Ottawa Area Birding: 2025

Tuesday, March 11, 2025

Algonquin Park with JC Birding

March 11, 2025

Birding Report by Jane Burgess

I arrived early at Bill's place, so we were on the road by 7:00. As we got further away from Ottawa, the traffic became lighter and lighter. Perfect. While driving up, Bill said to me you know this is a gamble, we might come back seeing nothing. Yes, but it is a gamble worth taking, if it is just a 3 hour drive, it will be a beautiful day and Algonquin is a gorgeous place to visit.

The first stop was at Golden Lake area, we turned off the road and we saw Canada Geese, a couple of Mallards and one Black Duck. Bill turned toward Ottawa and stopped at the bridge where we saw maybe 7 or 8 Trumpeter Swans. We made another stop at the Pikwakanagan First Nation Reserve. In the past we have seen at least one Bald Eagle there and this time we saw a juvenile Bald Eagle. On the water were two Hooded Mergansers and on the other side of the bridge there were at least a hundred plus Rock Pigeons.

Bill had already purchased the park pass, but we decided to make a pit stop at the gate. There were no birds around the parking lot. We spoke to the guy cleaning the bathrooms and he said oh you will see birds at the Logging Museum and Spruce Grouse.

Our first stop was at the Spruce Bog, we were the second car there, we saw a couple of Black-capped Chickadees and Red-breasted Nuthatches. We got out of the vehicle, I took one ski pole with me as my knee does not like uneven paths, good thing I brought it because the path was slippery and people had slipped off the trail and the footprints were at least a foot into the snow. At the feeder, just one and not stocked with not much seed, again chickadees and nuthatches and of course red squirrels. Bill and Barbara walked down the path to look for Spruce Grouse, I had asked if they saw one come back and get me. Nope no Spruce Grouse. We heard loud tapping, mmmm that is a Black-backed Woodpecker, we walked to the sound. Barbara found it high up on what looked like a dead tree. I think both Bill and Barbara got photos, of course it flew toward us and over us and further into the woods. But we heard it tapping again, Bill walked further toward it, but then the path ran out. Bill, I hear another woodpecker, I shouted. We walked toward the parking lot and I said to Barbara, I was sure I heard another woodpecker, she said you did, up there, Of course the bird flew, we followed where it went. Bill joined us, and we looked for the bird and it was tapping. The bird was on the tree directly in front of us, high up and on the other side, making it difficult to see it. But we did and of course that is when it flew again, we found it, but it was further away and trees made it difficult for any photos.

Oh we were happy, last year Bill was the only one to see a Black-backed Woodpecker and this year we got two of them. Unexpected Bonus.

Back at the parking lot, we heard a Common Raven calling, he was at the very top of an evergreen tree. Love the calls of a Raven.

It was around 11ish, so we decided to go to the Visitors' Centre. We were surprised to see no bird feeder in the parking lot. No birds were eating the grit from the road either. We brought our lunch in with us - after all we had had our breakfast around 6:30. We dropped our lunches on the table and went out to see the feeder. There was a huge flock of American Goldfinch and two Wild Turkeys, no Evening Grosbeaks. We were disappointed, but that is birding, Since it was March break we were expecting a lot of people in the cafeteria, only one group of very well behaved children with their mothers.

Barbara and I decided it was time for a health break and of course I stopped to talk to the lady at the gift shop asking her why no bird feeder in the parking lot, was it cost cutting. No she said the seed is donated, ask one of the naturalists (I thought this would be a very common question, but I guess not, or maybe that is what she is told to say). Then I asked about the Evening Grosbeaks, the lady said they finally came in January, but only a small flock of 10. Bill and I went out to the back deck and low and behold we saw 3 Evening Grosbeaks and another turkey joined his friends..

I am going a little off topic. I took a photo of the turkey's head, as many of you may know, I lived on a poultry farm raising both chickens and turkeys. I have mentioned that my Dad debeaked them. Debeaking may be a misnomer, since many might think the whole beak got cut off. No, Dad had a small machine that one part, when plugged in, got red hot, Dad would take chicken or turkey and put his finger between the upper and lower mandible, ensuring the tongue was under his finger. He would put the turkey beak close to a metal piece, his finger under the metal, then press down on a foot pedal and half the upper part would be burned off. The wound would be cauterized immediately. So in the turkey photo, there seems to be a black mark on the beak, that is about how much would be cut off. This would be done to ensure the turkeys or chickens would not peck at each other causing blood and then others would well you....... Oh another thing my Dad would do is pull off the snood on the turkey, again turkeys would pull each other's snood, and with it removed, removed the problem. All this was done when the birds were just a few days old. I know the debeaking and snood removal is just what you guys wanted to know!!!!!

Now back to Algonquin Park

On the way out of the visitors centre, we noticed on the listing board a Canada Jay was seen at 11:45 at the Spruce Bog. Of course we headed straight there, but we did check the road for crossbills, nope none.The Spruce Bog parking lot was almost full. The Common Raven was perched on top of a deciduous tree. Bill walked down the trail to the feeder, no Canada Jay and there were no Canada Jays in the parking lot either.

We decided it was time to see if we could find the Pine Marten at Mew Lake Campground. Once at the area where the campers deposit garbage, we saw a couple of people with a camera. YES, it is here, or it was here. Lucky for us the American Pine Marten returned in minutes and took its time to get to the garbage cans. There was a second one sleeping in a coniferous tree directly behind the garbage area, it was totally undisturbed by us or any of the other people that came and went. The first Pine Marten had finished this meal and ran away and it did not return. Time to look for Canada Jays.

Off we went to Opeongo Road, it was a bit rough due to melting snow. At the parking lot, Red-breasted Nuthatches and Black-capped Chickadees. Some of the Red-breasted Nuthatches were so pale, I initially thought they were White-breasted Nuthatches, with very pale red breasted. Bill spoke to some people who had just returned from walking the Opeongo Road beyond the gate. The person gave very clear instructions on where they had seen the Jays. They were about 1 to 11/2 kilometres down the road. Go to the bridge and they saw the Jays between the bridge and the Black Spruce. Bill asked if I wanted to go? Drive or walk? Walk he said, sure of course, sore knee, who cares, I want to see the Jays. We walked down the hill and we heard very loud truck noises and two trucks passed the road. There was a 1/2 ton pick up parked and a man was running to it, he had just locked the gate. We just walked around the posts and off we went. The roads were easy walking, all the snow had melted and so it was either wet pavement or dry. A car met us and we said good luck getting out, the gate is locked. While walking down to the bridge, I said to Bill, do you have your phone, Yes. Well, Canada Jays nest in March or even February, when we get closer maybe you could call them. We got to the bridge, no Jays, lots of chickadees and nuthatches. Bill put down some peanuts and those birds were very hungry. We walked a bit further and Bill started playing the song (I know we were bad) two Canada Jays came in. We offered them peanuts and it took a couple of minutes for them to fly in and take them off the road. A bit more time and they were eating out of Bill and Barbara's hands. They ate and ate, then they disappeared. I think they had their fill. So yes we were bad but we were also good, we gave them some nutritious food. We were amazed how quickly we got back to the gate and there was no car, they obviously had the key to the gate.

On the way back to highway 60, we stopped when we saw a car parked. No birds, but a river otter, we got out and then one otter became two otters. Great, another unexpected sighting.

We stopped at the Logging Museum parking lot and there were birds flying to the path to eat. We parked a little closer, again nuthatches, chickadees and one or two Hairy Woodpeckers. I touched Bill's shoulder and pointed, we have Canada Jays, two flew in. We tried to entice them to eat out of our hands, they would have nothing to do with our hands, but very nervously they ate the peanuts that were not far from us. Oh we were happy we got to see 4 Canada Jays.

On the way home we stopped at the Pikwakanagan First Nation Reserve to buy gas. No new birds, but all in all we were pretty happy. We took a gamble and won. (There was an ebird report of a rather good photographer who also was in Algonquin park yesterday and his report was - you judge 6 species - Blue Jay, Crow, Raven, Chickadee, Red breasted and White breasted Nuthatch.) The weather was glorious +6 and little or no wind, We were happy and said we had a great day, luck was on our side -- bird and weatherwise.

Side note, while driving down Greenbank road to Barrhaven, there were many Canada Geese in the field and we saw at least two flocks of them fly in -- spring migration has started.

Thanks for driving Bill

Species Noted

Northern Cardinal
American Crow
Red-tail Hawk
European Starlings
Rock Pigeon
Blue Jay
Wild Turkey
Hooded Merganser
Bald Eagle
Mallard
Black Duck
Canada Goose
Common goldeneye
Trumpeter Swan
Common Raven
Black-capped Chickadee
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Black-backed Woodpecker
American Goldfinch
Hairy Woodpecker
Evening Grosbeak
Canada Jay

Critters Noted

American Pine Marten
River Otter
Red Squirrel

Tuesday, March 4, 2025

Amherst Island with JC BIrding

March 4, 2025

Birding Report by Jane Burgess

We met in Barrhaven for 7:00 a.m. we heard Northern Cardinals singing as we got into Bill's vehicle. Leaving Barrhaven we saw a few Black-capped Chickadees and Wild Turkeys on the northside of Fallowfield. We drove directly to Amherst Island. Really the only species we saw driving down 416 and 401 were lots of American Crows. We arrived at the ferry in plenty of time, we checked out the water, it was frozen, hence no birds. Once the ferry was underway, we checked out the water that the ferry had broken, our big find in the distance were several Mallards and Common Mergansers.

Once on the island we turned left on Front Street and drove slowly along, the houses with bird feeders had no birds. We saw absolutely no raptors in the field. We turned onto Lower 40 Foot Road and finally we saw a large dark bird in a faraway tree. We thought it is a dark morph Rough-legged Hawk. Out comes the scope and before the scope is set up, the bird flies away. We looked at all the crows just in case it might be a Rusty Blackbird, but no. Just as we are to turn onto South Shore Road, finally we see a Northern Harrier rather close up.

Along South Shore Road wherever there was open water, we saw many Common Goldeneye and Lesser Scaup and a sprinkling of Red-breasted Mergansers.. In one flock Ann spots a Bufflehead. We were out of the car looking at the waterfowl, we noticed a car just a bit further up the road looking at the same flock. She drives closer and speaks to Bill and tells him there is a large flock of Redheads and Long-tail Ducks ahead. Now there really isn't any traffic on the road so she parks almost opposite us and of course this is when another vehicle comes along and is impatient, and honks his horn at Bill as he had just got into the car to move the vehicle. Really the lady was at fault parking where she did. Oh well!!! While we were looking at the waterfowl, we also saw 3 American Tree Sparrows on the other side of the road.

Further down the road we saw Blue Jays and on the water side, finally we saw one Redhead, not a flock. Bill spotted 3 Mute Swans in the distance. We were getting closer to Long Point Bay, when we saw this huge bird, turned out to be a juvenile Bald Eagle, then we saw another full adult Eagle flying over the road. We saw a couple of Common Ravens. At the very end of the road there is a feeder and in the past there have always been birds flying about -- thank goodness we got some birds -- Black-capped Chickadees, American Goldfinch, House Finch, Mourning Dove, White-breasted Nuthatch and American Tree Sparrow. On the ground we spotted a rat, but I think he heard our voices, because he darted right back into his hiding place, he came out again but again darted away. The feed on the ground must have attracted him. Just a bit up the road, I asked Bill to back up, because I saw something on the dock. A red fox was lying there, but he jumped off the dock fairly quickly and watched us from behind the dock. Driving back we saw the eagle’s nest with an eagle on the nest. I checked out when eagles nest and it’s anywhere from February to June, our eagle was clearly sitting on the nest.

We decided a health break was in order and we all thought lunch time sounded good. We were off the road, so we did not bother the locals who were driving the roads.

Next we drove up Stella 40 Foot Road to Concession 3. We saw another Rough legged Hawk and a flock of Dark-eyed Juncos.

Nothing new on Concession 2. We went up Dump Street and nothing, we decided to do the other end of Dump Street and we saw one deer, thinking it was a lawn ornament. It just stood there, the only thing that moved was its ears. Somewhere on our travels Barbara spotted an American Robin, a mixed flock of Robins and Starlings.

Because we had plenty of time, we decided to drive South Shore Road, wow we picked up Herring Gull, the first gulls we saw all day.

We parked where we traditionally see the Short-eared owls, we were a bit early. Bill got out and checked out the area more thoroughly, nothing. Ann saw something flying quite far away, we all thought, great Short-eared Owl. We at least got one. Then we saw something else in the distance. Bill, forget that there is one closer, Bill got some good shots. Not a Short-eared Owl, but a male Northern Harrier, it was quite cooperative, he was hunted and made some passes in front of us. After a bit of a discussion, we decided that the first bird we initially identified as a Short-eared Owl was a Northern harrier. Darn. A man came along walking his chihuahua / labrador mix dog. He told Bill all about the dog, but then he told him something everyone was interested in. The sheep farmers were putting lime on the fields, which is to increase the nutrition of the grass. Side effect is that it reduces the vole/mice population. Now we know why we saw so few raptors. I think we saw maybe 6 Rough-legged Hawks and 4 Northern Harriers, no shrike, no kestrels, no owls. The man said he had seen no Snowy Owls on the island. There had been one reported the day before, his explanation, must have flown over from Wolf Island. He also told us the best place to see Short eared owls was the KFN properties.

As for the large flock of Redheads and Long-tail Ducks we did not see it.

But going to Amherst Island was not a bummer even with the drizzle we encountered part of the day, We saw 29 species over the course of the day and Amherst Island is just a special place.

There were a total of 9 vehicles on the ferry and Bill spotted birds as we approached the mainland - Canada Geese and Mallards. We were almost at the 401 when we spotted a large bird on the hydro wire, we turned around and it turned out to be a Red-tailed Hawk. We were hoping for a Coopers or Sharp-shinned Hawk.

Thank you Bill for driving, I know the drive home was not so easy with all the big transport trucks and the rain. I could almost hear you breathe a sigh of relief when we turned onto the 416, no rain and no big trucks.