Ottawa Area Birding: Mud Lake, Andrew Haydon Park & Shirley's Bay with JC Birding

September 2, 2021

Birding Report by Jane Burgess

We met at Mud Lake at 7:00, it was cool, when Barb arrived I think she put on 3 extra layers. There was a Pied-billed Grebe opposite the parking lot in the water. Nothing there, except photographers waiting for the Peregrine Falcon to land on its perching tree, so we headed for the ridge. We spent 2 hours there, we found lots of warblers - Magnolia, Yellow-rumped, Northern Parula, Cape May, Bay-breasted, American Redstart, Black-throated Green, Chestnut-sided and Black and White. Not bad for September 2. Sami joined in on the fun around 8:00. It was good to have all the regulars together.

Ken, Barb, Sami and I drove over to Rowatt Ave, while Barbara & Bill stayed on the ridge. They had already seen the Yellow-throated Vireo, but they did walk over later. When we arrived a friend of Ken's said it was there, I just saw it a few minutes ago. Great. We headed over very positive that we would see the bird. Well we looked and looked and saw lots of warblers, apparently it hangs out with the warblers. Bill and Barbara joined in on the looking but ... We went back to the cars for a break and some sustenance, thanks to Barb. C. granddaughters she brought muffins for all. Barbara, Bill and Sami walked back to the ridge, but Ken, Barb C and I wanted to give it one more try. While we were there Barb and I got ourselves a mystery bird, warbler, no wing bars, dull brown/grey on top. (still bothering me so I am doing research) Who knows it might be forever a mystery. (After Bill went home he found he had photographed a Canada Warbler. Great find.) We did see a juvenile Hermit Thrush.

Before heading back to the ridge, we thought we would see if there was anything in the Sumacs, if we were extraordinarily lucky we found the Blue Grey Gnatcatcher, we weren't. But we certainly saw many Eastern Phoebes. I wanted to walk back and Barb and Ken headed for the cars. I usually am okay finding my way to Cassells Road, but I had to use my phone's GPS. It was a pleasant walk back, seeing more of the same in the warbler department. When I arrived back at the parking lot, Lynne had joined us.

We thought we would check out Ottawa Beach, because Bill and Barbara had lots of shorebirds there the day before. The water was low so we could check the west and east side of the beach area, unfortunately there was a lot of people activity on the beach and if there were birds they were long gone. Sami and Lynne said their goodbyes.

Barbara suggested we walk on the pathway for a bit to get to Mark Gawn's bridge where he guarantees to see at least 5 birds in10 minutes. Sami and Lynne said they would join us, the bridge was not that far. First up was a green frog. Bill played American Redstart and one flew in, we heard Blue Jay and Cardinal, can't remember if we got the 5 or not. We got talking and Sami said he has known Lynne for 57 years and married 54 years this October. Barbara said she and Bill had them beat , they were married 54 years May. Wow 54 years. Barbara and I followed Sami and Lynne back to the cars, as they walked arm and arm together.

We were all getting hungry, Shirley's Bay had picnic tables and bathrooms. We were sitting at the picnic tables and Bill said he noticed a glitter or twinkle in my eye, he looked over to where I was looking at, a Merlin flew over and above us. Ken joined us, he had stopped to get a coffee. So Barbara asked him, how was your trip out west, what did you do? I really liked his answer. The first and most important thing he did, he said after he had to be rapid covid tested and waited 15 to 25 minutes for the result was to hug his 95 year old mother. We chatted and then off we went to bird, check to see if there were shorebirds, no. Ken brought his scope and was checking the dike area, he saw a Peregrine Falcon, in fact we all saw it through his scope.

We decided Ken, Barb and I would walk around the circle before going to Hilda feeder. We checked to see if there were any House Wrens around, nope, we walked a bit further and we saw this little bird that I thought was a Ruby-crowned Kinglet. Bill took two fast photos and it turned out to be a Yellow-bellied Flycatcher (IDed by the photos later). Ruby-crowned Kinglets don't even look the least bit like Yellow-bellied Flycatchers. We walked around the circle and the only "thing" we saw was Paul L., who told us there were semipalmated sandpipers or was it a plover and Baird Sandpipers around and did we see them. With the Merlin making two passes of the area and a Peregrine Falcon about, there is good reason that there are no shorebirds.

Barb put out some seeds at Hilda feeder, it is amazing how quickly the word gets out, first, Blue Jays, next Mourning Doves, then a couple of Hairy Woodpeckers and of course chipmunks. Meantime Barb and Bill are at the end of Hildra trying to refind the Northern Flicker. At Rifle Road and Carling Ave, we saw a juvenile Bald Eagle fly in the distance, then to be replaced by two Turkey Vultures.

We decided we would go back to Mud Lake, with a short stop at Andrew Haydon. (Our little mistake here was not to go to Scrivens because there was a Hudsonian Godwit reported there, oh well.) Ken, Barb and I set up our scopes and Barb speaks to the woman who is scoping the swampy area. Killdeer and Lesser Yellowlegs, she was trying to find the peeps. We easily found the Killdeer and the Yellowlegs, the peeps were far more difficult to find. Barb found them, oops, no that is fluff, she did find them, oh they were difficult to see amongst the large lily pads. "Look shorebirds flying in!" They were a little less difficult to find - semipalmated sandpipers and semipalmated plovers. Our quick stop was at least an hour long. While leaving, we noticed a water rescue boat going out into the Ottawa River, and as we were walking back to the parking lot, there was a police car, ambulance and fire truck parked. Must have been some emergency. Have not heard anything on the news. Barb and Bill decide it is time to go home.