Ottawa Area Birding: Venosta and the Bowman Cottage with JC Birding

June 16, 2023

Birding Report by Jane Burgess

I arrived at the Champlain Bridge parking area at 6:10 and Ken was already there, we walked over to the river to see a Common Merganser and Canada Geese. While we were checking the river out Barb C arrived. We left the parking area 5 minutes later and arrived at Guy's place at 6:40, so we were ahead of schedule. We were busy talking and catching up with Guy and Ken, we overshot the Vensota parking lot by about 15 minutes. We only recognized this when the conversation was like oh I guess we are going to a new place, we have to watch out for the sign for Vensota,etc, etc. Guy says we missed Venosta, by about 15 minutes. We turned around and both Bill and Colleen were in the parking lot waiting, they indicated that they were there for at least 15 minutes. Colleen overshot the parking lot as well, but she discovered it maybe 5 minutes past Vensota. We probably passed Bill as he drove to the Gatineau trail.

The first bird we heard was a Chestnut-sided Warbler and then a Common Yellowthroat. We walked slowly down the path hoping we would see good birds. It was slow. The Alder Flycatcher was singing "Free Beer", not sure if it was the same bird singing but the song was heard frequently. As we walked by the open fields we heard both Eastern Meadowlark and Bobolink. We turned around and walked to the old train station, hoping we would hear and see an Indigo Bunting. We saw a big groundhog sunning itself but then we heard it "fire, fire, where, where, here, here'. Great, the Indigo Bunting, we walked a bit further and played the song, just kept hearing the song, not seeing the bird. Ken and Barb were a bit behind Bill, Guy and me and we saw them both taking photographs, yes they had it and the Indigo Bunting was easily seen. Great. As we walked back to the cars, Colleen had gone over to photograph some flowers and that must have frightened the Northern Flicker and it flew up to a dead tree.

Bill suggested we don't check the country roads, but to go directly to his cottage due to the road work it might take some time. We followed his advice. There was a building almost opposite the entrance into the parking lot, with the name Northbud, marijuana grow op. Luckily for us the wait time for the road construction was not all that long. Arriving at the cottage, Barb had put out a pre-lunch snack. Bill said the three women would be first to be on the boat tour of Big Cedar Lake. Safety first, we all donned our life preservers and off we went. Beautiful and peaceful. We saw our first three Common Loons (I think we saw 9), Bill told us that they were probably three bachelors because a breeding pair would not allow a third near their territory. We continued on Bill, pointing out various landmarks, at one point he said from now on this is the Kitigan-Zibi (an Algonquin band) reserve and we cannot go on it. I looked up the size of the reserve - 18,437 hectares, so it's big. Next up was the island the Bald Eagles were nesting on, one Bald Eagle was perched on a bare branch standing guard or taking a break from the babies. He then showed us the nest, it took a while to see it but we all saw it and we saw a single chick's head. Ken and Guy were luckier, they saw the chick standing in the nest. We then went looking for a Loon's nest, the loons legs are set far back on their bodies so they are not good at walking, so they build their nest very close to the water. Yes, we did find a Common Loon on the nest. The little island must have had at least 25 or 30 Common Tern's on it as well. Time to head back and let the boys take their turn. They had luck when they went out, not only did they see the Bald Eagles, Common Loons and Common Terns they saw a mink swimming in the water. Apparently mink eat virtually anything they can catch and kill, including fish, birds, bird eggs, insects, crabs, clams and small mammals.

While one group was out on the water, the other group went birding, Barbara showed each group the American Robin nest that was built on one of the ladders hung behind the shed. Both groups saw the same species, Northern Waterthrush and heard Black-throated Green Warbler, Black and White Warbler, Black-throated Blue Warbler (we all wanted to see these guys but no it was not to be). Back in the Bowman's cottage, we were asked if we wanted to stay for dinner and have Lake Trout, which Barbara had prepared while we were birding. We took a vote and it was 100% unanimous, Barb, Ken and I had brought salad for our dinner, so we added that to our evening meal. Colleen decided she would go back to her cottage while we toured the area. First place we went ended up as a no go as the beavers had been busy and the water was much too deep. Off on another place we went for a walk and the wanderer (Barbara) found a friend in Guy who is also a wanderer and off they went around the small lake, lucky them, they found some Sun Dew -- "the largest genera of carnivorous plants. These plants lure, capture and digest insects using stalked mucilaginous glands covering their leaf surfaces. The insects are used to supplement the more mineral nutrition of the soil in which the plant grows." Hopefully you can see in the photograph, the little droplets of what looks like water that lure the insects - fascinating.

Once we got back to the cottage and I called Colleen to say we were back, she then came back to join us. Bill b-qed the fish oh and it was delicious, moist and so very tasty and no bones. After dinner he showed us how he removes the skin and bones (see pix). The conversation was continuous and I don't think anyone wanted to leave. We left the cottage around 6:30 as we wanted to bird Chemin Martindale. As we were taking the roads out to the main highway, we heard a Winter Wren. Martindale was slow, Veery (so easy to identify as they sing their name), Cedar Waxwing, Wild Turkey and Brown Thrasher.

Once again we were totally into the conversation that we missed the turnoff for Guy's place -- thank goodness for GPS. I got home around 10:00, while we did not have a whole lot of species, but did have a perfectly wonderful relaxing day with good friends. Thank you Bill and Barbara for inviting us to your cottage and as was said when we were there we are available any time for an invite....

Thank you Guy, Barb and Ken an maybe Bill and Barbara for your photos and thank you Sami for the editing.