Ottawa Area Birding: Grand Calumet Island with JC Birding

June 4, 2026

Birding Report by Jane Burgess

Guy, Ken, Eleanor, Barbara, Bill and I went on a road trip to Calumet Island. Yes it was a birding trip, but it felt like a road trip. Our first stop was, of course, at Antrim Truck Stop, for a bathroom break, well it really was to buy goodies at the bakery.

Once on the Quebec side, we stopped at a boat launch, where several vehicles were filling up their water tanks, road cleaning in the village that day. There was a lot of bird activity on the other side of the water. Out came our scopes and we got to see Cliff Swallows busy at work gathering mud for their nests under the bridge. Just around where we parked we heard Red-eyed Vireo, saw Eastern Phoebe, American Redstart, Eastern Kingbird, Cedar Waxwing. Canada Geese with at least 10 goslings in tow, Red winged Blackbird and Chipping Sparrow. Ken suggested we stop at the bridge and check out the Cliff Swallows a little closer. We did just that and spent a good deal of time there. I was walking with Guy and he remarked he had not seen as many Cliff Swallows since his childhood. While we were watching the Swallows three very noisy Common Ravens announced their presence..

Bill was anxious to get to the grassy area of the island so we could start birding. We stopped and the first bird Guy, Eleanor and I saw was a Ruby-throated Hummingbird resting on the power line. Bill and Ken were focused on photographing a very cooperative Brown Thrasher. We walked up to the vehicles and Eleanor indicated the flat head no neck bird was being heard -- yes we saw a Grasshopper Sparrow and we all remarked how much yellow was on the bird.

Driving on, we stopped to hear the Bobolink in the fields, Bill spotted something on the line - Eastern Bluebird, so we drove a little closer and that bird was playing Kestrel with us, we would almost catch up to it and it would fly a little further and land on the power line and so on. We saw at least 6 or 7 Eastern Bluebirds. My photos are not that great, I am hoping Bill's are much better. We drove to where Bill had told us about a house with many feeders -- disappointment -- Grackles, Redwings and Blue Jays were there and not many of them, only two feeders had food in them. We waited around for Ken and Eleanor to catch up. Oh Bill something high in the sky, what is it., take a photo. Jane, it is much too far away for me to do that.

Barbara had wandered down the road so Guy and I joined her as Bill drove back to see what the other two were up to. They reported that they had Bobolinks on the fence and Ken was busy photographing them. The bird high in the sky was a Red-tailed Hawk.

Bill was anxious to get to the Mourning Warbler spot, we drove there and Bill stuck his hand out with Merlin listen -- Mourning Warbler he said. The bird showed itself and Bill got busy snapping away. The bird flew back and forth from one side of the clearing to the other. I got a lot of branches photos but none with the Mourning Warbler. Time for lunch while listening to the Mourning Warbler singing. Eating outside was beautiful, the weather was warm, we had to find a spot that was shaded. Not complaining, it was simply a beautiful 'summer' day and we were all thankful for that.

After lunch we proceeded to another spot Bill knew, there we got White-crowned Sparrow and a Northern Parula. We drove through the town and Bill recalled Barbara and Bill's canoe trip and where they stayed at a B&B owned by a lady owner named Jane, who later built a mansion. At one point we drove through the1st or 2nd longest covered bridge in Quebec.

Driving on Bill was looking for a footpath which he found. Before heading down the path, everyone dosed themselves with insect repellent. We took a foot bridge and the best species we got there was a Map Turtle sunning itself below and to one side of the bridge. Then we saw one swimming in the water. Bill told us they were both females because the male Map Turtle is a whole lot smaller than the female.

Bill drove home via 148, I think Ken and Eleanor drove home via the Ontario side since Eleanor's car was parked in Kanata. Bill dropped Guy home, Barbara asked if we could have a tour of Guy's garden. Just like every gardener of course the answer was yes. He has such a beautiful garden with very different flowering plants. It was easy to see that the garden is Guy's passion. We may have overstayed our welcome but it was enjoyable to see his garden and watch how his cats welcomed him home. Great way to end the day.