Ross Road with JC Birding

 June 2, 2026

Report written by Barb Chouinard

It was a surprisingly cool morning with a brisk wind when Ian, Eleanor, Jane and Bill and self met up at Eagleson Park and Ride.  Bill was solo today.  Barbara, we missed you today. 

We discussed our individual plans after birding today and it looked like most of us had to finish birding around 3 pm as we had other commitments.   Now that I think about it..., we could have gone in one vehicle with the gents up front and three of us ladies in the second row.  We always have some laughs when we are almost cheek to cheek in the back and have to buckle each other in etc.

Instead Bill and Eleanor both drove their vehicles: Bill and Jane in one SUV and Eleanor and Barb and Ian in the second SUV.  We started off at 6:50 am.  First stop was the Antrim Truck stop for.... some goodies.  Plus it is a good place for a restroom break.  We headed to Cobden.  Traffic was not heavy heading out of town.  Bill was the lead driver.

Between Arnprior and Cobden a probable Merlin was spotted on the fly by Eleanor’s group.  We wish we could have had a better look on the fly but the Merlin’s colours were there.  We also had a fly-over of a mystery bird just outside of Renfrew.  We spotted a Ring billed Gull flying over and just as we arrived at the marsh right by highway 17 close to Cobden, an erratic stiff flight of a bird was spotted over the marsh.  This was later identified by Bill as a Spotted Sandpiper.  Thank you Bill. Jane spotted a bird in the marsh, and got a photo through the window of a Sora.  Good one!

While at this marsh, Jane cried out American Bittern flying.  Yipee we saw it fly and it was nice to see the bird.  It sort of flew to the north end of the marsh never to be seen again.  Jane tried to locate the bird again but the marsh was just too dense.

We turned right and went down the road that has theCobden boat launch.  We heard Warbling and Red eyed Vireos.  We saw two Double crested Cormorants flying over the water.   I used my scope as I was on my usual mission to find a Common Loon.  Far away on the other side of Muskrat Lake the Loon was spotted and it dove.  It took a bit of time to relocate the bird and was seen by some of the group. 

On to  Snake River Line where usually there is minimal traffic.  Not today, every kind of vehicle was out on the road today.  We did careful frequent stops and drove with our blinkers on.  We saw lots of Savanna Sparrows along the road in addition to the ubiquitous Grackles, Starlings and Red winged Blackbirds.  No shortage of those today.  We did see Common yellow throats and Northern Yellow Warblers.  We spotted an Eastern Kingbird and a Gray Catbird. 

We tried for a long while to see the Virginia Rail that was calling but it did not come out.  We stopped at the big field where in the past we have seen Sandhill Cranes.  There was something out there way out in  the back of the field. This turned out to be several Wild Turkeys with one Tom displaying.  We continued on to Ross Road.  We looked to the right roadside to see if there were any Trilliums in bloom.  In other years we have seen a carpet of the flowers here.  But it is June and trilliums are done.  At one of the houses on Ross Road, we could hear Northern House Wren singing away.  Such a beautiful sound!  We got out of the car and located the Wren pair.  Photos were taken.

Bill drove on and stopped at a water pump just after crossing Stafford Third Line and Bill and Jane saw a Grasshopper Sparrow (very flat head and no neck sparrow).  Ian, Eleanor and self came to the same spot a few minutes later and saw a solo Killdeer.  The right time for each bird to be seen, just not together.  Maybe they were a couple...

Here again we saw an American Bittern flying over the marsh.  We heard a Virginia Rail and some of us had very brief glimpses of it.  It continued to call a long while but did not come out.  We saw some marsh birds: Sora, Common Gallinule, and heard an Alder flycatcher in the Alders.  We saw several ducks: Ring necked Duck, Wood Duck, Blue Winged Teal and Mallards.  We did see two groups of shorebirds flying around but they would not land where we could see them.  The marsh was very quiet today.  We always say that we should drive directly to Ross Marsh and get there early and see how active the marsh is in the early morning but it has never happened.  We also spotted a Snapping Turtle resting.  It looked like a dry grey rock.

In total we spent almost 90 minutes at the marsh.  We ate lunch standing up.  The sun was out and it was warm.   It was beautiful but lacking in bird activity.  Mindful of the clock today, we moved on.  Jane and Eleanor said that they had heard Sandhill Cranes in the back of the marsh.  So we did the drive of the square: Ross Road to Micksburg Road to Code Road and to Stafford Third line.  We did not spot any Sandhill Cranes.   We ended up at the bridge on Stafford Third Line.  No swallows around the bridge, no Swans and it was pretty quiet. 

We looked at the time and discussed our last stop and decided on the Osceola Dump.  Off we went.  We easily found the dump.  Thank you Bill.  Not much action here.  The dump has been sort of repurposed. 

We went down the country road that leads to the farm fields beside the dump.  We have driven on this stretch and driven up the hill at the end to have a “The Hills are Alive” moment. 

Then after a couple of years, the road/path got too rough to drive down it.  This year it is flat and well used.  The cattle saw us coming and started moving up to meet us.  I remember one year, a teenage boy drove up on a dirt bike and led the cattle back to the barn.   But this was us walking on the path and the cows were coming to meet us.  Each one of them was watching us.  Then the cows, I guess realized this was not the boy or the farmer.  They turned back to grass munching. 

Here we heard an Ovenbird call. We spotted several Black capped Chickadees, an Eastern Wood Pewee.   and an American Redstart also.  We had to leave and head home.  At the cars, Eleanor and Jane saw an  Indigo Bunting which is a reliable bird at this location.

We made it to the Eagleson Park and Ride for 4 pm and everyone was happy with the day up the valley.  Every birding day is a happy day for each of us.

Species Noted

1. Canada Goose
2. European Starling
3. American Crow
4. Ring Billed Gull
5. Common Grackle
6. Merlin
7. Sora
8. American Bittern (2)
9. Spotted Sandpiper
10. Red-winged Blackbird
11. American Goldfinch
12. Swamp Sparrow
13. Common Yellowthroat
14. American Robin
15. Red-eyed Vireo
16. Warbling Vireo
17. Common Loon
18. Tree Swallow
19. Mallard
20. Osprey
21. Northern Yellow Warbler
22. Song Sparrow
23. Chipping Sparrow
24. Mourning Dove
25. Cedar Waxwing 
26. American Redstart
27. Black-capped Chickadee
28. Brown Thrasher
29. Savannah Sparrow
30. Bobolink
31. Eastern Kingbird
32. Rock Pigeon
33. Barn Swallow
34. Wild Turkey
35. Great Blue Heron
36. Virginia Rail
37. Great Crested Flycatcher
38. Blue Jay
39. Willow Flycatcher
40. House Wren
41. Eastern Phoebe
42. Grasshopper Sparrow
43. Killdeer
44. Common Gallinule
45. Blue-winged Teal
46. Ring-neck Duck
47. Wood Duck
48. Marsh Wren
49. Alder Flycatcher
50. Pied-billed Grebe
51. Common Raven
52. Sandhill Crane (h)
53. Turkey Vulture
54. Bald Eagle
55. Eastern Meadowlark
56. Ovenbird
57. Black & White Warbler
58. Belted Kingfisher
59. Indigo Bunting
60. Eastern Pewee
61. Wilson Snipe
62. Double-crested Cormorant
63. Least Flycatcher

Critters Seen

1. Green Frog
2. Bullfrog
3. Snapping Turtle

More Cottage Sightings

 May 31, 2026

Second Shrike Survey + Burnt Lands with JC Birding

 May 28, 2026

Birding Report by Jane Burgess

Guy, Ian, Eleanor, Susan, Bill and I worked on Bill's Loggerhead Shrike survey.  At the first site Bill gave us instructions -- walk 200 feet or so and look on which side of the road for birds, seen or heard for 20 minutes.  He set up his equipment and listened for birds.  Once our 20 minutes were done we came back to the vehicle and told Eleanor what we saw and she checked off the birds of interest.  He was not interested in how many birds we saw just if we saw the birds he was interested in.  We did this at six different sites.  As we were parking for the first site, what should fly in was a Wilson's Snipe, he stopped at some water then flew to another bit of water.  Bill said he saw 2 of them.

After we finished the survey,  we went over to Panmure to see if we could see the Upland Sandpipers.  Ian was the only one who saw one and he photographed it.  Lucky him

We then went to Burnt Lands, we were interested in seeing Clay-coloured Sparrow and Grasshopper Sparrow. While walking up the trail we ran into three men, one was Rick C. Once we caught up with him, we continued walking. We heard Grasshopper Sparrow but did not see it. .  We walked to the wooded end, the first time for me to do that.  At the wooded area we heard and then saw a Magnolia Warbler.  On our way back Guy and Ian got ahead of us.  We heard the Grasshopper sparrow, then it decided to show itself and we got good views of the little fella.  This species is not officially classified as 'endangered' in Eastern Ontario, but it is listed as a species of Special Concern provincially and federally.  This status means the bird is not currently threatened or endangered  but it is sensitive to human activities and natural events such as habitat loss and agriculture mowing.  Thank goodness Burnt Land is a provincial park,

We all were at the head of the trail, when Ian pointed out a sparrow.  I put my bins on it and said this guy has a clear chest.  YES, clay-coloured Sparrow.  Its song is so distinctive like an insect buzzing -- buzz buzz -- we were all very happy to see it.

At this point Ian and Guy left us.  We went home via Fine Estates, the only new bird was a Swamp Sparrow.

Bill received a notification regarding a Olive-sided Flycatcher on Chipmunk Trail.  Bill said he had to go home, Eleanor and I thanked Bill for driving and headed to Chipmunk Trail off of Moodie Drive.  We walked to where we thought it was and we heard it. Then we walked over to the another boardwalk. Walking along the trail, we saw a Garter Snake, but it was too fast for me to take a photo.   A guy on a bicycle rang his bell and asked if we saw the Olive sided Flycatcher.  Nope but we heard it,and told him where.  He seemed to think it should be at the boardwalk we were headed to.  Off he went.  Eleanor said to me that is Richard W. known as Dickie W. and he is a good birder. When we caught up to him, he agreed the bird was where we heard it, because he had heard it from where he was standing.  We chatted a while, then he went off to check it out.  We went up to the lookout and Eleanor pointed out a Blanding's Turtle.  But more importantly she said American Bittern flying over.  Good one.

Walking back to the vehicle, Eleanor heard a Black-throated Green Warbler, we took a trail closer to where the bird was heard, where I got to hear it as well.  Other species we saw were Red-eyed Vireo, Great crested Flycatcher, Kingbird and White-breasted Nuthatch.

I think we called it a day around 4:30

Another good day for birding.  But the weatherman got it so wrong.  Most of the day we were so cold, because we had dressed for.the forecast  that indicated much warmer weather.

Species Noted

1. American Crow
2. Common Grackle
3. Ring-billed Gull
4. American Robin
5. Common Raven
6. Wild Turkey
7. Red-winged Blackbird
8. Mallard
9. Canada Goose
10. Bobolink 
11. Turkey Vulture
12. Eastern Meadowlark
13. Common Yellowthroat
14. Wilson's Snipe
15. Savannah Sparrow
16. Mourning Dove
17. Song Sparrow
18. Brown Thrasher
19. Tree Swallow
20. Blue Jay
21. Alter Flycatcher (h)
22. Brown-headed Cowbird
23. Gray Catbird
24. House Wren
25. American Goldfinch
26. Pine Warbler
27. Black-capped Chickadee
28. Broadwing Hawk
29. Northern Yellow Warbler
30. Rose-breasted Grosbeak
31. Black-billed Cuckoo
32. Field Sparrow
33. Barn Swallow
34. Chipping Sparrow
35. Eastern Bluebird
36. Eastern Kingbird
37. Upland Sandpiper
38. Grasshopper Sparrow
39. Clay-coloured Sparrow
40. Magnolia Warbler
41. Eastern Towhee
42. Swamp Sparrow
43. Olive-sided flycatcher (h)
44. Great-crested Flycatcher
45. American Bittern
46. Black-throated Green Warbler
47. Red-eyed Vireo
48. White-breasted Nuthatch
49. Hairy Woodpecker

Critters Noted

1. Bullfrog
2. Groundhog
3. Garter Snake
4. Blanding's Turtle

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

1. House Sparrow
2. American Robin
3. Northern Cardinal
4. Ring-billed Gull
5. Pileated Woodpecker
6. American Crow
7. European Starling
8. Eastern Meadowlark
9. Tree Swallow
10. Northern Harrier
11. Northern Yellow Warbler
12. Brown Thrasher
13. Eastern Kingbird
14. Canada Goose
15. Wild Turkey
16. Red-winged Blackbird
17. Common Grackle
18. American Goldfinch
19. Wood Duck
20. Mallard
21. Great Blue Heron
22. Ring-neck Duck
23. Double-crested Cormorant
24. Trumpeter Swan
25. Common Yellowthroat
26. Baltimore Oriole
27. Ovenbird
28. Red-eyed Vireo
29. Northern Flicker
30. Eastern Wood-Pewee
31. Eastern Warbling Vireo
32. Brown-headed Cowbird
33. Blue Jay
34. Wood Thrush
35. Field Sparrow
36. Eastern Phoebe
37. Song Sparrow
38. Black & White Warbler
39. American Redstart
40. Rose-breasted Grosbeak
41. Golden-winged Warbler
42. American Black Duck
43. Ruffed Grouse
44. Black-billed Cuckoo
45. Ruby-throated Hummingbird
46. Spotted Sandpiper
47. Least Sandpiper
48. Common Tern
49. Turkey Vulture
50. Red-tailed Hawk
51. Great crested Flycatcher
52. Eastern Warbling Vireo
53. Common Raven
54. Black-capped Chickadee
55. Gray Catbird
56. Wood Thrush
57. Cedar Waxwing
58. American Redstart
59. Chestnut-sided Warbler
60. Black-throated Green Warbler
61. Scarlet Tanager
62. Bobolink
63. Blue-wing Teal
64. Barn Swallow
65. Nashville
66. Veery
67. Black-crowned NIght-heron
68. Mourning Dove
69. Great Egret
70. Kestrel