Bruce Di Labio's Blog: August 11, 2012 Shorebird watching along the Ottawa River

Saturday, August 11, 2012

August 11, 2012 Shorebird watching along the Ottawa River

The weather conditions have been excellent for the past 2 days for grounding, temporarily bringing down shorebirds to the extensive mudflats for resting or feeding. With the intermittent light rain, fog, and general low clouds there was a nice fallout of shorebirds yesterday, August 10th at Constance Bay. The highlight was 4 Whimbrels which flew in and landed for a brief time before continuing down river. Ben and I first heard one bird calling and within a minute Ben had picked the small flock out as they made their way to the shoreline. After about 20 minutes of resting they were off again. It was interesting to see that the Whimbrels landed with other shorebirds and gulls that were resting/feeding along the shoreline. Definitely, birds attract birds! We counted a total of 11 species of shorebirds: 15 adult Black-bellied Plover (some still in full breeding plumage), 40+ adult Semipalmated Plover, 1 Killdeer, 25 adult Greater Yellowlegs, 6 adult Lesser Yellowlegs, 4 adult Sanderling, 75+ (mainly juvenile) Semipalmated Sandpiper, 250+ Least Sandpiper (mainly juvenile), 1 adult White-rumped Sandpiper, and 12 adult Pectoral Sandpiper.
We also checked Shirley's Bay and Andrew Haydon Park and observed a small number of shorebirds, mainly Least and Semipalmated Sandpipers, 2 adult Black-bellied Plover, both Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs (both adult and juvenile), Semipalmated Plover and 1 adult Caspian Tern. At Deschenes Rapids there was a nice concentration of water birds including 16 adult Caspian Tern, 44 Common Tern, 4 adult Bonaparte's Gull, 3 adult Sanderling and 2 adult Great Black-backed Gull. The Great Egret colony on Conroy Island was doing well with a total of 16 birds including 3 nests with 3-4 young that are almost fledged. We also had another possible nest but couldn't be sure due to the vegetation. There was also a juvenile Peregrine Falcon hunting below the rapids. With overcast conditions lots of swallows and swifts were feeding low over the water. We counted 350+ Barn, 250+ Tree, 100+ Bank, 15 Cliff, 2 Northern Rough-winged, and a few Purple Martins. At least 30+ Chimney Swifts were sighted.
Today, August 11th, I did a quick check and found most of the shorebirds had move on but 3 juvenile Red-necked Phalarope were feeding along the shoreline at the end of Whistler Road along with 1 Baird's Sandpiper. There are a number of access lanes along Bayview Drive between #704 and #872 that give you a good view of the mudflats. The water level along the Ottawa River has gone up recently due the the rain.

Juvenile Semipalamated Sandpiper

Juvenile Least Sandpiper (front) with adult moulting Semipalmated Sandpiper (back).

Juvenile Red-necked Phalarope.

The flock of three juvs. feeds on acquatic insects in the shallow water.

Juvenile Least Sandpiper.

A Eastern Kingbird joins in the feeding frenize on the mudflats.

Whimbrels are very strong flyers and rarely land in eastern Ontario during migration unless serve weather conditions bring them down.

The four Whimbrel rest breifly before heading down river.

An adult Semipalmated Sandpiper feeds along the mudflat.

The Semipalmated Plover is a regular fall migrant throughout eastern Ontario. Look for them along the shorelines/mudflats and at sewage lagoons.

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Birding Ethics

Ontario Field Ornithologists' Ethical Birding Principles
As the number of birders increases, we must all make every effort to act in a positive and responsible way. We must also convey responsible image to non-birders who may be affected by our activities. Most people appreciate birds but this appreciation can be quickly destroyed by the irresponsible actions of a handful of birders.

In the past a code of ethics was not considered necessary, but times have changed and as more and more pressure is put on our environment it is essential to do whatever we can to lead by example. Each of us must show consideration to other birders, landowners, habitat, birds and other wildlife at all times. We are ambassadors of birding and our actions today will reflect the respect we receive in the future.

The welfare of the birds must come first.
Whatever your interest, from scientific study to listing, always consider the impact of your activity on the bird. Respect bird protection laws. We are all responsible to ensure we abide by them at all times.

Habitat protection.
Habitat is vital for the existence of birds and we must ensure that our activities cause minimum damage to our environment. Use trails to avoid trampling vegetation.

Keep disturbance to a minimum.
Although some birds can tolerate human activity, this varies from species to species and from season to season. Use common sense and extreme caution around nests. Migrants may be tired and hungry and should not be kept from resting or feeding. When photographing birds, study their reaction and if they become agitated, back off. Avoid the use of flash photography on owls. Tape recordings and similar methods of attracting birds may cause stress for territorial birds. They should be used sparingly and avoided in heavily birded areas. Do not deliberately flush birds. Patience is often rewarded.

Rare breeding birds.
If you discover a rare breeding bird, do not feel under any obligation to report your find to other birders. Record the details of your discovery. You may wish to file the nest with the Ontario Nest Records Scheme at the Royal Ontario Museum. Avoid visiting known sites of rare breeding birds unless they can be viewed from a distance without disturbance.

Rare birds.
Rare migrants or vagrants are the species most sought after by birders. If you discover a rarity, consider the circumstances carefully before releasing the information. You must take responsibility for the decision to release the find. You should consider whether an influx of birders will disturb the bird, people or other species in the area; whether habitat will be damaged; and where people will park. Inform the landowner of the find, explain what may happen and obtain permission to tell other birders. Ask the landowner for a list of dos and don'ts, for example, where birders may stand to get a good view and what restrictions there may be on time of day. Also ask which areas are off limit. If you decide to release the news, give precise directions and instructions. If possible include a phone number. At all times make as little noise as possible. Remember, most non-birders will be surprised by the number of visitors who wish to see a rare bird.

Respect the rights of landowners and occupiers of land.
Before entering an area, be aware of the rules about access such as by-laws of Conservation Authorities, National and Provincial Parks, and Regional Authorities. Many landowners and authorities allow birders access to areas normally off limits. Always act in a responsible way and if you are asked to leave, do so immediately. Do not block gateways or cause damage to fences, and leave gates as you find them. Do not obstruct people who may be working in these areas.

Have proper consideration for other birders.
When telephoning for information, do so at reasonable hours of the day. Try not to disrupt other birders’ activities or scare the birds they are watching. Many other people enjoy the outdoors; do not interfere with their activities. Be polite to other birders and helpful to beginners. If you see people obviously disturbing birds or significantly damaging habitat, explain to them the effect of their actions but be courteous, they may not be aware of the effect they are having.

Increase our knowledge about birds.
Keep notes of your sightings and send them to area compilers. Send rare bird reports to the Secretary, Ontario Bird Records Committee.

When birding in other countries, provinces or regions.
Find out if there is a local code of ethics or any special rules that should be respected.

|Other Birding Codes of Conduct|

Bruce Di Labio's Blog

Saturday, August 11, 2012

August 11, 2012 Shorebird watching along the Ottawa River

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