Ottawa Area Birding: St Lawrence & North of Hwy 417 with JC Birding

October 13, 2023

Birding Report by Jane Burgess

We went birding on Friday the 13, no superstition re unlucky day on our behalf. Bill, Barbara and Barb met at my place. Barb C was 15 minutes early so we just watched my bird feeder - Black-capped Chickadee, White-breasted Nuthatch, Blue Jay, House Finch, American Goldfinch, White-throated Sparrow, House Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco and Canada Geese flew overhead - a good start to the day. I guess they were hungry. We met Eleanor and Ken in Greeley.

We drove directly to Winchester and actually took the correct road to the lagoons, to be very disappointed, they are dredging the lagoons, therefore no waterfowl. I was so hoping for Snow Geese. We drove into the village and down a suburban street to look out onto an open field, where in the past we would have seen lots of Canadas and Snow Geese, not so this year. I think we saw four Canada Geese. Barbara and Ken walked to the other end of the street, they seemed to be looking at something so we joined them. Yeah little birds flying around but just too far away to identify. I suggested we leave, Ken said well maybe we will only get 39 species because we missed a few here.

We checked the water at Morrisburg. Barb it is your job to find the Bald Eagle and she did on the United States side perched high in a tree. Closer to us we had a Ring-billed Gull feasting on a crab, check out Ken's photo and then Bill and Barbara's -- whole crab then very little left crab. There was one Herring Gull amongst the Ring-billed Gulls along with a single Double-crested Cormorant.

On the way to Ault Island, Bill pointed out a Red-tailed Hawk perched on the line.

The first Ault Island stop was soo good -- Blue-winged and Green-winged Teal, a huge number of Ring-necked Ducks, 2 Pied-billed Grebe, many Wigeon, 2 Redheads, a couple of Black Duck, Lesser Scaup and Great Blue Heron. We heard a Pileated Woodpecker and it was later seen by Ken, Barb and Eleanor. Walking a bit and on the other side of the road a small flock of Red-winged Blackbirds. Going east on the island we saw a Red-breasted Nuthatch at a feeder, an American Robin and a Hairy Woodpecker.

Next stop was Upper Canada Bird Sanctuary. We stopped at the latrines to watch the birds at the feeder, nothing new. We checked out the visitors centre and then drove to the bridge. Well actually we started driving toward the bridge but we noticed Ken had got out of the car, so we backed up. Barbara and Bill got out with their cameras and photographed a Northern Harrier. When they returned Bill said, Jane , why didn't you see that bird?

The park people had removed the picnic table that is close to the bridge, so we decided to lunch closer to the visitors centre. We were pretty well finished eating, when someone said what is that bird on the roof -- Yellow-rumped Warbler.

The Long Sault Parkway is always good birding wise. We kept seeing the Ring-necked Ducks and Canada Geese every stop. At one stop we spotted a Common Merganser. At another stop lots of Double-crested Cormorants, with one Common Loon way far out. The most easterly end of the parkway always has duckies, well disappointment, a small flock of Ring-necked Ducks. Darn.

Ken had checked out ebird and he said there was a flock of Snow Geese reported this morning on the north side of 417 around the Casselman area. Walking away from Eleanor's vehicle both Ken and I heard a Belted Kingfisher. Off we went, we checked out the roads near Casselman, no Snow Geese. Golly are we in for another disappointment. I got a call from Ken saying they were thinking of calling it a day. We are headed to the St Isidore Lagoon, oh okay we will join you. As we drove up to the lagoon, what should fly over, a flock of about 50 Snow Geese, good one. We walk over to the lagoon and all the Canadas take off. Eleanor spots a couple of Ruddy Ducks and lucky for us we see 4 Redheads fly in, take a short swim and then take flight. Barbara and Ken walked to the eastern end of the lagoon to get better photos.

Bill was thinking perhaps the Snow Geese were headed to Embrun Lagoons and it's really not that far off the 417. Eleanor, Ken and Barb wanted to check the fastest way to Greeley. Ken calls and says they will join us, they will drive cross country to Greeley. We get out of the vehicles and Bill suggests we check the lagoons beside the road to see if anything is there. Zip, nothing. I decided I would check out the further two lagoons, I saw a lone shorebird, but did not bring a camera or my phone. I walked back and said there is one shorebird, I need a camera. Eleanor, Ken and Barb had left. Instead of a camera, Barbara joined me, and the lone shorebird was still there. She wanted to get better photos and so we walked between the lagoons and a Lesser Yellowlegs showed itself. Walking back I said I thought it was a Dunlin, because it was dumpy and dowdy, but I suck at identifying shorebirds. We showed the photo to Bill, he thought Solitary Sandpiper, I said to Barbara you are good, you said it was solitary there. Turns out and truly it was a lucky guess the shorebird was a Dunlin

Oh I love surprises, when Ken sent his photos, he had photographed a couple of Northern Pintails.

So for Friday 13 was not unlucky it was a pretty good day, 49 species seen. And Ken we did much better than 39!