another Good year for Pine Grosbeaks in our region. Look for crabapple trees with lots of fruit, and eventually these beauties will show up. They blend in surprisingly well despite the pink and yellow, forgoing the quick jittery movements of so many song birds, so time spent learning their quiet calls is time well spent.
Female Cardinal, Fletcher Wildlife Garden, by Alan Short. Like female Purple Finches, female Cardinals sing, and like the finches, they also tend to sing from cover, unlike the male, whose color and choice of song perch is designed to stand out.
Barrow’s Goldeneye – Carleton Place, Riverside Park, Lanark. Rapides Deschênes, Gatineau.
Tundra Swan – Martin/St. Paul St lookout, Almonte, Lanark.
Northern Harrier – Adult male at Greenbank Pond (just south of the Jock river), Ottawa. Adult male at the Trail Road landfill, Ottawa.
Red-headed Woodpecker – Constance Bay, Ottawa.
Red-bellied Woodpecker – Feb 27, Parc de la Gatineau, Relais Shilly-Shallly, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais.
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker – Overwintering on Chickasaw Crescent, Ottawa.
Northern Flicker – Feb 26, Richmond Centennial Golf Course, Ottawa.
Carolina Wren – Frank Ryn & Elmhurst Parks, Ottawa.
Hermit Thrush – Britannia CA, Ottawa, easiest to find around open water, such as the outflow from Mud Lake.
Still too many winter finch reports to count. Just the rarer ones:
Bohemian Waxwings – Flocks around the area of Shirleys Bay, Greenbelt Pathway West, and Nortel Marsh, Ottawa. Parc de la Gatineau, Lac Pink, Gatineau. Mont-Luc, Gatineau. As many as 60 on the Sentier des voyageurs, Gatineau.
White-winged Crossbill – Feb 26, Boileau Road, Prescott and Russell. Parc de la Gatineau, Ch. Eardley Masham, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais. Upper Dwyer Hill Rd, Ottawa. Greenbelt Trail 10, Ottawa.
Red Crossbill – Parc de la Gatineau, Ch. Eardley Masham, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais, CA-QC
Pine Siskin – Numbers have dropped since the beginning of March, but still all over. Check flocks for the elusive green morph, reported this week from Monty Dr, Ottawa on Feb 26, and Rue de Saint-Malo, Gatineau, on Mar 01.
Evening Grosbeak – zero reports so far in March.
White-crowned Sparrow – Adult Feb 28, Central Experimental Farm (manure piles at Morningside and Ash lane), Ottawa.
eBird Tip: Now that you’ve memorized all the bird-banding codes from playing BRDL, did you know you can search in eBird using those same codes? Works in the app and the web site.
Ottawa and area bird sightings to 24 February 2022
by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca
Just in time for the Great Backyard Bird Count, Pine Siskins went from common in the countryside to ubiquitous even in the suburbs. Many linger, dragging small numbers of Redpolls with them to suburban feeders.
Female Pine Grosbeak, Cloverdale, by Tony Beck. Observed on the Winchester bird count held last Sunday. Tony reports that most were observed feeding on, or near, crabapple.
From left to right, Pine Siskin, American Goldfinch, and female Purple Finch, Metcalfe, by Erik Pohanka. Erik had 6 species of finches at his feeders on February 24th, but getting more than three into a single frame was impossible.
Red-tailed Hawk with vole, Navan, by Keith Wickens. Red-tailed hawks are big birds, so it may surprise some to learn that their main prey are small rodents such as voles and mice. How do raptors know which fields have the most prey? After all, voles spend most of the winter under the snow cover in tunnels. Rodents leave trails of urine as they travel. The urine fluoresces in the ultraviolet part of the spectrum, which the raptors can see. So what looks like a pristine snowy field to us looks very different to a hungry raptor; it’s a menu showing where, how frequently, and how recently the food moved around.
Red-tailed Hawk with Red Squirrel, near the Central Experimental Farm, by Alan Short. Statistically, squirrels are a tiny part of the diet of Red-tailed Hawks (at least in Eastern North America), so Alan was lucky to capture this event. And while these hawks rely on small rodents, they take a variety of prey including rats, cottontails, and even some birds.
Red-tailed Hawk with Red Squirrel, near the Central Experimental Farm, by Floralove Katz, who caught the same hawk & squirrel drama on video. Video is an excellent way to study bird behavior. It catches the moments between the great Instagram shots, when lots of interesting things are going on.
Tundra Swan – Continued to at least Feb 24, Martin/St. Paul St lookout, Almonte, Lanark.
Northern Harrier – Female over Janka Pvt (Stittsville) Ottawa. A male at Greenbank Pond (just south of the Jock river, Ottawa.
Golden Eagle – Feb 21 (3) and 24 (1) on Ch Thérien, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais.
Red-headed Woodpecker – At least 3, Constance Bay, Ottawa.
Red-bellied Woodpecker – Feb 20, Trail 1, Chelsea, , Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais. Feb 18, Ch du Colonel-Martin, Chelsea, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais. Feb 20, Gregoire Road, Prescott and Russell.
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker – Feb 21, Larkhaven Crescent (Orleans), Ottawa. Feb 20, Chickasaw Crescent, Ottawa.
Northern Flicker – Feb 22, Lac leamy park, Gatineau. Feb 20 Harkness Avenue, Ottawa. Feb. 22 Richmond CA.
Carolina Wren – Frank Ryn & Elmhurst Parks, Ottawa.
Hermit Thrush – Britannia CA, Ottawa, often by the outflow from Mud Lake.
White-crowned Sparrow – Mostly first year birds, but a continuing adult reported from the Central Experimental Farm (manure piles at Morningside and Ash lane). Feb 19, Boul. Hurtubise, Gatineau. Trail Road Landfill, Ottawa, Feb 23.
Brown-headed Cowbird – 3 females reported on Feb 21, Popham St, Ottawa.
Red-winged Blackbird – 1 tough male overwintered on River Rd, Ottawa.
Ottawa and area bird sightings to 17 February 2022
by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca
Cedar Waxwing, Britannia, by Tony Beck. Our resident waxwing, cedars are confined to North and Central America, unlike Bohemian Waxwings, which are found not just in North America north of Mexico, but also Asia and Europe.
American Robin, Britannia, by Tony Beck. Honestly, before looking at this photo, I didn’t know robins’ eyes are brown. In most field guides, they are just black. Spending time noticing the details of confiding birds like the Robin can really pay off later when a rare bird shows up.
Blue Jays, Shirley’s Bay Feeders, by Al Short. How do you know when a Blue Jay is up to no good? When they are silent. Or when they are loud. Like all corvids, Jays are smart and adaptable. They make an amazing variety of sounds, and use those sounds to good effect, scaring other species away from food with hawk calls, communicating among themselves, distracting predators, etc. But a silent Jay is almost certainly up to no good, and it probably involves another bird’s nest.
Adult male Hairy Woodpecker, Shirley’s Bay Feeders, by Al Short. An unusally good view of the bristle feathers at the base of the beak. These are protective feathers, presumably to help protect the eye from flying wood chips.
Non-breeding Lapland Longspur (and Horned lark in the foreground), Castor Road, by Janet McCullough. Note the similar way the plummage of both species allows them to blend into the ground and stubble.
Non-breeding male Lapland Longspur, Castor Road, by Janet McCullough. Here we see more color on the nape and above the eye, but still subtle compared to the breeding plummage which is coming as soon as next month. Despite the extra color, the bird still blends into the environment.
Snow Buntings, Castor Road, by Janet McCullough. As an excellent exercise for eBirders, guess the size of the flock, and then count to see how close you were. Another third of the flock is out of frame.
Barrow’s Goldeneye – Feb 15, Centennial Park, Carleton Place, Lanark. Parc Brébeuf, Gatineau.
Tundra Swan – Continued to at least Feb 16, Martin/St. Paul St lookout, Almonte, Lanark.
Trumpeter Swan – 11 on Feb 14, River Walk Trail, Carleton Place, Lanark.
Northern Harrier – Feb 17, McBean Street, Ottawa, over the soccer field. Continuing male on Cope Drive, Ottawa. Trail Road Landfill, Ottawa, and surrounding area.
Golden Eagle – Feb 13, High Lonesome Nature Reserve, Lanark, eating roadkill on the way to the reserve.
Belted Kingfisher – Feb 13, Ste-Cécile de Masham, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais, at the bridge into the park.
Red-headed Woodpecker – Constance Bay, Ottawa.
Black-backed Woodpecker – Continued to at least Feb 11, Torbolton Forest, Ottawa. No reason to think it isn’t still there, tapping away softly somewhere in the forest.
Carolina Wren – Frank Ryn & Elmhurst Parks, Ottawa.
Hermit Thrush – Britannia CA, Ottawa, often by the outflow from Mud Lake.
Evening Grosbeaks – A single bird at Mer Bleue Bog, Ottawa, at least until Feb 14. Gatineau Park: 11 at Relais Renaud Feb 15, and 15 on sentirer 52 on the 12th. Chemin McCrank, La Pêche, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais.
Red Crossbill – Chemin Eardley Masham, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais. Gatineau Park on sentier 53, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais. Crazy Horse trail, Ottawa.
White-winged Crossbill – Feb 11 Kerwin Road Trail, Ottawa. Feb 15 Sentier Gamelin, Parc de la Gatineau, Gatineau. Feb 14 Chemin Simmons, Gatineau.
Hoary Redpoll – A few reports of single birds among flocks of Common Redpolls: Feb 14 Ste-Cécile de Masham, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais. Feb 13 Rockcliffe Park, Ottawa, in a flock of 75 Commons. Feb 11 Chemin de la Rivière Blanche, Papineau.
White-crowned Sparrow – Feb 13, Trim Rd near McFadden Rd, Ottawa.
Ottawa and area bird sightings to 10 February 2022
by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca
White-winged Crossbills, females, adult males and one immature male, Chemin d’Eardley, by Tony Beck. Chemin d’Eardley seems to get the winter finches every year, even when they are scarce elsewhere in the OFNC circle. The circle is 50 km in radius, centred on the Peace Tower.
Adult female Northern Cardinal, Fletchers Wildlife Garden, by Alan Short. The vibrant orange bill makes it easy to tell the adult females from the juveniles.
Female Evening Grosbeak – Mer Bleue feeders, by Catherine Lawrence. The small flock in the area seems to have dwindled to a single individual.
Tundra Swan, Almonte, by Gregory Zbitnew. This photo nicely shows the id points from Sibley: The top border of the bill is rounded (not pointy), the yellow (orange in this light) in the lores, and visible curve at the gape. It’s rare to get this close to a wild swan in our area. Tundras are significantly smaller than Trumpeters, but that is less helpful with a lone bird.
Northern Shrike, Steeple Hill Road north of Fallowfield, by Arlene Harrold. Arlene watched the shrike fly into the burdock to retrieve some cached prey.
Red Crossbill pair, Chemin du Lac des Loup, by Tony Beck. Red crossbills can be told from White-winged by the absence of white in the wings, and their very different songs.
Adult male Brown-headed Cowbird, Metcalfe, by Erik Pohanka. Love or hate them for their unusual breeding strategy, they are fascinating. The male ‘song’ is short and not very song-like. The female chatter/bubbling call could be from a different species. And the young, raised by other species, have an unusual verbal trigger. They act like they belong to the adult birds that raise them, until they hear the male song at just the right age, and they suddenly fly off and join a flock of cowbirds. I’m not saying it’s exactly like a good choir kid who hears rock for the first time, and suddenly leaves home to join a band. But it’s exactly like that.
Bonus pic: Black Vulture, Saint-André-Avellin, by Janet McCullough. A bit outside the OFNC circle, but no one ever submits vulture photos. The strong sharp hooked bill, and the featherless head, are adaptations to feed on (and in) large carrion items. Apparently they work equally well in garbage bins.
Barrow’s Goldeneye – Feb 07, Riverside Park, Carleton Place, Lanark. Feb 10, Remic Rapids Lookout, Ottawa.
Tundra Swan – Feb 09, Martin/St. Paul St lookout, Almonte, Lanark.
Northern Harrier – Adult male beautifully photographed Feb 08, Iber Rd storm pond, Ottawa. Feb 10 along Eagleson Road at Brophy, Ottawa.
Red-headed Woodpecker – Constance Bay, Ottawa.
Red-bellied Woodpecker – Feb 08, Relais Shilly-Shallly, Parc de la Gatineau, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais. Feb 07, Sixth Line x Berry Side Road, Ottawa.
Northern Flicker – Feb 09, Trail South side of Jock River, Richmond, Ottawa.
Black-backed Woodpecker – Feb 10, Torbolton Forest, Ottawa. North of the original location.
Horned Lark – Numbers are increasing (as expected for this early migrant).
Carolina Wren – Feb 06, Abingdon Drive, Ottawa. Gold Crescent, Russell, Prescott and Russell.
Hermit Thrush – The continuing Hermit Thrush at Britannia Ridge, Ottawa, has been observed catching the same minnows the robins have been feasting on. The second bird at the outflow also continues.
Winter finch status:
Pine Grosbeaks – Everywhere!
Evening Grosbeaks – A single bird Feb 4, Goodin Street, and another at the Mer Bleue Bog, Ottawa, at least until Feb 8. Better odds north of the river with nice flocks in Gatineau Park at Relais Renaud, Relais Healey, and Relais Shilly-Shallly, and a flock of 36 on Chemin McCrank, La Pêche, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais.
Red Crossbill – Chemin Eardley Masham, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais. Gatineau Park at P9 and also on sentier 53, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais. Chimo street, Gatineau. A single bird on the 4th at Dolman Ridge Road, Ottawa.
White-winged Crossbill – 12 on Feb 08, Chemin McCrank, La Pêche, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais. Feb 4, Kerwin Road trail, Ottawa. Feb 09, Morewood Bog, Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry.
Hoary Redpoll – A single bird reported on Chemin Terry-Fox, Gatineau, on Feb 06, and a continuing bird on Monty Dr., Constance Bay, Ottawa.
Brown-headed Cowbird – 2 males and a female Feb 07, Mandor Crescent, Metcalfe, Ottawa.Red-winged Blackbird – Feb 06, Manotick, Ottawa.
Ottawa and area bird sightings to 3 February 2022
by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca
Female House Sparrow, Queensway Terrace South Ridgeview, by Alan Short. This bird is situated in one of its preferred habitants in suburbia, a cedar hedge. Often loud flocks can be heard but not seen in such hedges. Other times it seems all the birds want to sit in the sun and the flock is revealed to be even larger than it sounded.
Dark-eyed Junco, Queensway Terrace South Ridgeview, by Alan Short.
Immature Cooper’s Hawk, Queensway Terrace South Ridgeview, by Alan Short. If your feeders draw in Mourning Doves, eventually they will draw in a Cooper’s Hawk.
Red-tailed Hawk, Cambrian Road W (near Trail Road Landfill, by Janet McCullough. Red-Tailed Hawks have a huge variety of plumages, and this is one of the lightest birds around.
Wood Duck – Jan 28, Du Golf Road, Clarence-Rockland, Prescott and Russell.
Barrow’s Goldeneye – Feb 01, Centennial Park, Carleton Place, Lanark.
Tundra Swan – Feb 03, Martin/St. Paul St lookout, Almonte, Lanark.
Gray Partridge – 8 on Jan 31 near Robert Grant at Cope, Ottawa.
Northern Harrier – Jan 31, Cope drive pond, Ottawa. Jan 31, Greenbank Pond, Ottawa.
Northern Goshawk – Jan 28, Chemin Steele, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais.
Red-headed Woodpecker – Constance Bay, Ottawa.
Red-bellied Woodpecker – Feb 01, Sixth Line x Berry Side Road, Ottawa. Feb 01, Queen’s Park, Gatineau. Jan 30, Relais Huron, Parc de la Gatineau, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais. Jan 28, Reveler, Prescott and Russell.
Black-backed Woodpecker – Jan 31, Torbolton Forest, Ottawa.
Northern Flicker – Feb 02, Shirley Avenue, Ottawa. Feb 01, Bankfield Road, Ottawa.
Carolina Wren – Jan 31, Gold Crescent, Russell, Prescott and Russell.
Hermit Thrush – Feb 01, Britannia Ridge, Ottawa. Feb 02, Rainbow Crescent, Ottawa.
Eastern Bluebird – Feb 02, Jock Trail, Richmond, Ottawa. Feb 01, McLinton Road, Ottawa. Jan 28, Scottwood Grove, Dunrobin, Ottawa.
Evening Grosbeaks – Jan 28 Dewberry Trail Parking Feeder, Mer Bleue Bog Trail, Ottawa.
Red Crossbill – Jan 29 Ch. Eardley Masham, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais. Feb 01, Wolf Grove Road, Lanark.
White-winged Crossbill – Jan 29 Ch. Eardley Masham, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais.
White-crowned Sparrow – Reported Feb 02, Central Experimental Farm, Ottawa. Check the manure pile under the canopy.
Common Grackle – Feb 01, South Island Park Dr, Manotick, Ottawa
Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas
We are now in the second year of the third Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas: an ambitious five-year effort to provide data that will guide environmental policies and conservation strategies across Ontario for years to come. Participation is easy and can be as simple as just importing your eBird checklists into the Atlas.
Though the majority of our birds breed in the late spring and summer, there are a few species that are already well into their breeding season including Great Horned Owls and Eastern Screech Owls. Observers encountering these species at this time of year – even if they are simply in suitable habitat — are invited to report their sightings to the Atlas.
As well, both Red Crossbill and White-winged Crossbills may be found in Eastern Ontario. They are nomadic and search for large crops of cones. All sightings of these species – regardless of season — are also welcome in the 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 27 January 2022
by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca
Winter finches!
American Robin, Rifle Road at Shirley’s Bay, by Nina Stavlund. The unusually heavy fruit crop this year appears to have enticed more robins than usual to overwinter. Nina found this individual in a mixed flock of 200 Robins and 200 Bohemian Waxwings, all feasting on the fruit of invasive buckthorn.
European Starling, Fletcher Wildlife Garden, by Judith Gustafsson. These beautiful and adaptable birds would probably be more popular with birders if they didn’t displace native cavity-nesters, and they might be more popular with the people who feed birds if they weren’t so effective at taking over and emptying feeders. Success and beauty don’t always lead to popularity.
White-throated Sparrow, Fletcher Wildlife Garden, by Judith Gustafsson. Puffed up with head pulled in to preserve heat, the usually bold white throat field mark is very hard to see here.
Pine Grosbeak, Dunrobin, by Aaron Hywarren.
Red-bellied Woodpecker, Dunrobin, by Aaron Hywarren. We’ve seen an increase in reports of this species, especially the last few winters. But Aaron points out that we still do not have any confirmed breeding evidence anywhere in Region 24 yet in this Atlas, so there is a real opportunity for birders to contribute to science.
Adult male Pine Grosbeak, Dunrobin, by Aaron Hywarren. Almost absent this winter, they may have arrived in mass this week, with lots of reports in eBird and photos popping up on social media.
Evening Grosbeak, Bellamy Mills Rd near Blakeney, by Arlene Harrold. This is another bird that has been rare in the region this winter, but there were several reports this week. Depending on the age of your field guide you may find these two species listed as grosbeaks or more recently as finches. DNA analysis moves much faster than naming committees.
Bohemian Waxwings, Berry Side Road, by Arlene Harrold. Waxwings are nomadic rather than territorial, and often feed in large flocks.
Barrow’s Goldeneye – Jan 26, Centennial Park, Carleton Place, Lanark.
Belted Kingfisher – Jan 27, Sawmill Creek near Walkley Rd, Ottawa.
Red-headed Woodpecker – Constance Bay, Ottawa.
Red-bellied Woodpecker – Jan 27, Sixth Line x Berry Side Road, Ottawa.
Northern Flicker – Jan 25, Richmond, Ottawa. Jan 24, Quigley Hill Rd near Montreal Rd, Ottawa. Jan 22, Metcalfe, Ottawa.
Hermit Thrush – Jan 26, Britannia Ridge, Ottawa.
Eastern Bluebird – Jan 26, Greenland Rd, Ottawa. Eleven males on Jan 22, David Kennedy Dr, Ottawa.
Gray Catbird – Laderoute Ave, Ottawa, Jan 26.
Northern Mockingbird – Jan 26, Hunt Club at Bridle Path Dr, Ottawa. Jan 25 at the Airport, Ottawa.
Evening Grosbeaks – Ch. Shouldice, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais. Monty Drive, Constance Bay, Ottawa. Dewberry Trail Parking Feeder, and Mer Bleue Bog Trail, Ottawa.
Pine Grosbeaks – From almost none to too many reports to list, especially in Gatineau. Several flocks at different locations in Dunrobin and elsewhere on the Ontario side.
Pine Siskins – Ch. Eardley Masham, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais. Parc Bourgeau, and Parc Gérald-Millar, both in Gatineau. Monty Drive, Constance Bay, Ottawa.
Red Crossbill – Ch. Eardley Masham, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais.
Common Grackle – Jan 26 Manotick, Ottawa. Jan 25, Shirley Avenue, Ottawa.
Ottawa and area bird sightings to 20 January 2022
by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca
Northern Mockingbird, Bank and Hunt Club, by Jim Robertson. Jim caught the bird pulling berries from a Hicks Yew. Not sure how the bird deals with the poisonous seeds – whether it avoids eating the seeds, or passes them without absorbing the poison. Both techniques are used by different species.
Male Red-wing Blackbird, Metcalfe, by Sharon Smith. Even with a safe supply of seed, why stick around for the tough weather? This male is hoping to score prime breeding territory by staying put. But his ability to defend that territory will depend on how healthy he is after winter. The risk/reward calculation is complicated, yet birds navigate it on instinct.
Common Grackle, Metcalfe, by Rick Collins. Primarily ground feeders, grackles are flexible enough to exploit feeders. It’s easy to forget how truly beautiful these birds are.
Carolina Wren, Elmhurst Park, by Sanam Goudarzi. Note the ‘crisp white supercilium’ (eyebrow). Sigh. Wrens have no respect for field guides.
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, South of Metcalfe, by Tony Beck. What’s a bird that specializes on sap and sticky insects doing in our area in this weather?
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Beacon Hill, by Gregory Zbitnew. Greg provides the answer to the previous question. Like many species, Sapsuckers can switch to a fruit diet in the winter.
Male Purple Finch, Metcalfe, by Erik Pohanka. Finally, a bird that belongs in the region in winter. Is a singing all gray Purple Finch an immature male or a female? It’s a trick question. A bird singing from an exposed perch near the top of a tree is probably an immature male. But the females sing 1-2 minute warbles from their hidden nests.
Red-breasted Merganser – Rideau River between Hurdman Bridge and Adàwe Crossing, Ottawa.
Barrow’s Goldeneye – A male at Britannia CA, and another on the Rideau River between Hurdman Bridge and Adàwe Crossing, Ottawa.
Northern Harrier – An adult male at Cope Drive pond, Ottawa, Jan 16.
Belted Kingfisher – Jan 20, Johannes Street (Metcalfe), Ottawa.
Red-headed Woodpecker – At least 3 adults and one immature continue in Constance Bay, Ottawa.
Northern Flicker – Jan 16, Richmond CA (formerly Richmond Sewage Lagoons), Ottawa.
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker – Jan 20, Eldon Craig Park trail (Metcalfe), Ottawa. Jan 19, Beacon Hill North (continuing on corner of Kaymar and Delong), Ottawa. Jan 16, Marionville Rd, North Dundas, Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry.
Black-backed Woodpecker – Dec 28-Jan 17 at least, Torbolton Forest, Ottawa.
Carolina Wren – Continues in Frank Ryn & Elmhurst Parks, Ottawa. Photographed on a public feeder on Tavistock Road.
Winter Wren – Britannia CA, near the ridge, and near the outflow from the lake, Ottawa.
Hermit Thrush – Jan 20 Britannia CA (around the outflow pipes where the wren was reported), Ottawa. Jan 15, Copeland Rd, Ottawa. Jan 15, Main St, (Stittsville), Ottawa.
Eastern Bluebird – Jan 18, Jan 15, Sentier des Voyageurs, du parc Moussette à golf Château Cartier, Gatineau. Jan 14, Chemin Queen’s Park, Gatineau.
Brown Thrasher – Continued to at least Jan 15 at a feeder in Alcove, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais.
Gray Catbird – Laderoute Ave, Ottawa, Jan 20. Jan 20, Featherston Greenspace, Ottawa.
Northern Mockingbird – Jan 16, Bank and Hunt Club Rd, Ottawa.
Hoary Redpoll – Jan 14, Chemin Steele, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais. Jan 15 Chemin Eardley Masham, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais.
Red-winged Blackbird – Jan 19, Shirley Avenue, Ottawa. Jan 20 Manotick.
Common Grackle – Jan 20 Manotick, Ottawa.
Ottawa and area bird sightings to 13 January 2022
by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca
Female Dark-eyed Junco, Fletcher Wildlife Garden, by Sanam Goudarzi. This vibrant brown bird really pops out right now, when most of our juncos are gray and white males. It had Derek reaching for the field guides to check out other subspecies, but it turns out to be the locally expected subspecies, Slate-colored. Just not very, you know, “slate”-coloured. More brownstone.
Abieticola Red-tailed Hawk, near Carlsbad Springs, by Aaron Hywarren. Have you noticed how sometimes a Red-tailed Hawk makes the eBird rare report, and sometimes it doesn’t? The expected subspecies in the region is borealis, but Aaron shot this photo of the less understood and not-quite fully defined or agreed on abieticola subspecies.
American Black Duck, Mud Lake, by Janet McCullough. Without a field guide, can you tell if this is a male or female duck? There is an important clue in the mallards. If you nail this field mark, it can really help with trickier cases such as hybrids and intersex birds.
Adult male Common Goldeneyes, Strathcona Park, by Judith Gustafsson. Judith caught some aggression among the males at the park. This photo is scarier if you consider that beak is used to crush mussels.
Red-breasted Merganser – Rideau River between Hurdman Bridge and Adàwe Crossing, Ottawa.
Canvasback – Two birds until Jan 08, Baie Fraser, Gatineau.
Gray Partridge – At least one bird survives of the Hazeldean Road flock, and was seen a couple of times this week.
Belted Kingfisher – Jan 08, Richmond CA (formerly Richmond Sewage Lagoons), Ottawa.
Red-bellied Woodpecker – Jan 10, Parc National de Plaisance, Baie Noire (Est & Ouest), Papineau. Jan 09, Parc de la Gatineau (Relais Huron), Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais.
Northern Flicker – Jan 13 Baxter CA, Ottawa. Jan 12, Rosefire Dr, Ottawa.
Northern Harrier – An adult male at Cope Drive pond, Ottawa. A juvenile at Greenbank Pond, Ottawa.
Golden Eagle – Two Jan 10, Ramsay Concession Rd. 7, Lanark.
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker – Jan 13, Beacon Hill North (continuing on corner of Kaymar and Delong), Ottawa. Jan 10, Parc de la Gatineau (Relais Huron), Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais
Black-backed Woodpecker – Dec 28-Jan 09, Torbolton Forest, Ottawa. I wonder if anyone managed to tick the 8 species of woodpecker available in the circle on a single day during that period?
Carolina Wren – Jan 10, Heritage Park, Ottawa.
Winter Wren – Britannia CA, near the outflow from the lake, Ottawa. Watts Creek Pathway, Ottawa. Old Quarry Trail, Ottawa.
Hermit Thrush – Jan 10 Britannia CA (around the base of the ridge near open water), Ottawa. Jan 12 Pinecrest Creek south of the Queensway.
Eastern Bluebird – Continuing at Greenland Road. A flock of 8 males at Scotch Pine Grove, Ottawa. Sixth Line Rd, Ottawa.
Brown Thrasher – Continues in Alcove, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais.
Gray Catbird – Laderoute Ave, Ottawa, at least until Jan 10.
Red Crossbill – Jan 09, Wolf Grove Road, Lanark.
Swamp Sparrow – Jan 13, Nortel Marsh, Ottawa.
White-crowned Sparrow – Jan 11, Smith road near Milton Road, Ottawa.
Orange-crowned Warbler – Well-photographed at a suet feeder on Jan 09, Rue Paul Gauguin, Gatineau. This is an especially interesting bird, because it is the lutescens or west coast subspecies, making for a very rare record. It pays to double-check the little yellow birds, and document the surprising ones.
Ottawa and area bird sightings to 6 January 2022
by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca
The celebrity Black-backed Woodpecker continues at Constance Bay. A pair of Canvasback and many, many, late birds for the winter listers.
Merlin – Ottawa, by Lorraine Elworthy. It’s common knowledge that corvids and some other species such as chickadees do a lot of food caching. Merlins cache as well. Research shows that Merlins do not remember the exact locations they leave food, but set up regular routes for caching and retrieval. Also Merlins eat birds, so their caches look like they were left by serial killers. One of these facts comes from Cornell. One does not.
Lapland Longspur – Ivey Acres Road, by Arlene Harrold. Photo bomb by Horned Lark. Longspurs, Snow Buntings, and Horned Larks share arctic habitant in summer, and share winter habitant from Ottawa and south into much of the states.
Snow Buntings – Panmure Road, by Janet McCullough. That black and white doesn’t seem like great camouflage when the birds are displayed on a wire.
Snow Buntings – Panmure Road, by Janet McCullough. On the other hand, when feeding that camouflage is amazing.
Adult Male Common Goldeneye – Strathcona Park, by Judith Gustafsson. Judith watched this drake riding the rapids in that pose. Frequently observing the same birds will help you notice when a bird is showing unusual activity, although it may not explain why.
Female Goldeneye – Strathcona Park, by Judith Gustafsson. Here is a challenge: Which, if any, of these last two female ducks is a female Barrows?
Female Goldeneye – Strathcona Park, by Judith Gustafsson.
Wood Duck – Dec 31, Armitage Ave, Ottawa.
Northern Pintail – Dec 31, Iber Rd storm pond, Ottawa.
Green-winged Teal -Jan 01, Etang Grimes, Gatineau.
Canvasback – A pair to Jan 06, visible from Baie Fraser, Gatineau, or the west end of cassels Street, Ottawa.
Lesser Scaup – The lone male continues in the Rapides Deschênes.
Red-breasted Merganser – Dec 30, Rideau River Eastern Pathway north of Hurdman Bridge, Ottawa.
Double-crested Cormorant – Jan 04, Adàwe Crossing, Ottawa. Two on Jan 05 in the Rapides Deschênes.
Black-crowned Night-Heron – Juvenile continued to at least Jan 03, Etang Grimes, Gatineau.
Northern Harrier – Dec 31, Prince of Wales Drive at Fourth Line Road, Ottawa. Jan 05, Cope Dr, Ottawa. Adult male, Jan 06, Janka Pvt, Ottawa
Belted Kingfisher – Jan 05, Morris Island Conservation Area, Ottawa, at the pond on the railroad trail before first yellow trail entrance.
Red-headed Woodpecker – At least 4 individuals continue. Check along Len Purcell between Whistler and Bayview.
Red-bellied Woodpecker – Jan 02, Relais Shilly-Shallly, Parc de la Gatineau, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais. Jan 03, Torbolton Ridge Road, Ottawa. Jan 03, Baxter CA, Ottawa. Jan 03, Parc national de Plaisance, Baie Noire (Est & Ouest), Papineau.
Northern Flicker – Jan 01, Osgoode Trail, Ottawa. Jan 02, March Valley Road, Ottawa.
Black-backed Woodpecker – Dec 28-Jan 06, Torbolton Forest, Ottawa. Between trail 1 and the dirt extension of Whistler. Listen for the soft taps.
Carolina Wren – Frank Ryn & Elmhurst Parks, Rivermill Cres, and Pentland Cres, all Ottawa.
Winter Wren – Britannia CA, near the outflow from the lake, Ottawa. A second near the ridge. A pair on the Greenbelt Pathway West, Ottawa.
Hermit Thrush – Jan 06 Britannia CA (around the base of the ridge near open water, Ottawa. Jan 05 Parc du Lac-Leamy, Gatineau.
Swainson’s Thrush – Well photographed Jan 05, Parc du Lac-Leamy, Gatineau.
Eastern Bluebird – Dec 31, Chemin Crégheur, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais. In Ottawa: A pair Jan 05, Berry Side Rd. Small flocks Jan 01 on the Osgoode Trail. Jan 03, Fifth Line Road west of Berry. Jan 04 on the Cumberland Ridge Trail, Ottawa. In Lanark on Ramsay Concession Road 1 and Ramsay Concession 5A Quarry trail, and other locations outside the OFNC circle.
Brown Thrasher – Jan 06, Bel Air fields, Ottawa.
Gray Catbird – Laderoute Ave, Ottawa, at least until Jan 02.
White-winged Crossbill – Jan 03, Larose Forest–Bertrand Road, Prescott and Russell.
Swamp Sparrow – Jan 01, Nortel Marsh, Ottawa.
Brown-headed Cowbird – Jan 01, Torbolton Ridge Rd, Ottawa.
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.