December 30, 2009 Boreal Owl on Amherst Island.

Late this afternoon, Ben and I spent a few hours birding Amherst Island. We managed to see 5 species of owls, 1 Boreal, 3 Northern Saw-whet, and 5 Long-eared Owls in the "Owl Wood's". It was interesting towards dusk, when the Boreal Owl started to become more active and moving perches around the tree. At dusk, we saw 1 Snowy Owl, at the east end of the island (KFN), just as the light was starting to fade. Along Front Road, just east of Stella, we watched 5 Short-eared Owl hunting and vocalizing over the fields.

Good Birding, Bruce and Ben


Directions: Amherst Island: Located 18 km. west of Kingston. Exit off Hwy. 401 at exit 593 (County Rd. 4, Camden East) and drive south to the very end (Millhaven). Turn right on Hwy. 33 and drive 100 metres until you see the sign for the Amherst Island ferry. The ferry (20 minute trip) leaves the mainland on the half hour and leaves the island on the hour. Cost is $8.00 Canadian round trip. There are no gas stations on the island. There are restrooms on the ferry, and at the island ferry dock. The East End K.F.N. property is at the easternmost part of the island on the east side of the Lower Forty Foot Road.

Because of liability issues, visitors to the Kingston Field Naturalists' property at the east end of Amherst Island MUST be accompanied by a KFN
member. For KFN contact information or how to become a member, please visit
http://kingstonfieldnaturalists.org/ ."

Well concealed, this Boreal Owl was easy to overlook.

The Long-eared Owl is a regular visitor to the "Owl Woods".

After a somewhat quiet fall for owls on Amherst Island, December 30,2009 was a great day for viewing and at least 3 Northern Saw-whet Owls were found.

All were in the open and easy to spot.

The Northern Saw-whet Owls were found between 3 and 6 feet off the ground while the Boreal Owl was around 15-20 feet high.

December 27, 2009 37th Annual Cornwall,On.-Massena,NY CBC results

The 37th Annual Cornwall,On.-Massena, N.Y. CBC took place on December 27th, 2009. Overall, weather conditions were foggy in early morning, with clearing skies and temperatures ranging from -1c to +4c. The St. Lawrence River was wide open except for sheltered bays that were frozen or had ice along the shoreline. Total species recorded was 59 species.

Highlights included: Mute Swan 1 (4th record)
Common Loon 6
Red-breasted Merganser 28 (record high)
Pied-billed Grebe 1 (5th record)
Double-crested Cormorant 3
Merlin 1 (3rd record)
Peregrine Falcon 1 (3rd record)
Long-eared Owl 1 (3rd record)
Red-bellied woodpecker 1 (5th record)
Bohemian waxwing 22

Good birding
Bruce Di Labio
Compiler

If you require additional information, please email me privately.

Di Labio Birding Website
Courses and Field Trips
http://www.dilabiobirding.ca
http://www.brucedilabio.blogspot.com

Bruce Di Labio
400 Donald B. Munro Drive
P.O. Box 538
Carp, Ontario
K0A 1L0
Office 613-839-4395 Mobile 613-715-2571

A female Red-bellied Woodpecker was the 5th record for the count.

December 22 & 23, 2009 Presqu'ile Birding

The birding at Presqu'ile is still interesting despite the colder temperatures and ice forming on the bays and around Gull Island and Owen Point. I arrived late on December 22nd and drove around the loop road and was rewarded with 2 Barred Owls perched out starting to get active at dusk. The following morning I observed 3 more Barred, 2 in the park and a third individual near Brighton. If you need Barred Owl for a "Lifer" this is the time to make that trip! The male Rose-breasted Grosbeak was still present at the Pioneer Parking lot feeder. This individual which has an injured wing been at the feeder since November and managing to survive by eating sunflower seeds. I walked out to Gull Island but due to shoreline ice didn't find any Purple Sandpipers but observed a Northern Harrier, 2 Horned Lark, 1 late American Pipit, 22 Snow Bunting and lots of Long-tailed Duck, Common Goldeneye, and Bufflehead. On Presqu'ile Bay there was an impressive gathering of Mute Swans, 400+!

Mourning Doves having an early morning feed.

The Rose-breasted Grosbeak making its way to the feeder.


Blue Jays are regular feeder birds who enjoy sunflower seeds.

Ice forming off High Bluff Island.

A view from Owen Point

The Presqu'ile Provincial Park area has had an impressive concentration of Barred Owls this fall and early winter. A total of 11 were reported on there CBC on Dec.20,2009.

December 20, 2009 Ottawa Christmas Bird Count

What a difference a few days make! On Tuesday, Decemeber 15th the Ottawa River was still open with lots of waterfowl and gulls. Now after the deep freeze set in the river is frozen and most of the waterfowl had left the area making it a rather quiet count. Weather plays an important role on Chritmas Bird Count and it doesn't take much weather to change a great count to a average one. In the Britannia Sector most of the lingering ducks had left and we were lucky to get any gulls but mam=naged a few goodies including Hermit thrush, Swamp Sparrow, Long-eared Owl and a gray morph GYRFALCON. The winter finches were mainly abscent and feeder watchers reported low activity. Overall always a fun time!

American Robins were found in a number of sectors, likely a result of the mid late fall.

The Great Black-backed Gulls were found mainly along the Rideau River

A record high count of Bald Eagles were recorded.


A rare winter visitor this was the only Long-eared Owl on the count.

December 19, 2009 Northern Hawk-Owl near Pembroke,Ontario

While participating on the Pembroke Christmas Bird Count today, Ben and I found a Northern Hawk-Owl near the corner of Hwy. 148 and Pembroke Road on Allumette Island. The owl was sitting at the top of a deciduous tree at 11:45 a.m. We returned later in the afternoon to the site but couldn't relocate it.

The Northern Hawk-Owl is a rare winter visitor to eastern Ontario.

December 16, 2009 Birding Amherst Island and Kingston area

Spent the day birding Amherst Island and Elevator Bay/Dupont Plant in Kingston. On Amherst Island we spent an hour or so in the 'Owl Woods" and observed 6 Long-eared Owls and 2 Short-eared Owls roosting in Jack Pine. No other owls were observed in the woods but a Northern Saw-Whet Owl was found yesterday.
At the East Point (KFN property) there were 2 Snowy Owls, one close to the road and the second owl on the gravel bar. Other birds of note on the island included 110+ Tundra Swan, 1 Ruby-crowned Kinglet and 1 Song Sparrow. Overall, hawk numbers were low with 7 Northern Harrier, 2 Red-tailed Hawk, 1 Rough-legged Hawk and 2 American Kestrel. Lake Ontario was wide open and there was very little snow on the the island. At Elevator Bay/DuPont Plant there was a excellent selection of waterfowl including 1 Green-winged Teal, 28 Gadwall, 39 American Wigeon, 16 Redhead, 130+ Ring-necked Duck, 1 female Ruddy Duck and 44 American Coot.
Good Birding, Bruce


Directions:Amherst Island: Located 18 km. west of Kingston. Exit off Hwy. 401 at exit 593 (County Rd. 4, Camden East) and drive south to the very end (Millhaven). Turn right on Hwy. 33 and drive 100 metres until you see the sign for the Amherst Island ferry. The ferry (20 minute trip) leaves the mainland on the half hour and leaves the island on the hour. Cost is $8.00 Canadian round trip. There are no gas stations on the island. There are restrooms on the ferry, and at the island ferry dock. The East End K.F.N. property is at the easternmost part of the island on the east side of the Lower Forty Foot Road. Please note that the smaller ferry is still in use.

Because of liability issues, visitors to the Kingston Field Naturalists'property at the east end of Amherst Island MUST be accompanied by a KFN
member. For KFN contactinformation or how to become a member, please visit
http://kingstonfieldnaturalists.org/ ."

One of the best areas in eastern Ontario for Ring-necked Pheasant is Amherst Island.

December 15, 2009 A late Common Yellowthroat!

The big surprise today was a late Common Yellowthroat on the east side of the Britannia Filtration plant. It was feeding in open patches of leaves where the snow had melted. I watched it for a few mintues before it disappeared and I could relocate it but did see 6 American Robins. The Ottawa river is freezing up quickly and there likely won't be much open water by the weekend.

December 14, 2009 Winter birding in the Ottawa area

Spent a couple of hours birding along the Ottawa and Rideau Rivers today. The Ottawa River is still wide open except for some shoreline ice and sheltered bays frozen. The Rideau River was mostly open but a few stretches of calm water were frozen. There were still 2 male Barrow's Goldeneye near the Rideau Tennis Club north of Hwy. 417 but most interesting was a moulting male Northern Shoveler in a flock of Mallards. Along the Ottawa River I observed a female Barrow's Goldeneye below Deschenes Rapids. Other waterfowl of note included 1 Wood Duck, 3 Ring-necked Duck, 2 Lesser Scaup, 1 Long-tailed Duck, all 3 mergansers and 1 Bufflehead. Along Carling Ave. I observed a flock of 220+ Bohemian Waxwing near the corner of Moodie Drive, a flock of 40+ at March Road and Shirley's Brook and 30+ in Carp at Donald B. Munro and Salisbury Road. Still a few thousand gulls hanging around including 11 Iceland,6 Glaucous, 1 Lesser Black-backed and 200+ Ring-billed Gull off Andrew Haydon Park. With very cold temperatures on the way I sure many will be heading south.

Good birding, Bruce

Directions: From Ottawa take 417 east to the Vanier Parkway and exit north. Follow parkway to Donald Street and turn left (west) and continue to Rideau Tennis Club/Rideau River. If you require additional information, please email me privately.

Preening is very important for all birds especially if your a duck!

Very rare during the winter months in eastern Ontario this will be a very good bird for the Ottawa CBC.

The Northern Shoveler is easy to pick out by its bill shape.

The male Barrow's Goldeneyes along the Rideau River have set up home for the winter as long as the river remains open.

Report colour banded birds.

A Great Black-backed Gull having breakfast along the Rideau River.

Decemeber 11-13, 2009 Local birding

With colder weather on the way, the past week has seen a decrease in the numbers of waterfowl along the Ottawa River as well as gulls and other water birds. On Friday, December 11th, Ben and I birded Dick Bell Park till dusk and counted the gulls as they arrived to roost on the river. The most interresting gull was a first winter hybrid Glaucous X Herring Gull, known as a Nelson's Gull. Also observed 14 Iceland Gull, 9 Glaucous Gull , 1 Lesser Blacked-backed , 250+ Great Black-backed Gull, 250+ Ring-billed Gull and 2000+ Herring Gull.
On Saturday, Decemeber 12th I observed 220+ Bohemian Waxwings feeding near the corner of Carling Ave. and Hertzberg Road. There has been a sudden influx of Bohemian Waxwings over the past week as they search for berries.

With the change in weather, most ring-billed Gull will be leaving the Ottawa area for warmer climates.

A couple of White-tailed Deer at Shirley's Bay.

Ice forming along the Ottawa River.

Shirley's Bay, west of the causeway is now frozen and it won't be long before the Ottawa River freezes over.

An erratic wanderer, the Bohemian Waxwing travels across eastern Canada during the winter months in search of food.

Occasionally the Ottawa area can have 1000's feeding on Buckthorn, Crabapple, or Mountain Ash berries.

With the onset of winter keep your feeders full!

Quiz #3 photo

Quiz 2 Photo Answer Great Gray Owl

December 8 & 9, 2009 Birding Amherst Island and Presqu'ile Provincial Park

Spent yesterday birding both Amherst Island and Presqu'ile Provincial Park. In the "Owl Woods" on Amherst Island I observed 1 Barred Owl and didn't find anything else in the woods. At the east end of the island, K.F.N. property, there were 3 Snowy Owls, two visible from the road and 1 at the gravel bar. Along North Shore road, east of Stella there was a small concentration of raptors including 11 Short-eared Owl, 4 Rough-legged Hawk, 3 Red-tailed Hawk, 2 Northern Harrier and 4 American Kestrel. There was also a small concentration along 2nd Con.Rd. with 6 Red-tailed Hawk,Rough-legged Hawk, 4 Northern Harrier and 5 American Kestrel.

At Presqu'ile Pr. Pk. I checked Gull Island and Sebastopol Point before dark. At Sebastopol Point there were 3 Purple Sandpiper, 2 Dunlin and 1 Sanderling.

Today, I did a quick run into the park during the snow storm and saw the Rose-breasted Grosbeak that has been present at the parking lot feeder opposite the Group Camp Ground entrance for the past couple of weeks. At first it was on the ground hopping around and then flew up into a nearby cedar tree. It has an injured wing but can managed short flights.

Good birding, Bruce

Directions: Amherst Island: Located 18 km. west of Kingston. Exit off Hwy. 401 at exit 593 (County Rd. 4, Camden East) and drive south to the very end (Millhaven). Turn right on Hwy. 33 and drive 100 metres until you see the sign for the Amherst Island ferry. The ferry (20 minute trip) leaves the mainland on the half hour and leaves the island on the hour. Cost is $8.00 Canadian round trip. There are no gas stations on the island. There are restrooms on the ferry, and at the island ferry dock. The East End K.F.N. property is at the easternmost part of the island on the east side of the Lower Forty Foot Road. Please note that the smaller ferry is still in use.

Because of liability issues, visitors to the Kingston Field Naturalists'property at the east end of Amherst Island MUST be accompanied by a KFN
member. For KFN contactinformation or how to become a member, please visit
http://kingstonfieldnaturalists.org/ ."

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. Visitors to Gull Island not using a boat should be prepared to wade through ankle-deep water that sometimes has waves that reach the shins. With hip waders one can walk to Sebastopol Island from Gull Island, but wading to High Bluff Island is not possible. It should also be noted that, because duck hunting is given priority on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, Gull
Island, High Bluff Island, Owen Point, and part of the calf pasture are not available for bird-watching on those days until December 20. 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.

The Black-capped Chickadee is the greeter of the "Owl Woods".

A Barred Owl sits quietly in the "Owl Woods".

The Barred Owl is easily recognized by its dark eyes.

There has been a small movement of Barred Owls south this fall with a concentration of 6 at Presqu'ile Provincial Park.


Amherst and Wolfe Island near Kingston, Ontario are well known for wintering Snowy Owls.

A Purple Sandpiper with Dunlin on Sebastopol Point at Presqu'ile Provincial Park.

The Purple Sandpiper is typically a late migrant in Ontario usually arriving early November to early December.

Presqu'ile Provincial Park on Lake Ontario is one of the most reliable locations to view Purple Sandpipers during the late fall.

A few Horned Larks were observed on Gull Island.

Due to an injured wing, this late lingering male Rose-breasted Grosbeak normally would be south at this time of year.

Now with snow on the ground in Eastern Ontario, make sure your feeders are stocked full of sunflower seed, finch seed or niger seed. Also suet is great for attracting woodpeckers, chickadees, nuthatches and more. Anything is possible!

Small numbers of American Robins do overwinter in Eastern Ontario feeding on a variety of berries.

Quiz #2 Photo #1

Test your skill on this photograph!

December 2, 2009 Eastern Ontario: Greater Snow Geese

Spent a few hours birding east of Ottawa today. There were still 48 Sandhill Cranes along Milton Road just south of Perrault Road on the west side of Milton Road. Near the intersection of Hwy. 417 and Hwy. 138 east of Casselman, thousands of Greater Snow Geese were visible from Hwy. 138, south of the 417. Between the 417 and Moose Creek, 10-15 000 Greater Snow Geese were observed with no difficulties. They spent most of their time feeding in the open fields or flying from one area to another. It was truly an incredible sight. There were 150+ blue morph Greater Snow Geese. Also of interest, I was able to record 15 neck banks and reported them to the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center. It will be interesting to see where these geese were banded. Also, I observed 1 Snowy Owl in the St. Rose area.
Good Birding, Bruce

Directions:(Snow Geese) Take Hwy 417 east of Casselman and exit at #58 and go south. Watch on the right for a white mass of geese.

Directions:(Sandhill Crane) From Ottawa take Hwy. 417 east to exit 96 . Go north for 2 km on Boundary Road to Russell Road (Regional 26). Turn right onto Russell and drive 3.5 km to Milton Road (Regional 31). Turn left on Milton Road and go about 2 km to the bridge and start looking as you head north!

Greater Snow Geese in flight over Hwy.138

Prior to the mid 90's Greater Snow Geese were only reported in large numbers during spring migration in eastern Ontario.

Close-up views of a flock.

Over 10,000 Greater Snow Geese were observed in flight.

While resting on water I was able to record a number of neck bands.

A close-up view of neck band A2A7. It's very important to record and report neck bands.


Blue morph Greater Snow Goose.


Heads up!


Endless flocks of Greater Snow Geese.

White and Blue morph Greater Snow Geese.

A few Snowy Owls have been reported east of Ottawa.

This individual was very tame.