Thursday, October 11, 2012

September 22, 2012 Birding Presqu'ile

 
On September 22nd I birded Presqu'ile Provincial Park. Despite the strong winds, 40-60 km/hr the birding was great. The best bird was a juvenile Parasitic Jaeger off Owen Point. This is a rare visitor to the park. The shorebird watching was good with 9 species of shorebirds including 2 Ruddy Turnstone, 2 Baird's Sandpiper and 16 Sanderling. There was a good movement of warblers, 15 species, including Northern Parula, Blackpoll, Black-throated Blue, Blackburnian, Bay-breasted and Magnolia Warbler and also had a couple of recently fledged Cedar Waxwings. Overall a nice outing.
Despite the fall season is now officially starting I have a Mourning Dove nesting in my Manitoba Maple. This is my latest nesting record for Ottawa. Still have lots of juvenile American Goldfinch at the Niger feeder, some still begging for food.
 
Directions: To reach Presqu'ile Provincial Park, follow the signs from Brighton. Locations within the Park are shown on a map at the back of a tabloid that is available at the Park gate. Access to the offshore islands is restricted at this time of year to prevent disturbance to the colonial nesting birds there. Birders are encouraged to record their observations on the bird sightings board provided near the campground office by The Friends of Presqu'ile Park and to fill out a rare bird report for species not listed there. Birders interested in coming down should bear in mind that most of the  best birding areas in the Park (Owen Pt., Gull Is., High Bluff Is., Calf Pasture Pt., and the marsh) are all closed to the public on Mon., Wed., Fri., and Sat. to accommodate the duck hunt. 
 
 

The Cedar Waxwing is one of our later nesters and this juvenile is resting after eating a number of berries.


An adult Great black-backed Gull feeding on a dead Mallard.


The Blue-headed Vireo, formerly, Solitary Vireo is a regular migrant during late September and early October.

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