A Big Day – Nepean, Kanata, Richmond, Munster and Beckwith Township

April 22, 2019

We began at Terry Carisse Park in Nepean.  Surprisingly, there were no Ospreys at the nest, and there may not be as most other platforms are occupied by now. We got a glimpse of a Yellow-rumped Warbler, and many quick looks at Golden-crowned Kinglets in the trees by the river.

A Herring Gull was flying so high, we thought at first that it was a raptor.

Beyond that, there were a pair of Brown-headed Cowbirds, some Song Sparrows and the ubiquitous Red-winged Blackbirds.

Our next stop was at the flooded swamp at the north end of Twin Elm Road.  The Ospreys at Synagri were both out perched on separate levels of a structure behind the tower which was topped by a large nest.  The ospreys remained perched all the time we were there.  A friend got amazing photos of them mating just a few days earlier.

We soon heard the incessant singing of a Northern Flicker, which we quickly located.

A male Yellow-rumped Warbler put on a good show.  We also saw Mourning Doves.  Colin and Martha arrived and told us about a good spot for Vesper Sparrows south of Barrhaven.

Our next stop was the Richmond Lagoons, where we ate lunch and spent quite a bit of time.  

The ponds had several Long-tailed Ducks, Buffleheads, and a few Ring-necked Ducks.  A muskrat entertained us by coming to and going from its nest.  We saw a couple of turtles enjoying the sun. My phone slipped out of my pocket at the bench, but was still there when we went back.

There were lots of Tree Swallows, American Robins, Red-winged Blackbirds, woodpeckers and Eastern Phoebes.  We flushed an American Bittern from the reeds and heard the singing of a Common Gallinule, many Northern Leopard Frogs and a few Spring Peepers.

We saw a few Swamp Sparrows, one of them very cooperative.   A Woolly Bear caterpillar was a first of the season.

We moved on to potholed Munster Side Road.  It was quiet except for a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker.  

We saw some canoeists getting practice runs in for the race on the Jock River.

Although it was getting on, we decided to push on further west into Lanark County to check out some easy to reach spot in Beckwith Township.  We enjoyed checking out the two Jock River bridges at Cemetery Side Road and 9^th line and especially the trail at the Beckwith Recreation Park.  At the latter, we saw 2 Belted Kingfishers, another Osprey, a Great Blue Heron and a Hairy Woodpecker.  A Northern Leopard Frog hopped quickly across the path, another first of Spring.

By then, it was nearly 5 pm, and time to hit Highway 7 for the trip home.