April 28, 2019
Ontario Field Ornithologist field trip: Ten intrepid birders met Langis Sirois at Shirley's Bay on a cold windy morning to check out raptor and especially Common Raven nests. The map shows the locations we checked.
The parking lot on the Ottawa River was flooded. Someone spotted a Horned Grebe in breeding plumage out on the bay. A pair of Common Mergansers blew past against the wind. Langis got his scope and pointed out a Bald Eagle's nest beyond the causeway.
Since the parking lot was closed due to flooding, we hiked back across the road to hear Langis' plan for the day and to check out the Osprey on the nearby platform.
We drove south on Rifle Road and stopped to check out our first raven's nest. Langis and others saw a Raven go to the nest.
We carried on west onto Carling Avenue, stopping at the Rogers Tower. We could see a nest, but no ravens at home.
Now it was time for Langis' little joke. He said we were going to a hockey game, so we drove to the Canadian Tire Centre. We pulled up where the nest had been last year, but there were no ravens, only a nice nest and some bird splatter.
Then Langis admitted that there were young ravens at the other side of the building this year.
There were five young ravens. Two had fledged and were on the lower ledge, while the other three were on their natal ledge.
All hell broke loose when a parent arrived with food. The young begged to be fed and we could see the red inside of their gaping mouths, a target for mom or dad.
Langis knew of a Red-tailed Hawk's nest. but we decided to skip it because of the dangerous stopping place on the 417 ramp. So we got on the 417 eastbound, exiting at Maitland for a stop at Woodward Drive.
Here there was a corridor of hydro pylons with three nests, two of them occupied.
Langis offered another nest site, but the crowd unanimously decided to go for the Peregrine Falcons at the CRA Data Centre.
The female was all but invisible on the nest ledge, We are fairly certain that she was sitting on eggs. We waited her out until she flew. The male also came by to help with feeding her.
The official trip was over, but Langis let us know where to find another raven nest site on Woodfield Drive at the hydro station. We went there but sure had trouble finding the nest; it was so well concealed at the back of a maze of towers. If Barbara had not spotted a raven flying out, we would not have got it. So we assume it is also an active nest.
