Ottawa West and Golden-crowned Sparrow with Tony Beck

October 14, 2010 7:30 am

We met at Andrew Haydon Park. – Tony, Nina, Heather, me and a visiting birder, Sue.

We saw a Cackling Goose, a Great-blue Heron and a pair of Green-winged Teal. We went over to the Ottawa River, where we saw 2 Surf Scoters, a White-winged Scoter and a couple of female Lesser Scaup. A White-throated Sparrow was behind us. Tony saw a Double-crested Cormorant come in, and there was Great Black-backed Gull out on the river.

Walking back to the cars, we saw a Downy Woodpecker down low in the shrubs and a very secretive Hermit Thrush.


We carpooled to Moodie Ponds, and on the way, on Eagleson, we saw a Great Egret in one of the storm ponds.

At Burnside, we had a Red-tailed Hawk sitting on the ground. There were a couple of Ring-necked Ducks in the foreground and several Ruddy Ducks. Tony spotted a Lesser Black-backed Gull. A pair of Northern Shovellers flew past too. In the distance we could see a female Common Merganser. An American Pipit blasted across right in from of us and out of sight.

We drove to Rothwell Heights, 12 Cedar Road, to look for a rarity – a Golden-crowned Sparrow that had been coming to a feeder. We saw lots of White-throated Sparrows on the ground, then a Northern Cardinal. A Song Sparrow showed up and then the Golden-crowned. Finally, a Dark-eyed Junco and a House Finch appeared too.