April 21, 2011 Common Redpolls still in numbers.

Common Redpolls are still in the area and this morning we had 50+ at the feeder along with a couple of American Goldfinch and 1 Pine Siskin. Other species visiting the feeder are mainly migrants that include Red-winged Blackbird, Song Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, and Common Grackle. Our resident Amercian Robin just finished building its nest and should be laying eggs soon.

Late lingering Common Redpoll continue at feeder.

Common Redpoll at bird bath.

Nesting season well underway for many species.

The American Goldfinch has almost completed its moult to breeding plumage.

A male Mourning Dove continues to visit the feeder.

April 20, 2011 Birding Deschenes Rapids at dusk, Great Egrets and Black-crowned Night-Herons

Birded Deschenes Rapids at dusk and observed 2 Great Egrets fly in and land in the area of the Ring-billed Gull colony on Conroy Island. There were at least 12 Black-crowned Night-Herons perched in the lower shrubbery and a couple of nest were seen. This is the area the first nesting record for the night-heron was confirmation a few years ago. Also, a number of Double-crested Cormorants perched and again likely nesting too.

A distant views of the Ring-billed Gull colony where now Black-crowned Night-Heron and Double-crested Cormorant have bred recently.

This site is where 30+ Great Egrets roosted last fall for a short time and recently a pair have returned. Nesting??

April 19,2011 American Woodcocks and Virginia Rails

With good weather conditions last night we were able to locate both our target birds for the birding course field trip. Our first stop was for Virginia Rails and they were still in the same as Monday and gave us great views. Also present were lots of Spring Peepers calling away which was nice to hear. Did a quick check at Constance Creek at Thomas Dolan Parkway and had 100+ Rusty Blackbirds in small groups going to roost. This location has been always one of the best spring migration areas to view Rusty Blackbirds at dusk. Our finally stop at dusk was for American Woodcock near Shirley's Bay and we weren't disappointed. This site has been excellent for viewing their flight display since the early 90's. At least 3 males were present and we were able to watch their "sky dance" a high twisting flight with lots of chirping, twittering, and bubbling sounds over head before they land. Once on the ground they started calling, a nasal peent which lasted for a few minutes before rising up into the night sky again.

American Woodcock

April 19, 2011 The Ontario Swift Watch Project

Bird Studies Canada – Presents

An Ontario Region Workshop on

The Ontario SwiftWatch Project

Wednesday May 4th, 6:30 – 8:00 p.m.

The Fletcher Wildlife Garden Interpretive Centre, Ottawa, Ontario

Come out and learn about

ü Chimney Swifts, their biology and decline

ü the Ontario SwiftWatch Project

ü and other Bird Studies Canada’s programs in your area.

The Chimney Swift is easy to recognized by its cigar shaped body.

The Chimney Swift has been declining in numbers over the past few decades likely due to loss of habitat.

The Chimney Swift makes its nest out of small twigs which are pick up during flight and glued together by its saliva. They lay 3-6 white eggs.

We are seeking enthusiasts to be trained to monitor Chimney Swifts and who are willing to spend 11 – 50 hours per year as a volunteer surveyor in an Ontario community.

· Learn the techniques needed to monitor this Species At Risk.

· The Fletcher Wildlife Garden is located off Prince of Wales Drive, across the road from the Canada Agriculture Museum parking lot entrance. The centre is the white building at the far end of the driveway.

· Please dress appropriately for an evening outdoors.

This Workshop is Free For Participants

· For more information, please contact Kristyn Richardson, Stewardship Biologist krichardson@birdscanada.org or 519-586-3531 x 127

This project is undertaken with the financial support of the Government of Canada provided through the Department of Environment; the Government of Ontario, and TD Friends of the Environment Foundation. A special thanks to the Ottawa Stewardship Council and the Ottawa Field-Naturalists’ Club for their support and participation.

Debbie Badzinski, Ontario Program Manager

Bird Studies Canada

c/o Environment Canada

National Wildlife Research Centre

1125 Colonel By Drive (Raven Rd.)

Ottawa, ON

K1A 0H3

April 11-18, 2011 More local birding in the Ottawa area.

Despite cool and even cold over night temperatures, rain, snow flurries and hail the north bound migration is slowly making its way to eastern Ontario. amazingly we hit a high of +28c (humidex) on April 11th but that was short lived. We've been below seasonal highs since that afternoon and it isn't looking much better at least for another week or two. Regardless, the birds are slowly moving back north and a few of our wintering species such as Common Redpoll and Bohemian Waxwing are lingering late in the area. Today I spent a couple of hours birding at Britannia Conservation Area and observed 2 species of warbler, 1 Pine and 3 Yellow-rumped, hopefully more on the way. Other migrants included Hermit Thrush, Golden-crowned Kinglet, White-throated Sparrow and Fox Sparrow. With the cooler temperatures swallows were concentrated over Mud Lake and the Filtration plant property fly catching. A total of 5 species were found, all the regular ones but didn't find any Purple Martins.
I checked a number of marsh/swamp habitat in the Dunrobin area and heard/saw 6 Virginia Rail and 1 Sora. A pair of Virginia Rails were very active calling and feeding in the open. I was able to watch them for a while as them picked at the muck and appeared to be eating a small snail and some other aquatic larve. Anyway an interesting study.

The Virginia Rail is a common breeder/migrant in eastern Ontario.

It is easy to recognize by its distinctive territorial call, a kid-kid-kidick-kidick.

Though shy, you can sometimes get great views of these secretive birds.

This pair was very tame and spent much of the time feeding in the open.

While watching the rails the next thing I noticed the were copulating.


Unfortunately it was difficult to capture this and it lasted only seconds.

The pair disappeared into the cattails.

April 10, 2011 Birding Amherst Island

The birding today on Amherst Island was interesting with a nice selection of migrants. Highlights included a movement of Bonaparte's Gulls along the southshore of the island. Over 1200+ were counted, many back into breeding plumage with their black heads but many still moulting. The east point (KFN property) had 1 Greater Yellowlegs and a variety of puddle ducks including Northern Pintail, Green-winged Teal, American Wigeon and Gadwall. Overall quiet for raptors with only a few Northern Harrier, American Kestrel, Red-tailed Hawk and 4 Rough-legged Hawks still hanging around the island.
Off the south shore we counted 40+ Common Loon, 3 Red-necked Grebe and 8 Horned Grebe along with 1500+ Long-tailed Ducks and smaller numbers of Common Goldeneye, Bufflehead and Red-breasted Merganser.
The "Owl Woods" was very quiet with no owls.

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/ ."

Long-tailed duck was the most common waterfowl.

A sure sign Spring were croaking North Leopard Frogs .

Another sign of Spring was an Eastern Garter Snake.

Adult Bonaparte's Gull s feeding along the south shore of Amherst Island.

Over 1200+ Bonaparte's Gulls were counted along the south shore of Amherst Island.

Tree Swallows were back in numbers.

March 31- April 9, 2011 Local Birding Ottawa area

The spring migrations is still moving at a snails pace. Hopefully the warmer weather forecast for later this week will kick start the north bound movement. Very little different since last week except move Canada Geese on the move and many of our resident pairs are back at their familiar nesting locations. On Tuesday, April 5th I birded Shirley's Bay and there was a nice selection of waterfowl including 3 Greater Scaup, 11 Lesser Scaup, 24 Ring-necked Duck, 2 Hooded Merganser, 3 Northern Pintail, 1 American Wigeon, and 8 Great Blue Heron which are back at the heronry. I've noticed an increase in Dark-eyed Junco starting to move through the region and had 4 Northern Harrier yesterday, April 5th near Woodlawn and I saw the Red-bellied Woodpecker at Constance Bay too. The only migrant of note was an Eastern Phoebe along Huntmar Road on April 4th. Still haven't seen any swallows locally. Despite the slow start there are many signs that the breeding season is in full gear which American Crows collecting nesting material, European Starlings also in the process, Common Ravens sitting on eggs, Cooper's Hawk doing courtship displays, lots of singing from Northern Cardinals and House Finches while all the woodpeckers are drumming. This morning, April 6th, in Carp, I observed 120+ Common Redpoll and 1 Hoary Redpoll still coming to my niger feeder.
We're finally getting some migrants moving north! On Thursday, April 7th I had my first swallows, 2 Tree and 1 Barn Swallow at Britannia. Also , 7 Black-crowned Night-Herons were back at their breeding area at Deschenes Rapids. On April 8th, Ben observed 1 Osprey near Carleton Place. On Saturday, April 9th, Ben and I observed 32 Greater White-fronted Geese near Dunrobin. This is a record high for eastern Ontario. We also had 3 Osprey in the Shirley's Bay area. At Shirley's Bay 15 species of ducks were observed including 42 American Wigeon, 24 Green-winged Teal, 27 Wood Duck, and 14 Northern Pintail. We also observed 2 immature Bald Eagle. On Tuesday, April 13th, There was a noticeable increase in migrants including Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Eastern Phoebe, Savannah Sparrow, Fox Sparrow, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Winter Wren and Eastern Bluebird all in the Shirley's Bay-Dunrobin area.

A Northern Saw-whet Owl was one of 3 species of owls found locally over the past week in local wood lots. The other 2 species were Long-eared and Eastern Screech-Owl.

A Tree Swallow along the Ottawa River was a welcome sight this past week.

A group of Hooded Merganser at Shirley's Bay.

The Ring-necked Duck is a common migrant though eastern Ontario during late March and early April.

A group of male Bufflehead are all interested in the same female Bufflehead.

The battle begins.

It's now down to two males.

The winner now chases off the final male while the female watches.