We were working outside putting stuff away and reorganizing the wood pile, when I decided to check my phone. OTTAWA RARE BIRD ALERT. It was only a few minutes ago and not far to Shirley's Bay, so I said "We've got to go now."
When we arrived, there were a few birders with scopes, but the bad news was that the eider had flown, chased by a Black-backed Gull. We decided to scan the river for other things when somebody yelled "It's back!" There it was accompanied by two female Black Scoters. They were part of a large distant flock of mostly Common Goldeneyes.
Barbara tried and tried to get a photo, but it was hard with the waves ad great distance. By this time, the group of birders had swelled to a large number with everyone wanting to see the King Eider male in breeding plumage.
Finally, a kayaking pair crossed the river from the Quebec side and spooked all the goldeneyes. This was a blessing, because our quarry was now much easier to see, and the diminishing waves made photographing it a possibility.
Satisfied, we decided to check Rifle Road and Hilda. Surprisingly, we saw a very late Monarch Butterfly, making us think about our own Little Hilda which our grandsons had raised from a caterpillar.
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