Mud Lake

May 1, 2013

I was hoping to see some warblers, but was not successful.  I did hear a few Pine Warblers and an occasional Yellow-rumped Warbler, but no sightings were to be had.

Nevertheless, it was a beautiful day to be afield.   Wood Ducks were common and male and female Common Mergansers were on both the river and the pond.

Trout Lilies were in bloom, and Snapping Turtles were enjoying the sun. 

The baby Great-horned Owls are getting bigger now, one a bit larger than the other.  Mother keeps and eye out from a nearby perch.

 

 

 

Richmond & Manotick

April 30, 2013

I had to go out to No'Chimik in Manotick to pick up our camping gear.  I decided to go via Richmond to look for the reported Wilson's Phalarope.

Alas I could not find it, even though it was reported again later in the day.  I did have good view of an Osprey and Lesser Yellowlegs on Twin Elm Road .and many Northern Shovellers in the second cell of the Richmond Lagoon.  Also, when driving south on Eagleson towards Manotick, I saw and American Kestrel on a wire.

Camp Opemikon Work Weekend

April 26-28, 2013

We are at camp to work, but there is always time for birding from 6 to 8 am and also in the later afternoon.  The dates often coincide with the peak of early spring migration.  With lake, swamp, mature hardwoods and pines, there are several chances to see birds.  The lake has nesting pairs of both Osprey and Bald Eagles.

We are awakened each morning by the dawn song of Chipping Sparrows, Eastern Phoebes and American Robins.  We heard both Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers and a Pileated Woodpecker.

During the day, Barbara was fortunate enough to see a Pine Warbler near our work site.  There were also plenty of Ruby-crowned Kinglets bouncing around.  In the swamp across the road, we saw a pair of Northen Flickers doing a mating dance.

 

 

Mer Bleue & Open Country – Ottawa East with Tony Beck

Thursday April 25

A good crowd today: Josh, Rick, Peter, Nina, Helena, Ian, Tony, Al, Heather, Margaret and photographer Rick.

We met at Mer Bleue and then went to Navan Arena to carpool.  But the area washrooms were closed for renovations, so we went to Petrie Island with a washroom stop along the way at Tim Horton's.  We headed back out to Giroux Ponds, the to Bear Brook at Frank Kenny.  Finally we went to Milton Road for the Sandhill Cranes.

 

Bird and Mammal List

1. White-throated Sparrow
2. Red-winged Blackbird
3. American Robin\
4. Downy Woodpecker
5. Black-capped Chickadee
6. Dark-eyed Junco
7. Mourning Dove
8. Wood Duck
9. Hermit Thrush
10. Turkey Vulture
11. Brown-headed Cowbird
12. Ruby-crowned Kinglet
13. Common Raven
14. Song Sparrow
15. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
16. American Goldfinch
17. American Crow
18. Northern Shoveller
19. Green-winged Teal
20. American Tree Swallow
21. Bald Eagle
22. Killdeer
23. Canada Goose
24. American Black Duck
25. Northern Harrier
26. European Starling
27. Rock Pigeon
28. Common  Merganser
29. Hooded Merganser
30. Bufflehead
31. Herring Gull
32. Lesser Scaup
33. Ruddy Duck
34. Northern Pintail
35. Gadwall
36. Eastern Meadowlark
37. Chipping Sparrow
38. Savannah Sparrow
39. Mallard
40. Common Grackle
41. Great Blue Heron
42. Sandhill Crane
43. Coyote
44. Red-tailed Hawk

Cottage Work Party

April 20-23

The project almost got derailed before it got started when Kirk got stuck in the thawing road with all the supplies.  Fortunately, a friendly 4x4 owner was on the scene, and we could get on with the project to insulate the ceiling.

Spring was slow to come to Cedar Lake, but signs were there.

There were hundreds of Common Redpolls at the Nyger feeder and lots of Dark-eyed Juncos were underneath.

We went for a hike and saw a Red-tailed Hawk, a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker and an Eastern Phoebe.  We also got a glimpse of our FOS Yellow-rumped Warbler.

On the way home we saw an American Kestrel on Entrée Sud at the usual place.

 

Waterfowl, Gulls and Assorted Songbirds – Ottawa West with Tony Beck

Thursday April 18

We began at Andrew Haydon Park.  I forgot to note the birders today, so going from memory I have: Tony, Nina, Josh, Heather, Helena, Ian and me.  There may have been a couple of others.

We birded at Andrew Haydon, then went to Burnside.  We went to Richmond and stopped at the new Tim Hortons.  We went up Conley Road, then used the back roads to get out past Black's Corners.  It was drizzling and the Trumpeter Swans were not to be found.  We headed back to town and found a surprise Sandhill Crane on Terry Fox.  We finished up by going to Shirleys' Bay and Hilda, where we saw the black chipmunk again.

Bird List

1. Ring-billed Gull
2. Canada Goose
3. Brown Creeper
4. Song Sparrow
5. Mallard
6. Greater Scaup
7. Eastern Phoebe
8. American Crow
9. Iceland Gull
10. Tree Swallow
11. Ring-necked Duck
12. Lesser Scaup
13. Osprey
14. Common Merganser
15. Ruddy Duck
16. Bufflehead
17. Killdeer
18. Cooper's Hawk
19. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
20. House Sparrow
21. Song Sparrow
22. Dark-eyed Junco
23. Green-winged Teal
24. Greater Yellowlegs
25. Blue Jay
26. American Robin
27. Purple Finch
28. Ruby-crowned Kinglet
29. Winter Wren
30. White-throated Sparrow
31. Northern Harrier
32. Wilson's Snipe
33. Merlin
34. American Kestrel
35. Sandhill Crane
36. Rough-legged Hawk
37. Mourning Dove
38. Hooded Merganser
39. Northern Rough-winged Swallow
40. Wild Turkey
41. Common Goldeneye
42. White-breasted Nuthatch
43. American Tree Sparrow
44. Common Redpoll
45. Black-capped Chickadee
46. White-throated Sparrow
47. Blue Jay
48. Brown-headed Cowbird
49. Barn Swallow
50. Northern Cardinal
51. Downy Woodpecker
52. Hairy Woodpecker
53. Fox Sparrow