Ottawa River West with JC Birding

Nov 23, 2016
(text by Connie)
Started off at Mud Lake on Wednesday.  Except for a few "holes" of water, the lake was frozen over and the birds were walking gingerly across the ice! Path up to the ridge was not icy so up we went to the welcome of even more birds, obviously looking for handouts.  Once again we had left birdseed in the car but luckily others had not.  Several times birds landed on our outstretched arms/hands while we were pointing out the direction of birds to others!  Barb B had a Downy Woodpecker stop on hers. 

We stopped at Britannia and walked out on the pier checking shoreline for Purple Sandpipers but found none.  It was very quiet here and also very COLD with a fierce wind!

Andrew Haydon Park was also cold and windy.  Snow and ice had built up along the rocky shore and we did not find any Purple Sandpiper. There were many Common Goldeneye on the river today.  As well we had Greater Scaup, Redbreasted and Common Merganser, Bufflehead, Ring-necked Duck, and one Black Scoter.  Also here were Herring Gulls, one Black-backed Gull, and two juvenile Glaucaus Gulls.  There was also an American Wigeon pair on one of the ponds. 

There was activity on Grandview Drive especially at one of the feeders.  Others had a single Common Redpoll here but somehow I missed that while watching all the regular species!  A flock of American Robins was hopping from tree top to tree top and then finally a small flock of Waxwings which all proved to be Cedar Waxwings.  Two Wild Turkeys were wandering the street.

At the feeders on Hilda there were many American Tree Sparrows along with Black-capped Chickadees, White-breasted Nuthatches and Blue Jays.  From the Beach at Shirley's Bay there were once again many Common Goldeneye.  Barb C saw a Grebe but it went under and we could not relocate it -- not sure what species.  We also found three Common Loon here. 

List for the day is below along with some photos from the Bowman's and Sami in this and another email.

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Birds Observed Wednesday, November 23, 2016   
Ottawa West - Mud Lake, Britannia, Andrew Haydon, Hilda, Shirley's Bay Beach   
(Sami, Barb C, Bill & Barb B, Connie)   
   
Ottawa West - Mud Lake   
1    American Black Duck (maybe a hybrid)
2    American Crow
3    Black-capped Chickadee
4    Canada Goose
5    Common Goldeneye
6    Dark-eyed Junco
7    Downy Woodpecker
8    European Starling
9    Hooded Merganser
10    Mallard
11    Northern Cardinal
12    Ring-billed Gull
13    White-breasted Nuthatch
   
Ottawa West - Andrew Haydon Park   
14    American Wigeon (pair)
15    Black Scoter (1)
16    Bufflehead
***    Common Goldeneye (many)
17    Common Merganser (one)
18    Glaucous Gull (juv, 2)
19    Great Black-backed Gull (1)
20    Greater Scaup
21    Herring Gull
22    Red-breasted Merganser (several)
23    Ring-necked Duck
   
Ottawa West - Grandview Road   
24    American Goldfinch
25    American Robin
26    American Tree Sparrow
27    Blue Jay
28    Cedar Waxwing
29    Common Redpoll (1)
30    Mourning Dove
31    Rock Pigeon
32    Wild Turkey (2)
   
Ottawa West - Hilda   
***    American Tree Sparrow (many)
   
Ottawa West - Shirley's Bay Beach   
33    Common Loon (3)