Shirley's Bay Shorebirds

August 22, 2012

There were lots of reports from Shirley's Bay, so I went over in the afternoon for a look myself.

At the parking lot, I saw a White-breasted Nuthatch, three Double-crested Cormorants and a Mallard.

There were some serious photographers on the ridge, later joined by Heather.  We could not finds the Buff-breasted Sandpiper, but saw Stilt Sandpipers, lots of Lesser Yellowlegs and some Greater.  A Merlin flew in to scatter the flocks.

There were three or four Northern Shovellers, a Green-winged Teal, a female Northern Harrier, Great Blue Heron and a Great Egret.

A fly fisher regaled me of tales of the 40-50 inch Gar Pike that he catches at this very spot.

I returned to the parking lot to find a Common Raven making quite a racket and showing off the red inside it's mouth.

Loons and More Loons

August 18-19, 2012

On the weekend we went from the cottage up to LaVérendreye Park for a short canoe trip. 

We saw 49 adult Common Loons and 6 small young.  In the canoe, we were able to get very close.

 

 

 

 

Bird List

1. Black-throated Blue Warbler
2. Common Yellowthroat
3. Northern Parula
4. Ovenbird
5. Pileated Woodpecker
6. Eastern Bluebird
7. White-breasted Nuthatch
8. Eastern Phoebe
9. Turkey Vulture
10. Mourning Dove
11. Blue Jay
12. American Crow
13. Great Blue Heron
14. Common Grackle
15. Northern Flicker
16. Ruby-throated Hummingbird
17. Northern Goshawk
18. Common Loon
19. Ring-billed Gull
20. Belted Kingfisher
21. Bald Eagle
22. Common Merganser
23. Semi-palmated Sandpipers
24. Common Raven
25. Double-crested Cormorant
26. Herring Gull
27. American Black Duck
28. Wild Turkey

 

Day Trip to Camp Opemikon on Christie Lake to Check the Crazy Canuck Adventure Challenge Route

August 16, 2012

Bird List

1. American Crow
2. European Starling
3. Red-tailed Hawk
4. Rock Pigeon
5. Turkey Vulture
6. Great Blue Heron
7. Ring-billed Gull
8. Mourning Dove
9. Wood Duck
10. American Goldfinch
11. Red-eyed Vireo
12. Ruffed Grouse
13. Green Heron
14. Northern Parula
15. Yellow-rumped Warbler
16. Black and White Warbler
17. Osprey
18. Wild Turkey
19. Killdeer
20. Merlin
21. Eastern Kingbird
22. Common Nighthawk
23. Tree Swallow
24. Green-winged Teal
25. Double-crested Cormorant
26. Pied-billed Grebe
27. Ruddy Duck
28. Mallard
29. Canada Goose

Cooper's Hawk a Block from Home

August 14, 2012

I read about the juvenile Coopers' Hawk in the Otawa Citizen bird column, and recognized the person reporting as someone in my neighbourhood. I made an educated guess of where to look and lo and behold..

A Two-Hawk Weekend

August 11-12, 2012

It was  wet weekend at the cottage, but there was still good activity at our feeders. 

On Sunday we drove the roads around Little Cedar Lake hoping to see the American Bittern reported in The Citizen by Roy McSheffrey (no luck).

But we did luck into a young Red-tailed Hawk on a fence near the road that was not shy of the car.  We saw it again on Chemin Petit Lac des Cèdres and then a Broad-winged Hawk on a wire near the boat launch.  We saw other birds listed below and two Sandhill Cranes on the way home outside of  Venosta (third sighting!)

Bird List

1. European Starling
2. Blue Jay
3. American Crow
4. Common Yellowthroat
5. Pale warbler sp
6. American Robin
7. Swamp Sparrow
8. Eastern Phoebe
9. Red-tailed Hawk
10. Broad-winged Hawk
11. Northern Flicker
12. Black-capped Chickadee
13. Black and White Warbler
14. Pileated Woodpecker
15. Downy Woodpecker
16. American Goldfinch
17. Purple Finch
18. Red-breasted Nuthatch
19. Hairy Woodpecker
20. Common Grackle
21. American Black Duck
22. Ring-billed Gull
23. Common Tern
24. Eastern Kingbird
25. Sandhill Crane

Good Birds Without Trying

August 6, 2012

It was  a busy weekend at the cottage with lots of company, and little time to go birding.  The first good bird was a Broad-winged Hawk along Ch. Tims when returning from berry picking - yes there finally were some decent raspberries.

Then a young Red-eyed Vireo showed up on our deck, an apparent victim of colliding with a Window.  Later, while swimming, an adult Bald Eagle made two passes right over our dock.  Then, on the way home, we saw two Sandhill Cranes on the west side of the highway outside of Venosta.

 

Cottage Birding

July 27-30, 2012

On Saturday, we headed to Maniwaki to pick up a few things.  We stopped at the creek to Blue Sea Lake where Barbara spotted a female Wood Duck with 2 young.  At Chemin Galipeau, we had American Goldfinches with the sun spotlighting them.  We took Farley Road and were rewarded with fine views of an American Kestrel, a soaring Broad-winged Hawk  and some Wild Turkeys.

In the afternoon, we drove over to Lac Lacroix to visit friends.  On the way, we saw several Barn Swallows (new to list) on a wire.  At the lake there was a very active hummingbird feeder and other feeders which hosted Purple Finch, Black-capped Chickadees and White-breasted Nuthatches.  Bill also spotted a Black and White Warbler in the yard.  We went for a hike around the extensive property, and Bill pished in a Veery (new to list).  We also heard a few Wood Thrushes (new to list), but they would not show themselves.

On Sunday, Bill went down the lake to try some fishing and keep an eye on the loons.  He saw a pair of Belted Kingfishers  at the north end.  Later, we all went for a paddle all around Black Bay.  We saw 7 Common Mergansers on parade and a Great Blue Heron watching the show.  The Common Tern colony had a few juveniles with them and a Mallard mom had 2 toddlers.

On Monday we went next door where we had seen many warblers earlier on.  This time it was quiet except for a juvenile Yellow-bellied Sapsucker.  Driving home, we saw another American Kestrel just outside of Messines where we had seen on before.  Along the highway, we always keep a sharp eye out for the Sandhill Canes, and this time son Grant did spot one just north of Venosta on the east side of the highway.