Ottawa Area Birding: 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.