Ottawa Area Birding: Gatineau Parkway & Lots with JC Birding

May 8, 2024

Birding Report by Jane Burgess

We (Bill, Barbara, Jane, Margaret, Eleanor and Ian) met at the parking lot at the corner of Island Park Drive and Ottawa River Parkway and proceeded up to the Gatineau Parkway Kiosk, where we met Guy. Guy had been there since 6:30, he is an earlier riser. We walked around part of the trail and saw nothing, so I said to the group, maybe we should turn around. No, says Guy, we should continue, it's a loop. We then saw a bird flying in the woods and it eventually flew over the path - Hermit Thrush. We heard and with looking, looking, we saw a Black-throated Green Warbler. We heard an Ovenbird and called it in. Stealthily, it came in, not singing, just checking out the competition, then it flew away. Black-capped Chickadees also came in to see the Ovenbird's competition. We heard a Great-crested Flycatcher in the distance. Guy had a good suggestion about doing the complete loop.

Since the gate was now open we drove to the Waterfall Trail. In the parking lot Black & White Warbler, Black-throated Blue Warbler and Blackburnian Warblers were seen. I personally did not see the Blackburnian or the Black-throated Blue, since I was focused on getting the Louisiana Waterthrush. I absolutely hate walking in dark spaces and we had to walk through the culvert under the parkway, but if it means seeing the Waterthrush, I will do it. We walked a bit and heard a song, Bill and I said to each other what was that. Margaret told us later Winter Wren, every spring it's the same, we have to quickly relearn the birds songs. Well we got to the place, but no Waterthrush, maybe we were too early. But we wanted to go as a group, I am away next week, then Bill, Barbara and Eleanor are away, and we can only go on a Wednesday. Maybe in June we will return.

It had started to rain in the parking lot and by the time we got back it was pouring, making us all a little uncomfortable. We drove up to the lookout, with the heater on, just to warm up a bit and maybe start the drying process of our clothes. While driving up, one could help but see all the white trilliums in the woods beside the road, they were everywhere.

We saw nothing at the parking lot so we strategized on what we should do. I said to Bill, you said Margaret birds the parking lots, why not ask her. He did and that is what we did, birded some of the parking lots. First up was P9. We heard many Chestnut-sided Warbler. The others walked to another trail while I made a stop. When I joined them, someone told me they saw a Blue-headed Vireo, gosh I would have liked to have seen it. I got to see a groundhog, wow isn't that wonderful.

Talking about luck, as we were parking at P9, we all saw a beautiful male Rose-breasted Grosbeak in the tree in front of the vehicles. We heard Chestnut sided Warblers and others saw two Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers.

Onto P8, we walked up to the swampy area, where Bill spotted Pied-billed Grebe and we all saw a single Double-crested Cormorant perched in a dead tree. A Hooded Merganser flew in. And in the middle of the water, there were Swallows (both Rough-winged and Tree) flying about catching flies. Barbara saw a family of Canada Geese.

Onto P16, we heard Bobolink and saw about 5 or 6 Yellow-rumped Warblers. We walked the trail a bit and Margaret told us about the time she was phishing with a bear. She was engrossed in the phishing, she did not notice the bear, but noticed a woman signaling to her and then she saw the bear. Yeah I would be so nervous. As we were leaving we heard Meadowlarks.

Driving to P15, we saw a Savannah Sparrow and a bit further we saw an Eastern Kingbird. Bill said at the covered bridge we should get Barn Swallow, well we didn't. But Barbara had snapped a photo and while Bill was going through the photos, he found a Barn Swallow perched on a tree that was close to the covered bridge.

The weather was the pits, and so we decided to call it a day. While driving on the highway I remarked we had not seen any Turkey vultures, maybe 5 minutes later, we saw one eating on the side of the road.

We took Guy home and asked for a tour of his garden. Simply beautiful. While there we got our last bird of the day a House Wren

I got home at 3:20, enough time to change into warm clothes and put on a warm jacket and off I went to my grand daughters' soccer game.

Good day despite the rain.

Thank you Bill and Barbara for the photos and thank you Margaret and Eleanor for doing the eBird lists.