Bird reports 2024

Ottawa and area bird sightings to 26 December 2024

Greater Scaup, Britannia Point, Scott Haldane. Floating scaup are challenging to ID, but Scott has photographed a lot of Lesser Scaup. He noted the larger and more rounded head, thicker neck and larger, thicker bill which is what Complete Birds of North America told him to look for.

Northern Shoveller, Fletcher Wildlife Garden, Annie Littlejohn. When lifted out of the water, that bill is stunning.

Northern Shoveller, Fletcher Wildlife Garden, Annie Littlejohn. The shoveller sweeps the bill back and forth on or under the surface as it filter feeds.

Rough-legged Hawk, High Road, Erik Pohanka. Erik watched this Rough-legged Hawk scrap with a Northern Shrike. They do not share hunting grounds easily.

Northern Shrike, High Road, Erik Pohanka. After some bickering, the shrike flew down to the fence line, caught a rodent and flew off. The Rough-legged Hawk chased it half-heartedly and then retreated back to its perch. Very exciting to see all that behaviour! Despite the size difference, both species rely on voles in winter.

Rough-legged Hawk, High Road, Erik Pohanka. The same hawk showing off its feathered legs and its tendency to perch on the tiniest of branches.

Hermit Thrush, Parliament Hill, Aaron Hywarren. A small number will overwinter annually.

American Robin, Parliament Hill, Aaron Hywarren. Another thrush species, large numbers may overwinter if food is abundant, as it seems to be this year. Other years, when yields are low, the robin may be as hard to find in December as the Hermit Thrush.

Mallard, Mud Lake, Alan Short.

Common Goldeneye, Mud Lake, Alan Short. Great comparison shot of female and male.

Red-tailed Hawk, Trail Road Landfill, Alan Short. Flashing that adult red tail.

Snow Buntings, Akins Rd, Alan Short.

American Robin, Mud Lake, Alan Short. One winter food for robins is Staghorn Sumac, which explains how sumac mysteriously sprouts up far from parent plants.

Ottawa and area bird sightings to 12 December 2024

by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca

Worth noting the unusual late influx of bay ducks with multiple Black Scoter and Long-tailed.

Swamp Sparrow, Carleton University, by Igor Kabic. Interesting food choice by this most insect-loving sparrow. Even in winter it eats a lot of insects, usually making up the rest of its diet with grains. This late leaving individual is obviously flexible. For those looking to landscape for birds, Red Osier Dogwood is beautiful in all seasons and its white berries are beloved of grosbeaks (and possibly hungry sparrows).

Winter Wren, Britannia, by Sheila Craig. Winter Wrens are migratory but tough and capable of overwintering in the region, at least most winters.

Black-capped Chickadee, Ottawa, by Scott Haldane. 90% of chickadees don’t move annually. They may irrupt some years when a heavy conifer seed crop is immediately followed by a poor yield the following year (Birds of the World).

Cooper’s Hawk (immature), the Glebe, by Carlos Davalos. Submitted by Louise Casselman, she observed closely and noticed the hawk kneading the rat. Coops often dispatch their prey by suffocation – squeezing in response to movement, preventing the prey from drawing breath.

American Wigeon, Andrew Haydon, by Alan Short.

Mallard, Andrew Haydon, by Alan Short.

Common Goldeneye, Mud Lake, by Alan Short.

Cooper’s Hawk, Mud Lake, by Alan Short. Notice how red this mature bird’s eyes are compared to the immature bird above. Another great thing about this shot is the front-on view that highlights how close the eyes are to the front of the head and each other, giving strong binocular vision ahead. Compare the placement to all the prey species this week – their eyes are on the side of the head for wide fields of view and little to no binocular vision.

Downy Woodpecker, Mud Lake, by Alan Short.

White-throated Sparrow, Mud Lake, by Gillian Wright.

Cooper’s Hawk, Fletcher, by Gillian Wright. Anecdotally, immature Coops seem very common in the city this winter. Will that impression be born out by data? More wild speculation – has Ottawa’s surge of rats led to more young Coops surviving into winter?

Northern Pintail (female), Mud Lake, by Gillian Wright. Strikingly different plumage from the male above.

Wood Duck, Britannia CA (general location), Ottawa.

Northern Shoveler (1) Dec 08, Central Experimental Farm Arboretum, Ottawa. Continuing female.

Northern Pintail (1) Dec 09, Shirley’s Bay, Ottawa. Adult male. (1) Dec 09, Shirley’s Bay, Ottawa. (1) Dec 07, Rideau River Provincial Park, Ottawa.

Black Scoter (2) Dec 12, Dick Bell Park, Ottawa. (5) Dec 09, Britannia, Ottawa. Anywhere from Shirley’s Bay to Bate Island.

Barrow’s Goldeneye – Dow’s Lake, Shirley’s Bay-Andrew Haydon, or the Rideau River between Strathcona Park and Billing’s Bridge. Several males around.

Iceland Gull (Thayer’s) (1) Dec 11, Britannia CA (general location), Ottawa. Bought the new gull book and need some practice? Try Trail Road Landfill or Pac Brébeuf, or try further afield at Lafleche Landfill. But don’t enter the landfill itself.

Wilson’s Snipe (1) Dec 06, Rideau Canal Western Pathway, Ottawa.

Belted Kingfisher (1) Stittsville–Hickstead Storm Pond, Ottawa. (1) Dec 11, Solarium Ave Stormwater Pond, Ottawa.

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (1) Fletcher Wildlife Garden, Ottawa.

Red-bellied Woodpecker (1) Stony Swamp (Jack Pine Trail), Ottawa. Continuing male. (1) Dec 07, Chemin Steele, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais. (2) Dec 07, Pontiac, Steel Line, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais. (1) Dec 06, Ch Vaillancourt, Val-des-Monts, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais.

Red-headed Woodpecker (1) Constance Bay, Ottawa.

Eastern Phoebe (1)Dec 03-07, Fletcher Wildlife Garden, Ottawa.

Ruby-crowned Kinglet (1) Rockcliffe parkway between Ogilvie and Green’s Creek, Ottawa.

Winter Wren (1) Britannia CA (general location), Ottawa. (1) Jack Pine Trail, Ottawa. (1) Dec 07, Nepean Creek Trail, Ottawa.

Hermit Thrush (1) Dec 06, Manotick–Rideau Forest, Ottawa. (1) Britannia CA (general location), Ottawa.

White-crowned Sparrow (1) rue du Plein-Air, Gatineau. (1) Rue de la Loire, Gatineau.

Baltimore Oriole (1) Heron-Walkley Park, Ottawa.

Fox Sparrow (1) Dec 06, Nortel Marsh, Ottawa.

Swamp Sparrow (1) Dec 06, Carleton University, Ottawa.

Common Grackle (1) Dec 08, Hidden Lake Trail, Ottawa.

eBird reviewer comment: in December there is a changing of the guard, with Herring Gull replacing Ring-billed as the default gull. Small numbers of Ring-bills remain, for example at Britannia, but the vast majority of gulls at concentration points like the Trail Road dump are Herring (don’t be fooled by second year Herrings which often show distinctly ringed bills).

Christmas Bird Count Season starts soon. Here is a list of the many counts in the OFNC study area: https://ofnc.ca/birds/christmas-bird-count-season-is-approaching-2

Atlas notes: Did you encounter a singing bird back in May? Have you seen fledged birds or adult birds carrying food in the summer? Do you have photographs of local species from this summer? If so, it is not too late to join one of Ontario’s largest citizen science projects by adding your observations to the Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas: a once in a generation opportunity to provide important data that will help inform conservation policies for years to come. #youcanatlasthat anywhere in Ontario via the NatureCounts app, the Atlas website, or by taking 90 seconds to import an eBird checklist. For more on the Atlas, visit www.birdsontario.org or contact the Ottawa Regional Coordinator at Ottawa@birdsontario.org.

Ottawa and area bird sightings to 5 December 2024

by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca

Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Britannia, by Nina Stavlund. This very late Ruby-crowned Kinglet appears to have a subtle bill deformity. Regardless, it still seems reasonably healthy and active.

Hooded Merganser (adult male), Dow’s Lake, by Gillian Wright. As usual, bonus points if you can id the fish.

Hooded Merganser (juvenile), Dow’s Lake, by Gillian Wright. Somewhere between juvenile and adult plumage, the dark eye reveals this bird’s youth.

Common Raven, Dow’s Lake, by Gillian Wright. What do Ravens eat? Whatever they want.

Red-throated Loons, Andrew Haydon, by Aaron Hywarren. 79 of the 475 seen on Nov 26. It’s easy to dismiss a big distant flock as more Canada Geese, but sometimes they are Snow Geese, Brant, gulls or even cranes. Very, very rarely, even loons. Always worth a closer look.

Mystery Duck, Dow’s Lake, by Gillian Wright. A Mallard hybrid, but can you logic out the other half of his ancestry?

Mystery Duck, Dow’s Lake, by Gillian Wright.

Ross’s Goose (1) Dec 01, Rte 400, Russel. (2) Nov 30, Winchester sewage lagoons, Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry.

Greater White-fronted Goose (3) Nov 30, Carp–Hidden Lake Trail, Ottawa. (1) Nov 29, Embrun Sewage Lagoons, Prescott and Russell.

Trumpeter Swan (1) Dec 02, Shirley’s Bay, Ottawa.

Tundra Swan (1) Dec 02, Mississippi Riverwalk Trail, Lanark.

Wood Duck (1) Dec 01-02, Britannia CA (general location), Ottawa.

Northern Shoveler (1) Dec 05, Nepean Creek Trail, Ottawa. (1) Dec 01, Carleton Place storm pond-Hwy 7, Lanark.

Northern Pintail (1) Dec 05, Baxter CA, Ottawa. (1) Dec 02, Britannia CA (general location), Ottawa.

Green-winged Teal (4) Until at least Dec 02, Andrew Haydon Park, Ottawa. (4-6) Dec 01- 02, Carleton Place–Hwy 7 Storm Pond, Lanark. (2) Dec 02, Shirley’s Bay, Ottawa. (5) Dec 02, trail S side of Jock River, Ottawa. (4) Dec 02, Moodie Drive Quarry, Ottawa.

Barrow’s Goldeneye – Dow’s Lake, Shirley’s Bay-Andrew Haydon, or the Rideau River between Strathcona Park and Billing’s Bridge. Several males around.

Sandhill Crane (324) Until at least Dec 01, Cobbs Lake Creek at Du Lac Road, Prescott and Russell.

Wilson’s Snipe (1) Dec 05, Rideau Canal Western Pathway, Ottawa.

Belted Kingfisher (1) Dec 04, Stittsville–Hickstead Storm Pond, Ottawa. (1) Dec 02, Ottawa–Shirley’s Bay, Ottawa.

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (1) Dec 03, Fletcher Wildlife Garden, Ottawa.

Red-headed Woodpecker (1) Constance Bay, Ottawa.

Eastern Phoebe (1)Dec 03-05, Fletcher Wildlife Garden, Ottawa

Ruby-crowned Kinglet (1) Dec 04, Rapides Deschênes (incluant Parc), Gatineau (1) Dec 04, Rockcliffe parkway between Ogilvie and Green’s Creek, Ottawa. (1) Dec 01-03, Britannia CA (general location), Ottawa.

Winter Wren (2) Dec 02, Britannia CA (general location), Ottawa (1) Dec 01, Jack Pine Trail, Ottawa.

Hermit Thrush (1) Dec 05, Manotick–Rideau Forest, Ottawa. (1) Dec 03, Britannia CA (general location), Ottawa. (1) Dec 01, Wood Path behind Jim Durell RC, Ottawa.

White-crowned Sparrow (1) rue du Plein-Air, Gatineau. (1) Dec 02-03, rue de la Loire, Gatineau.

Baltimore Oriole (1) Dec 05, Heron-Walkley Park, Ottawa.

Red-winged Blackbird (2) Dec 02-05, Nepean Creek Trail, Ottawa. (1) Dec 02, Greenbank Pond, Ottawa.

Ottawa and area bird sightings to 28 November 2024

by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca

475 migrating Red-throated Loons landed in the river at Andrew Haydon Park on Nov 26, presumably motivated by cold weather up north and dropped out of the sky by bad weather over Ottawa. Numbers built up over the afternoon and they (almost) all left as a group in the ten minutes it took your compiler to drive from his house to the park. A Purple Sandpiper put in a typically brief visit on the 25th.

Northern Shoveller(female-type), Fox Run, Peter Blancher. If you see a small nondescript duck swimming forward with its head underwater, look twice. When it finally raises its head, it will probably turn into a Northern Shoveller. They often swim with their heads under the water while straining for tiny crustaceans, plant matter, and invertebrates.

Greater Black-backed Gull, Dow’s lake, Catherine Lawrence. Red orbital ring, dirty yellow iris, very dark mantle, pale pink legs – a classic non-breeding adult.

Cooper’s Hawk (adult), Dow’s lake, Catherine Lawrence. Pale nape, tail dipped in white paint for species, blue color and red eye for adult.

Merlin (juvenile), Dow’s lake, Catherine Lawrence. Brown feathers for juveniles.

Goldeneyes, Dow’s lake, Catherine Lawrence. Common on left, Barrow’s on right. Perfect comparison shot – the darker wing with white spots on the Barrows vs the mostly white wing of the Common, the shape of the spots, the forehead angle. And Alan’s tip last week about the way the white patch rises above the eye on the Barrow’s holds here too.

Red-bellied Woodpecker (adult male), Britannia, Gillian Wright. Don’t look for a red belly for id on this mis-named species. There may or may not be a visible red wash. But the red cap and stunning back pattern make up for the unhelpful name.

Red-bellied Woodpecker, Britannia, Gillian Wright. Classic woodpecker pose – one toe turned backwards for better grip, and the whole body supported away for the bark by the stiff tail.

Ross’s Goose (3) Nov 24-25, Winchester sewage lagoons, Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry.

Greater White-fronted Goose (1) Nov 27, Embrun Sewage Lagoons, Prescott and Russell.

Northern Shoveler (1) Dow’s Lake, Ottawa. Female. (1) Nov 22, Richmond–Fox Run stormwater ponds, Ottawa.

Barrow’s Goldeneye – Looking for this regional specialty? Try Dow’s Lake, Shirley’s Bay-Andrew Haydon, or the Rideau River between Strathcona Park and Billing’s Bridge. Several males around.

Greater Yellowlegs (1) Nov 24, Masson, Bassin d’épuration, Gatineau.

Purple Sandpiper (1) Nov 25, Britannia Park (pier), Ottawa.

Red-headed Woodpecker (1) Constance Bay, Ottawa.

Red-bellied Woodpecker (1) Nov 23-24, Britannia CA–Mud Lake, Ottawa.

Ruby-crowned Kinglet (1) Nov 27, Green’s Creek Sewage Treatment Facility, Ottawa. (2) Nov 24, PN de Plaisance–Baie Noire (Est & Ouest), Papineau. (1) Nov 23, Britannia CA (general location), Ottawa.

Gray Catbird (1) Nov 23, Bel Air fields, Ottawa.

Winter Wren (1) Nov 24-25, Stony Swamp (Jack Pine Trail), Ottawa. (1) Nov 23, Berryside Rd, Ottawa. (1) Nov 21, Saunderson Drive, Ottawa.

Hermit Thrush (1) Nov 24, Britannia CA–Mud Lake, Ottawa. (1) Nov 24, Hintonburg Park, Ottawa. (1) Nov 24, Britannia CA (general location), Ottawa. (1) Nov 23, Champlain Street Marsh, Ottawa.

Chipping Sparrow (1) Nov 27, Watts Creek pathway, Ottawa.

White-crowned Sparrow (1) Nov 23-24, Rue de la Loire, Gatineau. (1) Nov 23, Bel Air fields, Ottawa.

Ottawa and area bird sightings to 21 November 2024

by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca

Birders scrambled to Dick Bell Park on Nov. 19 for the first Yellow-throated Warbler in over a decade. A Short-billed Gull at Lafleche also caused excitement.

Male Common Goldeneye, Dows Lake, by Alan Short. Note the gorgeous green head in addition to the cheek patch.

Male Barrow’s Goldeneye, Dows Lake, by Alan Short. Alan points out that the white patch in the Barrow’s rises above the eye, unlike on the Common. The head is darker too, but that’s not helpful at a distance. The head is also shaped differently, and both the patch and the profile are noticeable from far away.

Yellow-throated Warbler, Dick Bell park, by Sheila Craig. This rare visitor to our region forages along bark and branches much like a Black-and-white warbler. Normally a canopy dweller, like many such species, it often forages lower on migration, making it easier to find.

Female-type Pine Warbler, Carleton University, by Igor Kabic. This day was one of those not so great, cloudy with a chance of rain days, dark and no sun in sight. He almost decided to leave the camera at home but figured he’d take it along. Did one of his regular routes around campus and noticed this Pine Warbler, initially thinking it was an American Goldfinch coming in low to feed. He took a couple of shots and noticed it didn’t seem like a goldfinch at all. He hung around the same spot for a couple minutes and it came out of the trees and blessed Igor with those photos. Igor says the moral of the story is to always bring the camera and check with all your photography and birding friends to make sure you’re seeing what you think you are.

Male Common Mergansers, Dows Lake, by Alan Short.

Female Common Mergansers, Dows Lake, by Alan Short.

Female Pine Warbler, Carleton University, by Igor Kabic. Note the huge (for a warbler) bill. A bird with this subtle plumage might be easily mis-IDed, but that bill is a clincher.

Yellow-throated Warbler, Dick Bell park, by Sheila Craig.

Trumpeter Swan (2) Fine Estate, Ottawa.

Barrow’s Goldeneye – Looking for this regional specialty? Try Dow’s Lake, Shirley’s Bay-Andrew Haydon, or the Rideau River between Strathcona Park and Billing’s Bridge. Up to 6 individuals may have been seen over the past week, depending on potential overlaps.

Razorbill (1) Nov 18, Shirley’s Bay, Ottawa. Might Thursday and Friday’s winds bring more up the river?

Short-billed Gull (1) Nov 15, Lafleche Landfill and surrounding fields, Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry. Just outside the OFNC circle, but definitely worth keeping an eye out for. Other interesting gulls at this location include Iceland and Lesser Black-backed.

Golden Eagle (1) Nov 16, Shirley’s Bay, Ottawa.

Eastern Phoebe (1) Nov 15-19, Fletcher Wildlife Garden, Ottawa.

Wilson’s Snipe (1) Nov 19, Richmond–Fox Run stormwater ponds, Ottawa.

Pied-billed Grebe (1) Britannia CA (general location), Ottawa. (1) Nov 13, Shirley’s Bay, Ottawa. (2) Nov 08, Petrie Island, Ottawa.

Red-headed Woodpecker (1) Constance Bay, Ottawa.

Red-bellied Woodpecker (1) Nov 17, Britannia CA–Mud Lake, Ottawa. (1) Nov 15, Ch Vaillancourt, Val-des-Monts, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais.

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (1) Nov 16, Britannia CA (general location), Ottawa. (1) Nov 19, Fletcher Wildlife Garden, Ottawa.

Ruby-crowned Kinglet (1) Nov 17, Dunrobin (Bill Mason Centre), Ottawa. (1) Nov 15, Rockcliffe Airport Woods, Ottawa.

Winter Wren (1) Nov 20, Britannia CA (general location), Ottawa. (1) Nov 17, Andrew Haydon Park, Ottawa.

Hermit Thrush (1) Nov 20, Fine Estate, Ottawa.

Common Grackle (1) Nov 20, Fine Estate, Ottawa.

Winter Finches – Scattered reports of Evening Grosbeak and White-winged Crossbill.

Common Yellowthroat (1) Nov 20, Parc de la Gatineau–Sentier 53, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais.

Pine Warbler (1) Nov 19, Carleton University, Ottawa. (1) Nov 17, Alta Vista, Ottawa.

Yellow-throated Warbler (1) Nov 19, Dick Bell Park, Ottawa.

Ottawa and area bird sightings to 14 November 2024

by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca

Wild goose and gull chase season? The Ross’ Geese moving back and forth all day to torment birders are seasonal, but the Slaty-backed Gull was a very nice–if brief – surprise. In other birding news, the NCC decided not to renew the OFNC bird feeders on NCC land, in line with their policies about not affecting wildlife behaviour.

Ring-billed Gull, Mud Lake, Alan Short. Numbers will drop in December as most Ring-billeds migrate south.

American Black Duck, Mud Lake, Alan Short. Black ducks nest on the ground like the closely-related Mallards.

Scaup, Andrew Haydon, Alan Short. Most Lesser Scaup breed in Western Canada, but they winter on both the east and west coasts of North America. We only see them on migration.

American Wigeon, Andrew Haydon, Alan Short. A nice comparison of female and male plumage. Like Lesser Scaup, most American Wigeon breed in Western Canada (also Alaska), but some use the coast of Hudson Bay.

Red-breasted Merganser, Andrew Haydon, Sanam Goudarzi.

Lesser Scaup, Andrew Haydon, Sanam Goudarzi. A female born this year from the dark eye.

Bufflehead, Andrew Haydon, Sanam Goudarzi. Even smaller than they appear – they mostly use abandoned Northern Flicker roosts, but will use nest boxes with an opening of only 2.5 inches (6.4 CM) in diameter. Roosts with larger holes lead to competition with other cavity nesting ducks.

Lesser Scaup, Andrew Haydon, Gillian Wright. The dark eye indicates a bird born this summer.

Lesser Scaup, Andrew Haydon, Gillian Wright. The bright eyed bird is an adult female. The other three are all immature, and the left-most bird is a young male.

American Wigeon, Andrew Haydon, Alan Short.

Ross’s Goose (1) Nov 13-14, Navan (Giroux Road Ponds), Ottawa. (1) Nov 13, Frank Kenny Rd, Ottawa. (3) Nov 07,10, 12 Embrun Sewage Lagoons, Prescott and Russell. (1) Nov 12, Wall Rd, Ottawa. (1) Nov 12, Avalon (stormwater pond), Ottawa.

Trumpeter Swan (1) Nov 10, Andrew Haydon Park, Ottawa. (1) Nov 08, Shirley’s Bay, Ottawa.

Barrow’s Goldeneye (1) Nov 12, Central Experimental Farm Arboretum, Ottawa.

Wilson’s Snipe (2) Nov 14, Petrie Island Park, Ottawa. (1) Nov 10, Carleton Place – Hwy 7 Storm Pond, Lanark.

Lesser Yellowlegs (1) Nov 03, Rideau River – Black Rapids – Long Island lock, Ottawa.

Slaty-backed Gull (1) Nov 10, Clarence-Rockland Landfill, Prescott and Russell.

Pied-billed Grebe (1) Britannia CA (general location), Ottawa. (1) Nov 13, Shirley’s Bay, Ottawa. (2) Nov 08, Petrie Island, Ottawa.

Green Heron (1) Nov 09, Burnt Lands Provincial Park, Ottawa.

Osprey (1) Nov 13, Rockcliffe Park Pavilion, Ottawa. (1) Nov 09, Parc Jacques-Cartier, Gatineau.

Red-headed Woodpecker (2) Constance Bay, Ottawa.

Red-bellied Woodpecker (1) Nov 13, Ch Steele, Pontiac . (1) Nov 08, 11, Britannia CA (general location), Ottawa.

Ruby-crowned Kinglet (2) Nov 14, Britannia CA–Britannia Ridge, Ottawa.

Winter Wren (1) Nov 13, Extrémité Ch. de l’Hôtel de Ville, Luskville, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais. (1) Nov 11, Britannia CA (general location), Ottawa. (1) Nov 10, Stony Swamp (P6 trailhead), Ottawa.

Swamp Sparrow (1) Nov 08, Fine Estate, Ottawa.

Common Grackle (1) Nov 13, Fine Estate, Ottawa. (1) Nov 13, Nepean Creek Trail, Ottawa.

Pine Warbler (1) Nov 14, Carleton University, Ottawa. (1) Nov 12, Petrie Island Park, Ottawa.

Yellow-rumped Warbler (1) Nov 08-14, Fine Estate, Ottawa.

Ottawa and area bird sightings to 7 November 2024

by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca

Snow Bunting, Gatineau park, Scott Haldane. Snow Buntings have a circumpolar arctic breeding range.

Ruffed Grouse, Prescott-Russell Trail, Gillian Wright. Non-mighratory, they are well adapted to our winters. In fact, they even grow projections on the sides of their feet in winter to help them walk on snow. Those tracks are common in Stoney Swamp after a fresh snow, and much easier to find than the average grouse.

Green-winged Teal, Andrew Haydon Park, Alan Short. Adult Male in perfect breeding plumage.

Green-winged Teal, Andrew Haydon Park, Gillian Wright. Not as far along in his molt as the previous bird.

Green-winged Teal, Andrew Haydon Park, Sanam Goudarzi. Slightly different again. A flock can appear homogeneous, but with study, sometimes you can tell the individual birds apart.

Brant, Andrew Haydon, Alan Short. Essentially a coastal species, Ottawa is on their migration path from Hudson Bay to New Jersey, so we see flocks every fall.

Hooded Mergansers, Dows Lake, Alan Short.

Leucistic Canada Goose, Embrun, Erin Durant. It’s weird goose season, as many, many geese drop into the region to feed before continuing their migration, giving us time to spot the outliers. The leucism in this case affects only the feather tracts on the head and neck.

Long-tailed Duck, Andrew Haydon Park, Catherine Lawrence. The Long-tailed Duck is the Ontario Field Ornithologists bird of the year for 2025.

Horned Grebe, Shirley’s Bay, Catherine Lawrence.

Scaup and Canada Goose, Andrew Haydon Park, Catherine Lawrence. As field marks go, size on isolated birds is misleading as often as it is helpful, but relative size is almost always a great field marker.

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Fletcher, Gillian Wright. Male from the red throat patch.

Hermit Thrush, Embrum, Erin Durant. Erin points out that although the burning bush plant is lovely and the birds love the berries, it is considered invasive and well … the birds love the berries and spread the seeds.

Eastern Bluebird, Eastern Ontario, Erin Durant.

Scaup, Andrew Haydon, Alan Short. The amount of white in the wings makes it possible to tell Lesser and Greater Scaup apart more easily in flight than when sitting. Yep, sure does…

Ross’s Goose (3) Nov 06, Embrun, Prescott and Russel. (1) Nov 06, Chemin Baillie, Gatineau.

Trumpeter Swan (2) Nov 06, Dunrobin (Constance Creek), Ottawa. (4) Nov 01, Marlborough Forest–Roger’s Pond, Ottawa.

Blue-winged Teal (6) Nov 06, Dunrobin (Constance Creek), Ottawa. (55) Nov 01, Richmond CA (formerly Richmond Sewage Lagoons), Ottawa.

Eurasian Wigeon (1) Nov 02, PN de Plaisance–Baie Noire (Est & Ouest), Papineau.

Barrow’s Goldeneye (1) Nov 03-04, Dow’s Lake, Ottawa.
(1) Nov 02, Rideau River Eastern Pathway north of Hurdman Bridge, Ottawa. (1) Oct 31, Rideau Tennis Club, Ottawa.

Common Gallinule (1) Nov 03, PN de Plaisance–Baie Noire (Est & Ouest), Papineau.

Wilson’s Snipe (1) Nov 07, Richmond–Fox Run stormwater ponds, Ottawa.

Lesser Yellowlegs (1) Nov 05, Chapman Mills CA, Ottawa.

Pied-billed Grebe (1) Nov 05-07, Britannia CA (general location), Ottawa

Great Egret – plenty still hunting around.

Golden Eagle (2) Nov 07, Clarence-Rockland Landfill, Prescott and Russell. (1-3) Nov 03-04, Shirley’s Bay, Ottawa. (1) Nov 03, Greenbelt pathway south of Davidson Road, Ottawa.

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (1) Nov 02, Fletcher Wildlife Garden, Ottawa.

Red-headed Woodpecker, Constance Bay, Ottawa.

Red-bellied Woodpecker (1) Nov 04, Fine Estate, Ottawa. (1) Nov 03, Britannia CA (general location), Ottawa. (1) Nov 01, Aylmer, Gatineau.

Eastern Phoebe (1) Oct 31, Chemin Valiquette, Gatineau.

Gray Catbird (1) Nov 03, Rockcliffe Airport Woods, Ottawa.

Swainson’s Thrush (1) Nov 01, Fletcher Wildlife Garden, Ottawa.

Swamp Sparrow (2) Nov 06, Pinhey’s Point Historic Site, Ottawa. (1) Nov 05- 06, Fine Estate, Ottawa.

Eastern Meadowlark (1) Nov 02, Chemin de la Rivière, Luskville, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais.

Common Yellowthroat (1) Nov 02, Etang Grimes, Gatineau.

Ottawa and area bird sightings to 31 October 2024

by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca

Fairly typical late October with winter birds arriving and late birds lingering. An interesting movement of White-winged crossbills is exciting.

Brant, Shirley’s Bay, Gillian Wright. Some Brant become accustomed to people, and this bird walked right by Gillain, offering stunning views.

Brown Thrasher, Old Quarry, Clifford Rostek. An unusually good look at a secretive bird. This species will often swoop low and silently across the trail after all the birders have passed.

Diving ducks, Shirley’s Bay, Alan Short. Four female Surf Scoters and a Long-tailed duck. The Scoters are migrating from Northern Canada to the Eastern coast for the winter. The Long-tailed Duck breeds even further north, along the arctic coast and islands. It may be headed to the Great Lakes or the Eastern coast. Both species stop over in our region to fuel up.

Hybrid goose, Andrew Haydon Park, Sai Wai Ip. Derek was told it’s a domestic x Canada goose cross. Does the slight grin patch imply some Snow Goose in the mix? Bonus points for iding the Goose beside the hybrid.

Hybrid goose, Andrew Haydon Park, Gillian Wright. A slightly different view of the same bird. This same individual (or a very similar one) was seen in Carleton Place.

Partially leucistic American Robin, Alta Vista, Christopher Clunas. Without looking it up, what parts of a healthy robin are normally white?

Carolina Wren, Frank Ryan, Sanam Goudarzi.

Dunlin, Shirley’s Bay, Alan Short.

Snow Bunting, Shirley’s Bay, Sanam Goudarzi. Combine some excellent camouflage and a tendency to lie low out of the wind, and Snow Buntings disappear from view.

Horned Grebe, Shirley’s Bay, Alan Short. The last thing many a minnow ever saw.

Pied-Billed Grebe, Mud Lake, Sai Wai Ip.

Green-winged Teal, Andrew Haydon Park, Sai Wai Ip.

American Wigeon, Andrew Haydon Park, Sai Wai Ip.

Wilson’s Snipe, Pine Grove, Gillian Wright. Look at those feet, perfect for walking on mud or water plants.

Trumpeter Swan (1) Oct 31, Shirley’s Bay, Ottawa. (5) Almonte Lagoons, Lanark.

Barrow’s Goldeneye (1) Oct 24-29, Bate Island, Ottawa.

Common Gallinule (1) Oct 28, PN de Plaisance–Baie Noire (Est & Ouest), Papineau. (1) Oct 25, Petrie Island causeway, Ottawa.

Spotted Sandpiper (1) Oct 24, Parc Brébeuf, Gatineau.

Osprey (1) Oct 25, PN de Plaisance–Baie Noire (Est & Ouest), Papineau.

Golden Eagle (1) Oct 28, Shirley’s Bay, Ottawa. (1) Oct 26, Britannia CA (general location), Ottawa.

Broad-winged Hawk (1) Oct 19, Garlandside Road, Ottawa.

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (1) Oct 27, Fletcher Wildlife Garden, Ottawa.

Red-headed Woodpecker, Constance Bay, Ottawa.

Red-bellied Woodpecker (1) Oct 29, ch Pine Ridge, Wakefield, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais. (1) Oct 29-30, Queenscourt Cres, Ottawa. (1) Oct 28, Ch Vaillancourt, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais. (1) Oct 28, Rideau River Provincial Park, Ottawa. (1) Oct 24, Parc Queen, Gatineau.

Blue-headed Vireo (1) Oct 25, South March Highlands Conservation Forest, Ottawa.

Red-eyed Vireo (1) Oct 19, Clyde Woods, Ottawa

Brown Thrasher (1) Oct 28, Old Quarry Trail, Ottawa. (1) Oct 25, PN de Plaisance–Baie Noire (Est & Ouest), Papineau.

Veery (1) Oct 27, Fletcher Wildlife Garden, Ottawa.

White-winged crossbill – Many reports this week. The only consistent location is the Pine Grove forest. The atlas would appreciate any evidence of breeding.

Eastern Towhee (1) Oct 28, Prescott-Russell Trail Link, Ottawa.

Ottawa and area bird sightings to 24 October 2024

by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca

It’s duck season with all three scoter species reported this week. Watch lac Deschênes for seasonal ducks and Brant.

Merlin & Rock Pigeon, Shirley’s Bay, Alan Short. Alan witnessed a Merlin hunting a Rock Pigeon for 3 minutes. Here is the story in 3 collages. Alan noticed the Merlin trying to stay above the Pigeon.

Merlin & Rock Pigeon, Shirley’s Bay, Alan Short. The falcon makes a move on the pigeon, forcing the pigeon to turn hard left and to descend, to gain speed. The Gatineau Hills provide the backdrop.

Merlin & Rock Pigeon, Shirley’s Bay, Alan Short. The birds are much lower again and further out. The falcon seems to have a higher posture. The Merlin finally forces the pigeon into a hard crash landing to avoid capture. Alan thinks the falcon’s superior flying speed forces the pigeon to use up its elevation capital, to descend a little, to gain a higher speed, to get away from the threat behind him. This eventually leads them to just above the water where the pigeon crash lands to avoid capture. The pigeon did fly up out of the water but with wet wings and the falcon above couldn’t escape and went back into the water. After that he didn’t see where the Merlin went or if the pigeon managed to get out of the water a 2nd time. Note from Derek: Having seen this before with falcons and shorebirds, the falcon usually will focus on the vunerable bird until it falls prey from exhaustion. During migration, hunts are only 5-22% successful depending on the individual Merlin. That’s a lot of misses.

Cooper’s Hawk, near Dick Bell park, David Muirhead. Juvenile from the brown wings and yellow eyes.

Fox Sparrow, Pine Grove, Gillian Wright. There are so many subspecies of Fox Sparrow that they are grouped into 4 subspecies groups in North America. Our group, the red or taiga group, is ‘Fox Sparrow (Red)’ in eBird. This sparrow is big, so big it can be confused with a thrush. But those chevron markings on the breast and flanks make for an easy ID.

Cooper’s Hawk, Fletcher, Gillian Wright. Tail dipped in white paint, pale nape, scary aspect, definitely a Coop. Probably. Maybe.

Sandhill Cranes, Renfrew County, Sanam Goudarzi.

Rough-legged Hawk, Renfrew County, Sanam Goudarzi. Unlike other hawks, almost always on a branch that seems too small for such a big bird.

Common Loon, Renfrew County, Sanam Goudarzi.

Sandhill Cranes, Beachburg, Jim Robertson. A small part of a flock of more than 1000 birds on Oct 19.

Sandhill Cranes, Beachburg, Jim Robertson. A still small part of the huge flock. In the West, migratory flocks of tens of thousands are expected, but this thousand-bird flock is rare for Eastern Ontario.

Common Gallinule, Petrie Island causeway, Gregory Zbitnew. A late immature bird that needs to migrate before the ice forms.

Ross’s Goose (1-2) Oct 20, 23, PN de Plaisance–Baie Noire (Est & Ouest), Papineau.

Greater White-fronted Goose (1) Oct 17-20, Almonte Lagoons, Lanark. (1) Oct 20, PN de Plaisance–Marais Perras, Papineau.

Trumpeter Swan (2) Oct 24, Fine Estate, Ottawa. (1) Oct 20-21, Club de ski Nakkertok Nordic-Nordique, Gatineau.

Blue-winged Teal (1) Oct 20, Carleton Place–Hwy 7 Storm Pond, Lanark.

Barrow’s Goldeneye (1) Oct 24, Bate Island, Ottawa. Male hanging with COGOs.

Common Gallinule (1) Oct 13-23, Petrie Island (Causeway), Ottawa. (1) Oct 20, Moodie Drive Ponds, Ottawa.

Spotted Sandpiper (1) Oct 15-23, Parc Brébeuf, Gatineau. (1) Oct 18-22, Rapides Deschênes (incluant Parc), Gatineau. (1) Oct 21, Station d’épuration, Gatineau (Masson-Angers), Gatineau.

Green Heron (1) Oct 18, Nepean Creek Trail, Ottawa.

Red-headed Woodpecker (1) Oct 17, Constance Bay, Ottawa.

Marsh Wren (1) Oct 21, 23, Andrew Haydon Park, Ottawa.

Veery (1) Oct 18, Fletcher Wildlife Garden, Ottawa.

Gray-cheeked Thrush (1) Oct 19, Shirley’s Bay and path, Ottawa.

Lincoln’s Sparrow (1) Oct 22, Fine Estate, Ottawa. (2) Oct 20, Greenbelt pathway off Woodroffe and Fallowfield, Ottawa.

Blue-winged Warbler (1) Oct 22, Briargreen in Ottawa, Ottawa. An excellent example of a water feature bringing in migrating birds otherwise not found in that habitat.

Tennessee Warbler (2) Oct 21, Fletcher Wildlife Garden, Ottawa. (1) Oct 21, Britannia CA–Mud Lake, Ottawa.

Orange-crowned Warbler (1) Oct 19-21, Fletcher Wildlife Garden Goldenrod field, Ottawa.

Nashville Warbler (1) Oct 20, Rockcliffe Airport Woods, Ottawa.

Common Yellowthroat (1) Oct 20, Rockcliffe Airport Woods, Ottawa.

Cape May Warbler (1) Oct 21, Remic Rapids and Champlain Bridge area, Ottawa.

Palm Warbler (1) Oct 23, Rockcliffe Airport Woods, Ottawa. (1) Oct 18, Britannia CA–Mud Lake, Ottawa.

Ottawa and area bird sightings to 17 October 2024

by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca

Getting close to last chance for this year for most of the migrants below, especially the warblers. On the other hand, the Black-backed Woodpecker might be a hopeful sign for winter birding. Less rare, there are many good seasonal field species around now: American Golden Plovers, pipits, longspurs, and buntings. Check the fields south and east of Ottawa. An estimated 200 Lesser Black-backed Gulls are hanging around Casselman.

Yellow-rumped Warbler, Ottawa, Sanam Goudarzi. Among the first to arrive each spring and the last to leave in the fall, butterbutts over-winter in the US and Central America, and even some warmer parts of Canada. As with many species, the males will – on average – winter further north than females.

White-throated Sparrow, Ottawa, Sanam Goudarzi. White-throated Sparrows do breed in the region in small numbers, but are usually here in huge numbers in October as a wave of migrants passes through.

Hooded Merganser, Ottawa, Sanam Goudarzi. The plumage seems adult, but the dark eye reveals this is this year’s bird.

Red-breasted Merganser, Shirley’s Bay, Alan Short. Among the fastest ducks, red-breasted mergs can fly up to 130-160 kmph.

Horned Grebes, Shirley’s Bay, Alan Short. Can you guess which is an adult and which is a first fall bird?

Carolina Wren, Britannaia, Gillian Wright. Any bird that messey must be a juvenile, right?

Horned Grebe, Shirley’s Bay, Alan Short. Clean sharply delineated feather tracts – an adult in non-breeding plumage.

Horned Grebe, Shirley’s Bay, Alan Short. Messey. Juvenile. The adult pattern is there, the shape is evident, but not all the feathers have been replaced by their adult form yet.

Hermit Thrush, Ottawa, Aaron Hywarren. A water feature in your yard will bring in migrants and residents that will rarely if ever approach a bird feeder. Feather maintenance is so important that birds will bathe if the air temperature is above zero. That’s a big sacrifice of energy in exchange for later performance.

American Pipit, Ottawa, Aaron Hywarren. Zoom in close and you can see the longer hind claw for walking on uneven ground like the longspurs. That theory certains fits this photo. Look for these on migration in Ottawa along the shores of the Ottawa River, or in the agricultural fields outside the urban area.

Hermit Thrush, Fletcher, Gillian Wright. Depending on lighting, this bird can appear red-brown or gray-brown, but notice that in both these pics, the primaries and the rump are redder than the rest of the bird.

Black-capped Chickadee, Mud Lake, Gillian Wright. Gillian photographed this individual last Feb and again this Oct. She submitted the band info and learned that this bird was first banded near Ottawa in 2019 and probably hatched in 2018 or earlier. This is considerably beyond the average 2.5 year life span for the species, although the record is over 12 years, so we may see this bird many more years.

Ross’s Goose (1) Oct 16, Boul. Gréber, Gatineau.

Greater White-fronted Goose (1) Oct 15, RN du Marais-Trépanier, Gatineau. (1) Oct 15-17, Almonte Lagoons, Lanark. (1) Oct 14, Landry Street, Clarence-Rockland, Prescott and Russell. (1) Oct 11, Richmond CA (formerly Richmond Sewage Lagoons), Ottawa.

Trumpeter Swan (2) Oct 17, Constance Bay, Ottawa. (1) Oct 12-16, Parc de la Gatineau–Lac Renaud, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais. (2) Oct 12, PN de Plaisance–Baie Noire (Est & Ouest), Papineau.

Common Tern (1) Oct 12, Ch Parker, Luskville, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais.

Green Heron (1) Oct 12, Britannia CA–Mud Lake, Ottawa.

Virginia Rail (2) Oct 15, Richmond CA (formerly Richmond Sewage Lagoons), Ottawa.

Sora (1) Oct 15, Almonte Lagoons, Lanark.

Common Gallinule (1) Oct 13-14, Petrie Island, Ottawa.

Spotted Sandpiper (1) Oct 15-16, Parc Brébeuf, Gatineau, (1) Oct 15, Parc du Lac-Leamy, Gatineau. (1) Oct 14, Britannia CA (general location), Ottawa (1) Oct 14, Greenbelt Trail 10, Ottawa.

Golden Eagle (1) Oct 16, Shirley’s Bay, Ottawa. (1) Oct 14, Woodkilton, Ottawa. (1) Oct 14, Lac Phillippe, les Collines-de-l’Outaouais.

Red-bellied Woodpecker (1) Oct 14, Fletcher Wildlife Garden, Ottawa.

Black-backed Woodpecker (1) Oct 14, Parc de la Gatineau–Relais Renaud, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais.

Red-eyed Vireo (1) Oct 12, Fine Estate, Ottawa.

Canada Jay (1) Was reported Oct 14, Champlain Park Woods-Remic Rapids Loop, Ottawa.

Veery (1) Oct 14-16, Fletcher Wildlife Garden, Ottawa.

Gray-cheeked Thrush (1) Oct 17, Britannia CA (general location), Ottawa. (2) Oct 13, Petrie Island, Ottawa.

Swainson’s Thrush (1) Oct 17, Britannia CA (general location), Ottawa. (2) Oct 17, Fletcher Wildlife Garden, Ottawa.

Snow Bunting (3) Oct 16, Shirley’s Bay, Ottawa.

Orange-crowned Warbler (1) Oct 17, Rockcliffe Park Pavilion, Ottawa

Tennessee Warbler:

(1) Oct 17, Rockcliffe parkway between Ogilvie and Green’s Creek, Ottawa.
(1) Oct 14, Champlain Park Woods, Ottawa.
(1) Oct 13, Pine grove trail, Ottawa.
(1) Oct 12, Britannia CA (general location), Ottawa.
(1) Oct 12, Rideau Canal Western Pathway, Ottawa.
(1) Oct 11, Champlain Park Woods-Remic Rapids Loop, Ottawa.

Nashville Warbler (1) Oct 14, 16, Fletcher Wildlife Garden, Ottawa.

Common Yellowthroat (1) Oct 17, Almonte Lagoons, Lanark. (1) Oct 13, Fine Estate, Ottawa.

American Redstart (1) Oct 12, Britannia CA (general location), Ottawa.

Cape May Warbler (2) Oct 12, Deschenes, Gatineau. (1) Oct 10, Quigley Hill Rd, Ottawa. (1) Oct 10, Bassin de rétention du Plateau, Gatineau.

Magnolia Warbler (1) Oct 11, Rockcliffe Airport Woods, Ottawa.

Black-throated Blue Warbler (1) Oct 14, Parc du Lac-Leamy, Gatineau.

Palm Warbler (1) Oct 17, Bruce Pit, Ottawa.

Indigo Bunting (1) Oct 14, Fine Estate, Ottawa.

Ottawa and area bird sightings to 10 October 2024

by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca

More fall changes as many lingering local breeders now show up as rare. Fox Sparrows are starting to show up.

American Goshawk, Andrew Hayden, Alan Short. The largest of our accipiters, as big as a buteo. Formerly known as Northern Goshawk it was officially declared a separate species from its European cousin in 2023. Longer than a Red-tailed hawk, its wings are much shorter, creating a very different look in flight.

Wild Turkey, Mud lake, Alan Short.

Red-breasted Merganser, Andrew Hayden, Alan Short. The brilliant red eye is an often overlooked difference from the dark-eyed Common Merganser.

Red-breasted Merganser, Andrew Hayden, Alan Short. The longer, thinner bill on the Red-breasted is another difference.

Lincoln’s Sparrow, Pine Grove, Gillian Wright. Derek has been sent more correctly identified Lincoln’s Sparrow’s this year than any previous fall. Was there a bigger influx this year?

Tennessee Warbler, Fletcher, Gillian Wright. That white undertail is the quickest way to tell a yellow Tennessee from an Orange-crowned Warbler. If that even is a real thing.

Adult Carolina Wren, Mud Lake, Sanam Goudarzi. Crisp plumage, and a call that is too loud for its size.

Juvenile Carolina Wren, Mud Lake, Sanam Goudarzi. Whenever you see a bird that looks ruffled, grumpy, and hungover, it’s either mid moult or a juv, as in the case of this bird.

Greater White-fronted Goose (1) Oct 09, Sedona Street, Ottawa. (1) Oct 04, Canaan Road, Prescott and Russell.

Yellow-billed Cuckoo (1) Oct 07, Richmond CA (formerly Richmond Sewage Lagoons), Ottawa. (1) Oct 04, dead bird, Greenbank Road just north of Fallowfield, Ottawa.

Common Nighthawk (1) Oct 05, Baie Simard, Gatineau.

Sora (1) Oct 05, Richmond CA (formerly Richmond Sewage Lagoons), Ottawa.

American Golden-Plover (40) Oct 10, Lafleur north of Colonial, Ottawa.

Ruddy Turnstone (1) Oct 05, Shirley’s Bay, Ottawa.

Common Tern (1) Reported Oct 04-05, Britannia CA (general location), Ottawa.

Ibis sp. (1) On Oct 07 an individual bird was reported flying over the Petrie Island Causeway. Given the habitat and the wave of Ibis this fall, it’s worth checking out.

Golden Eagle (1) Oct 04, Fox Run Storm Pond, Ottawa.

Broad-winged Hawk (1) Oct 04, Shirley’s Bay, Ottawa.

Red-headed Woodpecker (1) Constance Bay, Ottawa.

Red-bellied Woodpecker (1) Oct 08, Fine Estate, Ottawa. (1) Oct 04, Petrie Island, Ottawa.

Eastern Kingbird (1) Oct 05, Rockcliffe Airport Woods, Ottawa.

Philadelphia Vireo (1) Oct 06, Beltown Park, Ottawa.

Warbling Vireo (1) Oct 04 Crystal Beach Greenspace, Ottawa.

Black-billed Magpie (1) Was reported Oct 06, Park-Bilberry Creek, Ottawa.

House Wren (1) Oct 07, Rockcliffe Airport Woods, Ottawa. (1) Oct 05, South March Highlands, Ottawa.

Wood Thrush (1) Oct 04, Greenbelt Pathway West, Ottawa.

Veery (1) Oct 06, 09, Fletcher Wildlife Garden, Ottawa.

Evening Grosbeak (1) Oct 08, Fine Estate, Ottawa.

Nelson’s Sparrow (1) Oct 05, River Trail at Island Park Drive, Ottawa.

Eastern Towhee (1) Reported Oct 06, Fine Estate, Ottawa.

Ovenbird (1) Oct 05, Britannia CA–Woods, Ottawa.

Tennessee Warbler (3) Oct 08-10, Fletcher Wildlife Garden, Ottawa. (2) Oct 08, Remic Rapids and Champlain Bridge area, Ottawa. (1) Oct 08, Parkside Greenspace, Ottawa.

Common Yellowthroat (1) Oct 09, Fine Estate, Ottawa.

American Redstart (1) Oct 06, Rapides Deschênes (incluant Parc), Gatineau.

Ottawa and area bird sightings to 3 October 2024

by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca

Seasonal change continues with the arrival of migrating White-crowned Sparrows, Rusty Blackbirds, and many Dark-eyed Juncos. White-winged Scoters returned to the Ottawa River.

Juvenile Pied-billed Grebe, Mud Lake, Sanam Goudarzi. Grebes eat feathers, often filling half their stomachs with their own feathers.

First winter Bonnaparte Gull, Mud Lake, Alan Short. Fascinating to watch fish, Bonnie’s can dive under the water from the air, and fly back out.

Adult male White-breasted Nuthatch, Mud lake, Alan Sharp. Females have a dark gray cap instead of that crisp black hat.

Adult Turkey Vulture, Crystal Beach, Alan Short.

Accipiter, Mud Lake, Alan Short.

Hermit Thrush, Gatineau Park, Scott Haldane.

Adult male Black-throated Blue Warbler, Mud Lake, Sai Wai Ip. Males and females sport very different plumage, but they share that white spot which really stands out in the shadows they often hunt in.

Rusty Blackbird, Mud Lake, Sai Wai Ip. The edge of Mud Lake in late Sept. or early Oct. is a great place to find this beautiful blackbird.

Black-capped Chickadee, Jack Pine, Sanam Goudarzi.

Adult Swamp Sparrow, Jack Pine, Sanam Goudarzi.

First fall Swamp Sparrow, Jack Pine, Sanam Goudarzi. One of the more confusing young sparrows, with hints of other species, especially Lincoln’s.

First fall Chipping Sparrow, Nepean, Derek Dunnett. Fun plumage that we only see briefly. The more familiar juveniles and adults are respectively streaky and crisp. This form is only around for a short time just before fall migration.

Trumpeter Swan (3) Sep 28, Stonecrest, Ottawa.

Greater White-fronted Goose (1) Oct 03, Birchgove Rd, Sarsfield, Ottawa.

Yellow-billed Cuckoo (1) Oct 01, Crystal Beach Greenspace, Ottawa.

Arctic Tern (1) Oct 01-02, Britannia CA–Filtration Plant/Point, Ottawa. First winter bird.

Common Tern (1) Oct 02-03, Britannia CA–Filtration Plant/Point, Ottawa. Both terns were seen together and photographed.

Red-headed Woodpecker (1) Constance Bay, Ottawa.

Red-bellied Woodpecker (1) Oct 02, Petrie Island, Ottawa.

Least Flycatcher (1) Sep 27, Rockcliffe parkway between Ogilvie and Green’s Creek, Ottawa.

Eastern Kingbird (1) Sep 27, Watts Creek pathway, Ottawa.

House Wren (1) Oct 03, Rockcliffe Airport Woods, Ottawa. (1) Oct 03, Richmond SE – Dobson Lane, Ottawa.

Wood Thrush (1) Sep 30, Shirley’s Bay and path, Ottawa.

American Tree Sparrow (1) Sep 30-Oct 01, Fine Estate, Ottawa.

Nelson’s Sparrow (1) Oct 01, Carleton Place–Hwy 7 Storm Pond, Lanark. (2) Continued to at least Sep 29, Constance Creek mouth, Ottawa.

Eastern Towhee (1) Sep 29, Heaphy Rd, Ottawa. (1) Sep 27-30, Sarsaparilla Trail, Ottawa.

Black-and-white Warbler (2) Sep 28, Crazy Horse Trail, Ottawa. (1) Sep 28, Pine Grove Trail, Ottawa.

Bay-breasted Warbler (1) Sep 26, Parc Dalton, Gatineau.

Yellow Warbler (1) Sep 27, Ottawa.

Chestnut-sided Warbler (1) Sep 29, Constance Bay, Ottawa.

Mourning Warbler (1) Sep 29, Nepean Creek Trail, Ottawa.

Ottawa and area bird sightings to 26 September 2024

by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca

Low-key but decent birding. The cold front dramatically moved along the migration with an influx of late Sept migrants (especially waterfowl like Widgeon, pintail and Scaup). Also an unidentified Dowitcher (date favours Long-billed). The usual late September suspects, rare or not: Nelson Sparrows, Orange-crowned Warblers, Lincoln Sparrows for everybody, American Pipits in the fields and Gray-cheeked Thrushes sneaking through mostly unseen.

Nelson Sparrow, Ottawa, Aaron Hywarren. Migrating from their breeding grounds to coastal salt marshes for the winter, small numbers of Nelson Sparrows stop to fuel up in Ottawa. Look – or better yet – listen for them in extensive vegetation along rivers, lakes, and storm water ponds.

Lincoln Sparrow, Carleton Place, Janet McCullough. The Carleton Place Stormwater pond just off the 7 provided some fantastic birding in September. Even after the Glossy Ibis moved on, the variety of sparrows in close proximity made the trip worthwhile.

Common Mergansers, Mississippi River, Janet McCullough. This year’s birds. Those ‘teeth’ are semi-flexible structures called lamellae. Their form and use is species specific. In this case, great for holding onto slippery fish and crayfish. Shovelers on the other hand can use theirs to strain vegetation and invertebrates from the water.

White-throated Sparrows, Carleton Place, Janet McCullough. This year’s juvenile, starting to take on a more adult plumage. The colour of the stripe over the eye – tan in this case, white in others is unrelated to sex or age, although interestingly, it correlates to behaviour, with the white-striped form generally more aggressive. The two forms prefer the other form as mates, and each brood is roughly 50/50 tan- and white-striped. The colour (and presumably the behaviour) is controlled by a supergene.

Common Loon, Mississippi River, Janet McCullough.

Trumpeter Swans, Carleton Place, Janet McCullough. Swans have 24 or more neck vertebrae, compared to 7 for humans or 9 for parrots. Herons have 20-21.

Trumpeter Swan, Carleton Place, Janet McCullough. How big are swans? They are avian giants! More than twice the weight of Canada Goose, or 20 times the weight of this immature Ring-billed Gull.

Trumpeter Swan (2) Sep 21, Fine Estate, Ottawa. (2) Sep 25, Marlborough Forest–Roger’s Pond, Ottawa.

Red-headed Woodpecker (4) Sep 20, Torbolton Forest, Ottawa.

Red-bellied Woodpecker (1) Sep 25, Ch Steele, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais.

Common Nighthawk (3) Sep 19, Rapides Deschênes (incluant Parc), Gatineau.

Pacific Loon (1) Sep 26. Lake Dore. Outside the OFNC circle, but early and rare.

Least Bittern (1) Sep 22,Carp River Watershed Reclamation Area, Ottawa.

Olive-sided Flycatcher (1) Sep 22, Quarry – Ramsay Concession 5A, Mississippi Mills, Lanark.

Least Flycatcher (1) Sep 26, Rockcliffe Park Pavilion, Ottawa. (1) Sep 22, Whitney Road, Kemptville, Leeds and Grenville.

Grasshopper Sparrow (1) Sep 25, Fine Estate, Ottawa.

Nelson’s Sparrow (1-3) continue in the usual spot on Constance Bay, Ottawa. (1-2) Carleton Place–Hwy 7 Storm Pond, Lanark. Many Lincoln, Savannah and Song Sparrows to practice streaky sparrow id with at the pond and in the surrounding area. (1) Rockcliffe airport woods, Ottawa. Look for these wherever suitable habitat is found.

Ovenbird (1) Sep 25, Brantwood Park, Ottawa.

Mourning Warbler (1) Sep 25, Rockcliffe Airport Woods, Ottawa.

Yellow Warbler (1) Sep 25, Brantwood Park, Ottawa.

Ottawa and area bird sightings to 19 September 2024

by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca

Another great week. The star of the show this week is the Carleton Place Glossy Ibis, but subtler migrants such as Cackling Geese hide in plain sight, or skulk in the shadows like Gray-cheeked Thrushes and Nelson Sparrows.

Glossy Ibis, Carleton Place storm pond, Maureen Mark. A local celebrity for several days, the bird has disappeared. One showed up in Kingston which might be the same bird, or just part of the same dispersal event.

Juvenile Bald eagle, Wesley Clover Park/Watts Creek, Hank Greidanus. Hank saw this young eagle in a kettle with some Turkey Vultures. There are a lot of subtle differences between young Bald and Golden eagles, but the white auxiliaries (or armpits) make for an easy id in this case.

Peregrine Falcon, Carleton Place storm pond, Maureen Mark. The Glossy Ibis was feeding heavily at the pond when the Peregrine Falcon launched. The Glossy Ibis fled into the reeds.

Juvenile Eastern Phoebe, Ottawa, Sanam Goudarzi. This young bird has taken up residence in Sanam’s yard as it waits to migrate for the first time. The reddish brown fringes on the wing coverts identify it to species.

Solitary Sandpipers, WE Burton Conservation Area, Erin Durant. Erin saw the pair together frequently in August.

Orange-Crowned Warbler, Jack Pine Trail, Scott Haldane. Is it an Orange-crowned Warbler? Are any actually Orange-crowned real, or is this a made up species?

Blue-Headed Vireo, Frontenac Provincial Park, Scott Haldane.

Greater Yellowlegs, Carleton Place, Derek Dunnett.

Cackling Goose: (2) Sep 17, Moodie Drive Quarry, Ottawa. (1) Sep 17, Andrew Haydon Park, Ottawa. (1) Sep 16, Richmond–Fox Run storm water ponds, Ottawa. (1) Sep 16, Kanata–Carp River Watershed Reclamation Area, Ottawa. (8) Sep 14-15, Almonte Lagoons, Lanark.

Glossy Ibis (1) Sep 13-18, Carleton Place–Hwy 7 Storm Pond, Lanark.

Golden Eagle (1) Sep 15, Carleton Place–Hwy 7 Storm Pond, Lanark.

Red-headed Woodpecker (4) Constance Bay, Ottawa.

Yellow-throated Vireo (1) Sep 14, Rockcliffe parkway between Ogilvie and Green’s creek, Ottawa.

Loggerhead Shrike (1) Sep 12, Alfred Sewage Lagoons, Prescott and Russell. Outside the OFNC circle, but a great record and a reminder to check out the lagoons.

Evening Grosbeak (1) Sep 12, Belltown Park, Ottawa.

Nelson’s Sparrow (3) Sep 14-18, Carleton Place–Hwy 7 Storm Pond, Lanark.

Eastern Towhee (1) Sep 18, Fine Estate, Ottawa. (1) Sep 16, Old Quarry Trail, Ottawa,

Bobolink (1) Sep 18, Carleton Place–Hwy 7 Storm Pond, Lanark.

Baltimore Oriole (1) Sep 17, Fine Estate, Ottawa.

Orange-crowned Warbler – (1) Sep 17-18, Fine Estate, Ottawa. (1) Sep 14, Prescott-Russell Trail Link, Ottawa. (1) Sep 13, Parc Brébeuf, Gatineau. (1) Sep 13, Britannia CA (general location), Ottawa.

Mourning Warbler (1) Sep 18, Almonte Lagoons, Lanark.

Ottawa and area bird sightings to 12 September 2024

by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca

Male Hooded Warbler seen by mobs on a work day! Red Knot! Hudsonian Godwit! Whimbrel! Buff-breasted Sandpiper! An amazing two weeks of birding, no doubt because the compiler was away.

Juvenile Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Vars, Erin Durant. Obviously a woodpecker tail, but otherwise a first encounter with a brown woodpecker is always confusing.

Common Nighthawk, Queensway Terrace South, Alan Short. Not a hawk, no longer common. Otherwise, great name ornithology!

Lincoln Sparrow, Gatineau, Margaret Kenny. Short, fine and regular streaks and the nice beige wash on the flanks – a song sparrow in formal wear. Until the third week of September when they migrate through, a photo really helps with confirmation anywhere away from Mer Bleue.

Sparrow, Gatineau, Margaret Kenny.

Olive-sided Flycatcher, Terry Carisse Park, Nina Stavlund. Birds Canada’s 2024 Avian Ambassador.

Philadelphia Vireo, Ottawa, Sanam Goudarzi. Many of our fall vireos have a noticeable yellow wash, but this Philly is saturated with yellow.

Empidonax flycatcher, Ottawa, Sanam Goudarzi. Vacation Derek isn’t even going to try with this one.

Red-eyed Vireo, Ottawa, Sanam Goudarzi. Our most noticeable and large vireo. The red eye is not always easy to see, but that black edge to the crown is an easier mark.

Black-throated Green Warbler, Mud Lake, Scott Haldane.

Molting Eastern Bluebird, Vars, Erin Durant.

Redhead, Findlay Creek, Ielca Torok.

Tennessee Warblers, Mud Lake. Gillan Wright. Yellow morph on top, gray morph on bottom.

Juvenile Caspian Tern, Deschênes Rapids, Alan Short. Harassing some Ring-billed Gulls, this large tern does not respect the gull-tern hierarchy.

Trumpeter Swan (2) Sep 08, Kinburn Side Road, Ottawa.

Snow Goose (2) Sep 10-11, Carleton Place storm pond-Hwy 7, Lanark.

Canvasback (1) Sep 08, Halte routière, Lochaber, Papineau.

Whimbrel (1) Sep 07, Andrew Haydon Park, Ottawa.

Hudsonian Godwit (1) Sep 07-08, Moodie Drive Quarry, Ottawa.

Red-necked Phalarope (1) Sep 09, Britannia CA–Filtration Plant/Point, Ottawa.

Red Knot (1) Sep 04-08, Moodie Drive Quarry, Ottawa.

Buff-breasted Sandpiper (1) Sep 03, Moodie Drive Quarry, Ottawa.

Lesser Black-backed Gull (300) Casselman, just outside the OFNC circle, but part of a trend with many observers commenting on the large numbers this year.

Broad-winged Hawk (426) A migration day at Shirley’s Bay, Ottawa, more than doubled the previous county eBird high count for this species.

Red-headed Woodpecker Constance Bay, Ottawa.

Red-bellied Woodpecker (1) Sep 09, Fine Estate, Ottawa.

Black-backed Woodpecker (1) Sep 04, Champlain Park Woods-Remic Rapids Loop, Ottawa.

Olive-sided Flycatcher (1) Sep 07, Parc Martin Larouche, Gatineau. (1) Sep 08, Tery Caarisse Park, Ottawa

Alder Flycatcher (2) Sep 12, Shirley’s Bay, Ottawa.

Orange-crowned Warbler (1) Sep 12, Rideau River Eastern Pathway north of Hurdman Bridge, Ottawa. (1) Sep 11, Richmond SW – Joys Rd south of Garvin Rd, Ottawa.

Hooded Warbler (1) Sep 11, North River Rd, Ottawa (in a treed area in the park south of the Rideau Tennis Club).

Ottawa and area bird sightings to 22 August 2024

by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca

A warbler fallout at Britannia CA on Aug 22 created a lot of happy birders, at least among those not stuck at work. Some birders found 22 species of warbler there today. Shorebird variety is increasing even if habitat is very limited.

Black-throated Green Warbler, Rockcliffe Airport Woods, Gillian Wright.

Caspian Tern, Deschenes Rapids, Alan Short.

Spotted Sandpiper, Mud Lake, Sanam Goudarzi. Zoom in and see how worn the feathers appear.

Wilson Warbler, Rockcliffe Airport Woods, Gillian Wright.

Great Crested Flycatcher, Mud Lake, Alan Short.

Chestnut-sided warbler, Mud Lake, Sanam Goudarzi. This bird sports clean and fresh adult non-breeding plumage, but the yellow gape at the base of the bill gives away that it was born this summer.

Downy Woodpecker, Rockcliffe Airport Woods, Gillian Wright. Most birds examining sumac this time of year are gleaning insects. By late winter though, many residents will switch to eating the sumac itself. And then propagating the seeds far from the parent tree.

Herring Gulls, Deschenes Rapids, Alan Short. Herring Gulls have brown feathers and black bill tips into their second winter. Full crisp adult plumage will wait for year 4.

Blackburnian Warbler, Mud Lake, Sanam Goudarzi.

Great Blue Heron, Deschenes Rapids, Alan Short.

Cape May Warbler, Mud Lake, Sanam Goudarzi.

Osprey, Deschenes Rapids, Alan Short.

Northern Parula, Mud Lake, Sanam Goudarzi.

Trumpeter Swan (2) Aug 20, March Road, Ottawa.

Common Goldeneye (1) Aug 20-21, Andrew Haydon Park, Ottawa. (1) Aug 17, Almonte Lagoons, Lanark.

Lesser Scaup (1) Britannia CA (general location), Ottawa. (2) Aug 19, Moodie Drive Quarry, Ottawa.

Lesser Black-backed Gull (6) Moodie Drive Quarry, Ottawa. (5) Britannia CA (general location), Ottawa.

Whimbrel (11) Aug 18, Petrie Island, Ottawa.

Red-necked Phalarope (1) Aug 19, Constance Bay Beach-The Point, Ottawa. Baird’s, White-rumped Sandpipers and other species present.

Least Bittern (1) Aug 17, Bruce Pit, Ottawa.

Red-headed Woodpecker (2) Constance Bay, Ottawa.

Philadelphia Vireo – everywhere and no longer seasonally rare.

Ruby-crowned Kinglet (3) Aug 22, Britannia CA (general location), Ottawa. (1) Aug 16, Fletcher Wildlife Garden, Ottawa.

Ottawa and area bird sightings to 15 August 2024

by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca

As we enter the fall birding season, this is an opportune time to remind birders and photo-enthusiasts alike that we must always respect private property. The Ottawa Field Naturalists Club, the Ontario Field Ornithologists, and Birds Canada/American Birding Association all have long-standing Codes of Conduct that are quite clear regarding expected behaviour in the field: do not enter private property without the owner’s explicit permission. In many instances there are safety and/or liability issues at play and there are very good reasons – including personal danger – to heed signs and fence lines, and stay clear of a site. Remember that you are ambassadors for our pastime.

Red-eyed Vireo, Alta Vista, Christopher Clunas. The brilliant red eye needs just the right conditions to be visible in the field. But the dark border on the gray crown makes for an easy ID even without the red.

Common Loon, Tay River, Janet McCullough. Instead of the tiny black chick of a month ago, the juvenile is approaching adult size and has overgrown the juvenile plumage.

Eastern Kingbird, Mud Lake, Sanam Goudarzi. Young bird eating a berry, probably Buckthorn.

Cape May Warbler, Mud Lake, Alan Short.

Bonaparte’s Gull, Mud Lake, Sanam Goudarzi.

Bay-breasted Warbler, Mud Lake, Alan Short. In the fall they can look like Pine Warblers, so it’s not surprising that they are part of the same genus.

Least Flycatcher, Mud Lake, Sanam Goudarzi.

Blackburnian Warbler, Mud Lake, Alan Short.

Orange-crowned Warbler, Mud Lake, Sanam Goudarzi. One of migration’s later and more sought after warblers, no one will believe a record before mid-September without a photo.

Warbling Vireo, Mud Lake, Sanam Goudarzi. Many vireos show a yellow wash in the fall, the amount varying between species and even individuals of the same species. Warbling tend to have more yellow on the sides. Phillies will show the most yellow in the throat, although some very bright birds just drip with yellow everywhere.

Great Blue Heron, Andrew Haydon, Alan Short. Immature.

Scarlet Tanager, Alta Vista, Christopher Clunas. First year bird – mind the gape. Another bird spreading Buckthorn.

Common Gallinule, Tay River, Janet McCullough. Like the loon chicks, the gallinule young have outgrown their initial black plumage and molted into a dull gray. In both cases their new low contrast appearances should help survival.

Pied-billed Grebe, Tay River, Janet McCullough. Another immature.

Common Goldeneye (3) Aug 14, Carp River southeast of Carp, Ottawa. (1) Aug 14, Almonte Lagoons, Lanark.

Lesser Scaup (1) Aug 13, Britannia CA (general location), Ottawa. (1) Aug 12, Andrew Haydon Park, Ottawa.

Lesser Black-backed Gull (3) Moodie Drive Quarry, Ottawa. (1) Britannia CA (general location), Ottawa. Scope usually required.

Whimbrel – Heavy rain on the 10th grounded Whimbrel in a couple of locations briefly, but they were soon migrating again.

Least Bittern (1) Aug 15, Bruce Pit, Ottawa. (1) Aug 10, Ch Stonecrest, Ottawa. (1) Aug 09, Moodie Drive Quarry, Ottawa. (1) Aug 09, Almonte Lagoons, Lanark.

Red-headed Woodpecker (2) Constance Bay, Ottawa.

Yellow-bellied Flycatcher (1) Aug 12-14, Rockcliffe Airport Woods, Ottawa. (1) Aug 14, Greenbelt Trail 51, Ottawa. (1) Aug 14, Richmond SE – Bowrin Rd, Ottawa. (1) Aug 14, Rockcliffe Airport Woods, Ottawa. (1) Aug 11, Stanley Park, Ottawa. (1) Aug 10, Dolman Ridge Road, Ottawa.

Philadelphia Vireo – several early reports.

Pine Siskin (1) Aug 12, Britannia CA–Britannia Ridge, Ottawa.

Dark-eyed Junco (2) Aug 14, Petrie Island, Ottawa. (2) Aug 13, River Trail at Island Park Drive, Ottawa. (1) Aug 12, Equine Way, Ottawa. 4 of the 5 were immature birds.

Orange-crowned Warbler (1) Aug 10, Britannia CA (general location), Ottawa. Record early. Any report of this species before mid September needs to be well documented (as this one was with a good photo).

Atlas notes: Though peak bird breeding period in Southern Ontario is wrapping up for this year, there is still plenty of evidence to be seen – and heard – in support of the Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas. Please consider converting your eBird reports or those outings to capture incredible bird photographs into valuable data that will help shape conservation efforts for years to come. As the summer progresses, it doesn’t matter if you are walking the dog at home, visiting your friend’s cottage, or enjoying a break in a favourite Provincial Park: almost every bird you encounter can be easily added to the Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas, a once in a generation province-wide community-science effort.

For more information on how to be a part of the community of more than 230 Ottawa Region observers who are contributing their observations to the Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas, please visit www.birdsontario.org or contact the Ottawa Regional Coordinator at Ottawa@birdsontario.org

Ottawa and area bird sightings to 8 August 2024

by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca

It’s flycatcher season! There are small numbers of yellow-bellied and olive-sided in the region, and the next 3-4 weeks are the best chance to see them for the year. Philadelphia Vireos have arrived and the migrant Black-billed Cuckoos are still around.

Mourning Warbler, Gatineau Park, Margaret Kenny. The black flecks in what will eventually be the classic necklace reveal this young bird as a first fall male.

Broadwing Hawk, Pine Grove, Gillian Wright. The dark eyes of this juvenile will become brighter and lighter as it matures. #YouCanAtlasThat

Solitary Sandpiper, South Nation River, Scott Haldane.

Lesser Yellowlegs, South Nation River, Scott Haldane.

American Redstart, Rockcliffe Airport Woods, Gregory Zbitnew. Greg shares: Although migration is well underway, at the Rockcliffe airport woods this young bird, still with some downy feathers, was sitting almost motionless on a fairly exposed branch making the occasional high-pitched call. The mother was coming by regularly with some delicious looking insects. This species is a common nester in this spot, as it is in so many places. #YouCanAtlasThat

Green Heron, Tay River, Perth, Janet McCullough.

Northern Waterthrush, Britannia Ridge, Sanam Goudarzi. The river shoreline at Britannia is a great spot to catch southbound waterthrush.

Caspian Tern, Deschênes Rapids, Alan Short. Most terns are small, delicate flyers that glean small fish or invertebrates from the water. The Caspian never got the memo.

Double-crested Cormorants, Deschênes Rapids, Alan Short. It’s always worth scanning through the rapids. How many species can you pick out?

Ring-billed Gulls, Deschênes Rapids, Alan Short.

Bonaparte Gull, Britannia, Alan Short.

American Goldfinch, Britannia Ridge, Alan Short. Not just a great photo op, Viper’s Bugloss is used by many pollinators as well.

Mourning Warbler, Pine Grove, Gillian Wright. Pretty sure we’ve never had two people submit Mourning Warbler photos in the same week. They are generally too skulky. Unlike the Gatineau bird, this young Ontario bird can be atlassed.

Trumpeter Swan (1) Aug 03, Stonecrest rail trail, Ottawa.

Common Goldeneye (1), Andrew Haydon Park, Ottawa.

Lesser Black-backed Gull (up to 6) Moodie Drive Quarry, Ottawa. Various ages. (2) Britannia CA (general location), Ottawa. Scope usually required.

Least Bittern (1) Aug 04, Didsbury Road Scrape – Carp Watershed Restoration Area, Ottawa.

Red-headed Woodpecker (5) Constance Bay, Ottawa. (1) Up to Jul 04 at least, Ottawa Valley Rail Recreational Trail near Almonte., Lanark. Between Smart St. and CR #29.

Olive-sided Flycatcher (1) Aug 04-06, Rockcliffe Airport Woods, Ottawa. (1) Aug 05-06, Britannia CA (general location), Ottawa. (1) Aug 02, Former rail trail west of Stonecrest Road, Ottawa.

Yellow-bellied Flycatcher (1) Aug 03, 6-08, Britannia CA (general location), Ottawa. (1) Aug 02, 06-08, Rockcliffe Airport Woods, Ottawa. (1) Aug 02, Ottawa–Nortel Marsh, Ottawa.

Yellow-throated Vireo (1) Aug 06, Stittsville Ottawa.

Philadelphia Vireo (1-3) Aug 04-08, Rockcliffe Airport Woods, Ottawa. (1) Aug 03, 06-08, Britannia CA (general location), Ottawa. (1) Aug 04, Greenbelt Trail 10, Ottawa.

Sedge Wren (1) Stittsville–Trans Canada Trail, Ottawa. Continuing close to the platform.

eBird tip: At this time of year birds will sing variations on their normal songs making it all the more important to be cautious of voice identifications including suggestions offered by Merlin; visual confirmations are recommended for out of season migrants.

Ottawa and area bird sightings to 1 August 2024

by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca

The warbler floodgates opened: Tennessee, Cape May and Bay-breasted went from rare to common this week as migrants flooded the region. The wave of Black-billed Cuckoos continues and these migrants are also suddenly everywhere. Solitary Sandpipers have returned too.

Adult Black-billed Cuckoo, Kilmaurs Side Road, Tony Beck. Returning South, a wave of Black-billed Cuckoos arrived recently and are easier heard than seen. Unlike Brown-headed Cowbirds which are obligate brood parasites, North American cuckoos raise most of their young themselves in ordinary bird nests like ordinary song birds.

Bay-breasted Warbler, Mud Lake, Catherine Lawrence. Non-breeding Bay-breasted and non-breeding Blackpoll warblers look so alike that there is a special category for them in eBird. They can be told apart, especially with good photos, and right now is a great time to study Bay-breasted, as they migrate earlier than Blackpolls.

Female Black-and-white Warbler, Penyck Lake, Janet McCullough. This is a female as revealed by the white throat and pale auriculars (feather track covering the ears).

Grasshopper Sparrow, Burnt Lands, Sanam Goudarzi. This beautiful species will eventually reveal itself as the males love to sing their mysterious song while perched visibly in overgrown fields full of low bunches. Brunt Lands is a great spot for them in July and careful patience will result in tripping the eBird numbers filter.

American Redstart, Britannia Ridge, Sanam Goudarzi.

Cedar Waxwing, Britannia Ridge, Sanam Goudarzi.

Bald Eagle, Mud lake, Alan Short.

Osprey, Mud lake, Alan Short.

House Finch, Mud lake, Alan Short.

House Sparrows, Queensway Terrace South, ALan Short. Parent feeding three young birds. Many species are still displaying breeding behaviour that is atlasible. And there is a whole year left for the atlas project. It is not too late to join. At least one OFNC member did join this week, adding their valuable contributions.

Spotted Sandpiper, Mud lake, Alan Short. Plumage-wise, this gorgeous bird does not look like those breeding birds that showed up in Spring and hung around all Summer. Non-breeding and immature birds have no spots. They do have that lovely white spur at the shoulder. When visible, it is a dead giveaway.

Song Sparrow, Mud Lake, Scott Haldane. Buffy color everywhere, no center spot, surely this must be something more exotic than a Song Sparrow? Song Sparrows show incredible variability in plumage and surprising differences in size.

Spotted Sandpiper, Nepean pond Park, Jim Robertson. Another way to identify a Spottie at a distance is the distinctive up and down tail bob. A few other shorebirds bob, especially with the front of their body, but the Spottie’s tail bob is very easy to id, and this individual is at the bottom of the bob. Compare to the mid-bob position of bird 11. The bob is so ingrained that it starts in the egg before hatching.

Common Goldeneye (3), Andrew Haydon Park, Ottawa.

Lesser Black-backed Gull (3) Moodie Drive Quarry, Ottawa.

Red-headed Woodpecker (2) Constance Bay, Ottawa. (1) Jul 29, Ottawa Valley Rail Recreational Trail near Almonte., Lanark. Between Smart St. and CR #29.

Sedge Wren (3) Stittsville–Trans Canada Trail, Ottawa.

Yellow-throated Vireo (2) Sheila McKee park. (1) Jul 30, Ch. de la Sapinière, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais.

Not enough new birds this week? Take a drive outside the OFNC circle to the Alfred Lagoons where both a regionally rare Long-billed Dowitcher and a Red-necked Phalarope were photographed this week.

Ottawa and area bird sightings to 25 July 2024

by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca

Warbler variety picks up with migrants in a mix of plumages, in particular a wave of Tennessee warblers. Let the Confusing Fall Warbler games begin. An unusual late influx of Black-billed Cuckoos with reports of many singing birds.

Blackburnian Warbler, Gatineau Park, Margaret Kenny. Adult female or young male. An adult male’s lower wingbar can grow into a bigger patch, or even merge into the top bar.

Chestnut-sided Warbler, Gatineau Park, Margaret Kenny. Adult male still in breeding plumage? Nope, first winter male still showing that juvenile gap.

Chestnut-sided Warbler, Gatineau Park, Margaret Kenny. First winter female plumage? Still showing a hint of juvenile gape.

Hooded Mergansers, Britannia, Jim Robertson. Jim photographed this family in the Ottawa River at the water filtration plant.

Red-tailed Hawk, Claybank, Janet McCullough. The non-red tail reveals this as a juvenile.

Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Fletcher, Sai Wai Ip. If you ever find a band, or can even reconstruct the whole number from one or more photos, you can submit the number to www.reportband.gov and they will tell you where and when the bird was banded.

Eastern Meadowlark, High Road, Scott Haldane.

Alder/Willow Flycatcher, Earl Armstrong Road, Scott Haldane. This species pair is so hard to visually tell apart in the field that there is a special entry in eBird: “Alder/Willow Flycatcher (Traill’s Flycatcher).” On the other hand, when the adults are calling they are easy to differentiate.

Sedge Wren, Stitsville, Tony Beck. A very atalasible juvenile. The bars on the wings and tail are much darker in the juveniles than on the more muted adults.

Black-crowned Night-Heron, Mud Lake, Ielca Torok. It is not too late to join the Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas. And these juveniles are very atalsible.

Great Blue Heron, Stitsville, Gillian Wright.

Common Goldeneye (3) Jul 21, Andrew Haydon Park, Ottawa.

Lesser Scaup (1) Jul 16-20, Shirley’s Bay, Ottawa. (1) Jul 18, Rapides Deschênes (incluant Parc), Gatineau.

Lesser Black-backed Gull (4) Moodie Drive Quarry, Ottawa.

Red-headed Woodpecker (2-5) Constance Bay, Ottawa. (1) Jul 25, Ottawa Valley Rail Recreational Trail near Almonte, Lanark.

Sedge Wren (4) Stittsville–Trans Canada Trail, Ottawa.

Yellow-throated Vireo (2) Sheila McKee park. One still singing a Blue-headed song.

Philadelphia Vireo (1) Jul 25, Vincent Massey/Hog’s Back Parks, Ottawa. (1) Jul 20, Aylmer rural – secteur sud-ouest, Gatineau.

Tennessee Warbler (1) Jul 13-24, Rockcliffe Airport Woods, Ottawa. (1) Jul 23, Fletcher Wildlife Garden, Ottawa. (1) Jul 20-21, Britannia Ridge, Ottawa. (1) Jul 22, Shirley’s Bay, Ottawa. (1) Jul 21, Kitchissippi Lookout, Ottawa. (1) Jul 21, Poole Creek pond, Ottawa.

Cape May Warbler (1) Jul 20-23, Britannia CA–Britannia Ridge, Ottawa. (3) Jul 19, Birchgove Rd, Sarsfield, Ottawa.

Bay-breasted Warbler (1) Jul 24, Shirley’s Bay, Ottawa. (3) Jul 20-21, Britannia CA (general location), Ottawa. (1) Jul 21, Orleans – Chapel Hill North, Ottawa.

Atlas note: Though peak bird breeding period in Southern Ontario is wrapping up for this year, there is still plenty of evidence to be seen – and heard – in support of the Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas. Please consider converting your eBird reports or those outings to capture incredible bird photographs into valuable data that will help shape conservation efforts for years to come. As the summer progresses, it doesn’t matter if you are walking the dog at home, visiting your friend’s cottage, or enjoying a break in a favourite Provincial Park: almost every bird you encounter can be easily added to the Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas, a once in a generation province-wide community-science effort.

Ottawa and area bird sightings to 18 July 2024

by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca

The rivers are high so look for returning shorebirds in flooded fields. A few new warblers.

Note: Derek got tired typing #YouCanAtlasThat this week, but 9 out of the following 12 photos show fledglings or adults carrying food – all very atlassible.

Common Gallinule, Stonecrest, Gillian Wright. This is probably a second brood as the first chicks were swimming a month ago. Within hours of hatching gallinules are swimming and within a month they may be assisting their parents feed another brood. You can just see the wing spur on the chicks that helps them climb over vegetation.

Green heron, Clyde River, Janet McCullough.

Red-headed Woodpecker, Constance Bay, Janet McCullough. Where’s the red? It is a juvenile!

Female Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Fletcher, Gillian Wright. Their tiny nests are camouflaged with lichen and held together with spiderwebs, allowing the nest to stretch as the nestlings grow.

Black-billed Cuckoo, Pine Grove, Gillian Wright.

Common Yellowthroat fledgling, Pine Grove, Gillian Wright. Fledglings can be very hard to identify. Watch for the parent feeding it.

Common Yellowthroat adult male, Pine Grove, Gillian Wright. Carrying food.

Northern Rough-winged Swallow, Rockcliffe Airport, Gregory Zbitnew. These swallows use burrows created by other birds or mammals such as ground squirrels or humans (for example pipes) in vertical surfaces. Greg shares that they nest under the nearby waterfall. Note the yellow gap of a young bird.

Eastern Phoebe, High Lonesome, Janet McCullough. Note the frayed brown juvenile tail feathers and general unkempt look. This bird was accompanying two well-dressed adults.

American Robin fledgling, Nepean, Derek Dunnett. The spotted breast of a young bird is reminiscent of its thrush relatives. A water feature in a yard will draw in birds that will not come to a feeder

Chipping Sparrow fledgling, Nepean, Derek Dunnett. The plumage seems so unlike the clean look of the parents, and in fact with the looseness of the feathers, they often seem larger than the adults. They have such a distinctive begging song that one can identify the approaching fledglings long before seeing them.

Common Gallinule, Petrie Island, Jim Robertson. Surprisingly common, yet normally challenging to see. The wing spur is more evident on this freshly hatched chick. Jim posted a video of the adult interacting with two chicks: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFgPC_vi6bc.

Red-breasted Merganser (1) Richmond–Fox Run storm water ponds, Ottawa. (1) Jul 07, Britannia Point, Ottawa.

Lesser Scaup (1) Jul 16-17, Shirley’s Bay, Ottawa.

Horned Grebe (1) Jul 15, Shirley’s Bay, Ottawa.

Semipalmated Plover (1) Jul 12,Mer Bleue Bog at Anderson Road, Ottawa.

Lesser Black-backed Gull (8) Moodie Drive Quarry, Ottawa. Mix of adults and second year birds. (1) Jul 15, Marshes Golf Club, Ottawa.

Red-headed Woodpecker (5) Constance Bay, Ottawa. Adults and 3 juveniles.

Sedge Wren (2) Stittsville–Trans Canada Trail, Ottawa. (2) Jul 14, Richmond Fen, Ottawa.

Yellow-throated Vireo (1) Jul14, Ch. de la Sapinière, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais.

Tennessee Warbler (1) Jul 13-14, Rockcliffe Airport Woods, Ottawa.

Cape May Warbler (1) Jul 17, Rockcliffe Airport Woods, Ottawa.

Northern Parula – everywhere.

Bay-breasted Warbler (1) Jul 14, Rockcliffe Airport Woods, Ottawa.

Wilson’s Warbler (1) Jul 17, Rockcliffe Airport Woods, Ottawa.

Ottawa and area bird sightings to 11 July 2024

by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca

The regional slow drip of shorebirds continues, along with a little wave of Northern Parula. Harbingers?

Yellow Warbler fledgling, Pine Grove, Gillian Wright. Gillian reports that Pine Grove has lots of fledgling warblers now. A fledgling confirms breeding. #YouCanAtlasThat

Common Loon, Eastern Ontario, Aaron Hywarren.

Blackburnian Warbler, Eastern Ontario, Aaron Hywarren. Carrying food–as opposed to just eating it immediately–confirms breeding in eBird or the Atlas. #YouCanAtlasThat

Pied-billed Grebe, Eastern Ontario, Ielca Torok. Grebe chicks are well protected from most land-based predators, but the bright colours and stripes still serve as camouflage in their world of reeds and shadows. #YouCanAtlasThat. *Admin note: This photo is posted as an exception from the posting rules (Rule #7) for educational purposes.

Mourning Warbler fledgling, Pine Grove, Gillian Wright. Gillian reports that Pine Grove has many fledgling warblers this week. #YouCanAtlasThat

Hooded Merganser juvenile, Mud Lake, Jim Robertson. Note how the bill hasn’t grown into its final shape yet. Also, out of water like this, the countershading (dark on top/white underneath) pattern is visible. That pattern shows up again and again across waterbirds, sea mammals and fish. #YouCanAtlasThat

Great Egret (and Pied-billed Grebe), Eastern Ontario, Ielca Torok. What’s with the Grebe’s posture? Grebe legs are very far back on their body – they cannot do the Mallard horizontal saunter, and never look graceful on land. But that leg placement allows them to swim powerfully underwater and some species can even run on water during their amazing mating dances.

Yellow-throated Vireo, Murphy’s Point, Nui Esser. Yellow-throated Vireos usually build their nests in mature trees near or over water, so Murphy’s Point has a good population.

Spotted Sandpiper, Giroux Road Pond, Scott Haldane. A few shorebirds breed in the OFNC Circle – American Woodcock, Upland Sandpiper, Killdeer, but the Spotted Sandpiper is the only one of them to actually use shorelines, although they don’t need much of a shore, capable of breeding on muddy ponds and fairly small creeks.

Swamp Sparrow, Old Almonte Road, Arlene Harrold. carrying food. You know the drill – #YouCanAtlasThat.

Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Pine Grove, Christopher Clunas. It is easy to anthropomorphize this somber looking bird. Regretting some life choices perhaps?

Red-breasted Merganser (1) Richmond–Fox Run storm water ponds, Ottawa. (1) Jul 07, Britannia Point, Ottawa.

Lesser Scaup (1) Jul 09, Baie Simard, Gatineau.

Semipalmated Plover (2) Jul 11, Carp River southeast of Carp, Ottawa. (2) Jul 10, Central Experimental Farm, Ottawa.

Semipalmated Sandpiper (4) Jul 10, Mer Bleue Bog at Anderson Road, Ottawa.

Short-billed Dowitcher (6) Jul 10 Moodie Drive Quarry, Ottawa. (1) Jul 08, Carleton Place–Hwy 7 Storm Pond, Lanark.

Great Black-backed Gull (1), Moodie Drive Quarry, Ottawa. First summer bird.

Lesser Black-backed Gull (3) Moodie Drive Quarry, Ottawa.

Red-headed Woodpecker (4) Constance Bay, Ottawa. Parents feeding at least one juvenile. (1) Jul 07, Pierces Corners, Ottawa.

Yellow-throated Vireo (1) Sheila McKee Park, Ottawa. Still singing the Blue-headed song. Have to respect the commitment. (1) Jul 08, Ch. de la Sapinière, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais.

Northern Mockingbird (1), Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport, Ottawa.

Northern Parula:
-Jul 10, Rockcliffe Airport Woods, Ottawa.
-Jul 09, Dunrobin Rd near Galetta Side Rd, Ottawa.
-Jul 07, Fletcher Wildlife Garden, Ottawa.
-Jul 07, Champlain Street Marsh, Ottawa.
-Jul 06, Greenbelt Pathway West, Ottawa.
-Jul 06, Reveler CA, Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry.

Ottawa and area bird sightings to 4 July 2024

by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca

And welcome to fall migration as a few shorebirds trickle back in…

Savannah Sparrow, Frank Kenny Rd, Scott Haldane. Scott’s image shows an alert Savannah Sparrow: as is, it can be added to the Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas as a possible breeding bird in suitable habitat with the press of a button using the Nature Counts app.

Killdeer, Milton Rd, Scott Haldane. This watchful adult Killdeer in the uncultivated part of the field is an appropriate breeding location and could be added to the Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas as a possible breeding bird. Spending a bit more time at the location might reveal young birds.

Least Flycatcher, Stonecrest, Gillian Wright. Not all contributions to the Atlas require confirmed breeding evidence. This singing Least Flycatcher can be added to the Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas as a possible breeding bird. But if Gillian returns to the same site and the same bird is still singing a week later, the breeding evidence is enhanced to a probable breeding bird holding territory.

American Bittern, Stonecrest, Gillian Wright. The Ottawa Region of the Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas covers 86 10×10 km squares in seven counties, including much of Ottawa. American Bitterns have been detected in 49 of 86 squares. Regardless of where located, the Atlas would welcome more reports of this sometimes difficult to find bird.

Veery, Pine Grove, Scott Haldane. The unmistakable and some say haunting song of the Veery can be heard in most sizable woodlots in our region: even singing birds can be added to the Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas as a possible breeding bird.

Northern Waterthrush fledgling, Pine Grove, Scott Haldane. A fledged young bird is confirmed breeding evidence at that location, and would be most welcome in the Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas.

Northern Waterthrush fledgling and adult, Pine Grove, Gillian Wright. Gillian’s observation: The Northern Waterthrush fledgling seemed to still be expecting the adult to shove the food down its throat. The adult patiently kept picking it up and giving it to the chick, while the chick kept dropping it rather than eating it.

Female Canada with fledgling Canada Warbler, Pine Grove, Gillian Wright. Gillian’s sighting is important as the Canada Warbler is Regionally Rare. By adding her observation of confirmed breeding to the Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas at that location, Gillian would be providing important data that will help inform conservation efforts.

Magnolia Warbler, Pine Grove, Gillian Wright. Gillian’s image of an alert Magnolia Warbler in suitable habitat can be easily added to the Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas as a possible breeding bird with the Nature Counts app.

Common Yellowthroat, Pine Grove, Scott Haldane. This singing Common Yellowthroat can be added to the Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas as a possible breeding bird. But if Scott returns to the same site and the same bird is still singing a week later, the breeding evidence is enhanced to a probable breeding bird holding territory

Common Yellowthroat, Beckwith, Sheila Craig. Sheila’s image of an adult carrying food confirms breeding of this Common Yellowthroat: a species that has been found in all 86 squares that make up the Ottawa Region of the Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas. Though common, adding this observation to the Atlas is valuable as it helps to paint a picture of species distribution.

Janet McCullough Eastern Kingbird at Burnt Lands. Janet’s image of an adult Eastern Kingbird carrying food is confirmed breeding evidence at that location and would be most welcome in the Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas.

Janet McCullough Savannah Sparrows at Burnt Lands Janet’s image of an adult Savannah Sparrow carrying food confirms breeding and can be added to the Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas at the press of a button using the Nature Counts app.

Trumpeter Swan (1) (2) Jul 01, Dunrobin (Constance Creek), Ottawa.

Red-breasted Merganser (1) Jul 04, Britannia Point, Ottawa. (1) Jul 03, Richmond–Fox Run stormwater ponds, Ottawa. (9) Jul 02, Andrew Haydon Park, Ottawa.

Greater Scaup (1) Jul 02, Britannia Point, Ottawa. (1) Jun 28, Baie Simard, Gatineau.

Short-billed Dowitcher (1) Jul 02, Carleton Place–Hwy 7 Storm Pond, Lanark. Several other species are present.

Yellow-billed Cuckoo (1) Jul 01, Sheila McKee Park, Ottawa. (1) Jul 01, Houston Cres, Ottawa.

Bonaparte’s Gull (1) Jul 03, Shirley’s Bay (boat launch), Ottawa.

Great Black-backed Gull (3) Jun 28, Moodie Drive Quarry, Ottawa.

Lesser Black-backed Gull (1) Moodie Drive Quarry, Ottawa.

Red-headed Woodpecker (2) Jul 01, Constance Bay, Ottawa.

Red-bellied Woodpecker (1) Jul 01, Domaine de la ferme Moore, Gatineau.

Yellow-throated Vireo (1) Sheila McKee Park, Ottawa.

Northern Mockingbird (1) Jul 03, Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport, Ottawa.

Ottawa and area bird sightings to 27 June 2024

by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca

Take advantage of the quiet to catch up on atlasing or rest up for fall migration which starts … next week with the first returning shorebirds?

Female Canada Warbler, Pine Grove, Gillian Wright. Gillian watched as it collected insects and fed her young. This is Confirmed Breeding for a species that is considered Regionally Rare: as such Gillian’s sighting is significant and should reported to the Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas.

Male Red-breasted Merganser, Richmond stormwater pond, Gillian Wright. An interesting bird that has lingered at this location for several weeks but it is far removed from its typical breeding habitat around the Great Lakes and across the Boreal Shield. Why it has chosen to spend its summer at a stormwater pond in Richmond is anybody’s guess.

Fledgling Rail, Stonecrest, Gillian Wright. Identifying fledglings can be a challenge. Looks very much like a Sora fledgling, but can you completely rule out a Virginia Rail? Sora young remain within their natal territory for two to three weeks post-hatch. Virginia Rails are capable of leaving the nest immediately but typically leave after three or four days. As rail fledglings can be difficult to locate, the Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas would welcome this sighting of confirmed breeding… of a Sora.

Virginia Rail, Stonecrest, Gillian Wright. With its head down, tail erect, and wings spread, this is the seldom-seen distraction display of an adult Virginia Rail near a nest site: Gillian’s sighting confirms breeding, and would be most welcome in the Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas.

Wood Ducks, Britannia, Sheila Craig. Though a common species, the Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas would welcome Sheila’s sighting of fledged young as it confirms breeding of Woods Ducks at Britannia.

American Crows, Pinhey’s Point Historic Site, Sheila Craig. The Ottawa-Gatineau Christmas Bird Count has determined that the annual winter crow roost has well in excess of 30,000 birds. Still, Sheila’s observation of these fledged American Crows confirms breeding and can be added to the Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas.

Barn Swallow, TransCanada Trail, Stittsville. Sheila Craig. Sheila’s sighting of a Barn Swallow carrying nesting material confirms breeding and is welcome in the Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas.

Eastern Meadowlark, Panmure Rd, Sheila Craig. This Eastern Meadowlark carrying food is confirmed breeding for a Species of Interest given increasing habitat loss: as such, Sheila’s sighting is valuable, and should reported to the Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas.

Wild Turkey, Metcalfe, Erik Pohanka. The Wild Turkey was once widespread in Eastern North America but was extirpated in Ontario by 1909. As a result of a restoration program that began in 1984 with the release of 74 wild birds imported from the United States, the species is now widespread throughout Ontario south and east of the Canadian Shield. Erik’s observation of confirmed breeding is an important addition to the Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas.

Eastern Kingbird, High Road, Arlene Harrold. Arlene’s photo of an Eastern Kingbird gathering nesting material confirms breeding and can be added to the Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas.

Song Sparrow, Mountain, Sheila Craig. Fledgling or adult? Regardless, every observation is important to the Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas.

Cedar Waxwings, Pine Grove, Gillian Wright. Gillian’s photograph of courtship behaviour suggests probable breeding in Pine Grove: Cedar Waxwings breed later than many of our local species – nesting often starts in late June — largely because fruit for young is abundant later in the summer. Regardless, it is a valuable observation that would be welcome in the Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas.

Female Common Yellowthroat, Gillian Wright. The Common Yellowthroat is one of the most widespread birds in Ontario. Not surprisingly, it is one of 23 species that has been found in all 86 Atlas Squares in the Ottawa Atlas Region. Still, every sighting – including this female carrying food that confirms breeding – is a welcome addition to the Atlas.

Trumpeter Swan (1) Jun 25, Marais Pierre-Ménard, Gatineau. (5) Jun 25, Dunrobin (Constance Creek), Ottawa. (2) Jun 25, Moodie Drive Quarry, Ottawa. Southwest corner. (1) Marlborough Forest, Ottawa.

Red-breasted Merganser (1) Jun27, Richmond–Fox Run storm water ponds, Ottawa.

Yellow-billed Cuckoo (1) Jun 25-27, Sheila McKee Park, Ottawa.

Caspian Tern (2) Anywhere along the Ottawa River from Petrie Island to Constance Creek and anywhere in between, plus the Moodie Drive Quarry.

Yellow-throated Vireo (2) Sheila McKee Park, Ottawa. One still singing a Blue-headed Vireo song.

Brewster’s Warbler (F1 hybrid) (1) Jun 22, Extrémité Ch. de l’Hôtel de Ville, Luskville, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais.

Pine Siskin (1) Jun 25, Fletcher Wildlife Garden, Ottawa. (1) Jun 22, Quigley Hill Rd, Ottawa.

Tennessee Warbler (1) Jun 27, Sheila McKee Park, Ottawa.

eBird tip: Fledgling American Crows are now everywhere, sometimes sounding so much like Fish Crows that they fool Merlin.

Atlas note: Peak bird breeding period in Southern Ontario continues until 10 July. If you are out and about, remember that almost every bird you encounter can be added to the Third Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas: a once in a generation province-wide community-science effort to provide data that will help shape conservation efforts for years to come.

Every observation is welcome and valued: whether a bird seen or heard in appropriate habitat (possible breeding) through to a bird carrying nesting material or food (confirmed breeding).

Many observers have now switched their bird reporting from the eBird app to the Nature Counts atlassing app. It is a simple and efficient way to add your sightings to the Atlas project and it can be configured to automatically and seamlessly share your Atlas observations with your eBird account.

For more information on the Atlas, please visit www.birdsontario.org or contact the Ottawa Regional Coordinator at Ottawa@birdsontario.org

Ottawa and area bird sightings to 20 June 2024

by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca

A relatively quiet week with nothing to argue over other than whether the shorebirds are headed north or south, or why that Yellow-throated Vireo thinks it is a Blue-headed Vireo.

PLEASE NOTE: Because of the vulnerability of young animals, we do not publish nest or den locations and usually don’t allow photos of nests. We sometimes make exceptions – as we did this week – for educational content or to support valuable efforts such as the Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas.

Tree Swallow, Janet McCullough. An adult visiting an active nest whether in a natural cavity or a purpose built house is always a joy to behold. But it is also a valuable observation that confirms breeding and is a welcome addition to the Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas.

Eastern Kingbird, Janet McCullough. Photo taken from a safe distance with zoom. Unconcerned parents continued feeding at least three nestlings during the brief visit. Observing adult birds carrying food or being fortunate enough to see a nest site can be added to the Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas. (And it was atlased – Derek)

Ovenbird, Gillian Wright. The Ovenbirds’ amp’d up defence this week hints at nearby fledglings. Though no fledglings were encountered, Gillian’s observation of agitated behaviour would be most welcome in the Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas as probable breeding evidence.

Tree Swallows, Christopher Clunas.

Common Yellowthroat, Gillian Wright. Although we can find hundreds of these birds across our region, Gillian’s sighting is important to the Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas: it is an adult carrying food for young and confirms breeding at that location.

Black-and-white Warbler, Gillian Wright. This adult bird was observed carrying nesting material: a simple way to confirm breeding at that location for the Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas.

Brown Creeper, Gillian Wright. This week it was possible to watch and hear families of Creepers with the loud fledglings following the parents around while begging constantly. Though a common species at this location, adding this wonderful but simple observation of confirmed breeding is a valuable contribution to the overall success of the Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas.

Chestnut-sided Warbler, Gillian Wright.

Trumpeter Swan (2) Moodie Drive Quarry, Ottawa. (1) Jun 16, Marais des Laîches, Gatineau. (1) Jun 15, Stonecrest Rd, Ottawa.

Brant (Branta bernicla) (1) Jun 15, Rideau Falls, Ottawa .

Red-breasted Merganser (1) Jun 20, Richmond–Fox Run storm water ponds, Ottawa. (3) Jun 16, Britannia CA (general location), Ottawa.

Common Goldeneye (1) Jun 13, Bate Island, Ottawa.

Horned Grebe (1) Jun 14, -Shirley’s Bay, Ottawa.

Lesser Scaup (1) Jun 17, Embrum Lagoons (limited access), Prescott & Russell.

Semipalmated Plover (2) Jun 15, Fourth Line Rd and Callendor Rd flooded fields, Ottawa. (1) Jun 13, East of Mud Lake, Ottawa.

White-rumped Sandpiper (7) Jun 20, Roger Stevens Dr, Ottawa (between 3rd line and the 416).

Bonaparte’s Gull (2) Jun 18, Britannia CA–Filtration Plant/Point, Ottawa

Franklin’s Gull (2) Jun 11 – 17. Rapides Deschênes, Gatineau. Given their habit of reappearing, one or more might still be around.

Lesser Black-backed Gull (1) Moodie Drive Quarry, Ottawa.

Caspian Tern (3) Jun 16, Moodie Drive Quarry, Ottawa.

Red-headed Woodpecker (3) Continuing, Goodin St, Ottawa. (1) Jun 17, Pinhey’s Point Historic Site, Ottawa.

Yellow-throated Vireo (1) Sheila McKee Park, Ottawa. Singing a Blue-headed Vireo song.

Northern Mockingbird (1), Ottawa International Airport, Ottawa.

Blue-winged Warbler (1) Jun 16, Extrémité Ch. de l’Hôtel de Ville, Luskville, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais.

Brewster’s Warbler (F1 hybrid) (1) Jun 18, Extrémité Ch. de l’Hôtel de Ville, Luskville, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais.

Every observation is welcome and valued: whether a bird seen or heard in appropriate habitat (possible breeding) through to a bird carrying nesting material or food (confirmed breeding).

For more information on the Atlas, please visit www.birdsontario.org or contact the Ottawa Regional Coordinator at Ottawa@birdsontario.org

Ottawa and area bird sightings to 13 June 2024

by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca

Hot Gull Summer continues with surprise visits from 3 Franklins’ Gulls.

Mallards, Scott Haldane. If found in Ontario, this group of cute-as-a-button Mallards could be atlassed as “Fledged Young” (Confirmed Breeding).

Pied-billed Grebe, Ielca Torok. This vigilant Pie-billed Grebe is demonstrating behaviour suggesting a nest site. It can be atlassed in two clicks on the Nature Counts atlas app as “Adult entering, occupying, or leaving a nest” which confirms breeding.

Sandhill Cranes, Scott Haldane. Although these Sandhill Cranes with their young colt were observed in Québec, adult pairs across the Ottawa Region are being observed with colts and can be atlassed as “Fledged Young” (Confirmed Breeding).

Great Crested Flycatcher, Fletcher Wildlife Garden, Christopher Clunas. How easy can your observations be added to the atlas? As this Great-crested Flycatcher is present in suitable habitat in its breeding season, it can be added to the Atlas even though it was only seen (and probably heard). The Atlas welcomes all observations, even if it only suggests possible breeding.

Female Scarlet Tanager, Pine Grove, Derek Dunnett. The tanager violently subdued the large beetle, then prepped the meal by removing the elyta (the hard and indigestible wing covers) before carrying the nutritious meal back to its young. This entire episode was atlassed as “Carrying Food” which confirms breeding.

Tree Swallow, Scott Haldane. If a nest box is found in Ontario and you see an “Adult entering, occupying, or leaving a nest” you can add each of your observations to the Atlas as confirmed breeding.

Bonus Tree Swallow by Scott.

Trumpeter Swan (2) Moodie Drive Quarry, Ottawa. (1) Jun 10, Marais des Laîches, Gatineau.

Mute Swan (2) Jun 10, – Baie de Lochaber, Papineau.

Red-breasted Merganser (1) Jun 13, Richmond–Fox Run stormwater ponds, Ottawa. (11) Jun 09, Champlain Park Woods-Remic Rapids Loop, Ottawa. Female with 10 ducklings.

Lesser Scaup (1) Jun 09, Almonte Lagoons, Lanark.

Yellow-billed Cuckoo (1) Jun 09, Ch Carnochan, Chelsea, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais.

Semipalmated Plover (1) Jun 11, Mer Bleue Bog at Anderson Road, Ottawa. (2) Jun 11, Parc Brébeuf, Gatineau. (1) Jun 09, Fourth Line Rd and Callendor Rd flooded fields, Ottawa.

White-rumped Sandpiper (1) Jun 11, Mer Bleue Bog at Anderson Road, Ottawa. (1) Jun 11, Carleton Place–Hwy 7 Storm Pond, Lanark. (1) Jun 10, Petrie Island, Ottawa. (1) Jun 08, Holland’s Marsh, Ottawa.

Semipalmated Sandpiper (2) Jun 12, Mer Bleue Bog at Anderson Road, Ottawa. (13) Jun 11, Wall Road, Ottawa. (1) Jun 10, Petrie Island, Ottawa.

Bonaparte’s Gull (16) Rapides Deschênes, often visible from either side of the river, sitting on rocks or hawking below the rapids.

Franklin’s Gull (2) Jun 11 – 12. Rapides Deschênes, often visible from either side of the river, best chance with a scope. First year birds with partial hoods. (1) Jun 11 Mer Bleue Bog at Anderson Road, Ottawa. Adult with full hood. So at least 3 distinct birds on the 11th.

Lesser Black-backed Gull (1) Moodie Drive Quarry, Ottawa.

Caspian Tern (3) Jun 13, Ottawa–Moodie Drive Quarry. (3) Jun 13, Britannia CA (general location), Ottawa.
(1) Jun 10, Fourth Line Rd and Callendor Rd flooded fields, Ottawa.

Red-headed Woodpecker (2) Goodin St, Ottawa.

Yellow-throated Vireo (1) Sheila McKee Park, Ottawa.

Northern Mockingbird (1), Ottawa International Airport, Ottawa.

Blue-winged Warbler (1) Burnt Lands Provincial Park, Ottawa. (1) Jun 11, Extrémité Ch. de l’Hôtel de Ville, Luskville, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais.

Brewster’s Warbler (F1 hybrid) (1) Jun 12, Extrémité Ch. de l’Hôtel de Ville, Luskville, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais.

White-winged Crossbill (4) Jun 10, Elmvale Acres, Ottawa.

Every observation is welcome and valued: whether a bird seen or heard in appropriate habitat (possible breeding) through to a bird carrying nesting material or food (confirmed breeding).

For more information on the Atlas, please visit www.birdsontario.org or contact the Ottawa Regional Coordinator at Ottawa@birdsontario.org

Ottawa and area bird sightings to 6 June 2024

by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca

First 4 photos from Aaron Hywarren for the Breeding Bird Atlas All were found outside the usual hotspots. A bonus from atlasing is finding your own great birding spots.

A Mourning Warbler in southeast Ottawa. Its presence in appropriate habitat during its breeding season can be atlassed as a possible breeding bird. But if you return to the same site a week later and encounter the same bird, you can atlas it is a probable breeding bird.

A singing Canada Warbler in south Ottawa. Their big emphatic “chip-chupety” song can be heard for some distance in forests with dense understory and moist, poorly drained areas also favoured by mosquitos. This singing bird can be atlassed as a possible breeding bird.

A Chestnut-sided Warbler carrying food can be atlassed as confirmed breeding: that juicy bug will soon find its way into a nest with young.

It pays to take a moment to carefully examine birds in appropriate habitat: this pair of adult Sandhill Cranes in Lanark County had a fledged colt with them, confirming breeding.

American Woodcock, Dolman Ridge Road, Gillian Wright. Although Woodcock don’t form pair bonds and are almost identical in appearance (the female is larger and the males do the display flights) this bird is in ideal habitat and could be atlassed as a possible breeder.

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Dolman Ridge Road, Gillian Wright. Gillian suggests that “the Sapsucker is lucky there is no hydro attached any more. Just pounding away on the electrical box.” The sapsucker isn’t trying to dig out insects – this species is known to use metal signs, boxes, and flashing, to amplify the sound of their territorial drumming. Because this adult bird is producing sounds associated with breeding (calls or drumming) in suitable nesting habitat during the species’ breeding season, observers can atlas this bird as a possible breeding bird.

Palm warbler, Mer Bleu, Gillian Wright. The Mer Bleue is a known site for this species and visitors have encountered singing adult birds for weeks. As a result, Gillian can Atlas this bird as a bird on territory – a probable breeder – with two simple clicks on the NatureCounts Atlas app.

Eastern Kingbird, Claybank, Anne Burnette. This bird was chasing off other species and giving birders the evil eye: it is typical behaviour for this species so observers will need to look for other behavioural cues to determine whether it can be confidently atlassed as a possible, probable, or confirmed breeder.

A very accommodating Little Gull performing off Britannia Point.

Trumpeter Swan (2) Jun 06, Moodie Drive Quarry, Ottawa. (1) Jun01, Stonecrest Rd, Ottawa.

Lesser Scaup (1) Jun 01, Piste cyc. Sentier des Voyageurs–Pont Champlain<–>Parc des Rapides-Deschênes, Gatineau.

White-winged Scoter (20) Jun 03, Britannia Point, Ottawa.

Common Goldeneye (1) Jun 05, Bate Island, Ottawa.

Yellow-billed Cuckoo (1) May 31-Jun 03, Ch Carnochan, Chelsea, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais.

Lesser Yellowlegs (2) Jun 06, Fourth Line Rd and Callendor Rd flooded fields, Ottawa.

Greater Yellowlegs (2) Jun 04, Fourth Line Rd and Callendor Rd flooded fields, Ottawa.

Little Gull (1) Jun 04-05, Britannia CA–Filtration Plant/Point, Ottawa. “1st year, dark M on back.”

Lesser Black-backed Gull (4) Moodie Drive Quarry, Ottawa.

Caspian Tern (1) Jun 05, Britannia CA–Filtration Plant/Point, Ottawa. Caspian Tern (1) May31, Andrew Haydon Park, Ottawa.

Arctic Tern (3) Jun 04, Britannia CA (general location), Ottawa.

Red-headed Woodpecker (2) Goodin St, Ottawa.

Yellow-throated Vireo (1) Jun 03-06, Sheila McKee Park, Ottawa. (1) Jun 03-04, Malakoff Rd, Ottawa. Jun 01, Greenbelt Pathway W (S of Carling Ave), Ottawa. (1) May 31, Stonecrest Ottawa.

Northern Mockingbird (1), Ottawa International Airport, Ottawa.

Blue-winged Warbler (1) Burnt Lands Provincial Park, Ottawa.

Brewster’s Warbler (hybrid) continues, Extrémité Ch. de l’Hôtel de Ville, Luskville, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais.

Lincoln’s Sparrow (1) Jun 01, Mer Bleue Bog at Anderson Road, Ottawa.

Hooded Warbler (1) Jun 02, Parc de la Gatineau, sentier 53, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais.

Northern Parula (1) Jun 05, Dunrobin Road, Ottawa.

Every observation is welcome and valued: whether a bird seen or heard in appropriate habitat (possible breeding) through to a bird carrying nesting material or food (confirmed breeding).

For more information on the Atlas, please visit www.birdsontario.org or contact the Ottawa Regional Coordinator at Ottawa@birdsontario.org

Ottawa and area bird sightings to 31 May 2024

by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca

Over the river a few migrating Arctic Terns, and a Parasitic Jaeger put in a couple of appearances. Early in the week a shy and distant Red Knot caused excitement and eye strain.

Male bobolink, Stonecrest, Gillian Wright. From a distance, just another blackbird with a weird song. But up close? Stunning.

Sora, Stonecrest, Gillian Wright. Appearing round from this angle, rails are laterally compressed, and well, rail-thin, allowing them to move among grasses and reeds without disturbing them or giving away the bird’s presence.

Common Gallinule, Stonecrest, Gillian Wright. Ok, ‘most rails’ are laterally compressed. The rail feet are visible here, but gallinules spend more time swimming than other rails.

Common Merganser, Scott Haldane. 10 chicks are possible for a single brood. But when you see a mother trailed by 20 chicks, brood parasitism is likely.

Common Goldeneye, Britannia, Sai Wai Ip. Like mergansers, goldeneyes are cavity nesters. This individual has been reported to be very aggressive in keeping other birds away from her remaining chick.

Dunlin, Britannia, Britannia, Sai Wai Ip.

Black-and-white Warbler, Pine Grove, Gillian Wright. Finally a well-named warbler! Gillian observed this female gathering nesting material as her mate watched.

Cedar Waxwing, Britannia, Christopher Clunas. Soon the waxwing flocks will break up and they will pair up for breeding. But right now they are flocking to the river at Britannia to hawk mayflies.

Northern Parula, Britannia, Alan Short.

Magnolia Warbler, Britannia, Alan Short.

Female American Redstart, Britannia, Christopher Clunas. Now that most of the migrating warblers have passed through, the Redstart vies with the Yellow Warbler as our most common singing warbler.

Male American Redstart, Britannia, Alan Short.

Snow Goose (1) May 26, Innis Point Bird Observatory, Ottawa.

Trumpeter Swan (3) May 29, Stonecrest Rd, Ottawa. (1) May 26, Marais des Laîches, Gatineau. (2) May 26, Dunrobin (Carp Hills), Ottawa. (2) May 25, Fourth Line Rd and Callendor Rd flooded fields, Ottawa. (2) May 24, Richmond CA (formerly Richmond Sewage Lagoons), Ottawa.

Snow Goose (1) May 21, Hunt Club Road, Ottawa. Blue phase. Flyover with Brant.

Greater Scaup (1) May 28, Shirley’s Bay, Ottawa.

Lesser Scaup (1) May 27, Almonte Lagoons, Lanark.

Common Goldeneye (3) Britannia CA (general location), Ottawa. May 26 Male, may 25 female with chick.

Ruddy Duck (1) May 26, Marais des Laîches, Gatineau.

Red-necked Grebe (1) May 25, Innis Point Bird Observatory, Ottawa.

Yellow-billed Cuckoo (1) May 26, Burnt Lands Provincial Park, Ottawa.

Wilson’s Phalarope (2) May 26, Twin Elm Road Wetlands, Ottawa.

Red Knot (1) May 24, Fourth Line Rd and Callendor Rd flooded fields, Ottawa

Parasitic Jaeger (1) May 27, 30, Shirley’s Bay (boat launch), Ottawa. Always rare, but especially so in May.

Lesser Black-backed Gull (4) Moodie Drive Quarry, Ottawa. (1) Trail Road Landfill, Ottawa. (2) May 25, Britannia CA–Filtration Plant/Point, Ottawa.

Caspian Tern (1) May 29, Andrew Haydon Park, Ottawa. (2) May 28, Shirley’s Bay, Ottawa.

Arctic Tern (6) May 25, Dick Bell Park, Ottawa. (1) May 26, 29, Rapides Deschênes (incluant Parc), Gatineau. (1) May 28, Britannia CA (general location), Ottawa. (7) May 27, Shirley’s Bay (boat launch), Ottawa.

Red-Bellied Woodpecker (1) May 30, Dolman Ridge Road, Ottawa. (1) May 29, Flag Station road, Ottawa. May 28, Innis Point Bird Observatory, Ottawa.

Red-headed Woodpecker (2) Goodin St, Ottawa.

Yellow-throated Vireo (1) May 26, Jock River Between Munster And Joy., Ottawa.

Northern Mockingbird (2) May 26, Ottawa International Airport, Ottawa.

Orchard Oriole (1) Was reported May 25, Glen Cairn area, Ottawa.

Blue-winged Warbler (2) Burnt Lands Provincial Park, Ottawa. (1) May 28, Extrémité Ch. de l’Hôtel de Ville, Luskville, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais. F1 Hybrid reported at same location.

Western Tanager (1) Was reported May 23, Kenworth Avenue, Ottawa.

Every observation is welcome and valued: whether a bird seen or heard in appropriate habitat (possible breeding) through to a bird carrying nesting material or food (confirmed breeding).

For more information on the Atlas, please visit www.birdsontario.org or contact the Ottawa Regional Coordinator at Ottawa@birdsontario.org

Ottawa and area bird sightings to 24 May 2024

by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca

Exciting birding continues, even as warbler migration tapers off. Last weekend was the annual Arctic tern migration, and a Yellow-headed Blackbird turned up in Alfred on May 24.

Blackburnian Warbler, Mud Lake, Alan Short. The Blackburnian Warbler is due for a name change, and it’s a real shame that Flame-throated Warbler is already taken.

Bay-breasted Warbler, Mud lake, Alan Short. Another gorgeous Warbler with a weak name. Bay-throated? Bay-capped? Bay-flanked? Bay-collared? Bay everywhere except the breast…

Yellow-throated vireo, Pine Grove, Gillian Wright. If you only bird on the land, this vireo seems very rare in Ottawa. But take a quiet boat trip along a tree-lined river such as the Jock River, and you’ll be surprised at how many you can hear singing from high in the trees over the water.

Cape May Warbler, Mud Lake, Christopher Clunas. Does not breed at Cape May. Are all warblers terribly named?

Northern Shoveler, Mud Lake, Christopher Clunas. Can’t argue with that name, although the duck uses the bill as a strainer, not a shovel.

Red-necked Phalarope, Limebank, Gillian Wright. A real northern breeder, the closest they breed to us is the edge of James Bay.

Pied-billed Grebe, Jubilee Park, Ielca Torok. What’s cooler than our smallest grebe? Their awesome floating nests! It’s a great solution to ground-based nest predators.

Ruby-throated Hummingbird, near Vars, Erin Durant.

Great Crested Flycatcher, near Larose Forest, Erin Durant. Erin observed this bird checking out an old woodpecker hole, but it chose to nest elsewhere.

Piping Plover, Petrie Island, Gillian Wright. Here for just two glorious days, hopefully it headed back to the Great Lakes and a better chance of finding a mate. Why so pale? Perfect camouflage for breeding on sandy beaches, a habit that leads to frequent conflict with people.

Mystery Sparrow, rural Ottawa, Sanam Goudarzi. An awesome example of how different a bird can look when wet. What is it, and why?

Brewster’s Warbler, Gatineau Park, Tony Beck. Brewster’s are first generation hybrids of Golden-winged and Blue-winged Warblers.

Wilson’s Warbler, Transcanada Trail in Stittsville (a great birding walk), Catherine Lawrence. Another bird about to be renamed. Any suggestions?

Snow Goose (1) May 21, Hunt Club Road, Ottawa. Blue phase. Flyover with Brant.

Harlequin Duck (2) May 16, Rapides Deschênes (incluant Parc), Gatineau

Surf Scoter (1) May 21, Petrie Island, Ottawa

Piping Plover (1). May 11-12, Petrie Island, Ottawa.

Red-necked Phalarope (1) May 20, Limebank Rd, Ottawa.

Lesser Black-backed Gull (1) May 18, Moodie Drive Quarry, Ottawa.

Arctic Tern (30) May 20, Rapides Deschênes (incluant Parc), Gatineau. (41) May 20, Shirley’s Bay (boat launch), Ottawa. Presumably the same group on their annual gettogether weekend tour of the region.

Red-headed Woodpecker (2) Goodin St, Ottawa. (1) May 17, Rue Wells, Gatineau.

Yellow-throated Vireo (1) May 19, Pine grove trail, Ottawa.

Yellow-headed Blackbird (1) May 23, Alfred Sewage Lagoons, Prescott and Russell. Outside the OFNC circle, but a cool bird worth seeking out.

Blue-winged Warbler (2) May 20-23, Burnt Lands Provincial Park, Ottawa. (1) May 19, Extrémité Ch. de l’Hôtel de Ville, Luskville, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais.

Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos) (1) May 23, Riverfront Trail, Mississippi Mills, Lanark. Back on territory at the Ottawa Airport as usual.

Atlas note: Peak bird breeding period in Southern Ontario begins on Friday 24 May and continues through to 10 July. If you are out and about, remember that almost every bird you encounter can be added to the Third Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas: a once in a generation province-wide community-science effort to provide data that will help shape conservation efforts for years to come.

Every observation is welcome and valued: whether a bird seen or heard in appropriate habitat (possible breeding) through to a bird carrying nesting material or food (confirmed breeding).

For more information on the Atlas, please visit www.birdsontario.org or contact the Ottawa Regional Coordinator at Ottawa@birdsontario.org

Ottawa and area bird sightings to 9 May 2024

by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca

Another exciting migration week: Golden-winged warbler and Northern Mockingbird both showed up at Britannia. Most warbler’s no longer unleash the eBird “R.” A pulse of Black-throated Blue Warblers on May 08-09 was fun and beautiful.

Veery, Fletcher Wildlife Garden, Sanam Goudarzi.

Cape May Warbler, Lochaber, Scott Haldane.

Great Crested Flycatcher, Bruce Pit, Catherine Lawrence.

Canada Goose, Bruce Pit, Catherine Lawrence.

Black-and-white Warbler, Pine Grove, Gillian Wright.

Clay-colored Sparrow, Britannia, Gillian Wright.

Black-throated Blue Warbler, Mud Lake, Alan Short.

Baltimore Oriole, Mud Lake, Alan Short.

Black-crowned Nightheron, Mud Lake, Alan Short.

Yellow Warbler, Mud Lake, Alan Short.

Bay-breasted Warbler, Pine Grove, Gillian Wright.

White-crowned Sparrow, Mud Lake, Gillian Wright.

Mystery thrush, Pine Grove Gillian Wright.

Northern Shoveler, Mud Lake, Christopher Clunas.

Northern Pintail (Anas acuta) (3) May 09, . Fourth Line Rd and Callendor Rd flooded fields, Ottawa.

Harlequin Duck (2) May 05-07, Baie Simard, Gatineau. Female.

Surf Scoter (3) May 04, Shirley’s Bay (boat launch), Ottawa.

Lesser Black-backed Gull (1) May 04, 09, Moodie Drive Quarry, Ottawa, Ontario.

Iceland Gull (1) May 09, Moodie Drive Quarry, Ottawa.

Caspian Tern (1) May 07, Ottawa River Westboro, Ottawa. (2) May 04, Marais aux Grenouillettes, Gatineau. (2) May 04, Marais des Laîches, Gatineau.

Rough-legged Hawk (1) May 03, Britannia CA (general location), Ottawa.

Red-headed Woodpecker (2) May 09, Goodin St, Ottawa.

Red-bellied Woodpecker (1) May 09, Britannia CA, Ottawa. (1) May 04, Shirley’s Bay (boat launch), Ottawa.

Olive-sided Flycatcher (1) May 07, Parc Marlene-Goyet, Gatineau.

Philadelphia Vireo (1) May 08, Parc de la Gatineau–Relais Huron, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais.

Bohemian Waxwing (4) May 08, Domaine de la ferme Moore, Gatineau. (1) May 06, Britannia CA–Britannia Ridge, Ottawa. (1) May 05, Centrepointe Park, Ottawa.

Golden-winged Warbler (1) May 06, Parc Guillot & Marais Lamoureux, Gatineau. (1) May 05-06, Britannia CA–Britannia Ridge, Ottawa.

Blue-winged Warbler (2) May 07, Ramsay Conc. 5a, Lanark.

Orange-crowned Warbler (1) May 07, Fletcher Wildlife Garden, Ottawa. (1) May 06, Britannia CA (Britannia Ridge), Ottawa. (1) May 04, Rapides Deschênes (incluant Parc), Gatineau. (1) May 04, Bruce Pit, Ottawa.

Mourning Warbler (1) May 07, East of Champlain Marsh, Ottawa. (1) May 04, Fine Estate, Ottawa.

Northern Mockingbird (1) May 09, Frank Ryn & Elmhurst Parks, Ottawa. (1) May 06, Fine Estate, Ottawa. (1) May 04-06, Imp de la Pommeraie, Gatineau. (1) May 04-05, Britannia CA, Ottawa. (1) May 05, lac mcgregor sud est, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais. So many birds outside the usual breeding spot?

Ottawa and area bird sightings to 2 May 2024

by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca

An exciting week of migrants: A Prairie Warbler and a White-eyed Vireo to whet the appetite of the spring listers, and 14 warbler species with a big influx of new birds on May 02. And the first hummingbird of the year!

Great Blue Heron, Mud Lake, Sanam Goudarzi. The Heron caught the Northern Pike in the lake. Once a Pike gets this big, it doesn’t have many non-human predators.

American Bittern, Munster Road, Tony Beck.

Male Least Bittern, Petrie Island, Tony Beck. Why does the smaller Least use deeper water than the much larger American Bittern? It’s so small and light that it can hunt while grasping reeds, and doesn’t rely on touching the bottom.

Merlin, Moodie/Cambrian, Arlene Harrold. Merlin consume a mostly avian diet, like this unfortunate Junco.

Eastern Phoebe, Stitsville, Janet McCullough. Carrying nesting material, the Phoebe waited until the birders moved on before returning to the nest.

Chipping Sparrow, Mud Lake, Alan Short. Three weeks ago almost all the trillers were Dark-eyed Juncos. Over those weeks the balance has shifted as many Juncos headed north and now most birds singing trills in our suburbs are now Chipping Sparrows claiming territory.

Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Terry Carisse Park, Dan Vasiu. One of the most prolific singers last week. Only the males have red crests. The red is hidden unless the bird is excited.

Brown-headed Cowbirds, Terry Carisse Park, Arlene Harrold.

Adult Broad-winged Hawk, Leonard, Ontario, Tony Beck.

Purple Finch, Nortel Marsh, Sanam Goudarzi.

Eastern Kingbird, Mud lake, Alan Short. That tail dipped in white paint makes this one for the few easy-to-id flycatchers.

Adult male breeding Cape May Warbler, Petrie Island, Tony Beck.

Adult male Yellow-rumped Warbler, Mud lake, Alan Short.

Scaup, Mud Lake, Alan Short.

Brant (109) May 01, Deschenes Rapids Lookout, Ottawa. (200) Apr 30, Parc Brébeuf, Gatineau. (2) Apr 28, Parc Guillot & Marais Lamoureux, Gatineau.

White-winged Scoter (5) Apr 26, Shirley’s Bay, Ottawa.

Ruby-throated Hummingbird (1) Apr 30, Craighall Circle, Ottawa.

American Golden-Plover (2) Apr 28, Holland’s Marsh, Ottawa. A rare spring sighting.

Bonaparte’s Gull (2) Apr 29, Britannia Park (pier), Ottawa.

Lesser Black-backed Gull (2) May 02, Britannia Park (pier), Ottawa. (1) Apr 28, Roger Stevens Dr. east of Third Line Rd, Ottawa. (1) Moodie Drive Quarry, Ottawa. (7) Apr 27, Old Richmond Rd near Steeple Hill Cr, Ottawa.

Red-bellied Woodpecker (1) Apr 28, Ch Fer- à-Cheval/sentier des Libellules, Gatineau.

Great Crested Flycatcher: Arrived Apr 28, common by Apr 29.

White-eyed Vireo (1) Apr 27, 28, Terry Carisse Park, Ottawa

Marsh Wren (6) May 02, Former rail trail west of Stonecrest Road, Ottawa. (1) May 02, Petrie Island (Causeway), Ottawa. (1) May 01, Dunrobin (Constance Lake area), Ottawa.

Wood Thrush (1) Apr 29, Greenbelt Pathway (East/West of Conroy), Ottawa. (1) Apr 28, Greenbelt Pathway West, Ottawa.

Snow Bunting (2) Apr 26, Ottawa International Airport, Ottawa.

Lincoln’s Sparrow (1) May 01, Fletcher Wildlife Garden, Ottawa. (1) Apr 30, Mer Bleue Bog, Ottawa.

Bobolink (1) Apr 28, Holland’s Marsh, Ottawa.

Baltimore Oriole: everywhere.

Warbler summary

Ovenbird (1) Apr 30, Kizell Pond, Ottawa. (1) Apr 29, 30, Dobson Lane, Ottawa.
Orange-crowned Warbler (1) Apr 28, Britannia CA (general location), Ottawa. Along the lake path south of Cassels.
Nashville Warbler – everywhere.
American Redstart – everywhere starting May 2.
Cape May Warbler: Arrived May 02 Twin Elm Rd, Richmond, Rockcliffe Airport Woods, Bruce Pit, Britannia, Ottawa.
Northern Parula: everywhere starting May 2.
Blackburnian Warbler (1) Apr 29, Promenade de la Gatineau, Gatineau. Apr 30, Beaver Pond Trail, Ottawa.
Chestnut-sided Warbler (1) May 02, Mer Bleue Bog Trail, Ottawa.
Black-throated Blue Warbler Britannia CA (general location), Ottawa. (1) May 02 (1) Apr 30, Beaver Pond Trail, Ottawa.
Prairie Warbler (1) Apr 27, Fletcher Wildlife Garden, Ottawa.
Black-throated Green Warbler: Arrived Apr 27, ubiquitous by Apr 28.

Scarlet Tanager (1) May 02, Britannia CA (general location), Ottawa. (1) May 02, Wolf Grove Road, Lanark. (2) Apr 27, Strathcona Park, Ottawa.

Atlas note: Are you encountering Black-capped Chickadees excavating nest sites? Eastern Phoebes carrying nesting material? Canada Goose goslings? The Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas – one of Ontario’s largest citizen science projects – welcomes your observations. The Atlas is a once in a generation opportunity to provide important data that will help inform conservation policies for years to come. #youcanatlasthat anywhere in Ontario via the NatureCounts app, the Atlas website, or by taking 90 seconds to import an eBird checklist. For more on the Atlas, visit www.birdsontario.org, contact the Ottawa Regional Coordinator at Ottawa@birdsontario.org, or have a look at this short video on the Atlas at https://youtu.be/mmrgVjmn5Gc?si=mqMrShq7U5veXaci

Ottawa and area bird sightings to 25 April 2024

by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca

More warblers, and a higher volume of singing birds in general. Can’t walk without flushing flocks of juncos; can’t escape the song of the Ruby-crowned Kinglet.

Female and Male Ring-necked Ducks, Mud Lake, Alan Short. In many duck species, the female has darker eyes, as fits their better camouflaged plumage.

Male & Female Northern Flicker, Mud Lake, Alan Short. Flickers rely mostly on ants, which is why they feed on the ground more than other woodpeckers.

Crow chasing Turkey Vulture, Billing’s Bridge, Alan Short. Why do Crows and other species chase off Vultures? Because they look like predators? Because they compete for roadkill?

Winter Wren, Pine Grove, Gillian Wright. Of the migratory wrens in our region, Winter Wrens are the first to return and start singing.

Brown Creeper, Pine Grove, Gillian Wright. Another early singer, Brown Creepers start singing while the snow is still on the ground.

Wild Turkey, Mud Lake, Sanam Goudarzi. Note how blue this male’s colour-changing face is in this pic.

Male Hooded Merganser, Mud Lake, Sanam Goudarzi.

Northern Rough-winged Swallow, Mud Lake, Sanam Goudarzi. Note the translucence of the flight feathers, a species marker. Rough-winged Swallows use burrows excavated by other species, including humans, and can be seen flying into tiny drain pipes along the canal.

Ruby-Crowned Kinglet, Davidson Road, Arlene Harrold. The unusual front and back eye pale arcs are much easier to see than the crown.

Male Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Davidson Road, Arlene Harrold.

Male Red-winged Blackbird, Britannia, Lorraine Elworthy. Hyper-territorial birds such as the Red-winged will sometimes pick fights with their own reflection, or even humans.

Male Red-winged Blackbird, Britannia, Lorraine Elworthy. Victory!

Male Northern Flicker excavating a roost, Arlene Harrold. But there is one inches away? Flickers have high site fidelity, and do reuse nests, especially successful ones, but about a quarter of cavities are created new each year. The abandoned cavities provide opportunities for many other cavity nesters.

Eastern Phoebe, Mud lake, Alan Short. How does a bird that specializes in flying insects survive arriving so early in our region? By now, we can guess the answer – like other early arrivals, they can eat fruit and seeds when insects are unavailable.

Ross’s Goose (1) Until Apr 21, Navan (Giroux Road Ponds), Ottawa. (1) Apr 21, Frank Kenny Road (bridge), Ottawa.

Trumpeter Swan (2) Apr 20, 23, Stittsville–Trans Canada Trail – Jinkinson Rd, Ottawa. (1) Apr 20, PN de Plaisance–Marais Perras, Papineau. (2) Apr 19, 20, Former rail trail west of Stonecrest Road, Ottawa. (3) Apr 20, Shirley’s Bay, Ottawa. (2) Apr 18, Dunrobin Shore, Ottawa.

Ruddy Duck (1) Almonte Lagoons, Lanark. Female replaced by male.

Chimney Swift (2) Apr 21, Britannia CA–Mud Lake, Ottawa.

Spotted Sandpiper (1) Apr 25, Winterset Road, Ottawa. (1) Apr 25, – Greens Creek At Innes Road, Ottawa. (1) Apr 25, Carp River Watershed Reclamation Area, Ottawa. (1) Apr 21, Summerside West stormwater pond, Ottawa.

Common Gallinule (1) Apr 19, Old Railbed West Of Stonecrest Road, Ottawa.

Green Heron (Butorides virescens) (1) Apr 23, Marais aux Massettes, Papineau.

Red-bellied Woodpecker (1) Shirley’s Bay, Ottawa. (1) Apr 25, Celebration Park, Ottawa.

Northern Shrike (1) Apr 20, Rockcliffe Airport Woods, Ottawa

Snow Bunting (5) Apr 25, Ottawa International Airport, Ottawa.

Yellow Warbler (1) Apr 22-23, Rockcliffe Airport Woods, Ottawa,

Chestnut-sided Warbler (1) Apr 20, Britannia CA–Mud Lake, Ottawa.

Black-throated Blue Warbler (1) Apr 25, Deer Moss Trail, Ottawa.

Rose-breasted Grosbeak (1) Apr 20, Crystal Beach, Ottawa. Female.

Ottawa and area bird sightings to 18 April 2024

by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca

The leading edge of the swallows returned. Otherwise, with the cooler weather, migration has reset to normal after an early start.

Ross’s Goose and Snow Goose, Giroux Road, Aaron Hywarren. Snow Goose in the foreground with a Ross’s Goose just behind. Note difference in bills, neck, and overall size.

Geese, Giroux Road, Aaron Hywarren. Aaron says: From left to right: Ross’s Goose; presumed hybrid (note bill and comparative size of the bird); and a Snow Goose. Identifying a Ross’s Goose amongst hundreds and sometimes thousands of Snow Geese here in Eastern Ontario can be challenging. Both are white with black wingtips, and both have pinkish bills. And though Ross’s Geese are smaller than Snow Geese, judging relative size in the field is often difficult, making size alone an unreliable way to single out Ross’s Geese. Matters are complicated by the presence of hybrids. Spending time examining the bill, however, is one of the more reliable means of singling out a Ross’s Goose and ruling out a hybrid. Look for a smaller bill that lacks a black “grin patch” and is almost an equilateral triangle: the base is flat and often grey-blue. A Snow Goose will have a wedge-shaped bill with a black grin patch and a curved base. A Ross’s Goose has a flat forehead, rounded head, and thick neck. A Snow Goose has more of a sloped forehead, flatter head, and a more typical lanky goose neck. If you observe a bird that appears to have the traits of both Ross’s and Snow – a bird that doesn’t quite fit either classic description – you may have encountered a hybrid. If you are an eBird user, you have the option to report Snow, Ross’s or hybrid geese. In eBird, the hybrid option is “Snow x Ross’s Goose (hybrid).” As Ross’s and hybrids are considered rare in Eastern Ontario, observers are encouraged to offer helpful descriptions and imagery to support their eBird reports.

Tree Swallows, Mud Lake, Scott Haldane. One of these things is not like the others.

Fox Sparrow, Pine Grove, Gillian Wright. Our region gets a lot of migrating Fox Sparrows during April and the first week of May. Then we won’t see them again until October.

Osprey, Mud Lake, Sanam Goudarzi. Over the course of a year, Osprey will be seen over 6 of the 7 continents, with most passing our summer in the Northern hemisphere, and our winter below the equator.

Male Pine Warbler, Pine Grove, Gillian Wright. Gillian caught him in mid song.

Killdeer, Dow’s Lake, Gillian Wright.

Male Northern Flickers, Riverwood Park, Christopher Clunas. Chrisopher watched the two males checking each other out. There will be a wet but excellent botany ramble for OFNC members at Riverwood on April 21. See https://ofnc.ca/ofnc-calendar for details.

Male Northern Flickers, Riverwood Park, Christopher Clunas. Then a scuffle broke out, revealing the origin of the “Yellow-shafted” name for the Eastern subspecies.

Female and male Peregrine Falcons, Billings Bridge, Alan Short. It’s common for female raptors to be significantly larger than their mates.

Male Red-winged Blackbird, Andrew Haydon, Gillian Wright.

Male Bufflehead, Andrew Haydon, Gillian Wright.

Female Bufflehead, Andrew Haydon, Gillian Wright. One of the smallest ducks, which is no doubt helpful when looking for nesting cavities in trees. They can use openings as small as 5.7 cm.

Ross’s Goose (1) Navan (Giroux Road Ponds), Ottawa.

Barrow’s Goldeneye (1) Apr 12, Dow’s Lake, Ottawa. Almonte Lagoons, Lanark. Continuing female.

Redhead (2) Navan (Giroux Road Ponds), Ottawa.

Ruddy Duck (1) Almonte Lagoons, Lanark.

Common Gallinule (1) Apr 16, 17, Old Railbed West Of Stonecrest Road, Ottawa.

Bonaparte’s Gull (1) Apr 13, Britannia CA (general location), Ottawa.

Iceland Gull (1) Apr 13, McCordick Rd, Ottawa.

Golden Eagle (1) Apr 13, French Hill Rd, Ottawa.

Red-bellied Woodpecker (1) Apr 16, Chemin Steele, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais. (1) Apr 16, Celebration Park. Ottawa. (1) Apr 16, Shirley’s Bay, Ottawa.

Cliff Swallow (2) Apr 17, Britannia, Ottawa. (1) Apr 14, Marais aux Massettes, Papineau.

House Wren (1) Apr 16, Celebration Park, Ottawa.

Palm Warbler (Yellow) (1) Apr 17, Parc Guillot & Marais Lamoureux, Gatineau.

Palm Warbler (1) Apr 13, Black Rapids Creek Greenbelt Pathway, Ottawa.

Atlas note: With peak breeding season a few weeks away, the fourth year of the Third Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas is about to kick into high gear.

Celebrate the start of Year Four of this once in a generation citizen science with a special event organized by Atlas Headquarters where you will get a chance to learn more about the Atlas, practice atlassing, and meet other atlassers from across Eastern Ontario.

The event is scheduled for 9:30am to 12:30pm on Sunday April 21 at the North Grenville Municipal Centre in Kemptville. For more information and to register visit: https://www.birdsontario.org/year-4-kickoff-weekend/

Ottawa and area bird sightings to 11 April 2024

by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca

Seasonal changes everywhere: Swamp Sparrows, hoards of Golden-crowned Kinglets, the first Ruby-crowned Kinglets, swallows, new shorebirds, and chipping sparrows no longer trip the filter–but may still trip up birders with their trills…

Adult breeding Greater Yellowlegs, North Gower, Tony Beck. Tony says: Greater Yellowlegs are among the first migratory shorebirds showing up in the Ottawa District each spring. They’re also one of the hardiest shorebirds with a few lingering into late fall migration.

Adult breeding Lesser Black-backed Gull, Richmond, Tony Beck. Tony says: No longer a rare bird in Canada, Lesser Black-backed Gulls are now observed fairly regularly in the Ottawa District, especially in mixed gull flocks feeding in farm fields near local landfill sites. There are many here right now. Earlier this week, I observed one field near the Moodie Drive Quarry Pond with 11 individuals.

Rusty Blackbird, Pine Grove, Gillian Wright. Gillian saw a small flock of 8 or 9. Rusties breed all the way to the tree line, and build such robust nests that they are reused by other species such as Solitary Sandpiper.

Vesper Sparrow, east Ottawa, Aaron Hywarren.

Red-bellied Woodpecker, west Ottawa, Aaron Hywarren. The Ottawa Atlas Region in Atlas III covers 86 squares or about 7600 square kilometres in parts of seven “counties”). Red-bellied Woodpeckers are found in ten squares, with confirmed breeding in only two squares, none of which are in Ottawa (both around Winchester and both were Fledged Young). They probably breed in two other squares (one in Ottawa and one east of Winchester) and possibly breed in six other squares.

Carolina Wren, Frank Ryan Park, Sanam Goudarzi. Sanam watched both the male and female gathering nesting material. Carolina Wrens are found in seven squares, with confirmed breeding in only two squares (one in Ottawa and the other in Russel). Highest confirmed evidence was Carrying Food. They probably breed in one other site in Ottawa, but the other observations are of possible breeding.

Pine Warbler, Pine Grove, Mary Jane Armstrong.

Peregrine Falcon, Billings Bridge, Alan Short.

Female Pileated Woodpecker, Mud Lake, Alan Short.

Female yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Mud Lake, Alan Short. The white throat reveals this bird’s gender.

Male Lesser Scaup, Andrew Haydon, Mud Lake, Alan Short. No driving ourselves crazy analyzing head shape in this case. The way the white on the flight feather fades out before the primaries ids this as Lesser.

Ross’s Goose (2) Apr 06, 07, 10 Navan (Giroux Road Ponds), Ottawa. Intermittent presence as the geese move back and forth to the fields. (Also on and off at this location: many ducks, snow geese, a Canada x Snow hybrid, one or more leucistic Canada Goose.

Blue-phase Ross X Snow hybrid at Alfred Lagoons. Alfred is outside the OFNC 50k, but worth the drive, hosting many interesting birds this week.

Trumpeter Swan (1) Apr 10, rail trail west of Stonecrest Road, Ottawa. (1) Apr 07 Ch Vanier, Gatineau. (2) Apr 07, Greenland Road, Ottawa.

Eurasian x American Wigeon (1) Last report Apr 02. Kilmarnock-Causeway, Leeds and Grenville, Also outside the OFNC circle, but an interesting bird.

Barrow’s Goldeneye (1) Apr 09, Dow’s Lake, Ottawa. First winter male plumage. (1) Apr 09, Almonte Lagoons, Lanark. Continuing female.

Ruddy Duck (1) Almonte Lagoons, Lanark.

Red-breasted Merganser (8) Apr 07,Andrew Haydon Park, Ottawa.

Horned Grebe (2) Shirley’s Bay.

Red-necked Grebe (1) Shirley’s Bay.

Greater Yellowlegs (2) Apr 11, Holland’s Marsh, Ottawa. (13) Dilworth Road, Ottawa. (1) Apr 10, Ch. de la Rivière, Pontiac (Luskville), Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais.

Pectoral Sandpiper (1) Apr 11, Holland’s Marsh, Ottawa.

Iceland Gull (1) Apr 06, Steeple Hill Cres, Ottawa. (1) Apr 05, Trail Road Landfill, Ottawa.

Black-crowned Night Heron (2) Apr 07, Britannia CA (general location), Ottawa.

Golden Eagle (1) Apr 08, Dwyer Hill Road, Ottawa.

Red-bellied Woodpecker (2) Shirley’s Bay, Ottawa. (1) Apr 09, Ch Fer-à-Cheval/Sentier des Libellules, Gatineau.

Ruby-crowned Kinglet – A couple on the 10th, then everywhere on the 11th.

Brown Thrasher (1) Apr 11, Rapides Deschênes (incluant Parc), Gatineau. (1) Apr 10, Harwick Crescent, Ottawa.

White-crowned Sparrow (1) Apr 11,Hamlet Rd, Ottawa. (1) Apr 07, Hiawatha Park, Ottawa.

Hermit Thrush (1) Fletcher Wildlife Garden, Ottawa. (1) Apr 06, Rockcliffe Airport Woods, Ottawa.

Pine Warbler (1) Greenbelt pathway south of Davidson Road, Ottawa. At the OFNC feeder near P18. (1) Apr 11, Chemin Younger, Lac McGregor, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais. (1) Apr 10, Quartier Wychwood, Aylmer, Gatineau. (1) Apr 11, Forêt Chantegrive, Gatineau. (1) Apr 10, Rapides Deschênes (incluant Parc), Gatineau.

Atlas note: With peak breeding season a few weeks away, the Fourth Year of the Third Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas is about to kick into high gear with two local events.

First, if you have registered as a participant but want to know more about the Atlas and how to share your observations, the Ottawa Regional Coordinator hopes you will participate in a virtual meeting on Zoom at 1930 on Monday 15 April 2024. This meeting will also be a great opportunity for individuals who have heard about the Atlas and are curious about how they can contribute to this once in a generation opportunity to provide data that will help shape conservation efforts for years to come. Participation in this province-wide community-science effort is straight-forward, and as easy as simply noting the presence of a bird. The meeting will provide an Introduction to the Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas in the Ottawa Region, explain how to share your observations, and entertain questions. For those who are seeking a bit of a refresher on data entry, this meeting is for you! Please contact Aaron Hywarren (Ottawa Regional Coordinator) at Ottawa@birdsontario.org for meeting details including access passcode.

Second, is a special event organized by Atlas Headquarters to celebrate the start of Year Four at the North Grenville Municipal Centre in Kemptville from 9:30am to 12:30pm on April 21. You’ll get a chance to learn more about the Atlas, practice atlassing, and meet other atlassers from across Eastern Ontario. For more information and to register visit: https://www.birdsontario.org/year-4-kickoff-weekend/

Ottawa and area bird sightings to 4 April 2024

by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca

A fun week with the first Pine Warbler, and flocks of Bohemians, large (1000+) and small, all over. Who knows what vagrant the storm dropped off, waiting to emerge from a snowy hedge.

Adult male Pine Warbler, Pine Grove, Gillian Wright. Surprisingly, not really a super early date for this hardy species. Unlike most warblers, Pine Warblers can consume a large quantity of seeds in fall and winter, including pine and sunflower seeds, so this bird has natural and supplemental food sources to get him through the cold snap. Bonus points to Gillain for capturing the OFNC sign in the feeder window.

Adult male Ring-necked Duck, Mud Lake, Scott Haldane. It’s rare to see the brown ring the species is named for so well in the field.

Adult Ring-necked Ducks, Mud Lake, Scott Haldane. The female looks much different than the male.

Bohemian Waxwings, Diamond Jubilee Park, Findlay Creek, Ielca Torok. Bohemians have been brightening up the end of winter with an influx that includes small flocks all over Ottawa, and even flocks of 1000 or more birds congregating at times. Ielca points out that one collective noun for waxwings is “a museum.” Others include: “a troubling,” “a silky” (very poetic), and Derek’s favourite, “an earful.”

Adult male Hooded Merganser, Andrew Haydon, Alan Short. Alan watched this bird jump onto the ice to avoid an attack from another male.

Great Blue Heron, Britannia Point, Alan Short.

Bohemian Waxwing, Mud Lake, Scott Haldane. Scott saw nearly 100 flocking on the blossoms at Mud Lake on Monday. He estimates that it was about 2/3 Bohemian and 1/3 Cedar.

Cedar Waxwing, Mud Lake, Scott Haldane. Why the flock on the blossoms? When fruit is not available, waxings will eat flowers.

Cackling Geese, Marais Perras in Parc National de la Plaisance, Scott Haldane. Small (“duck sized”), short necks and beaks. Lifers for Scott who put effort into finding this often cryptic species.

Brown Creeper, Gillian Wright, Pine Grove. Have you ever noticed the red-brown feathers on a Creeper?

Black-capped Chickadee, Gillian Wright, Mud Lake. Remember this banded bird? Gillian submitted the banding code and found out that this individual was hatched in 2018 or earlier.

Trumpeter Swan (2) Apr 01, Constance Lake, Ottawa.

Tundra Swan (10) Mar 31, Marais aux Massettes, Papineau.

Redhead (1) Mar 28, Moodie Drive Quarry, Ottawa.

Blue-winged Teal (3) Apr 01-02, Baxter CA, Ottawa. (2) Mar 29-30, Marais aux Grenouillettes, Gatineau.

Barrow’s Goldeneye (1) Hurdman Bridge, Ottawa. (1) Almonte Lagoons, Lanark. (1) Mar 30, Shirley’s Bay, Ottawa.

Redhead (1) Mar 31, Moodie Drive Quarry, Ottawa.

Ruddy Duck (1) Mar 30-Apr 02, Almonte Lagoons, Lanark.

Black-crowned Night Heron (2) Lemieux Island, Ottawa.

Great Egret (1) Apr 02, Rapides Deschênes (incluant Parc), Gatineau. (1) Apr 02, Andrew Haydon Park, Ottawa. (1) Apr 01, Stony Swamp (Chipmunk Trail), Ottawa.

Red-bellied Woodpecker (1) Apr 02, Baxter CA, Ottawa. (1) Apr 01, Hickman CA, Ottawa.

Chipping Sparrow (1) Connaught, Gatineau. (1) Manotick, Ottawa. (1) Apr 02, Stanley Park, Ottawa. (1) Apr 01, Cannon Crescent, Ottawa.

White-crowned Sparrow (1) Mar 28, Manotick, Ottawa. (1) Mar 28, Quigley Hill Rd, Ottawa.

Hermit Thrush (1) Apr 01, Fletcher Wildlife Garden, Ottawa. (1) Mar 31, Clyde Woods, Ottawa.

Pine Warbler (1) Apr 02-04, Greenbelt pathway south of Davidson Road, Ottawa. At the OFNC feeder near P18.

Yellow-rumped Warbler (1) Apr 01, Wakefield, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais.

Final statement on the Western Tanager

One final pic of the Western Tanager that brought so much joy to so many. Photo by Aaron Hywarren.

The hardy male Western Tanager that was frequenting the West Hunt Club community of Ottawa since late November, perished as a result of a window strike early in the evening of Saturday 23 March 2024.

This was the first time this species has ever been recorded in Ottawa, and the Ontario Field Ornithologists was pleased to be able to create the conditions necessary to accommodate both the privacy concerns of the local residents, and the incredible interest in this rare visitor to Eastern Ontario. In addition to the joy his daily appearances brought to the immediate neighbourhood throughout a drab winter – the homeowners named him “Sunny” – some 600 visitors from across Ontario, parts of Quebec, and points farther afield had the opportunity to enjoy, photograph, and even paint this bird. None of this would have been possible without the initial alertness of the local community residents, and the subsequent willingness of a number of local birders who donated feed, funds, and time, to maintain the temporary feeder farm that saw him through the winter. The efforts of the Ottawa Field Naturalists’ Club to provide feed, and to regularly remind local birders of both the viewing protocols and the ongoing requirement for food donations, was appreciated.

The Western Tanager is now a part of Canada’s largest ornithological collection at the Royal Ontario Museum for research and review. It is the hope of the Ontario Field Ornithologists – and the residents of the small neighbourhood that found him in life and in death – that the broader birding community will consider a donation to Safe Wings Ottawa – https://safewings.ca/support-us/donate/ – so that they may continue their efforts to raise awareness of the risks posed by windows strikes.

Aaron Hywarren
OFO Rare Bird Ambassador Program
Ottawa

Ottawa and area bird sightings to 28 March 2024

by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca

The first Tree Swallows. A surprising number of Northern Shovelers. The Golden Eagle Express continues. A great time to be birding near water.

Carolina Wren, Britannia, Tony Beck. Tony says: Carolina Wren was first recorded here about 80 years ago. They have since become rare, but regular breeders. This is one of two singing birds observed in Britannia this week.

Adult Red-tailed Hawk, Dunrobin, Tony Beck. Tony says: Lots of raptors are passing through this week. Red-tailed Hawks are fairly common right now. They’re also highly variable in their plumage. With its thick breast band and buffy tones, this adult appears to be of the northern subspecies abietocola.

Adult Turkey Vulture, Dunrobin,Tony Beck. Tony says: They’re back. Along with several other scavengers, this individual was circling above roadkill. Interestingly, these hardy birds can safely eat just about anything including carcasses infected with poisons.

Adult male Wild Turkey, Britannia, Tony Beck. Tony says: Wild Turkeys are displaying right now. This handsome and colorful male was courting 6 females.

Displaying adult male Wild Turkey, Britannia, Tony Beck. Presumably the same male, one day later. Why does it look so different? Turkeys change their facial skin color with their emotions (or more accurately, changes in blood flow in response to stimuli).

Female Northern Shoveler, Avalon Stormwater pond, Gillian Wright. The female is easily mistaken for a too small female Mallard until she lifts her bill from straining the water. These birds feed by straining at the surface, so the beak is often hidden.

Male Northern Shoveler, Avalon Stormwater pond, Gillian Wright. More Shovelers than usual stopped in the city proper this week. Easy to see birds can be found at Dow’s Lake and the Avalon Stormwater pond, at least until they get the signal to resume migration.

Female Mallard and male American Black Duck, Britannia point, Alan Short. The birds’ structures suggest how closely the species are related.

Merlin, Rideau River Provincial Park, Arlene Harrold. Often silent hunters, many raptors such as this one are calling loudly and consistently right now as they establish territories and seek mates.

Common Mergansers, cruising in Andrew Haydon, Alan Short.

Ring-billed Gulls, Dow’s Lake, Gillian Wright. Gillian observed the gulls devouring several small catfish each.

Male Hooded Merganser, Shirley’s Bay, Alan Short. Mergansers are among the fastest flying ducks.

Ross’s Goose (2) Appleton Bay Park and Boat Launch, Lanark.

Trumpeter Swan (5) Rideau River Provincial Park, Ottawa. Down from 23 birds on Mar 25. (2) Mar 28, Greenland Road Hawkwatch, Ottawa. (2) Mar 27, Old Almonte Rd, Ottawa. (2) Mar 25, Trans-Canada Highway near Ashton, Ottawa. (2) Mar 25, Armitage Ave, Ottawa.

Tundra Swan (20) Mar 25, Wendover, Ontario, Prescott and Russell.

Northern Shoveler (10), Dow’s Lake, Ottawa. (2) Avalon (stormwater pond), Ottawa. (5) , Champlain Street Marsh, Ottawa. (6) Mar 27, Navan (Giroux Road Ponds), Ottawa. (2) Mar 26, Appleton Bay Park and Boat Launch, Lanark.

Gadwall (2) Mar 28, Moodie Drive Quarry, Ottawa. (1) Mar 26, Blakeney Slough, Lanark.

Redhead (1) Mar 27-28, Moodie Drive Quarry, Ottawa.

Barrow’s Goldeneye (1) Hurdman Bridge, Ottawa. (1) Dow’s Lake, Ottawa.

Red-breasted Merganser (1) Mar 27, Remic Rapids and Champlain Bridge area, Ottawa. (1) Mar 25, Shirley’s Bay, Ottawa.

Glaucous Gull (1) Mar 27, Trail Road Landfill, Ottawa.

Black-crowned Night Heron – Mar 28,Nepean Creek Trail, Ottawa.

Golden Eagle (1) Mar 28, Sandy Hill, Ottawa. (1) Mar 24, 27, Greenland Road Hawkwatch, Ottawa. (1) Mar 26, Dolman Ridge Road, Ottawa.

Tree Swallow (1) Mar 27, Wolf Grove Road, Lanark. (1) Mar 26-27, Carleton Place–Hwy 7 Storm Pond, Lanark. (8) Mar 23, Appleton, Lanark.

Red-bellied Woodpecker (1) Mar 28, Shirley’s Bay, Ottawa. Mar 28, Young’s Pond Park, Ottawa. (1) Mar 24, Queenscourt Crescent, Ottawa.

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (1) Fletcher Wildlife Garden, Ottawa. (1) Mar 27, Cumberland, Ottawa.

Hermit Thrush (1) Mar 25, Fletcher Wildlife Garden, Ottawa.

Chipping Sparrow (1) Connaught, Gatineau. Mar 24, Florizel Avenue, Ottawa. (1) Mar 24, Manotick, Ottawa.

White-crowned Sparrow (1) Mar 28, Manotick, Ottawa.

Yellow-rumped Warbler (1) Mar 28, Bel Air fields, Ottawa.

Atlas note: Pine Siskins and their “insistent wheezy twitters” are seemingly everywhere: they are nomads in search of coniferous seed crops.

Atlas II notes that “Pine Siskin breeds between mid-February and late August. Early breeding and highest densities are associated with large crops of conifer seeds, particularly on White Spruce, White Cedar, and Eastern Hemlock…. Courtship flights begin in mid-February, with courtship feeding, copulation, and nest building occurring from late February and early March.”

Here in Eastern Ontario, the winter was mild and spring has come early: not surprisingly, we are seeing solid reports of Pine Siskins carrying nesting material west of Ottawa on the “Near Shield.”

So if you are looking for some Atlassing opportunities at this time of year because you have already found all the Red Crossbills, have a look for Pine Siskins.

Participation in the Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas is straight-forward and easy. Your reports are valuable and 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 Ottawa Region Atlas Coordinator at Ottawa@birdsontario.org

Ottawa and area bird sightings to 21 March 2024

by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca

Eastern Bluebirds, Nina Stavlund. Nina went to the Eardley Escarpment and found one pair of Eastern Bluebirds house hunting. They were busy checking out a long line of nesting boxes along a fence. The female would go into every box to check it out while the male would watch from the roof. She did not find any to her satisfaction probably because the nesting boxes were still open after being cleaned out by the farmer last fall.

Cackling Goose, Carleton Place pond by Highway 7, Mary Jane Armstrong. The lighter plumage caught Mary Jane’s eye. This is a great way to pick larger cacklers out of a big flock. The step forehead angle, very short bill, and short neck are other good markers. All those features are nicely contrasted with the Canada Goose to the right.

Northern Shrike, Giroux Ponds, Roy Jon. One of several shrike reports this week. But this one was singing! A singing shrike (as opposed to just calling) offers a real auditory experience. They are mimics, and string together long complex songs from many sounds including phrases from local songbirds. Their mimicry is good enough to trigger territorial responses from some male songbirds, which probably ends poorly for the angry songbird.

Canada Goose, Carleton Place pond by Highway 7, Mary Jane Armstrong. Leucism mostly on the neck in this case. Leucism is often caused by stress (including injury, malnutrition, or injury) during the time the affected feathers are growing out

Canada Goose, RA Centre on Riverside Drive, Della Dupuis. Another leucistic goose with the opposite pattern – strong pigment on the neck, and missing from the body. One might suspect that geese molt their neck feathers at a different time than their body.

Carolina Wren, Britannia CA, Marnie Campbell.

Male Northern Pintail, Twin Elm, Marnie Campbell.

Male Bufflehead, Andrew Haydon, Alan Short.

Male White-breasted Nuthatch, Mud Lake, Alan Short. With a tasty ant.

Ring-billed Gull, Shirley’s Bay. Alan Short. The bright red skin – called the cere – around the eye and the base of the bill are signs of breeding condition.

Hairy Woodpecker, Andrew Haydon, Alan Short.

Killdeer, Twin Elm, Marnie Campbell. The first shorebirds to return to the region each year–Killdeer and American Woodcock–are two that don’t actually require a shore.

Greater White-fronted Goose (1) Mar 19, PN de Plaisance–Tête de la Baie, Papineau

Trumpeter Swan (2) Mar 17, Shirley’s Bay (boat launch), Ottawa. Mar 18, Milton Road, Ottawa. Mar 17, Baie Cornu, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais. (5) Mar 17, Greenland Road Hawkwatch, Ottawa. (2) Mar 17, Constance Creek Drive, Dunrobin, Ottawa.

Tundra Swan (10) Mar 17, Cobb Lake Creek flood plain, Prescott and Russell. (1) Mar 18, Moodie Drive Quarry, Ottawa. (14) Milton Road, Ottawa. (18) Mar 17, Moodie Drive Ponds, Ottawa. (2) Mar 16, Marais des Laîches, Gatineau. (3) Mar 10, Vances Side Rd, Ottawa. (3) Mar 15, Rideau River-long reach, Ottawa.

Northern Shoveler (2) Mar 19, Avalon (stormwater pond), Ottawa. (2) Mar 16, Milton Road, Ottawa.

Greater Scaup (2) Mar 17, Shirley’s Bay, Ottawa. Lots of small flocks of Lesser Scaup scattered around the region.

Gadwall (6) Moodie Drive Quarry, Ottawa.

Canvasback (1) Baie Noire, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais.

Redhead (2-4) Moodie Drive Quarry, Ottawa. Male & female.

Barrow’s Goldeneye (1) Mar 17, Shirley’s Bay, Ottawa. (1) Mar 16, Strathcona Park, Ottawa.

Double-crested Cormorant – many early birds in small flocks.

Golden Eagle (1) Mar 19, Cumberland Ridge Drive Dog Walk Loop, Ottawa. (1) Mar 18, Shirley’s Bay (boat launch), Ottawa. (1) Mar 16, Trail Road Landfill, Ottawa. (1) Mar 16, Greenland Road Hawkwatch, Ottawa. (1) Mar 15, Mer Bleue Bog at Anderson Road, Ottawa.

Belted Kingfisher (1) Mar 16, Rideau River – Black Rapids – Long Island lock, Ottawa.

Red-bellied Woodpecker (1) 3rd Line Road South, Ottawa. (1) Mar 16, Ch. Steele, Pontiac CA-QC, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais (1) Mar 17, Shirley’s Bay (boat launch), Ottawa. (1) Mar 16, Heart’s Desire Park, Ottawa.

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (1) Fletcher Wildlife Garden, Ottawa.

Winter Wren (1) Mar 17, Stony Swamp (Chipmunk Trail), Ottawa. (1) Mar 16, Escarpment Cres, Kanata, Ottawa.

Chipping Sparrow (1) Connaught, Gatineau.

Fox Sparrow (1) Birchgove Rd, Sarsfield, Ottawa.

White-crowned Sparrow (1) Rue de la Loire, Gatineau. (1) Mar 14, Crystal beach, Ottawa.

Western Tanager – Continuing, McCarthy Woods, Ottawa.

Atlas note: Pine Siskins and their “insistent wheezy twitters” are seemingly everywhere: they are nomads in search of coniferous seed crops. Atlas II notes that “Pine Siskin breeds between mid-February and late August. Early breeding and highest densities are associated with large crops of conifer seeds, particularly on White Spruce, White Cedar, and Eastern Hemlock…. Courtship flights begin in mid-February, with courtship feeding, copulation, and nest building occurring from late February and early March.”
Here in Eastern Ontario, the winter was mild and spring has come early: not surprisingly, we are seeing solid reports of Pine Siskins carrying nesting material west of Ottawa on the “Near Shield.” So if you are looking for some Atlassing opportunities at this time of year because you have already found all the Red Crossbills, have a look for Pine Siskins.

Ottawa and area bird sightings to 14 March 2024

by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca

Raptors moving north, especially on the 14th. Geese, swans, and waterfowl everywhere wet. Grasslands birds such as bluebirds, meadowlarks and Killdeer all over agricultural areas.

Eastern Bluebird, Ch Crégheur, Pontiac, Margaret Kenny.

Herring & Ring-billed Gulls, Mud lLake, Alan Short. Fighting over the scraps of a carcass.

Snow Geese, Winchester, Sai Wai Ip.

Sandhill Cranes, Ridge Road, Arnet Sheppard. Sandhill cranes breed deep in Mer Bleue, although they are usually easier to hear than to see. Contrast how cranes fly with their long trailing legs, to how swans,geese and ducks fly.

Tundra Swans, Winchester, Sai Wai Ip.

Common Mergansers, Britannia Point, Alan Short.

Sandhill Cranes, Marais aux Grenouillettes, Scott Haldane. Note how well they blend into their environment, despite the bright red cap.

Pileated Woodpecker, Mud Lake, Alan Short. Not even needing to create his own entrance this time, he slides his tongue deep into a hole created by his prey.

Bald eagle, Mud Lake, Sai Wai Ip.

White-breasted Nuthatch, McCarthy Woods, Christopher Clunas.

Western Tanager, McCarthy Woods, Christopher Clunas. Christopher mentioned what a great variety of birds is drawn in by the collection of feeders.

Gulls, Conroy Island, Alan Short. Look at all the different leg colors, head and bill shapes, sizes, and tell me how many species are in this photo. Ignore the gull hidden behind the rock.

Greater White-fronted Goose (1) Mar 09, Diamondview Rd @ Rail Crossing, Kinburn, Ottawa.

Trumpeter Swan (2) Mar 14, Greenland Road Hawkwatch, Ottawa.

Tundra Swan (20) Mar 11- 14, Moodie Drive Quarry, Ottawa. (36) Mar 10-14, Milton Rd x Bearbrook Creek, Ottawa. (6) Mar 14, Rideau River Provincial Park, Ottawa. (26) Mar 13, Cobb Lake Creek flood plain, Prescott and Russell.

Blue-winged Teal (3) Mar 13, Parc Guillot & Marais Lamoureux, Gatineau.

Northern Shoveler (2) Mar 09, 14, Richmond CA (formerly Richmond Sewage Lagoons), Ottawa.

Gadwall (6) Mar 13, Moodie Drive Quarry, Ottawa. (2) Mar 12, Twin Elm Road Wetlands, Ottawa.

Canvasback (1) Mar 12, Baie Noire, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais.

Redhead (3) Mar 12-14, Moodie Drive Quarry, Ottawa.

Lesser Scaup (5-14) Mar 12-14, Britannia CA–Filtration Plant/Point, Ottawa. (3) Mar 12, Ottawa–Shirley’s Bay, Ottawa.

Barrow’s Goldeneye (1) Mar 12-14, Shirley’s Bay, Ottawa. (2) Mar 11, Strathcona Park, Ottawa.

Red-breasted Merganser (1) Mar 14, Shirley’s Bay (boat launch), Ottawa.

Lesser Black-backed Gull (1) Moodie Drive Quarry, Ottawa. (2) Mar 03, Baie Simard, Gatineau.

Golden Eagle (1) Mar 14, Milton Rd x Bearbrook Creek, Ottawa. (1) Mar 12, Champlain Marsh – North Side, Ottawa. (1) Mar 08, Chemin Springhill, Ottawa. (1) Mar 08, Greenland Road Hawkwatch, Ottawa.

Red-shouldered Hawk (3) – Reported Mar 10-14, Greenland Road Hawkwatch, Ottawa. (1) Mar 13, Landel Drive, Ottawa (1) Mar 13, Rockcliffe Airport Woods, Ottawa. (1) Mar 10, Hurdman Woods (feeders), Ottawa.

Red-bellied Woodpecker (1) 3rd Line Road South, Ottawa. (1) Mar 14, Youngs Pond Park, Ottawa.

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (1) Fletcher Wildlife Garden, Ottawa.

Chipping Sparrow (1) Mar 12, Reveler CA, Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry. (1) Mar 10, Connaught, Gatineau.

Fox Sparrow (1) Mar 10, Birchgove Rd, Sarsfield, Ottawa.

White-crowned Sparrow (1) Rue de la Loire, Gatineau. (1) Mar 14, Crystal beach, Ottawa.

Western Tanager – Continuing, McCarthy Woods, Ottawa. Visitors are encouraged to bring suet or seed donations as the supply is getting low. With the milder weather, the bird has settled into a pattern where afternoon visits to the feeders are less common. Opportunities to see the bird are better in the morning. Please remember to stay a few metres south of the red cage feeder as the bird can and does visit all the feeders.

eBird tip: Soaring temperatures and an early melt have led to an unprecedented wave of early migrants, particularly waterfowl which will opportunistically follow the weather north. Please note that the same does not apply for long distance neotropical migrants, which rely on non weather related migration cues. Most of these species are only just now venturing north of the tropics. For example, Broad-winged Hawks, which winter in South America, have only just arrived at the TexMex border and are several weeks away from arriving in Canada. Other early spring pitfalls in our region include Common Nighthawk, Swainson’s Thrush and Eastern Wood Pewee, all of which tend to arrive within a week or so of their expected dates. Early reports of these and other long distance migrants need to be exceptionally well documented, preferably with photos or audio recordings.

Atlas note: Of late, Red Crossbills have been reported to the Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas in significant numbers across the Ottawa Atlas Region: an area that covers approximately 7500 km2 across most of Ottawa and parts of several adjoining counties including Prescott-Russell, Lanark, and Renfrew.

If you are encountering some “late-winter birding doldrums” and are looking for an interesting way to contribute to the Atlas before peak-breeding season starts in May, then searching for crossbills is for you. Look for sizable woodlots with cone-bearing conifers – particularly white pines – and have a listen for their unmistakable “kip-kip-kip” calls. They can also be found on roadways enjoying grit.

The Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas welcomes your observations of Red Crossbills anywhere in Ontario, even if they are simply seen or even just heard. Be sure to take a few minutes to watch their behaviour: pairs have already been formed across our Region, and you may even be fortunate to come across nest building behaviour… a great way to enhance the breeding evidence.

Your reports are valuable and 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. Participation in the Atlas is straight-forward and as easy as simply noting the presence of a bird. For more information, visit https://www.birdsontario.org/ or contact the Ottawa Region Atlas Coordinator at mailto:Ottawa@birdsontario.org

Ottawa and area bird sightings to 7 March 2024

by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca

Tundra Swans in the usual spots to the east, Trumpeters to the West, and perhaps some mixing in the middle. Green-wing Teal suddenly everywhere. Movement of Vultures (including a Black Vulture) and Golden Eagles.

Tundra Swans, Richmond, Tony Beck. Tony says: part of a flock that included 19 individual swans.

First year male Red-winged Blackbird, Shirley’s Bay, Tony Beck. Tony says: Large numbers of blackbirds have arrived

Adult Greater White-fronted Goose, North Gower, Tony Beck. Tony says: Besides the white front on the face, adult GWFG have a variable amount of black barring on the belly. This character provides this species with the nickname “speckle belly.”

Snow Geese – Winchester, Tony Beck. Tony says: Snow Geese have arrived with flocks appearing in open country throughout Eastern Ontario. This image shows both white morph and blue morph birds. Note the difference between the three white morphs. The middle bird is immature. Note how the adults have more contrast between the white secondaries and primaries. This character is less developed on young birds showing some darkness in the secondaries.

Purple Finch, Lac Beauchamp, Gatineau, Scott Haldane.

Wild Turkey, 45 feet up a tree, watching the 416. Alan Short.

Adult Male Northern Pintail flying with mallards, Akins and Shea Rd, Alan Short.

Horned Lark, Rushmore Rd, Alan Short.

Snow Buntings, Akins and Shea Rd, Alan Short. Time is running out to see Snow Buntings this Spring.

Mallard x American Black Duck (hybrid), Billing’s Bridge, Christopher Clunas.

Mourning Dove, Beaver Trail, David Lam.

Blue Jay, Beaver Trail, David Lam. The Jay is not eating the corn. Rather it will fill its gular pouch, mouth and even beak and carry off as much food as it can carry to cache it for later.

Black-capped Chickadee, Beaver Trail, David Lam.

Greater White-fronted Goose (1) Mar 06, Dilworth Rd, Ottawa. Mar 05, Limebank Rd north of Spratt Rd, Ottawa. Mar 05, Birchgove Rd, Sarsfield, Ottawa. (1) Mar 03, Waterloo St, Ottawa.

Trumpeter Swan (4) Mar 07, John Shaw Road, Kinburn, Ottawa. (3) Mar 05, Dunrobin (Constance Creek), Ottawa. Mar 05, Baxter CA, Ottawa.

Tundra Swan (20ish) Mar 07, Shea Rd, Ottawa. (22) Mar 06-07, Milton Road, Ottawa. Mar 06, Brownlee Road (between Shea and Eagleson Roads), Ottawa. (2) Mar05- 06, Frank Kenny Rd, Ottawa.

Gadwall (1) Mar 05, Rideau Valley Drive, Ottawa. Rideau River south of Kars boat launch.

Ring-necked Duck (4) Mar 06,Roger Stevens Drive, Ottawa. (3) Mar 06, Rideau River Provincial Park, Ottawa. (1) Mar 05, Parc Moussette, Gatineau. (5) Mar 05-07, Britannia Park (pier), Ottawa.

Lesser Scaup (4) Britannia CA (general location), Ottawa. (2) Mar 05, Remic Rapids Lookout, Ottawa. (1) Kennedy-Craig Forest, Ottawa.

Killdeer (1) Mar 06, Navan (Giroux Road Ponds), Ottawa. (1) Mar 05, Ottawa International Airport, Ottawa. Mar 05, Emerald Meadows x Eagleson storm water ponds, Ottawa. (1) Mar 04, Chemin Baillie et Perry, (Aylmer), Gatineau. (1)

American Woodcock (1) Mar 05, Birchgove Rd, Sarsfield, Ottawa.

Double-crested Cormorant (1) Mar 04, Deschenes Rapids Lookout, Ottawa.

Lesser Black-backed Gull (1) Moodie Drive Quarry, Ottawa. (2) Mar 03, Baie Simard, Gatineau.

Black Vulture (1) Mar 04, Greenland Road Hawkwatch, Ottawa.

Turkey Vulture (1) Mar 07, March Rd at 417, Ottawa. (1) Mar 05, Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa. (2) Mar 05, Elmvale area, Ottawa. (1) . Mar 05, Carling Ave, Ottawa. (1) Mar 05, Birchgove Rd, Sarsfield, Ottawa.

Golden Eagle (1) Mar 07, John Shaw Rd, Ottawa. (1) Mar 07, Milton Rd, Vars, Ottawa. (1) Mar 06, Milton Road, Ottawa. (2) Mar 04-05, Greenland Road Hawkwatch, Ottawa. (1) Mar 05, Canon Smith Dr, Ottawa. (2) Mar 05, Birchgove Rd, Sarsfield, Ottawa.

Belted Kingfisher – Chapman Mills CA, Ottawa.

Red-bellied Woodpecker (1) 3rd Line Road South, Ottawa. (1) Mar 03, Parc de la Gatineau, Relais Shilly Shally, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais. (1) Mar 03, Copeland Rd near Munster, Ottawa.

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker – Fletcher Wildlife Garden, Ottawa.

Winter Wren (1) Mar 05, Rockcliffe Park & McKay Lake, Ottawa. (1) Mar 04, Stony Swamp (Chipmunk Trail), Ottawa.

Eastern Bluebird (2) Mar 07, Greenland Road Hawkwatch, Ottawa. (2) Mar 05, Fifth Line at Berry Side road, Ottawa. (1) Mar 05- Richmond SE – Goodstown Rd, Ottawa.

White-crowned Sparrow (1) Mar 05, Rue de la Loire, Gatineau.

Eastern Towhee – Continuing, Stony Swamp (Sarsaparilla Trail), Ottawa.

Western Tanager – Continuing, McCarthy Woods, Ottawa.

eBird tip: Swans, particularly at a distance, can be an identification challenge. Three species are possible in our region: Mute Swan breeds just to the south (as close as Smith Falls), small flocks of Tundra are passing through on their way north, and pairs of Trumpeter are establishing territories particularly in the Rideau Lakes and in southern Renfrew counties; occasionally all three will occur together. If unsure, please record them as Swan species.”

Ottawa and area bird sightings to 29 February 2024

by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca

Warm weather brought geese, early and concentrated. One wonders what else might be lurking after the wild south-west and south winds of Wednesday’s night’s storm.

Brown Creeper, Fletcher, Gillian Wright. Hard to find but easy to ID, even a distant flight or silhouette gives this bird away as it flies from the top of one tree to the bottom of the next and then climbs up, probing crevices with that long narrow bill as it goes. Learn the song, and discover they breed in the forests of our region. Learn the high-pitched call, and realize they are far more common in winter than visual observation would suggest. Gillian points out that one reason the bird is so hard to photograph is its excellent camouflage blends so well with the bark that it confuses the autofocus.

Trumpeter Swan, Constance Creek, Michael Webster. In our region, Trumpeter Swans generally pass west of Ottawa, and Tundra Swans are usually seen East of Ottawa. Trumpeters breed generally in the interior and west of us, while Tundras breed on the tundra and nearer the coast. A few Trumpeters breed locally.

Western Tanager, McCarthy Woods, Aaron Hywarren. There is a continuing need for bird food at the OFO feeders if you are passing through and feel like contributing to the metal bin.

House Finch, McCarthy Woods, Aaron Hywarren. That’s a lot of yellow for a House Finch. Most red, orange and yellow colors are derived from foods, so this male ate too much of the wrong plant, or too little of the right one.

Cedar Waxwing, Crestview, Derek Dunnett. One of the two barbs on the tongue is visible – an adaptation to help push fruit down the throat.

American Robin, Crestview, Derek Dunnett. In the same tree, and loosely associating with the flock of Waxwings. Every year people are surprised to learn that some robins overwinter if they can find enough fruit on the frees.

Snow Goose (400) Feb 28, Moodie and Barnsdale, Ottawa. A bigger flock outside the OFNC Circle at Lafleche Rd, Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry.

Greater White-fronted Goose (5) Feb 28, Moodie and Barnsdale, Ottawa.

Cackling Goose – Feb 28, Lincoln Heights, Ottawa.

Trumpeter Swan (6) Feb 27, Dunrobin (Constance Creek), Ottawa.

Green-winged Teal – Feb 27: Britannia CA (general location), Ottawa. Feb 27, Cardinal Creek Karst Path, Ottawa. Stittsville–Iber Rd storm pond, Ottawa.

Lesser Scaup (4) Britannia CA (general location), Ottawa.

Barrow’s Goldeneye – Rideau River between Strathcona park and the 417, Ottawa. Feb 27, Almonte–Martin/St. Paul St lookout, Lanark.

Lesser Black-backed Gull (2) Moodie Drive Quarry, Ottawa. Feb 2, Parc Moussette, Gatineau.

Turkey Vulture – Feb 28-29, Chemin Younger, Val-des-monts, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais. Feb 29, Ridgetop Road, Dunrobin, Ottawa. Feb 27, 16:05
Wakefield, Riverside Drive, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais. Feb 27, Parc Queen, Gatineau.

Belted Kingfisher – Feb 27, Chapman Mills CA, Ottawa.

Red-bellied Woodpecker – Feb 27, – Parc de la Gatineau–Relais Keogan, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais. Feb 26-27, Third Line Road, Ottawa.

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker – Fletcher Wildlife Garden, Ottawa.

Winter Wren – Britannia CA (general location), Ottawa.

Eastern Bluebird – Feb 29, Berry Side Road, Dunrobin, Ottawa. Feb 27, Chemin de la Rivière, Luskville, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais. Feb 27, Greenland Road Hawkwatch, Ottawa. (5) Feb 25, Fitzroy rail bed, Ottawa.

Hermit Thrush – Britannia CA (general location), Ottawa. Parc du Lac-Leamy, Gatineau.

Fox Sparrow – Feb 28, Aylmer, Gatineau.

White-crowned Sparrow (3) Greenbank Pond, Ottawa. Feb 23, Finescale Way, Ottawa.

Eastern Towhee – Continuing, Stony Swamp (Sarsaparilla Trail), Ottawa.

Rusty Blackbird – Feb 26, Parc de Londres, Gatineau.

Western Tanager – Continuing, McCarthy Woods, Ottawa.

Ottawa and area bird sightings to 22 February 2024

by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca

Less an invasion than a subtle infiltration of winter finches this week. Keep an ear out everywhere.

Horned Lark, Rushmore-Akins, Gillian Wright.

Snow Bunting, Rushmore-Akins, Gillian Wright.

American Robin, Mud Lake, Alan Short.

Red-tailed Hawk, 6th Line Road, Alan Short.

Rocks in a snow covered field? McFadden Road, Aaron Hywarren. Fairly typical view of Gray Partridge. How many can you find in this shot? Nine, apparently, is the answer.

Gray Partridge, McFadden Road, Aaron Hywarren. Some good advice on finding these birds: https://discord.com/channels/651555203572563988/651997140075413524/1207316313593217064 https://discord.com/channels/651555203572563988/651997140075413524/1207336857248202833

Hermit Thrush, Mud lake, Scott Haldane. Often skulking in the shadows, thrushes can be tricky, but out in bright sunlight like this the red tail contrasts strongly with the dull brown of the back, making this an easy ID.

Carolina Wren, McCarthy Woods, Gillian Wright. The feeders set out for the Western tanager are attracting many other birds.

Western Tanager, McCarthy Woods, Gillian Wright.

White-throasted Sparrow, Jack pine Trail, Catherine Lawrence. A very large number of White-throats were reported this week. An actual change? Or a spike in reporting sparrows during the Great Backyard Bird Count?

Cedar Waxwing, Mud lake, Alan Short. Restricted to North America, Cedar Waxwings range over most of the continent. And Cedar Waxwings breed in our region. The exact purpose of the wax tips is not yet confirmed, but appears to have something to do with age and status. Immature birds have 5 tips, and older birds may have up to 9. Birds with a similar number of tips tend to pair off together, and pairs with more tips breed earlier and more successfully. Do they help with attraction? Or just sorting?

Bohemian Waxwing, Elmvale Acres, Aaron Hywarren. The larger of the two waxwings, Bohemians wander across Europe, the northern US, and Canada. Bohemians breed well north of the OFNC area, along the shore of Hudson Bay and west as far as Alaska. Both species are fruit specialists, and sometimes eat fermented berries, resulting in apparent drunken behaviour. Derek assumes this bird feasting on juniper is going for a gin effect.

Trumpeter Swan – Flock continues in Almonte. (2) Feb 18, Ottawa River off Armitage Ave, Ottawa.

Green-winged Teal – Iber Rd storm pond, Ottawa.

Ring-necked Duck (2) Feb. 20, Pont Champlain, Gatineau.

Lesser Scaup (4) Britannia CA (general location), Ottawa.

Barrow’s Goldeneye – Rideau River between Strathcona park and the 417, Ottawa.

Northern Harrier – Feb 22, Earl Armstrong Rd, Ottawa.

Belted Kingfisher – Feb 16, Richmond SW – golf course, Ottawa.

Red-bellied Woodpecker (2) Feb 16, Parc de la Gatineau–Relais Shilly-Shallly, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais.

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker – Fletcher Wildlife Garden, Ottawa.

Gray Partridge – McFadden Road (and area), Ottawa.

Great Blue Heron – Feb 20, Boulevard de Lucerne, Gatineau.

Hermit Thrush – Feb 22, Riverside South stormwater ponds, Ottawa. Feb 16, Britannia CA (general location), Ottawa. Parc du Lac-Leamy, Gatineau.

Winter Wren – Britannia CA (general location), Ottawa.

Chipping Sparrow – Rue Connaught, Gatineau.

White-crowned Sparrow – Feb 18, Greenbank Pond, Ottawa.

White-throated Sparrow – Feb 21, Dewberry Trail Parking Feeder, Ottawa. Feb 19, Kilborn Gardens Corridor, Ottawa. Feb 18, Stony Swamp-Jack Pine Trail, Ottawa. Feb 18, Sixth Line Road, Ottawa. Feb 18, Stanley Park, Ottawa. Feb 18, Sandhamn/Greenboro, Ottawa. Feb 16, Arlington Woods, Ottawa.

Eastern Towhee – Continuing, Stony Swamp (Sarsaparilla Trail), Ottawa.

Red-winged Blackbird – McCarthy Woods, Ottawa (stakeout Western Tanager). Feb 21, Iber Rd storm pond, Ottawa.

Brown-headed Cowbird (3) Feb 21, Galetta, Ottawa.

Western Tanager – McCarthy Woods, Ottawa. Come for the tanager, stay for the Carolina Wren and the Red-winged Blackbirds. Who knows what else might show up, especially if people keep filling the feeders.

People maintaining the feeders have passed on the following: please mix your donations into the can and remove garbage from the site.

Please keep 5m from the red cage feeder so as to give the WETA more choices to feed: it can and does visit all the feeders.

eBird tip: When reporting the Western Tanager, use the stakeout hotspot. It helps others to track sightings: “stakeout Western Tanager, Ottawa–McCarthy Woods”

Ottawa and area bird sightings to 15 February 2024

by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca

Lots of Red Crossbills North and West of Ottawa this week. A few slipped into Ottawa in small numbers. Keep an ear out for the kip-kip-kip calls.

Juvenile Bald Eagle in winter plumage, Eardley Escarpment, Tony Beck. Tony says: Note the tawny-coloured belly, dark head, and dark bill. This individual was hatched last summer.

Adult Golden Eagle, Eardley Escarpment, Tony Beck. Tony says: All Golden Eagle plumages have a tawny-coloured nape. The overall darkness (lack of contrasty white) of the underside indicates this is an adult. Compared to Bald Eagle, note the relatively small head and bill. In flight, the Golden tends to fly with a dihedral compared to the flat (straight) wings of Bald Eagle.

Pine Siskins, Stonecrest Road, Rick Collins. Siskins have a flexible diet, eating many small tree and flower seeds, in this case, spruce seeds, which can be seen in all three of their bills.

Female Red Crossbills, Stonecrest Road, Rick Collins. Rick noted that they were silent. Why are they hanging out silently in cedar? One possibility is implied that they often use cedar bark to line their nests, and nests are often found in cedar.

Carolina Wren, Elmhurst Park, Sanam Goudarzi. A pair has been nesting in this park for at least a few years now.

Female Common Merganser, Britannia Point, Alan Short. Attempting to swallow a young muskellunge. Small for a muskie, but substantial for the merg.

Male Hooded Merganser, Ottawa river at the Mud Lake Ridge, Alan Short.

Cedar Waxwing, Mud lake, Alan Short. Birds can get enough moisture from snow, but prefer liquid water when it’s available.

Red Crossbill, Rick Collins, Stonecrest Road. Speaking of eating snow, Red Crossbills were never taught the ‘don’t eat the yellow snow rule.’ In fact, they are known to seek out snow marked by canines, presumably seeking salts.

Snow Buntings, Akins Road, Alan Short.

Male Mallard, Ottawa River at the Mud Lake Ridge, Alan Short. Alan caught the graceful instant before contact with the water’s surface. Things are about to get less graceful.

Male Red-winged Blackbird, McCarthy Woods, Aaron Hywarren. One of three males exploiting the feeders to stay close to the breeding grounds.

Ring-necked Duck (2) Pont Champlain, Gatineau. Also viewable from Bate Island.

Lesser Scaup (5) Britannia CA (general location), Ottawa. Feb 10, Kennedy-Craig Forest, Ottawa.

Barrow’s Goldeneye – Rideau River between Strathcona park and the 417, Ottawa. Male & female. Britannia point, Ottawa.

Turkey Vulture (2) Feb 12, Greenbelt Parking P19, Ottawa. Feb 11, Alpine Avenue, Ottawa.

Golden Eagle – Feb 15, Fitzroy Provincial Park, Ottawa.

Northern Harrier – Feb 11, CHEO, Ottawa. In contrast to most recent reports, an adult female.

Red-bellied Woodpecker – Feb 10, Chemin Steele, Quyon, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais.

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker – Fletcher Wildlife Garden, Ottawa.

Gray Partridge – McFadden Road (and area), Ottawa.

Lesser Black-backed Gull – Feb 13, Parc Moussette, Gatineau.

Great Blue Heron – Feb 12, Last Mile Road Drainage Pond, Ottawa.

Eastern Bluebird (2) Feb 10, Conc. 7A Ramsay, Carleton Place, Lanark. Feb 08, Berry side road and 5th Line area., Ottawa.

Hermit Thrush – Britannia CA (general location), Ottawa. Parc du Lac-Leamy, Gatineau. Feb 11, Stanley Park, Ottawa.

Chipping Sparrow – Rue Connaught, Gatineau.

White-throated Sparrow – Feb 14, Pleasant Park-Kilborn Gardens Corridor, Ottawa. Feb 12, Arlington Woods, Ottawa.

Eastern Towhee – Continuing, Stony Swamp (Sarsaparilla Trail), Ottawa.

Red-winged Blackbird (3) Feb 15, McCarthy Woods, Ottawa (stakeout Western Tanager). Feb 15, Yucks Lane, Kinburn, Ottawa. Feb 12, Vances Side Road, Ottawa. Feb 11, Manotick, Ottawa.

Western Tanager – Continuing, McCarthy Woods, Ottawa. If you have enjoyed seeing this unique visitor, please consider providing some seed or suet. Leave donations inside the metal container or directly fill the feeders. Bags left outside are quickly consumed by squirrels, not tanagers.

If you are encountering some “late-winter birding doldrums” and are looking for an interesting way to contribute to the Atlas before peak-breeding season starts in May, then searching for crossbills is for you. Look for sizeable woodlots with cone-bearing conifers – particularly white pines – and have a listen for their unmistakable “kip-kip-kip” calls. They can also be found on roadways enjoying grit.

Participation in the Atlas is straight-forward and as easy as simply noting the presence of a bird. For more information, visit https://www.birdsontario.org/ or contact the Ottawa Region Atlas Coordinator at mailto:Ottawa@birdsontario.org

Ottawa and area bird sightings to 8 February 2024

by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca

Another mild week means many of last week’s birds continue. Red Crossbills are all over Lanark and Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais, and as expected, are beginning to show up in Ottawa and Prescott-Russel.

Adult female Red Crossbills, Gatineau Park, Tony Beck. Crossbills can breed anytime they find enough food, and they are setting up shop locally right now.

Adult male Red Crossbill, Lanark, Dan Vasiu. Nests are built from conifer twigs, and lined with needles, lichen, grass, or whatever is available. The male and female select the nest site together, and the female does the building. The males sometimes help by bringing nesting materials as this individual appears to be doing.

Winter Wren, Britannia, Gillian Wright. The bird skulked around forever – a species trait – but after a couple of hours Gillian’s patience was rewarded when a passerby flushed the bird out into the open.

Male American Black Ducks (female Mallard in back), Billings Bridge, Christopher Clunas. Females have olive, not yellow bills like these).

First Year Great Blue heron, Saw Mill Elementary School, Jim Robertson. Almost every year one or more juveniles try to overwinter, but many don’t make it to Feb. This year has been mild, so this bird might make it. First-year by the overall plumage, but the lack of white behind the eye is an easy marker. Jim warns the trails are very icy.

Adult Female Common Goldeneye, Ottawa river behind Mud Lake Ridge, Alan Short.

Adult Red-tailed Hawk, Torwood Dr, Dunrobin, Alan Short. Ever watch a young Cooper’s Hawk chase a squirrel forever in a tree, almost never successfully? Apparently red-tails have been seen pair hunting squirrels in trees, each covering one side of the tree.

Horned Lark, Rushmore Rd, Alan Short. Female Horned Larks build paved areas around their nests, often using cow patties and lichen. The purpose of this behaviour isn’t known although it may help to prevent nest materials from blowing away.

Snow Bunting, Akins Rd, Alan Short.

Pine Siskin, Gatineau Park, Tony Beck. From a distance, they might look like our other striped finches, but up close the sharp bill and yellow accents identify the bird. But a close view is rarely required. They often self-identify from a distance with their loud rackous calls.

Black-capped Chickadee, Britannia, Gillian Wright. Banding stations tracking migrating birds usually use a small metal band with an ID number. If you find a band or snap a sharp enough photo, you can often find out where and when the bird was banded. Behavioural studies often use a 4-band color system so researchers can identify individuals in the field without needing to recapture them.

Black-capped Chickadee, Britannia, Gillian Wright.

First-year Great Black-Backed Gull, Britannia Point, Alan Short.

Trumpeter Swan – Feb 06, Ottawa River, Ottawa.

Green-winged Teal – Feb 04, Kennedy-Craig Forest, Ottawa.

Canvasback – Feb 02, Rapides Deschênes (incluant Parc), Gatineau.

Ring-necked Duck (2) Pont Champlain, Gatineau. Also viewable from Bate Island.

Lesser Scaup (4) Britannia CA (general location), Ottawa. Feb 08, Kennedy-Craig Forest, Ottawa.

Barrow’s Goldeneye – Rideau River between Strathcona park and the 417, Ottawa. Male & female. Pont Champlain, Gatineau.

Gray Partridge – McFadden Road, Ottawa.

Lesser Black-backed Gull – Feb 04, Cambrian Rd W, Ottawa.

Great Blue Heron – Feb 05, Autoroute de l’Outaouais, ), Gatineau. Feb 04, Beaverbrook, Ottawa. Feb 04, Sawmill Creek Community Centre and Pool, Ottawa.

Turkey Vulture – Feb 02, McCarthy Woods, Ottawa.

Belted Kingfisher – Fairpark Dr pond, Ottawa. Feb 04, Chapman Mills CA, Ottawa.

Red-bellied Woodpecker – Feb 04, Refuge Keogan, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais.

Boreal Chickadee – reported Feb 04, Wilbrod, Ottawa.

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker – Fletcher Wildlife Garden, Ottawa.

Brown Thrasher – Continuing Hilson Ave and neighbourhood, Ottawa.

Winter Wren – Britannia CA, Ottawa. Continuing at the outflow from Mud lake.

Eastern Bluebird (4) Berry Side Road, Dunrobin, Ontario, CA, Ottawa. (2) Feb 05, Carleton Place, Quarry Rd., Lanark.

Hermit Thrush – Britannia CA (general location), Ottawa. Parc du Lac-Leamy, Gatineau.

Chipping Sparrow – Continuing Florizel Park, Ottawa. Rue Connaught, Gatineau.

White-crowned Sparrow – Feb 04, Rue de la Loire, Gatineau.

Eurasian Tree Sparrow – Bouvier Road, Prescott and Russell. See discord for rules and address. Last reported Feb. 04.

White-crowned Sparrow – Rue de la Loire, Gatineau.

Eastern Towhee – Continuing, Stony Swamp (Sarsaparilla Trail), Ottawa.

Rusty Blackbird – Feb 03, Lac Leamy (Gatineau), Gatineau.

Common Grackle – Feb 03, Wilbrod, Ottawa.

Western Tanager – Continuing, McCarthy Woods, Ottawa. The Western Tanager continues and is doing quite well with the relatively mild winter and food donations. If you have enjoyed seeing this unique visitor, please consider providing some seed or suet.

Ottawa and area bird sightings to 1 February 2024

by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca

Cooper’s Hawk, Britannia Point, Alan Short. Alan saw the bird all puffed out, feathers spread to help dry drying off, and said it looked huge until it flew.

American Tree Sparrow, Beaver Trail, David Lam. A winter-only visitor to the region, they breed at or above the tree-line, where they lay 4-6 eggs per brood and can live up to 10 years in the wild.

Gray Partridge, McFadden Road, Arlene Harrold. An introduced species, the population in North America has gradually fallen to a fraction of previous levels. They lay up to 22 eggs a brood and most adults don’t live to 2 years in the wild. Compare to the American tree sparrow and draw your own conclusions.

Eurasian Tree Sparrow, Bourget, Marti Stuart. Like many people, Marty sees herself as someone who feeds the birds, rather than a serious birder. But she knows her yard birds, and when a rare vagrant showed up, she set out to identify it by observing it carefully. In a world of digital photos, creating a field sketch like this really pushes the observer to notice everything.

Northern Cardinal, Fletcher, Aaron Hywarren. Puffed up for extra insulation, this cardinal demonstrates yet another use for birds’ ability to make their feathers extend away from their skin.

Wild Turkey, Moodie Drive, Janet McCullough. Defying expectations, balancing on the wire and vines to pick wild grapes, a seemingly impossible task for such a huge bird.

Horned Lark, Rushmore Road, Alan Short. According to the Cornell lab, female Horned Larks have a mating dance that looks so much like dust bathing that even the males get confused.

Black-capped Chickadee, Beaver Trail, David Lam.

Rough-legged Hawk, south of the Ottawa Airport, Aaron Hywarren. An arctic breeder, a few winter in our region annually. Look for them flying over fields or perching on impossibly small branches on the edges of agricultural land. Their main prey are lemmings and voles, but they will take other small mammals and birds as large as ptarmigan when rodents are hard to find.

Snow Buntings, Akins road, Alan Short.

Hooded merganser, Britannia Point, Alan Short.

Snow Buntings and Lapland Longspur, Lockhead, Janet McCullough. One of these things is not like the others. The angle of view isn’t helpful at first, since the distinctive head and back are mostly hidden. But check out the tails. One has avery different pattern.

Canvasback – Deschenes rapids west of Britannia, Ottawa.

Ring-necked Duck (2) Piste cyc. Sentier des Voyageurs – Pont Champlain – Parc des Rapides-Deschênes, Gatineau. Also viewable from Bate Island.

Lesser Scaup (5) Britannia CA (general location), Ottawa.

Barrow’s Goldeneye – Rideau River between Strathcona park and the 417, Ottawa. 3 BAGO (2 male, 1 female).

Gray Partridge – McFadden Road, Ottawa.

Lesser Black-backed Gull (2) Rapides Deschênes (incluant Parc), Gatineau. Moodie Drive Quarry, Ottawa. Often in company with one or two Iceland and or Glaucous Gull, along with Herring Gulls and one or two Ring-billed Gulls.

Ring-billed Gull (4) Jan 31, Parc Moussette, Gatineau.

Common Loon – Jan 29, Britannia CA (general location), Ottawa.

Great Blue Heron – Jan 27, Sawmill Creek Elementary School, Ottawa. Jan 29, HWY 7 when leaving Carleton Place (heading east), Lanark.

Northern Harrier – Eagleson Road from Terry Fox to Old Richmond and beyond, Ottawa. This bird covers a lot of territory. Jan 27, McCarthy Woods, Ottawa. Another was seen near Carlsbad Springs.

Belted Kingfisher – Jan 28, Watts Creek Pathway, Ottawa. Jan 27, Chelsea-chemin Notch, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais.

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker – Fletcher Wildlife Garden, Ottawa.

Brown Thrasher – Continuing Hilson Ave and neighbourhood, Ottawa.

Winter Wren – Jan 28, Britannia CA, Ottawa.

Hermit Thrush – Britannia CA (general location), Ottawa. Parc du Lac-Leamy, Gatineau.

A leucistic American Robin, with white flashes in its wings and tail, is present at the same site in Britannia as the Winter Wren and Hermit Thrush.

Chipping Sparrow – Continuing Florizel Park, Ottawa. Rue Connaught, Gatineau.

Eurasian Tree Sparrow – Bouvier Road, Prescott and Russell. See discord for rules and address.

Savannah Sparrow – Jan 29-31, Lockhead Rd W, Ottawa. Fantastic spot for Snow Buntings, Horned Larks, and the occasional Lapland Longspur.

Lapland Longspurs are being widely reported in eastern Ontario in larger numbers than usual, including flocks of up to 85 individuals. This may be a function of relatively low snow levels leaving many bare patches available for foraging.

The first Redpolls of the year for Ottawa county were a small flock seen in Marlborough Forest. Good numbers of Red Crossbills, Pine Siskins and Redpolls are being seen just north and west of us; expert some of these to spill into the region over February.

White-crowned Sparrow – Rue de la Loire, Gatineau.

Eastern Towhee – Continuing, Stony Swamp (Sarsaparilla Trail), Ottawa.

Visitors are reminded that searching for the bird in the quiet neighbourhood — including pointing optics such as binoculars and cameras at homes and fence lines — is to be avoided. The OFO has worked hard to establish and maintain feeders on public property well to the north of private residences so as to minimize the impact on homeowners.

As well, when reporting the bird via eBird, please use the eBird Hotspot (Stakeout Western Tanager) and avoid any locations that will send observers to a specific civic address. Again, the bird is regularly frequenting the feeders so there is no need to search elsewhere.

Your understanding and willingness to serve as positive representatives of the birding or the photography community is appreciated, and goes a long way to ensuring a positive experience for everyone

Ottawa and area bird sightings to 25 January 2024

by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca

This week the Western Tanager shared the spotlight with an Eurasian Tree Sparrow near Bourget. This the first record for Ottawa and eastern Ontario! Redpolls are beginning to move into the region.

Eurasian Tree Sparrow, Bouvier Road, Prescott and Russell, Aaron Hywarren. With a name like that, one might assume this bird is a vagrant from Europe or Asia, but it’s more likely to be descended from one of 12 individuals released in Missouri in 1870. Note the resemblance to our House Sparrows. Those two species are closely related, but are in an entirely different family from North American sparrow species.

Female Mallard, Half Moon Bay Park, David Lam. Females look so different from males that it’s easy to overlook the subtle things like the dark marks on the female’s bill. Learning those subtleties may pay off later when trying to id rare or new species.

Juvenile Cooper’s Hawk, Britannia, Michael Webster. Our mid-sized accipiter is also our most common in winter, having made the adjustment from forest to city hunting.

American Goldfinch, McCarthy Woods, Alan Short. Muted colors for the non-breeding season, but still bright against the snow.

Blue Jay, Selby, Dean Thompson. The blue on a Blue Jay comes from micro-structures on the surface of the feathers that reflect blue light, not a blue pigment. The black is a pigment. In this case the leucism affected just the blue, meaning that it changed the actual surface of the feathers. How do we know it isn’t a Canada Jay? The location of the black doesn’t not match, leucistic or not. A hint of a crest seals the id.

Adult male Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Mooney’s Bay Area, Colin Nicholson.

Male Pileated Woodpecker, Britannia, Michael Webster. Pileated Woodpeckers make distinctive oval shaped holes. But when working on Eastern White Cedar, something about the wood or bark leads to strikingly rectangular holes.

Merlin, Hilda Feeders, Alan Short. Although a small bird specialist, Merlins sometimes take birds larger than themselves such as small ducks or Rock Pigeons.

Male Mallard, Half Moon Bay Park, David Lam.

Female Common Goldeneye, Ottawa River at Britannia, Alan Short. Although young males can have unmarked brown heads too, the yellow bill tip confirms this is a female.

Ring-necked Duck (2) – Bate Island, Ottawa.

Lesser Scaup (4) Britannia CA (general location), Ottawa.

Barrow’s Goldeneye – Rideau River between Strathcona park and the 417, Ottawa. 3 BAGO (2 male, 1 female)

Gray Partridge – McFadden Road, Ottawa.

Lesser Black-backed Gull 1- Jan 15, Trail Road Landfill, Ottawa.

Iceland Gull (Thayer’s) Jan 19, Trail Road Landfill, Ottawa – for the subspecies chaser.

Great Blue Heron – Sawmill Creek Elementary School, Ottawa. Jan 23, North Dilbery, Ottawa.

Northern Harrier – Jan 25, Russell Road at Frank Kenny, Ottawa. Jan 23, Brownlee Rd, Ottawa.

Belted Kingfisher – Jan 21, Parc du Lac-Leamy, Gatineau. Jan 18, Parc de la Gatineau–Vallée Meech, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais.

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker – Fletcher Wildlife Garden, Ottawa. Jan 25, Devine Rd, Ottawa.

Red-bellied Woodpecker – Chemin Steele, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais. Parc de la Gatineau–Relais Shilly-Shallly, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais. Jan 15, Queenscourt Crescent, Ottawa.

Northern Flicker – Jan 24, Britannia CA (general location), Ottawa. Richland Dr, Ottawa. Jan 21, McCarthy Woods/Meadow, Ottawa. Jan 19, Caprice Court, Ottawa, Ottawa.

Brown Thrasher – Continuing Hilson Ave and neighbourhood, Ottawa.

Winter Wren – Britannia CA, Ottawa.

Hermit Thrush – Britannia CA (general location), Ottawa. Parc du Lac-Leamy, Gatineau. Jan 20, Fletcher Wildlife Garden, Ottawa.

Wood Thrush – Jan 19, Champlain Park Woods-Remic Rapids Loop, Ottawa.

Chipping Sparrow – Continuing Florizel Ave, Ottawa.

Eurasian Tree Sparrow – Jan 24-25, Bouvier Road, Prescott and Russell.

For tips on seeing this bird, check out the Ontario Bird Alert discord server https://discord.com/channels/651555203572563988/1199810845438386226

White-crowned Sparrow – Jan 23, Rue de la Loire, Gatineau.

Eastern Towhee – Continuing, Stony Swamp (Sarsaparilla Trail), Ottawa.

Brown-headed Cowbird – Jan 23, Huismans Rd, Ottawa

Western Tanager – McCarthy Woods, Ottawa.

Ottawa and area bird sightings to 18 January 2024

by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca

Some change with apparent movement of Bohemian Waxwings and Lapland Longspurs into the region. Redpoll numbers are building in Algonquin, so look for them in the coming weeks.

American Goshawk (formerly Northern Goshawk), McCarthy Woods, Gillian Wright. Noticing a flock of very agitated crows, Gillian walked over in time to see this Goshawk carrying off a crow in its talons.

Western Tanager, McCarthy Woods, Aaron Hywarren. Fortunately the Goshawk prefers much larger prey. Well, prefers, but that no guarantee of safety.

Black-capped Chickadee, Beaver Trail, David Lam.

Northern Cardinal, Hilda Road, Alan Short.

Snow Bunting, Mill of Kintail, Jorden Milko.

Lapland Longspur, Lockheed Rd, Arlene Harrold. The eponymous ‘longspur’ or long rear-facing toe is clear in this shot.

Bald Eagle, Margaret Kenny, Arnprior Marina. Margaret caught the eagle taking the branch from the pine tree with its beak, before transferring it to its talons before flying off with it. January seems early and cold for nest building, but apparently not for the hardy Eagle.

Hermit Thrush, Britannia, Michael Webster. Michael has observed this bird visit his yard, ignore the feeders, and eat a few holly berries before leaving on several days. Adding fruiting shrubs or trees to a yard is a great way to attract (and help) birds.

First winter male Common Goldeneye, Britannia, Alan Short. The bill of a Mallard is a general purpose tool and suits a bird that eats a variety of foods. The short powerful Goldeneye bill evolved for a narrower range of uses, but is perfect for crushing mussels.

American Tree Sparrow, Beaver Trail, David Lam.

Brown Creeper, Mill of Kintail, Jorden Milko.

Lesser Scaup, Britannia, Alan Short. What kind of diet would you expect with that bill?

Snowbirds! Lockheed Rd, Arlene Harrold. How many species, and which?

Ring-necked Duck – Bate Island, Ottawa. Continuing female-type.

Lesser Scaup (5) Britannia CA (general location), Ottawa.

Barrow’s Goldeneye (3) Rideau River between Strathcona park and the 417, Ottawa. 2 male, 1 female.

Gray Partridge – McFadden Road, Ottawa. I’ve been asked to point out the birds are visible from the road with optics: there is no need to trespass and observers need to be mindful of the homeowners in this quiet rural setting.

Great Blue Heron – Sawmill Creek Elementary School, Ottawa.

Turkey Vulture – Jan 14, Mud Lake, Ottawa.

Northern Harrier – Jan 18, Eagleson Road, Ottawa. Jan 16, Huisman Road, Ottawa.

Lesser Black-backed Gull (2) Jan 15, Trail Road Landfill, Ottawa. Jan 13, Cumberland Ridge Trail, Ottawa. Jan 12, Parc Moussette, Gatineau. Jan 12, Moodie Drive Quarry, Ottawa.

Great Black-backed x Glaucous Gull – Jan 12,Moodie Drive Quarry, Ottawa. Need a January challenge? Try to pick out this individual.

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker – Fletcher Wildlife Garden, Ottawa.

Northern Flicker – Richland Dr, Ottawa. Jan 18, Clifford Allen Island, Ottawa. Britannia CA (general location), Ottawa. Jan 13, Armitage Ave, Ottawa. Jan 13, Quigley Hill Rd, Ottawa. Jan 13, Hopewell Avenue, Ottawa.

Red-bellied Woodpecker – Chemin Steele, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais. Parc de la Gatineau-Relais Shilly-Shallly, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais. Jan 12, Queenscourt Crescent, Ottawa.

Brown Thrasher – Continuing Hilson Ave and neighbourhood, Ottawa.

Winter Wren – Britannia CA, Ottawa. Near the culverts from Mud lake. Jan 14, Fitzroy Provincial Park, Ottawa.

Eastern Bluebird (3) Bleeks Rd at Conley Rd, Ottawa.

Gray Catbird – Rapides Deschênes (incluant Parc), Gatineau.

Hermit Thrush – Britannia CA (general location), Ottawa. Roughly the same area as the Winter Wren.

Wood Thrush – Continuing, Champlain Park Woods-Remic Rapids Loop, Ottawa.

Chipping Sparrow – Continuing Florizel Ave, Ottawa, and Connaught, Gatineau.

Eastern Towhee – Continuing, Stony Swamp (Sarsaparilla Trail), Ottawa.

Western Tanager – McCarthy Woods, Ottawa. A big thank you to birders for continuing to avoid the nearby homes. Fortunately, the bird has played along, and has been visiting the new feeders away from the residences. Feel free to contribute bird seed, which can be added to the feeders or left in the steel garbage can.

Ottawa and area bird sightings to 11 January 2024

by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca

Male Barrow’s Goldeneye, Rideau River at Highway 417, Erik Pohanka. The few Barrow’s and many Common Goldeneye can be found this winter anywhere from the 417 North to St Patrick St, as long as stretches of water remain open.

Female Barrow’s Goldeneye, Rideau River at Highway 417, Erik Pohanka. The solid orange bill differentiates this female from the Commons. But notice the silhouette of the head – the shape matches the male Barrow’s and is surprisingly different from a Common.

Downy Woodpecker, Beaver Trail, David Lam. Clean white tail feathers and a relatively short bill separate this woodpecker from the distantly related Hairy Woodpecker. ‘Distantly?’ The nearly identical plumage is likely mimicry, not close family ties. BTW, this feeder is maintained and filled all winter by OFNC volunteers.

Black-capped Chickadee, Beaver Trail, David Lam. Because Chickadees are so curious and so unafraid of people, they are great subjects to just observe. A few minutes and the hierarchy comes out and different personalities become obvious.

Male and female Hooded Mergansers, Britannia Point, Alan Short.

Lesser Scaup, Britannia Point, Alan Short.

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Fletcher, Gillian Wright. How does a sap and insect specialist survive in Ottawa after the snow falls and the sap stops flowing? By switching to fruit.

Eastern Towhee, Sarsaparilla Trail, Aaron Hywarren.

Domestic Duck, Britannia Point, Alan Short. When a weird bird with white shows up, the first thought is lucisism. But in ducks, think domestic or domestic/wild hybrid.

Wood Thrush, Champlain Park, Gillian Wright.

Female Wood Duck, Britannia Point, Alan Short. Ever notice that the males and females ducks often sound very different? Not just mating calls, but everyday calls.

Adult Northern Shrike, Ottawa, Aaron Hywarren. Adult from the clean unpatternerned white.

Western Tanager, Mccarthy Woods, Aaron Hywarren.

American Crow, Hilda, Alan Short. Monochromatic from a distance, up close crows (and ravens) are stunning.

Ring-necked Duck – Bate Island, Ottawa.

Harlequin Duck – Intermittent reports from Bate Island to the Deschenes rapids. Last reported Jan 06 but hopefully still around.

Lesser Scaup (1-5) Britannia CA (general location), Ottawa. (3) Jan 08, Kelly’s Landing, Ottawa.

Great Blue Heron – Jan 07, Woodstream Dr, Ottawa.

Northern Harrier – Jan 11, Moodie Drive Quarry, Ottawa. Jan 09, Carp River at Hazeldean, Ottawa. Jan 07, Lockhead Rd W, Ottawa.

Belted Kingfisher – Jan 08, Parc du Lac-Beauchamp, Gatineau.

Lesser Black-backed Gull – Moodie Drive Quarry, Ottawa. Jan 10, Bate Island, Ottawa. Jan 08, Rapides Deschênes (incluant Parc), Gatineau.

Note that there were 6 six species of gull at Bate Island on Jan 10.

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker – Fletcher Wildlife Garden, Ottawa.

Red-bellied Woodpecker – Chemin Steele, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais.

Brown Thrasher – Continuing Hilson Ave and neighbourhood, Ottawa.

Winter Wren – Britannia CA (general location), Ottawa.

Eastern Bluebird (3) Jan 11, Conley Rd, Ottawa.

Hermit Thrush – Jan 11, Britannia CA (general location), Ottawa. Jan 07, Lac Leamy, Gatineau. Jan 07, Stanley Park, Ottawa.

Wood Thrush – Continuing, Champlain Park Woods-Remic Rapids Loop, Ottawa.

Chipping Sparrow – Continuing Florizel Avenue, Ottawa. Connaught, Gatineau, last reported Jan 07.

Eastern Towhee – Continuing, Stony Swamp (Sarsaparilla Trail), Ottawa.

Western Tanager – McCarthy Woods, Ottawa. Please support the effort to not alienate the neighborhood and stay away from backyards and out of the taped-off area.

Atlas note: Even with winter upon us, there are several bird species that breed here in the Ottawa area. In addition to the ubiquitous Feral Rock Pigeon, Great Horned Owls and Eastern Screech Owls are paired and breeding at this time of year. We should also keep a lookout for both White-winged and Red Crossbills as they can breed at any time of year.

The Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas welcomes your observations of these species, even if they are simply seen or even just heard. Your reports are valuable and 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.

Ottawa and area bird sightings to 4 January 2024

by Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca

This report looks an awful lot like last week’s, but Thursday’s sudden chill may finally shake things up and send some birds moving.

Male Red-bellied Woodpecker, Shirley’s Bay, Tony Beck. Tony says: “Once extremely rare in Ottawa, Red-bellied Woodpeckers have recently become established as breeders. However, they’re a bit more visible in winter when they visit feeding stations.”

Male Western Tanager, McCarthy Woods, Richard Rowlee. If you saw this bird at a distance, would you think oh, rare western bird! Or would you think American Goldfinch? Up close or next to another bird, this bird is brighter and much bigger than any goldfinch. But size is very deceptive in a distant bird.

Mallards, Ottawa River, Alan Short. Get to know your local mallards well, and rarer ducks will be easier to identify. Or just enjoy the common birds. It’s easy to overlook their beauty when they feel common.

American Robin, Grasshopper Hill Park, Christopher Clunas. Leucism can be a real challenge to birds, as the white can make them more visible, and white feathers are weaker and wear away more easily than dark feathers. If the cause is external (poor food, sickness, etc. when those feathers formed), a leucistic bird may look totally different if it survives to molt under better conditions. If the cause is internal (genetic mutation), then the white will appear again in the next molt.

Male Merlin, Shirley’s Bay, Tony Beck. Tony says: “Slightly bigger than Blue Jay, this small falcon is powerful enough to take prey larger than itself including Rock Pigeons and Pileated Woodpeckers.”

Herring Gull, Britannia Point, Alan Short.

Carolina Wren, McCarthy Woods, Richard Rowlee.

American Tree Sparrow, Hilda feeders, Alan Short.

White-throated Sparrow, Dewberry Trail, Mer Bleue, Tony Beck. Although rare at this time of year, the Ottawa District can expect a handful to linger through almost every winter. When present, they typically come to bird feeding stations.

Female Common Merganser, Ottawa, Alan Short.

Green-winged Teal – Halmont Drive, Ottawa.

Ring-necked Duck – Jan 03, Route 500 E, Casselman3, Prescott and Russell. Jan 01, Baie Simard, Gatineau.

Harlequin Duck (2) – Intermittent reports from Bate Island to the Deschenes rapids. At least one sighting of 2 Harlequin, one of which is a male beginning to show adult plumage features

Lesser Scaup (5) – Jan 02, Britannia CA (general location), Ottawa.

Red-breasted Merganser (2) – Shirley’s Bay, Ottawa. Jan 01, Britannia CA (general location), Ottawa.

Great Blue Heron – Jan 03, Richmond, Ontario, Ottawa.

Turkey Vulture – Jan 02, Aylmer, Gatineau.

Golden Eagle – Dec 31, Carp & Kinburn area, Ottawa.

Lesser Black-backed Gull – Jan 03, Trail Road Landfill, Ottawa. Jan 01, Dick Bell Park, Ottawa. Dec 31, Moodie Drive Quarry, Ottawa.

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker – Jan 04, Fletcher Wildlife Garden, Ottawa.

Red-bellied Woodpecker – Jan 02, Chemin Steele, Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais.

Brown Thrasher – Continuing Hilson Ave and neighbourhood, Ottawa. Jan 03, 2024 Manion Heights, Ottawa.

Winter Wren – Britannia CA (general location), Ottawa.

Wood Thrush – Continuing, Champlain Park Woods-Remic Rapids Loop, Ottawa.

Chipping Sparrow – Continuing Connaught, Gatineau. Jan 02, Florizel Avenue, Ottawa.

Eastern Towhee – Continuing, Stony Swamp (Sarsaparilla Trail), Ottawa. Allegedly.

Western Tanager – Continues McCarthy Woods, Ottawa. After hearing from the local community around the Western Tanager that they are getting frustrated with people looking towards their homes, we have come up with a new plan for managing people around the site.

Yellow tape and signs have been put up requesting that people not approach the feeders near the homes.
New feeders have been erected about 30m north of the ‘sunshine feeder’ where people had been focussing their attention.

Here is what we would like from you:

Be mindful of the impact that optics have in the eyes of folks unfamiliar with binoculars and cameras when they are pointed in their direction. Please do not bird within sight of people’s homes, and encourage others to do the same 2. Please add to the feeder array. We would like to have a table feeder like the one on Hilda Road if anyone has the skills to make one. We would love to have people bring food for the bird, including mixed seed with a lot of white millet in it, fruit, suet rendered with mealworms in it.
If someone is willing to bring a metal garbage can that we can put donated bird seed in that would be awesome.
If you have time to volunteer, we need ambassadors on site the next 2 or 3 days to help inform people of the changes and get them used to the new plan. Please dm, message or email Jeff Skevington or Aaron Hywarren if you want to volunteer.