Ottawa Area Birding: Torbolton Forest with JC Birding

January 4, 2022

Birding Report by Jane Burgess

Barb C., Ken, Bill (no Barbara today) and I met at the Metro near Tim Horton's on March Road. Three of us car pooled while Barb C wished to drive on her own, she did not want to take any chances on testing positive for her next PCR test. At the grocery store's parking lot, we saw American Crows and a Common Raven. Driving to Constance Bay Road, we did not stop to check out the hawk in the tree, we were on a mission. I said to Ken what do you think that was flying on the left side, it flew like a Pileated Woodpecker, it was the size of a Pileated Woodpecker, so I think Pileated Woodpecker , I concurred. We met up with Anne on Constance Bay Road, we got out to check the fields for Short-eared Owls on both sides of the road, but no. Several cars stopped to ask if we had seen the owls, No.

Today was a target birding day - Black-backed Woodpecker, it had been last reported January 1. We stopped on Richie where Bill had seen a Red-headed Woodpecker, we looked and looked. Anne said there it is, she took a photo and then could not relocate it. Both Anne and I saw it fly. Gone.

We parked at the end of Richie and decided we would split up, Bill and Ken had previously seen the bird and knew where the best sights were. We felt the best strategy was to "divide and conquer", then meet up at the sight. Bill, Anne and Barbara went straight down the path from Whistler, while Ken and I took the path to the right. We walked but Ken and I saw nothing. While Ken and I were walking the paths, Greg Z and Paul S caught up with us and asked if we had seen it, no. They walked with us a bit and when the path divided they took another path saying they would let us know if they saw the bird. Into the woods we went, making our own path, we finally met up with the other group, no Black-backed Woodpecker sighting but they did see Hairy Woodpeckers and White-breasted Nuthatch. Ken showed us on his phone all the places the bird had been reported. Apparently we were strategying too loudly, because Paul S came to us with a pretty serious look on his face and said more or less to keep it down, Greg was a little more polite and said whisper please. They went off in the direction from whence they came. These two men bird with their ears apparently not really caring if they see the bird, hearing is just fine. A reprimand cannot dampen our spirits, so we kept looking for the bird. At one point I thought I had heard drumming and I said shh, but nothing. Barb said she thought I heard her stomach growling! Yeah like my ears are not that good. Ken and I took the route into the woods while the others took a path. Oh lucky us, we heard a Black-capped Chickadee. We met up again and listened to drumming but it came from a Hairy Woodpecker who was hard at work. Greg Z had posted hearing the bird drumming but could not locate it. We were in the area when the bird had been heard, but no luck. We kept looking and looking. We had been searching for about 3 hours when we decided it was time to eat.

Before lunch we checked the area for Red-headed Woodpeckers, Bill got it in about the same place as Anne. We all saw the Pileated Woodpecker. We parked in a dead end road and had lunch. After lunch Bill got out of the vehicle and went down the path to look for better looks hopefully at a Red-headed Woodpecker. Everyone joined him with their cameras and off we went looking again for the Black-backed Woodpecker. We three ladies started off in one direction on the path while Bill and Ken decided to take the woods route. We met up with a gent who said he just saw a Barred Owl, we noticed two fellas with a camera a bit further down the path so we walked faster, however they two gents walked away, going away from us. But they had nicely placed a stick where they were looking. The original guy said they could see it from the path, but we could not. So we followed the footprints in, great we spotted it. I phoned Ken to tell him where we were and what we had. They joined us, but wouldn't you know it, once they saw the Barred Owl, the bird flew. Off we went in the direction of the bird, refinding it, but it flew again, and we found it again. This time we stayed a good distance from it, Bill, Ken and Anne took lots of photos. While Barb and I stood away from the bird, Bruce D. came by and we pointed out the bird. He walked over to take a photo then left. Now here's the thing, were we following the bird ? "chasing" the bird? or down right harassing the bird? I would like to think we were following it, but I guess it depends on whose eyes are making the judgment call.

I noted from my fitbit, we had walked around Torbolton Forest 7 kilometers. Winter birding is usually done from the car, but not today, it was walking and looking. Sometimes the result is satisfying while other times it is unsuccessful. The day started off at -6 with a windchill of -12, but in the forest there was not much of a windchill, by mid day it made its way up to -3, with absolutely no sun, just a very overcast day. But we all felt we gave it a really good try to find the Black-backed Woodpecker. Bill sent a photo of a map of where we had walked and as one can see we really did our best.

It was going on to three o'clock and it was time to go back to Constance Bay Road, several vehicles were parked and one guy pointed out an owl on both sides of the road. We took out the cameras and the scopes, there was one owl activity hunting, It was just a wonderful sight to watch through the scope, absolutely splendid views and its little face was so expressive and adorable. That bird was focused on finding food, which it did. I am not sure if Short-eared Owls cache their food for another time, but this bird seemed to go to the same place once a mouse/vole/whatever was caught. Either storing it for another time or a very fast eater. Just take a look at the photos and I think you will agree, such a cute little face..

Going back to the Metro grocery store, we stopped briefly for a Red-tailed Hawk, we saw two small flocks of Wild Turkeys and as we got closer to buildings we had two flocks of European Starlings. We said our goodbyes. I decided I would take Eagleson on my way home and I was rewarded with a Snowy Owl.

A longish day for winter birding. My mother used to say go outside and play so you will sleep well -- well we played for at least 5 or 6 hours outside so I think we probably all slept well.