Ottawa Area Birding: Let's Do It Again - Mud Lake and Andrew Haydon Park with JC Brding

August 30, 2022

Birding Report by Jane Burgess

Well Monday night I screwed up. I sent an email to Bill and Sami indicating the time and a text message to Louise and Ken. Sami was quite concerned about the weather prediction and so I sent another email indicating I would send each a message at 6 a.m. which I did. Sami texted me to say he and Lynne would arrive around 7:00, I texted back birding 7:30 but I assume you mean 8:00, he wrote back to say I emailed the time as 6:30. I was able to correct that error with Sami & Lynne. Barbara B. sent me a text at 6:40 to say they were at Mud Lake, oh I felt so bad. I apologized and said I would get there as fast as I could which ended up about 7:15. Bill reported that it was rather dark when they arrived but they did see a few birds. Everyone arrived by 7:30.

We went up to the ridge and the first warbler seen was a beautiful Black-throated Green Warbler, absolutely no problem identifying him. There were not a lot of insects about nor birders for that matter. Next bird was a young American Redstart, we saw quite a few of them. We did not have to share the ridge for at least an hour. Again lots of Yellow-rumped warblers and today I did not necessarily have to wait until they turned around to show me their yellow butt.

There were several variations in the Cape May, but those stripes sure help with ID. Black & White Warblers never change, I think we saw four of them. The Blackburnian Warbler could have been a bit more cooperative, high up on a dead tree top shared with a Cedar Waxwing, then they disappeared to be replaced by a pair of Cape May Warblers.

The Nashville Warbler and the Tennessee Warbler cause me confusion, not the birds as such, but the name. I know one has a gray head and white around the eye with a yellow belly and I have to remember it is a Tennessee. No, no, no it is Nashville that is colorful and the drab one is Tennessee. I will have to think of something to get the name correct in my head.

Another birder told us there was a Wilson's Warbler on the ridge and two ladies with tripods were photographing it, of course when we got there, they said they saw it ten minutes ago. Bill and I did not have to wait very long, we saw the beautiful Wilson's Warbler perched on a branch in the open for all of 2 seconds. But I saw it so well and there was no doubt it was Wilson's - quite yellow with a little black cap. It was good we saw it on the ridge because we were looking down at it and could easily see the black cap. Bill is far more patient than me, he waited a bit and the Wilson's came out again. Such a beautiful little bird.

I am very happy to report that warbler identification was much easier today, but don't get me wrong, it was not easy.

There were many Eastern Phoebe's around, I saw just one Scarlet Tanager and one Rose-breasted Grosbeak. Bill photographed a House Finch, I never saw it.

We were looking at this Cape May and Lynne said what is that sound? Common Ravens warming up their voices!!!

We were on Cassels Road near where we saw the Yellow-throated Vireo last week; Barbara and I saw a bird with a very yellow throat, no idea what species, but it was okay because Barbara had taken a photo. Later, Bill identified it as a Northern Parula. I will have to work harder at being able to identify a Northern Paula on the fly!! challenging...but learning is not always easy.

We heard a very unhappy Osprey calling. Now I will repeat Ken's "story", probably a Jaeger was harassing it, talking about dreaming in technicolor. The normal summer range for a Jaeger is way up north. The Osprey was very vocal for a while, then turned its attention to fishing.

Lynne, Sami and Louise left us to go check out Andrew Haydon Park. Sami called to say basically the same birds that we saw last week were there today.

Around 11:00 we decided it was time to move on. Ken went off to submit his passport application, Bill, Barbara and I went to Andrew Haydon. The Caspian Tern was still there sitting with a flock of Ring-billed Gulls, I wonder if it's having an identity crisis? This week there was a Pectoral Sandpiper and Lesser Yellowlegs there.

We chatted for a bit in the parking lot and decided it was time to call it a day. Home by lunch.

We had no rain, it was a bit muggy but then we would get a cool breeze, so we lucked out weather wise.