Ottawa Area Birding: Morris Island to MacNamarra Trail with JC Birding

July 22, 2025

Birding Report by Jane Burgess

We met up at the Eagleson park & ride, Ken and Ian carpooled and off we went via 417. Our first stop was Holland Marsh. I received a phone call from Ann asking about the turn off, I gave her the information and she joined us maybe 5+ minutes later. There was very little water in the marsh but still we saw a Great Blue Heron and four Mallards. On the other side of the road we saw a far away bird — was it meadowlark or bobolink. After some discussion and looking at Sibley's app we concluded it was a female Bobolink. Females look totally different from males. Ken and Bill saw a Northern Harrier. We stopped at the bridge to look at the water— nothing.

Before we got to Morris Island we stopped on a bridge. On a large rock in the water were two large Water Snakes about 4 feet long. We all got out of our respective cars to photograph them. Later Guy told me if the birding day ended at that moment we would have gone home quite happy seeing those snakes.

We got to Morris Island, paid the entrance fee and off we went down the path. We heard the ubiquitous Red-eyed Vireo — they never shut up!!! Next up was an Eastern Wood Pewee high up almost at the top of the tree. An Eastern Phoebe silently flew in. A little further down the trail we saw an Eastern King Bird. We saw a Ruby-throated Hummingbird and a Yellow- rumped Warbler. It was my first Ruby-throated Hummingbird of the season.

While walking we came upon Painted turtles sunning themselves. One of the turtle's scutes was flaking off, this happens as it grows. Near this turtle was another turtle that had an old injury probably caused by a Great Blue Heron or a Common Raven. A bit further Guy pointed out a small little turtle that turned out to be a Northern Map Turtle. There is a photo of the two turtles together, check out the scutes on the shells — quite different. I saw a shadow and looked up and said loudly "look up". What I saw was a very pale belly, Ken saw a dark back. We agreed it was a raptor and as a group we decided it was a Broadwinged Hawk.

We walked a bit further then decided to turn around and take another trail. Guy loves his plants and spotted a Broad - leaved Helleborine, it is a member of the orchid family. Ann is into orchids and came to check it out. Once she got home she called one of her friends and told her. The 2 ladies are going back to see the plant on Thursday.

Walking back very slowly I noticed something on the ground. It was an ant moving some material so much bigger than itself. Of course I took a photo. The ant species is called Silky Field Ant, it is a middle sized ant that is fast moving. The worker ants are 4 to 8 mm long, black and somewhat shiny.

As Ian and I watched, the ant left what he was carrying, then went back, grabbed it and then started to move quite quickly.

Once back at the vehicles Guy pointed out the fruit of the Linden tree, telling me you can make tea from them. Walking encyclopedia that Guy. We decided it was snack time. Guy had brought some litchee and. rambutan. I found the rambutan to be kind of bland but the litchee were delicious and juicy.

We left Morris Island and headed to the scenic bridges at Galetta. No birds but it was very scenic. We headed to the McNamara Trail near Almonte. Should we have lunch? Four of us had lunch while Ann and Guy walked into the forest. They came back and told us there were so many mosquitoes, the bugs particularly loved Guy. I asked him his blood type. Response was ‘O’, yeah mosquitoes particularly like ‘O’ type people and he said he was a universal donor particularly for mosquitos. Funny guy. Ann and Guy left us, we told them where Peregrine Falcons had been seen in Almonte.

We sprayed ourselves with repellant which worked well for me. For me the walk on the McNamara Trail was more of a nature walk than a birding walk per se. I walked very slowly and first up was some Horse hoof fungi, named because it resembles a horse's hoof. It's pretty common but it can also affect horses' hooves, causing an infection like thrush. Down the path I saw the coolest looking fungi -- white jelly fungi, it is also called snow fungus or silver ear fungus. It is a gelatinous, whitish mushroom that grows on decaying wood. IIt's edible and popular in Asian cuisine. Fungus have always fascinated me.

Once we got onto the Showy Lady Slipper boardwalk, I looked for the plant. Of course the blooming of these plants are all done, but I wanted to see if I could identify them, yep I could. Further down the boardwalk I spotted Bottlebrush Sedge. Bill and Ken walked ahead of us, at one point they called the rails, not response. Bill walked onto the bird feeders, not filled hence no birds.

We drove over to the church where the Peregrine Falcons were,'were' being the operative word, long gone. Down near the river we saw no waterfowl. We then drove to Clay Bank Nature Park. We checked out the water, no water fowl. The trail was not obvious and I think the general consensus was we had none enough walking for the day,

We drove down Young Road and stopped at the water. There were two adult Eastern Kingbirds feeding three rather noisy young. We watched for a while hoping we would get a shot of the parent handing over, well sticking their beaks down the young ones throat. Maybe the others were successful..I took a photo and saw that one parent had a dragonfly in its mouth but decided to eat it rather than feed its young.

The last stop was the Antrim Truck Stop for goodies. My husband always enjoys me birding near that bakery, it means I come home to feed his sweet tooth. When I got home I told him what I bought and asked if he wanted it now or later? Now and so we share a cinnamon bun -- can't say I was particularly hungry for dinner.

Driving home I said to Bill, we did not see a Turkey Vulture nor Canada Geese. Closer to Ottawa we saw a single Turkey Vulture. I also saw a Red-tailed Hawk along the 417, something I don't see often on the 417..

In the evening while Bill was working on his photos, he wrote me a note to say Barbara had taken a photo of a Rose-breasted Grosbeak.

Today the birds were all very quiet today, they were there, but we had to see them with a sharp eye.

I have included a short video taken by Ian of a Mayfly caught in a spider's web. The video will be sent in email 2 of 3 and it might be too large for some computers, so don't open the video.

I think this birding report is more like a nature report this time.