Excursion Thursday 24th March 2011 - Ottawa

Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)

What a most perfect day!

The excursion started with a young Moose staring at us from the edge of the woods while driving to our destination.

It was a fresh and crisp day, with sunshine and blue skies.
It started out very well, already with 17 species on the day-list before 8:00am.

After some hiking, driving, stopping and scanning, we went searching for geese again.

Our goal was to repeat the great experience of last Sunday's excursion. 

Thousands of Canada Geese

Today we had a single Snow Goose together with thousands of Canada Geese. 

After a tractor flushed about 20,000 of them, we spotted a Leucistic Canada Goose in with the flock.

We ended up with 29 different species by the end of the morning:

1. Canada Goose        
2. American Black Duck
3. Mallard
4. Wild Turkey
5. Red-tailed Hawk
6. Rough-legged Hawk
7. Killdeer
8. Ring-billed Gull
9. Rock Pigeon
10. Mourning Dove
11. Blue Jay
12. American Crow
13. Common Raven
14. Black-capped Chickadee
15. White-breasted Nuthatch
16. American Robin
17. European Starling
18. American Tree Sparrow
19. Song Sparrow
20. Northern Cardinal
21. Red-winged Blackbird
22. Common Grackle
23. American Goldfinch
24. Common Redpoll
25. House Sparrow
26. Northern Pintail
27. Horned Lark
28. Snow Goose
29. Pileated Woodpecker

American Black Duck (Anas rubripes)

Although I can not get enough of the massive numbers of Canada Geese these days, I haven't forgotten the more common birds like Northern Cardinal and American Black Duck.

Thanks to Tony, I can also add American Woodcock to my life-list.
Last Wednesday evening we saw and heard its full display. 

Rough-legged Hawk / Rough-legged Buzzard (Buteo lagopus)

Excursion organized by Tony Beck - Always An Adventure