Ottawa Area Birding: Ken's Trails around Green's Creek and Jan'e's Childhood Home with JC Birding

November 29, 2022

Biding Report by Jane Burgess

We met at Ken's place. We were chit chatting and we noticed a flock of about 5 Canada Geese fly over, wait a minute Eleanor says there is a Ross' Goose with them. The Id was based on the size of the white bird versus the size of the Canada Geese, after some discussion, we thought it best to call it a Snow Goose, since Snow Geese are quite a bit smaller than a Canada Goose. Great start to the day. Since we were just four, we drove together in Bill's vehicle. First up was P27 on the parkway, today would prove to be a walking day. After a good walk, Eleanor and Bill spotted a bird at the top of a far off tree -- Pine Grosbeak, female, good bird for sure, too bad it wasn't closer. We walked and walked and checked out the trails and boy really good habitat and we must return in the spring. On our return Ken stopped to check out a bird on top of a tree - everyone saw it through our binoculars - Northern Shrike - another good bird. As Ken raised his camera the Shrike flew, it was as if he could feel our eyes on it. First Shrike of the season for all of us. Back to the car it was reported we had walked 7.08K at a speed of 2.9k per hour, slow but we were birding.

We then checked out P26, no new birds, we walked 1.5 K.

By this time it was around noon, so we drove to Tauvette Street and parked at the end. While having our lunch we saw Dark-eyed Juncos, American Tree Sparrow, American Goldfinch, Hairy Woodpecker, House Finch and a Common Raven. We did not walk here, just sat and ate our lunches. We drove down the road where there is an organic farm, no birds.

We checked out Dewberry Trail - Evening Grosbeaks, Mourning Doves and Common Grackle - good bird for this time of the year - were our new birds.

We then went to P20, which is located between Dolman Road and Ridge Road. We have never birded here and really the only birds we saw were Black-capped Chickadees at the bird feeders set up by children we figured. We returned to the cars after we walked 1.89K. We then went to Mer Bleu Boardwalk, hoping for something different, no nothing. We checked out the pines and walked a bit of the boardwalk, even though the signs said closed. We were hoping for maybe a Brown Creeper on the pines or an owl, but no that did not happen. Walked 1.3K

The others were interested in where I lived back in the day. I said I will show you, but you won't see anything, all the trees and a no trespassing sign. We drove down the Ridge road and I gave them a running commentary of who lived where back when I lived there. We came to where I used to live and yes you could see the house. There was a guy working the field, I suggested Bill shout to him, he preferred to turn around and let me do the talking. I explained who I was and yes I was one of the Macartneys that lived there. Could I come in and take some photos, asked if I wanted to go in the house, no, no, just outside photos, he said yes. We drove in and he was waiting for us at the house. He had questions for me and I had questions for him. The place had changed dramatically but it has been at least 35 years since I had been there. I took the photos and the last thing I said as I pointed to the bedroom window was that used to be my bedroom, he said it is my bedroom now. My older sister is writing a history of the Ridge Road and I figured she would want the photos -- well that was my excuse for taking them. She was pleased when I emailed them to her.

Returning to the car we decided we would do our last birding around Ken's place. No new birds.

Total distance we walked was just over 14K, so we got our exercise in, but we did not see a lot of birds, but it is that time of the year.