East End Birding

 January 3, 2021

We decided to check out a possible bluebird sighting on Quigley Hill in Cumberland.  We found the feeders and staked them out for 40 minute, but were not successful.  Compensations were a Pileated Woodpecker and very active feeders with common species.

Next, we moved on the Navan to look for the Carolina Wren, but the feeders had become quiet by this time, except for goldfinches.

On Perreault, we saw our first of several flocks of Wild Turkeys.

On Russell Road, we saw a perched Rough-legged Hawk, which took off while we were focusing our cameras.

Shortly after seeing the hawk, we came to an intersection with many Common Redpolls in the trees and in the grasses nearby.

We decided to head for St. Isidore, with a quick stop at Larose Forest.  The feeders on Indian Creek Road did not disappoint, with our first Evening Grosbeaks of the year.

We had our lunch and continued on to St Isidore area, where we saw a distant Snowy Owl on St. Rose.

We cruised the backroads without seeing much except for a Red-tailed Hawk.

We were about ready to call it quits, but decided to cover the section of Conc. 19 with the gite that we had bypassed.  Wow, parked vehicles - another snowy on a utility pole.  While getting out to photograph it, a Merlin flew right past us and landed on a pole.

Well, that's better!  Heading down St. Rose towards Hwy 417, we saw that our first snowy was still in place, so we drove down for a last look, seeing our first flock of distant Snow Buntings.

Incredibly, after being there all day, the Snowy Owl took off and headed to a pole in the centre of the fields, then moved to a pole on the roadside.

Heading west towards Casselman, we saw two more Rough-legged Hawks by the side of the road.  They were both dark  morphs.

A successful day following a slow start.