Ottawa Area Birding: Panmure Road and Burnt Lands with JC Birding

July 28, 2021

Story by Jane Burgess

Barb C., Bill & Barb and I met at the park & ride on Eagleson and proceeded to Panmure where we met Anne. I had indicated to Anne the night before we would meet her at 7:20 and we did. No birding on the 417. Bill had suggested we bird the Burnt Lands and so naturally we thought we would do that first, but Anne said a Sedge Wren was seen at the end of the road. Sedge Wren or Burnt Lands, no brainer there, we went for the Sedge Wren, kind of.... While we were discussing where to go, we heard a White-throated Sparrow. We got in the car and we did not drive more than 100 feet and we stopped, Eastern Bluebird on the line, on the fence, maybe 6 of them. One was carrying food to the nest box right opposite the cars. Bill had said earlier he wanted us to stop where all the bird houses were, well he said forget it, we already have Bluebirds (when we did reach the bird houses, there was not a Eastern Bluebird in sight). We saw about a dozen Eastern Bluebirds as we drove down the road.

We drove a very little bit and again stopped, Eastern Meadowlarks, but no Bobolinks. We talked about how the announcer on CBC pronounced Bobolinks, more like Boobolink. At around 6:30 a.m. there was a short piece on the CBC re. what the NCC is doing about Boobolinks and Meadowlarks, threatened species in the Gatineau Park. Had a bit of a laugh at the pronunciation. Boy do I digress.

Unbeknownst to me, I drove by the Sedge Wren spot. Anne texted me to tell me that I have done so. We drive by a lady walking three big dogs, like who owns three dogs? But I must say they were very well behaved dogs. When I arrive Anne is playing the Sedge Wren and Bill and Barb are walking on Blakeney Road. They are there because the lady with the dogs said she regularly sees a "sandpiper" there, but no luck but they did get a Northern Harrier. Barb B. said that when they arrived the four horses in the field came galloping up to meet them, when we arrived two of them were rolling around in the field, guessing the bugs were bad or their backs needed scratching. Well we played and played the Sedge Wren song because we know those birds take a long time to decide to show themselves, well to make a long story short, they did not show themselves. But what we did see were a lot of juvenile and female Bobolink or is it Boobolink?

We drove down Blakeney Road looking for the Upland Sandpiper, no luck, time to go to the Burnt Lands. We turned off Blakeney Road on to Panmure and wow right there on the fence a Black-billed Cuckoo, so lucky. Driving down Ramsay Concession #12, we see another Black-billed Cuckoo, but it was not so cooperative. The time was about 11ish and the weather was not too hot, the plan was to go directly to the Burnt Lands to avoid the heat of mid day, thank goodness there was not a lot of heat at midday. We park facing a corn field and trek down to the Burnt Lands, dodging lots of puddles from the storm the day before.. We get there and what is so noticeable is all the fissures. No birds but lots of bugs, I don't mean mosquitoes or black flies, but moths, butterflies and the like. We returned to our vehicles and decided we should have our lunch at the Blakeney Conservation Area. When we drove in we saw that many people decided the same thing. We found a table beside the 'reciprocal door' (go there and find out about the door) and enjoyed our lunch. This area is quite lovely with rapids and lots of bridges throughout the area. While wandering around Barb and I heard and then Barb saw a Yellow-throated Vireo.

Next iwe go to the Almonte Sewage Lagoons, Barb and I bring our scope. First time for me using the new viewing area, thank you to the Field Naturalist Club who built it. It is very clear where we can and cannot bird. It offers the view all birders want and out of the sun. And for some people the use of a stool and bench. Barb thought the stool was perfect, it gave her the height to look over the reeds. There we saw a Green Heron, Lesser Yellowlegs, 6 or 8 Wood Ducks and 2 Pied-billed Grebes. Barb B. decides to go over to the other higher viewing stand. Anne joins her, then Bill, finally Barb and I as well. While we were up on the stand, I am not sure who spotted the birds flying high in the skies, I think it was Barb B. Thank goodness for cameras, because the bird we were so interested in was the highest, try as I may I could not find it with my scope. Broad-winged Hawk with what looks like a mouse (saw this from one of the Bowman's photos).

At this point Bill and Barb decide they will leave us and potentially get ice cream cones.