Ottawa Area Birding: Dolman Ridge & Petrie Island with JC Birding

July 25, 2024

Birding Report by Jane Burgess

We were eight for this outing -- Bill & Barbara B, Barb C., Ken, Ian, Sami and Lynne and me, so there was a bit of catching up to do. Sami and Lynne were the first to arrive so when the rest of us joined them, they told us there were no birds. Well after a good amount of looking and walking, we found Chestnut-sided Warbler, Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers as well as a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, the Red-eyed Vireos were singing and of course not showing themselves. The Eastern Phoebe had little ones in the nest that was found on the latrine. Both parents were around. In the woods we heard Eastern Wood Pewee and flying about lots of American Goldfinches. But the pickings were slim, so we moved on.

Ken told us that he could pretty well guarantee Least Bittern at Petrie Island and yes we did see Least Bittern, some got to see it once, others twice and the lucky ones three times. Far in the distance there were 3 Great Blue Herons and Common Gallinule with babies. A Northern Flicker stayed for such a long time preening, in a tree beside the water. Sami and Lynne said they were leaving and I yelled to Sami, in the sky Caspian Tern. Then a Double-crested Cormorant flew over.

We walked over the bridge and Barb C spotted an Eastern Kingbird. We walked along the path and heard a Great-crested Flycatcher. It started to rain, so Ian, Barb C and I headed for the vehicles while Barbara headed to find Bill and Ken to let them know what we were doing. Barbara joined us and said Bill and Ken were almost at the beach and would join us later. When they arrived the only bird they saw was a female Rose-breasted Grosbeak. It was raining in earnest now.

What to do now, let's head for Champlain Road, sometimes we see American Bittern there. Leaving Petrie Island there were both Tree Swallow and Barn Swallow on the hydro line. Once the rain let up, we headed to the river, seeing a Gray Catbird on the way. Barb C and Ken got there first and reported to us Canada Geese and singing Marsh Wrens. Ken said if we are lucky we might see a Great Egret, but it did not look like we were going to be lucky. But then one took off with a Red-winged Blackbird in pursuit. Now it was raining hard again, where is something covered so we could have lunch? We ended up at Richcraft Sensplex on Shefford road. Barb C spoke to a lady who very nicely told us about a classroom we could use on the second floor. It was a dry and quiet room where we could discuss world events.

Once lunch was done and we were out in the parking lot, the weather had changed, sunny and warm. We decided to go to Rockcliffe via the parkway. At the first parking lot, there was bird activity. We saw the usual woodpeckers, goldfinch, song sparrows and grackles. But we did see a single Brown Thrasher and heard an Alder Flycatcher. The second parking lot (P7) nothing. The sky wasn't looking too good, dark clouds. We stopped at Rockcliffe and the only new bird we saw was an American Redstart. I received a text from Susan G indicating a tornado warning, Ken had got the same warning on his phone. We all thought it best to call it a day.