Ottawa Area Birding: Mud Lake & Andrew Haydon with JC Birding

April 20, 2023

Birding Report by Jane Burgess

Bill, Ian, Sami, Lynne and I met at Mud Lake at 7:30, just a few other people with cameras. First we checked Mud Lake, Canada Geese near the shore, then one Pied-billed Grebe a little further out and two Great Egrets on the far shore. We went up the ridge to find many Ruby-crowned Kinglets showing off their crests. As well we saw Yellow-rumped Warblers, only males. Of course there were Black-capped Chickadees flying about and a couple of almost tame rabbits hopping around. Looking out onto the Ottawa River, we saw Common Mergansers, Common Goldeneye, Bufflehead and a single Double-crested Cormorant. Walking on toward the sailing club, Lynne comes back and says apparently that is an Eastern Towhee, we all look toward the top of a bush and there it is singing its heart out. Can't remember the last time I saw a Towhee at Mud Lake, oh that is a good bird.

We decided we would walk into the wooded area, hoping to see either or if luck was on our side both the Pine warblers and the Eastern Screech Owl. Walking along the path, Bill insisted I go first just in case we ran into some Wild Turkey (he had a confrontation with one and it used its spurs and drew blood). Okay I will go first, we see a Hairy Woodpecker pair working a tree, Sami saw a quiet White-throated Sparrow scratching away at the ground. We continued along the trail until we got to the pines, I played Pine Warblers, no response. We walked over to the edge of the water and we saw Hooded Mergansers and a single Wood Duck.

At this point Lynne says she did not dress for the weather (yes it was cold, I had my heavy mitts on), so she and Sami called it a day. We continued on the trail, hoping we would see an owl at one of its known spots, but unfortunately again no luck. Walking along the fence line we heard then saw an Eastern Phoebe. We walked toward the 3rd known spot and before we got there two tom Turkeys strutting about, in full display mode. One decides to walk toward us, I pick up a large branch and say no don't come this way I won't hesitate to hit you. Apparently it understood, because the two went deeper into the woods, again no luck at that known owl location. Obviously the owl was out and about or had changed its location. Going back to the road we saw two Brown-headed Cowbirds high on a tree and then a Northern Flicker flew into the same tree.

We went back to the ridge, but saw nothing new except old friends and caught up with them. But we did run into some Canada Geese, these guys I have a lot of respect for and I gave them a wide berth, they can pack a good bite. We walked toward the filtration plant then decided we should go to Andrew Haydon Park. There we saw Lesser Scaup and Bufflehead on the water, we checked out the inner pond to see Bufflehead, doing their head bobbing and

racing toward it each courtship behaviour.

Off to Dick Bell to see if the Purple Martin were back, we just saw a House Sparrow, guess not back yet. Driving to Shirley's Bay, I received a call from Sami saying he saw 5 pairs of Purple Martin - timing is everything. Sami and Lynne obviously did not go straight home. We drove slowly down Rifle Road, but did not see or hear any House Wren, maybe they are not back yet. I have to remember it is April.

At Hidra feeder we had a lone Mourning Dove and at Shirley's Bay a single Double-crested Cormorant. The Osprey pair are back. Both Bill and Ian left me at this point, so I decided to head to the Richmond Lagoons, well you know birders, it took about 2 hours to get there. Driving down Rifle Road, a Great Blue Heron flew overhead. At Emerald Meadows pond nothing new, Canada Geese, Mallards and a single Great Egret. I thought I would check out Twin Elm Road near the Jock River to see if I could find any of the shorebirds that were reported. Nope, I did not see any, but did see a pair of Northern Pintail and Gadwall along with some Canada Geese. I thought maybe I should have lunch, so I parked the car and got my lunch which was soup, yeah Jane must have been sleepy when packing lunch, no spoon. So I tried eating it without a spoon, but it did not work out, well I would just have to wait until I got home.

At Richmond Lagoons, my goodness, lots of Canada Geese. I scoped the first lagoon and found a pair of Green-wing Teal and Black Ducks and a Wood Duck female cavorting with a male Mallards. Do they hybridize???? Next, I went to Moodie Pond, again Canada Geese, a pair of Pied-billed Grebes and a good number of Common Mergansers. I might as well check out the dump so I turned down Cambrian and saw the usual suspects, lots of Song Sparrows, Red-winged Blackbirds and of course Ring-billed Gulls. At the end of the road, a Killdeer decided to run in front of the car then using its better judgement flew.

Time to go straight home, time was about 1:30, 51 species for 6 hours of birding, not bad. I had lunch and told my dearly beloved I was tired. I needed a nap (I woke up at 4:00 a.m. and well I picked up my book and finished it before the alarm rang, really I should have slept rather than read, but it was a good book.)

Thank you Bill and Sami for your very timely photos.