Thursday, May 2, 2013

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.




 
 

Wednesday, May 1, 2013

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