PP&J Biking

July 14, 2014

We finally finished our last section of the Pontiac & Pacific Junction bike trail.  We went from Wyman to Shawville and return, having finished the farther away sections in previous years.  We managed to cover the 37 km distance, which is quite a feat considering all the stops we do for birding.  The birds along the remote trail have never seen a birder, let alone heard a taped call.  The Magnolia Warbler was a highlight.

When we finished we decided to take the Quyon Ferry to Ontario and come home through Dunrobin.  This yielded the last 8 species on our list.

Bird List

1. American Crow
2. Common Yellowhtroat
3. American Goldfinch
4. Song Sparrow
5. Red-winged Blackbird
6. American Robin
7. Northern Flicker
8. Bobolink
9. European Starling
10. Broad-winged Hawk
11. Indigo Bunting
12. Chestnut-sided Warbler
13. Magnolia Warbler
14. Turkey Vulture
15. Blue Jay
16. Red-eyed Vireo
17. Eastern Phoebe
18. Chipping Sparrow
19. Eastern Kingbird
20. Swamp Sparrow
21. Least Flycatcher
22. Virginia Rail
23. Ring-billed Gull
24. Mallard
25. Green Heron
26. House Finch
27. Black-capped Chickadee
28. Pileated Woodpecker
29. Wood Duck
30. Merlin
31. Canada Goose
32. Great Blue Heron
33. Double-crested Cormorant
34. Northern Harrier
35. Mourning Dove
36. Osprey
37. Swamp Sparrow
38. Linclon's Sparrow
39. Eastern Bluebird

Other

Smooth Green Snake, American Toad

A Loon is Born at Grand Lac des Cèdres

July 13, 2014

The nest at Seagull Rocks produced one chick.  So far the other pairs don't seem to be nesting.  I guess a late nest is still possible.  We counted 25 loons on the lake and what looks like 4 pairs.  So one chick is nothing to brag about, but it's better than none!

 One species that is doing very well on the lake is Common Tern.  They are quite approachable, too.  I have noted swarms of 20 to 30 circling over one spot fishing.  This always is an indicator of a loon underwater chasing minnows to the surface.

 The nesting birds are much quieter now, except for the Red-eyed Vireos and Song Sparrows.

Scrublands and Riparian Habitats – Ottawa West with Always an Adventure

Thursday July 10

Today, there were Gary and Sue, Josh, Heather, Lorraine, Tony and me.

We went to Corkstown & Moodie to try for the Sedge Wren, but did not get it.  However, we got  variety of other interesting birds in and around the former Nortel.  We went later to Shirley's Bay, parked on Riverdown, and hiked along Ottawa Beach as far as Hastings / Grandview and back.  Besides birds, we saw a fine assortment of butterflies and other fauna.

Bird List

1. Great Egret
2. Mallard
3. Red-winged Blackbird
4. Northern Flicker
5. American Robin
6. Barn Swallow
7. Swamp Sparrow
8. Common Grackle
9. Indigo Bunting
10. Double-crested Cormorant
11. Common Yellowthroat
12. Yellow Warbler
13. European Starling
14. Baltimore Oriole
15. Cedar Waxwing
16. Hairy Woodpecker
17. Mourning Dove
18. Black-capped Chickadee
19. American Redstart
20. Gray Catbird
21. Song Sparrow
22. American Goldfinch
23. Green Heron
24. Eastern Wood Pewee
25. Downy Woodpecker
26. Eastern Kingbird
27. White-breasted Nuthatch
28. Warbling Vireo
29. Red-tailed Hawk
30. Brown Thrasher
31. House Wren
32. Wood Thrush
33. Red-eyed Vireo
34. Field Sparrow
35. Northern Cardinal
36. Bald Eagle
37. Common Tern

Petrie Island & Eastern Lagoons – Ottawa East with Always an Adventure

Tuesday July 8

Today there were Lorraine, Gary, Sue, Tony and me - Nina was sick.

We spent a while at Petrie Island, then drove to Alfred Lagoons where we spend a good while.  There were plenty of ducks to grab our attention. We made our way back via the back roads.

Bird List

1. Black Tern
2. Eastern Kingbird
3. Pileated Woodpecker
4. Solitary Sandpiper
5. Mallard
6. Song Sparrow
7. Belted Kingfisher
8. Great Blue Heron
9. Red-winged Blackbird
10. Barn Swallow
11. Canada Goose
12. Tree Swallow
13. European Starling
14. Yellow Warbler
15. Wood Duck
16. Gadwall
17. Ruddy Duck
18. Redhead
19. American Coot
20. Pied-billed Grebe
21. Northern Shoveller
22. American Wigeon
23. Green-winged Teal
24. Snow Goose
25. Wilson's Snipe
26. Common Moorhen
27. Killdeer
28. Least Sandpiper
29. American Kestrel
30. Mourning Dove
31. Cliff Swallow
32. Bank Swallow
33. House Sparrow
34. Rock Pigeon

Blue Sea Lake Birding

July 6, 2014

Today we joined Brenda McCrea and her husband Ed at their Blue Sea Lake cottage for some birding.  On the way over from Lac des Cèdres, we stopped at the creek and saw a mother Wood Duck with a bunch of babies, a Swamp Sparrow, and an Eastern Bluebird by the farm.

Just as we rolled into the McCrea drive, it started to drizzle, so we postponed the start of our birding for a half hour, while we watched a hummingbird come to the feeder.

Just a few metres from their cottage, we turned down Chemin Hutchison towards Grant Lake.  Bird Song was everywhere, and Brenda knew most of the perpetrators.  There was no traffic, so we hiked slowly along until we came to a junction.  The right fork was gated, but we went around anyway.  Brenda knew that the owners were not there, as they only use their property for hunting.

Soon we came to an area of scrubby bush that Brenda said was good habitat for Canada Warbler.  A little pishing soon got a response from the gorgeous male.  It went back and forth across the road, and even perched for a photo.  Brenda was sure that it's nest was nearby, so we moved quickly on.

We came  to a cottage under construction with nobody home.  It was on Grant Lake, but the waterfront was swampy and the lake shallow and weedy - good for birds, but not swimming.  We saw a couple of Common Loons with a newborn chick.

We retraced our steps and took the other fork down to the Hutchison place, where we met the whole clan.  They have a nice place, but the lake front on Grant Lake is not that desirable.

We returned to Brenda's, and she showed us their waterfront area across the road and bike trail (former rail bed).  We said goodbye and started for our own place.

On a whim, we turned up Chemin des Trois Collines to look at the house that was for sale.  Besides the house, we discovered a large area of lots for sale, that were high over the lake.  We could see Blue Sea and both Cedar Lakes from up there.  There were occasional trees, but it was mostly scrubby habitat.  We saw several Common Yellowthroats and Savannah Sparrows, and an Indigo Bunting in full sun.

Bird List

1. Eastern Bluebird
2. Wood Duck
3. Red-winged Blackbird
4. Swamp Sparrow
5. Ruby-throated Hummingbird
6. American Robin
7. Ovenbird
8. Black-throated Blue Warbler
9. Red-eyed Vireo
10. Canada Warbler
11. White-throated Sparrow
12. Hermit Thrush
13. Song Sparrow
14. Veery
15. American Redstart
16. Common Loon
17. Common Yellowthroat
18. Northern Flicker
19. Savannah Sparrow
20. Cedar Waxwing
21. Indigo Bunting