Ottawa Area Birding: Ottawa and Madawaska Rivers with JC Birding

April 2, 2024

Birding report by Barb Chouinard

Barb & Ken (“just Ken”) met at the Bowmans home at 8 am this morning. It was chilly and we were dressed for it. Ken mentioned the forecast included gusty winds this afternoon. I had not heard of that when I checked the weather.

At the Bowman’s the birds were singing and there was a Northern Cardinal, American Robin, Dark eyed Junco, Blue Jay and American Goldfinch heard or seen before we even left. We joined Bill and Barbara in their SUV. First stop and walk was Shirley’s Bay. Only Ringed billed Gulls on the Ottawa River. We walked up Hilda as one can no longer drive up. Here there were Black capped Chickadees, White breasted Nuthatch and Blue Jays. We then got in the SUV and headed back down Rifle Road. Suddenly, “Bill can you stop for a sec”. Bill made a U turn and we drove down a bit and there was for some of us, the first Osprey of the season just looking around from the Osprey platform. We thought we would see more Ospreys today and we checked each platform we saw throughout the day and we did not see another one. We drove down Herzberg to the turn-around. Ken, Barb and Barbara decided to walk down the road and by the utility barns of the golf club to look for birds. We saw Red winged Blackbirds here. Bill kindly drove the SUV around and met up with us on March Valley Road. This brush area may be really good in migration. Bill had seen a Mourning Dove while driving in the car alone. We loaded up and continued slowly on March Valley Road. We tried to find the spot where one can see the Eagles’ nest in the trees a long way back, but could not find the sweet spot. We did see and hear Song Sparrows and American Crows. We made stops at the YMCA camp, the Shelia McKee Memorial Park (parking lot only) and all were quiet.

On to Berry Side Road. We were hoping for Blue Birds. It was still cool when we were there. We dipped on the Blue Birds but saw the burnt down home that was not really old or anything. Looks like the owners lost everything. On this stretch we did see a super yellow chest marked Eastern Meadowlark sitting on a distant tree. It was also singing and there was probably more than one singing. Again in the distance in a tree we saw an American Kestrel. One of us stepped out to take a photo and of course the bird flew off. Kestrels are like that.

We crossed Fifth Line and started down the slight hill on Berry Side Road. Something flew out of the ditch and across the road. Bill and Ken saw a Ruffed Grouse. We all got out of the vehicle and found it wandering around the forest floor and photos were taken. The Ruffed Grouse was in lovely plumage and we watched it for a couple of minutes. This one was cooperative and did not fly or walk too fast. We continued down to the marsh area and there were Common Grackles in the sunlight and they looked spectacular. No Osprey on the platform here.

We turned around and went back up Berry Side Road and turned left onto Fifth Line hoping for some Blue Birds at a small horse yard nearby. No luck. And opposite this little house in past years we have seen Yellow bellied Sapsuckers but not today.

We then made a U turn and went down Fifth Line as there is field there that in the past was good for Blue Birds. We dipped on the Blue Birds. But we did see some strange behaviour. First it was just one Turkey Vulture sitting the chimney edge of a long ago abandoned barn which looked ready to surrender to the earth. Within a few minutes there were four Turkey Vultures sitting on the barn roof and chimneys. Photos were taken. We then drove onto Thomas Dolan and over Constance Creek. No Osprey here and only some Canada Geese in the water.

We drove on and turned to take a look at Constance Lake. Across the lake we saw a pair of Buffleheads. There were some Canada Geese there also. Barb saw a Muskrat swimming in the water. We then went and did a health stop at the gas station on the Dunrobin Road and we ended up eating lunch at the dead end of Monty. We did not see much here but it was pleasant to sit in the car with the sunshine on us. We went down Allbirch to Constance Bay to listen for woodpeckers. No Luck.

We drove on to Galetta Road and stopped on the bridge over the Carp River. There was a pair of Buffleheads there. The water falls at the Galetta hydro dam were wild and beautiful in the sunshine. We made a left turn to follow the water a bit. Either Ken or Bill said SHRIKE! There was a nearby mullein stalk and sitting on top, was a Northern Shrike. We were smiling.. We were hoping for one and here it was. This Shrike was cooperative and stayed around for photos. In the sunshine, the bird was stunning.

From here we took old highway 17 into Arnprior and down to the marina. There was singleton Double crested Cormorant in with the Ring billed Gulls. We then drove across town, Arnprior, and drove over the 417 on White Lake Road and in a couple of kilometres we SAW the SIGN for Clay Bank Nature Center. Jane and I once missed this sign and drove on. Well this sign has two other signs right beside it and from the road it just seems a jumble. Here are the head ponds for the dam on the Madawaska River. Barb scoped the river/head ponds. The stiff winds had started and we were buffeted by the gusts. There were hundreds of Canada Geese in the water. Someone saw a close-up Common Merganser. There were other Common Mergansers, maybe a dozen, way across the pond. Barb could see them through the scope. We also checked out a nearby dirt road, Young Road. Jane and Barb had gone down this road last summer and we had some birds at the bridge. Today there were a couple of Common Mergansers in the water moving away quickly.

By this time it was 3:20 and the school buses were driving down White Lake Road. We stopped for a health break at the Antrim Truck stop and drove around the Arnprior airport and the nearby north head ponds. With the wild wind, the Madawaska was pretty turbulent with whitecaps everywhere. We briefly saw another American Kestrel.

Time to head homeward.... But we were not done birding yet. Bill decided to stop by the Raven nest on a ledge at the Canadian Tire Centre. There have been successive nests in this spot over the years. We stared at the nest. Nothing was on it. Wait, some says, “I see a dark shape”. We keep staring. Nothing is moving. Ken and Barbara are outside taking photos. There is nothing this year. WAIT, suddenly a big head and beak appear and a raven is stretching. We smile. It is a Raven with a big thick heavy bill!! Photos are taken and the bird settles down and disappears into the stick nest.

Homeward we go. We pull up at the Bowman’s home and we hear Waxwings, lots of them. They sound like Bohemians. Looking up into the sun at the tree top, it looks like a mixed group of waxwings; some have the rufous vent and others do not. We are done for the day. We covered some regular birding spots along with some new places and it was a good mix. It was a lovely day to be out and about birding. Thank you Bill for the driving today. Photos will be forwarded to you in separate emails. Thank you everyone for the photos!