J-C Birding Report - March 13, 2018 - Shirley's Bay to Constance Bay

Bill and Barb joined Connie and I at the feeder on Hilda.  When Connie put out some seeds, the birds arrived.  Lots of Red-winged Blackbirds, many American Tree Sparrows sprinkled with Downy and Hairy Woodpecker, Blue Jays and Northern Cardinals along with a couple of Mourning Doves.  Connie got her first American Robin (the only one of the day), a Merlin flew by as did three Cedar Waxwings.

Barb pointed out a Hare at a puddle, it appeared to be drinking, but once it noticed us, it was off like a shot.

We dropped my car off at the Metro near Tim Horton's, the entrance from Carling Ave has now been barricaded off, only entrance now is off of March Road - inconvenient!

We drove down March Valley, nothing, then to Berry Side Road.  While we did not see any new birds we did see a very hungry porcupine chewing away at a branch, paying no attention to us. (Lots of photos taken. Note the orange teeth in photos -- like those a Beaver they grow continuously and are fortified with iron.)

We turned around and when driving toward Constance Lake, Connie stops the car and says is that a crow, no!  a Cooper's Hawk eating.  I got out of the car to set up my scope and to tell Bill and Barb what we saw.  Quick-thinking Bill, out of the car camera in hand, got some quick pictures.  As soon as the bird realized it had been spotted, off it flew.  Barb walked down the road to investigate and she yelled to us, it was flying low toward us.   It is amazing how a bird can fly into the woods and totally disappear.

We drove a little further and a flock of about 30 Wild Turkeys were seen in the field.

On Greenland we stopped to look at a very large crow like bird - Common Raven.

Connie's phone rang, it was Anne saying she was at Constance Bay, so we drove off to meet up with her.  Our hope was to see a Red-headed Woodpecker, we walked all the trails but to no avail.  We did get a small tin man hanging from a tree and some interesting fungi but not the woodpeckers.  Fine we will drive around Constance Bay and maybe the woodpeckers are there - no.

Next street was Monty, Jeff's house was alive with American Goldfinch.

Back to the parking lot by 3:00.  I had a meeting in Kanata and it was over by 5:45. While driving home between Eagleson and Old Richmond Road on Fallowfield there were huge flocks of Canada Geese in the cut corn fields.  Why I mention this because Connie and I noted no geese in the fields around the areas we drove.  The only Canada Geese we saw were flying overhead at Hilda.

Thank you Bill and Barb and Connie for the photos.

Jane Burgess


Birds Noted

1.  Blue Jay
2.  Northern Cardinal
3.  Black-capped Chickadee
4.  American Tree Sparrow
5.  Hairy Woodpecker
6.  Downy Woodpecker
7.  American Robin
8.  Mourning Dove
9.  Cedar Waxwing
10. Red-wing Blackbird
11. Merlin
12. Ring-bill Gull
13. Canada Geese
14. American Crow
15. Mallard
16. Cooper's Hawk
17. White-breasted Nuthatch
18. Wild turkey
19. European Starling
20. Common Raven
21. American Goldfinch
22. Rock Dove

Critters Noted
1. Hare
2. Deer
3. Porcupine
4. Racoon
5. Squirrel (when don't we seen these guys)