Ottawa Area Birding: Mud Lake to Dunrobin with JC Birding

July 3, 2025

Birding Report by Jane Burgess

Bill, Barbara, Ian, Alan and Carole met at Mud Lake for 7:30. I could not join them at that time as I had a contractor coming to my place for 8:00. From the photos there were Wood Duck babies. They went to Ottawa Beach / Andrew Hayden to see the Screech Owl and spent a good 45 to 60 minutes admiring the little bird. I joined them as they were going back to their cars.

It was raining so we decided a Tim's break would be good. Our plan was to go to Sheila McKee Park. First I parked my car and I joined Ian. We took a slightly different route. We stopped at the pond off Klondike, I saw a Spotted Sandpiper there. It flew around the other side of the pond so I thought we could potentially see it from March Valley Road. While we were parking a Belted Kingfisher flew over with food, so obviously a nest nearby. Both Ian and I climbed the gate, we must have made a cute sight for the passersby -- two senior citizens climbing over a gate!!! We did not see the Spotted Sandpiper but we heard Common Yellowthroat, in fact once we climbed the fence, Ian spotted a male Common Yellowthroat on the fence opposite us. Back over the gate we saw the Belted Kingfisher again flying overhead with more food.

We drove down March Valley Road and turned onto Cameron Harvey Road. Of course we stopped at the Osprey nest to take photos. We finally caught up with the rest of the group who were looking for the Yellow-throated Vireo. Lots of birds were heard -- Black-throated Green Warbler, Black-capped Chickadee, Wood Thrush, Ovenbird, Blackburnian Warbler, Pine Warbler, White-breasted Nuthatch. We heard this weird sound that Merlin identified as a Hawk, yeah no way. But no Yellow-throated Vireo.

We drove down to Berry Sideroad turning toward the Ottawa River. Coming back we stopped at an opening where we could see a grassy field. We heard Meadowlarks and then we saw a couple of them. An orange bird flew over and perched on a far off tree - Baltimore Oriole. We heard ' fire fire where where' Indigo Bunting, Bill spotted it in another faraway tree. Then we heard one closer on the opposite side of the road and of course at the very top of a tree. Alan spotted a Bald Eagle.

We crossed over Sixth Line and continued down Berry Side Road. Ian and I were in the lead car and we had to back up, the others were photographing a Northern House Wren and a Downy Woodpecker. Again into the car and not far down the road I saw a red bird fly - no doubt what that was a Scarlet Tanager. I was the only one to see it, but I thought maybe it would come back if we called it. I was wrong.

At the end of Berry Side Road, we stopped across from the swamp. There in the swamp was a Great Egret, but once we got out of the car, it flew. Bill said the last time he was here, he saw three Green Herons. Alan spotted something in a far away dead tree, I was following his directions, sort of and found our first Green Heron, we had three of them. Carol and Alan heard an Alder Flycatcher and a Least Flycatcher. Alan set up his scope and found us a Trumpeter Swan. Bill decided he would play Virginia Rail. No response, but then all of a sudden Virginia Rails were calling. We determined there were two, but they would not show themselves. We also had two Ospreys in the nest.

While Ian and I had our lunch, the others drove to Constance Creek bridge. We finally joined them, they said they had seen Common Gallinule with babies. The sky was pretty dark, Bill, Barbara, Alan and Carole left us. Time to stop birding and head home.