Ottawa Area Birding

Tuesday, May 26, 2026

Murphy's Point with JC Birding

May 26, 2026

Birding Report by Jane Burgess

We were on the road by 7:00. Bill, Eleanor and Barbara took a different route than Susan and I to Franktown Road, where we had planned to stop and look for Upland Sandpiper, Meadowlark and Bobolink. We saw the Eastern Meadowlark, Northern Harrier, Northern Yellow Warbler and a Brown Thrasher.

We then headed to the Swale, where we saw a Trumpeter Swan, Mallard, Wood Duck, Great Blue Heron and a Double-crested Cormorant.

We met up at Lally Homestead parking lot. Bill said they had seen a Rose-breasted Grosbeak and heard both Blue-winged and Golden-wing Winged Warbler. Later we decided that the Blue-winged Warbler was probably the Brewster Warbler singing, so Blue-winged Warbler is not listed as seen.

We started down the trail, but then decided to go back to the parking lot, where there seemed to be more singing. We saw the Golden-winged Warbler several times. We then went back to the trail, where we saw Chestnut-sided Warbler, Black &n White Warbler, American Redstart, heard a

Red-eyed Vireo, Eastern Warbling Vireo and Ovenbird.

A Gray Catbird sang to us while we had our lunch, it eventually flew over to a small tree, and it became hard to see. Tony B. brought his group to the same area for lunch. I waved to say hello, Bill was the friendly one and went over to have a brief chat.

After we had birded the wooded area, Bill suggested going to the store for ice cream. No new birds at the store. We went to the dock area, where Susan and Bill had heard Black-throated Green Warbler and we eventually got to see it. I walked up the hill, while the others remained closer to the vehicles. I was lucky the Ovenbird came out to greet me.

We decided it was time to head back home, via Carleton Place stormwater pond. There we saw Least Sandpiper, Spotted Sandpiper, Common Tern and American Black Duck.

Bill, Eleanor and Barbara headed home and Susan and I were not quite done birding.

Susan and I stopped at the Jock River near Deer Lane, there we saw two Trumpeter Swans, a couple of Blue-wing Teal and a Bobolink.

Now who would even imagine seeing a Bobolink on a dead tree in a swamp area. It clearly had a yellow head and a white back, so Bobolink it was. That being said Susan totally disagreed with me, but I saw it well. Oh and it was very windy, I took photos, I had to lean into the bridge and still the camera was hard to manage, at one point just to look through my binoculars, I had to hold my hat with my camera in hand. What birders do.....

We drove and drove and finally I figured out we were so far away from where I wanted to go. We checked out Goodstown Road, nothing in the feeders, so we headed to Munster Road. No Eastern Bluebirds., We did see Barn Swallow, Black-crowned Nightheron, Nashville and heard a Veery in the distance. Time to go home. We checked out the stormwater pond in Richmond, absolutely nothing. On the hydro line we saw a Kestrel and on the Jock River leaving Richmond we saw a Great Egret.

We saw a lot of birds, the weather was warm, maybe even hot, there were lots of bugs, did I mention we saw lots of birds. Excellent day.

Species Seen

House Sparrow
American Robin
Northern Cardinal
Ring-billed Gull
Pileated Woodpecker
American Crow
European Starling
Eastern Meadowlark
Tree Swallow
Northern Harrier
Northern Yellow Warbler
Brown Thrasher
Eastern Kingbird
Canada Goose
Wild Turkey
Red-winged Blackbird
Common Grackle
American Goldfinch
Wood Duck
Mallard
Great Blue Heron
Ring-neck Duck
Double-crested Cormorant
Trumpeter Swan
Common Yellowthroat
Baltimore Oriole
Ovenbird
Red-eyed Vireo
Northern Flicker
Eastern Wood-Pewee
Eastern Warbling Vireo
Brown-headed Cowbird
Blue Jay
Wood Thrush
Field Sparrow
Eastern Phoebe
Song Sparrow
Black & White Warbler
American Redstart
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Golden-winged Warbler
American Black Duck
Ruffed Grouse
Black-billed Cuckoo
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Spotted Sandpiper
Least Sandpiper
Common Tern
Turkey Vulture
Red-tailed Hawk
Great crested Flycatcher
Eastern Warbling Vireo
Common Raven
Black-capped Chickadee
Gray Catbird
Wood Thrush
Cedar Waxwing
American Redstart
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Black-throated Green Warbler
Scarlet Tanager
Bobolink
Blue-wing Teal
Barn Swallow
Nashville
Veery
Black-crowned NIght-heron
Mourning Dove
Great Egret
Kestrel

Sunday, May 24, 2026

Cottage Sightings

May 24, 2026

Finally, the waterthrushes have arrived! The painted trilliums are in bloom when not even showing last week.

Thursday, May 21, 2026

Fishing Lake Road with JC Birding

May 21, 2026

Birding Report by Jane Burgess

Bill, Barbara and Guy drove in one vehicle and Richard and Jane in another. We were off shortly before 7:00. We stopped along Franktown Road, hoping to see Bobolink, Eastern Meadowlark or Upland Sandpiper. Well we did see the Meadowlarks.

Once on Fishing Lake Road, we got down to birding. We heard both Red-eyed and Warbling Vireo, we did not bother to try and look for them. The Ovenbirds were singing loudly, Bill and I heard both the Golden-winged and Blue-Winged Warbler. Bill suggested we should go to the end of the road and focus on getting the Prairie Warbler. When we got there we focused and focused, we did not hear or see the Prairie Warbler. Let's move on. Not far from that spot, Richard had moved off the road and into a rocky area. What are you seeing -- Indigo Bunting Bunting. The Bunting flew in and around us a number of times, but then we heard a Black-billed Cuckoo calling. We played it and it came in and kind of stayed around us, flying here, there and everywhere where I could not get a decent photo, but we all saw it and saw it well. Such a good bird. We played Prairie Warbler in the same place nope, no response.

Along the way we saw Scarlet Tanagers a number of times, they are such pretty birds, we only saw males, maybe the females are on the nest. We also saw the Baltimore Orioles several times, another very pretty bird. Time to have lunch. Bill went off birding by himself, since he and Barbara and Richard had driven to the lunch spot while Guy and I walked. Bill asked me if I wanted to bird this road more or go to Opinion Road, Bill, let's bird down the hill and then go to Opinicon Road. Walking down the hill we saw the "usual" American Redstart, Northern Yellow Warbler, Nashville. We headed out and Richard stopped and reversed his vehicle and took out his binoculars and looked toward some evergreen trees. He said 'Grouse" my response where?, bottom of the tree on the right. We texted and tried to phone Bill, but there was no service. We took photos, my photos are great because of all the undergrowth. Bill had reversed his vehicle and unfortunately for them the bird decided to walk away at the time they arrived. Great eyes Richard!!!

We never did see Blue-winged Warbler or Golden-winged Warbler. Maybe next week.

Off we went, a Brown Thrasher flew by. We stopped at this house with a wonderful birding station. We were taking photos when the lady of the house came over and chatted with us, we asked if we could go on her property for photos. Yes was the response. Well, she had a good set up -- Red-bellied Woodpecker, Downy and Hairy Woodpecker, Field Sparrow, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Blue Jay, Baltimore Oriole, Brown-headed Cowbird and Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. Wow what a lucky lady. Richard and Barbara were back at the vehicles when Richard mentioned there was an Eastern Bluebird around and he pointed to it. Wow again such a lucky lady to have all these wonderful birds at her place.

Driving Opinicon Road, Richard and I followed Bill's vehicle. Another lucky moment, a Broadwing hawk flew just behind Bill's vehicle and then perched on a tree at eye level, photo op and then flew to another tree at eye level. Lucky us. Bill returned but unfortunately for the first car's occupants the bird had flown away. We passed some lakes where we saw Map Turtles -- this area has a well-documented healthy population of them. We saw them sunning themselves at two different places. In the distance at one place we saw a Mute Swan. We stopped again for another hawk, again a Broadwing, no photos, but this time everyone saw it. We stopped again for Cerulean Warbler, dipped on that. Bill asked, "Do you want to bird or do you want to get an ice cream cone?" Ice cream won out. While enjoying the ice cream yet another Broadwing Hawk flew over and then a few minutes later did a second fly over for us. Who knows if it was the same Broadwinged Hawk flying around or if it was two or three hawks.

Bill and Barbara wanted to get home to pick up their grandson so off they went with Guy.

Richard and I took the road that parallel the highway to see if we could find the Northern House Wren - we just heard it. We checked the fields for Bobolinks and yes we got them, making Richard a happy fellow. On the highway, we did not stop at the swampy area, time was ticking. On the way home we saw an Osprey flying, we did not stop. But we did stop for a Kestrel on the hydro line and then it flew to the ground and then up and over to another hydro pole where it disappeared. Richard found where it had flown into a hole in the pole, guess that its nest, we did not see it fly out. On Franktown road we saw Barn Swallows and just before Richmond we stopped for our final bird -- Killdeer -- or at least that is what we thought -- at the storm water ponds we saw Common Mergansers.

Home may be late for Richard by 5:30. Richard let me know he found a tick on himself. That man must be a tick magnet, he got one last week.

While writing this report, I received a note from Guy saying he photographed a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker yesterday, making the total seen equal 57. Best day ever this season.