Ottawa Area Birding: Mud Lake to Burnt Lands with JC Birding

May 18, 2021

Birding Report by Jane Burgess

We had a great day of birding. 12 species of warblers and 8 species of sparrows.

Mud Lake was a bit slow to start with, a Canada geese family were being very protective of their 11 goslings, Barb C. gave them a very wide berth, and still one walked toward her hissing and showing her pink tongue. Their babies are growing. In the area near the water we saw a Blue-headed Vireo, it flew but he came out for those on the grassy area.

We walked toward the filtration plant, then came back to the big pines and up on the ridge. There were so, so many Yellows on the ridge. By the time we got back onto the road, we had seen Magnolia, Yellow-rumped, Bay-breasted, Blackburian, Chestnut-sided, Yellow and American Redstart. Barb said the best bird of the day has to be the Blackburian. We got good views of them all. So we are at the road near the path going into the woods when Barb and I hear Mike Tate say Cerulean Warbler, Berry Side Road. Should we go?? No brainer of course we should go.

When we arrived there were maybe 8 cars there already, for the most part all familiar birders - Rick, Richard and Paul of course were there. They said it had not been re-found, so we just birded and then we noticed a group of the "boys" up the road playing Screech Owl. We walked over to join them to see an Indigo Bunting flying away and within minutes the Cerulean Warbler was seen. Not great views, but Bill, Barb and I saw it. Barbara was doing her thing, down the road near the cars. We found it curious a number of those birders asked us how we knew about the Cerulean Warbler, obviously they were surprised to see us there, because we were not on the list to be called. Sometimes it pays off to have big ears, but then Mike Tate was not exactly quiet when he told his friend.

We decided we would bird the rest of Berry Side Road. Bill and Barbara stopped to photograph a Field Sparrow and an Eastern Bluebird, while Barb and I were more interested in the Black-throated Green and the Ovenbird and listening to the White-throated Sparrow in the distance. While Barb C was looking through her binocular I said Barb a Scarlet Tanager. The Tanager just flew to the other side of the road and sang and with a little encouragement came even closer. Just a bit further we got Sora, Eastern Kingbird and Swamp Sparrow and of course Osprey. We drove along the 6th line and stopped because the Bobolink and Eastern Meadowlark were singing. As we drove to Burnt Lands we saw Eastern Bluebird, Savannah Sparrow and Barn Swallow.

At Burnt Lands we decided it was lunch time. We enjoyed our lunch under the sun, no shade to speak of, but there was a bit of a breeze, so all was good. My fitbit told me I had to walk 105 steps, so off I went down the path, Bill said Take your camera, of course I did not. About 105 steps later I saw a Clay-coloured Sparrow, out in the open and yes I should have taken my camera. Lunch done, we all set off down the path and to find the Clay-coloured Sparrow, it was there we heard it, but it took some coaxing to come in. I think we saw three of them. Further down the path a Brown Thrasher singing away. At the fence line we could not see the Thrasher, but once we played the song out he came. Interestingly the path to the left had a big, big puddle of water, but no birds around it. We crossed over to the next field and walked to the trees and just beyond, that is where we heard the Grasshopper Sparrow, now this bird did not want to come out to play, but we did see several of them. Bill and Barbara walked to the treed area, while Barb C and I walked toward the cars. I had to deliver some articles to my niece who lives 5 minutes away from the Burnt Lands. I called Bill and let him know what we were doing. After dropping the articles off, we drove back to the end of her road and decided to wait for Bill and Barbara, oh what do I hear, Pine Warbler #11. Out of the car and yes we saw the little guy.

We called Bill to say we were going to go to Almonte to Bob the Baker (My husband just loves it when I bring goodies home - he has a sweet tooth) and to get gasoline and to meet us at the park (it has public washrooms). Off to the bakery to get our goodies and then to the park to find out the washrooms were closed. We told Bill we had to get gas and he and Barbara would proceed to Fine Estates ahead of us.

Long story short, he got to the place to find no birds, we said our goodbyes on the phone. Later they were fortunate to see and assist with the car floor mats, a Snapping Turtle crossing the road.