Rare Birds, Life Birds & beginning Fall Migration!

Common Loon - Gavia immer

Black-billed Cuckoo - Coccyzus erythropthalmus

Tony Beck

Common Loon - Gavia immer

Tuesday July 19 – Full day excursion
The Summer Program’s first of two full-day excursions was a nice and relaxed day of birding in the Outaouais Region.

The first stop near Quyon, Quebec, revealed a splendid view of a juvenile Northern Harrier, preening on top of a hay bail. Another highlight of the day was a Black-billed Cuckoo nicely perched in a tree. It provided great excitement for the group.

At Lawless Lake, a family of 3 Common Loons were very accommodating. Tony’s simple Loon call imitations brought them into photographic range.

In addition we had beautiful views of Blue-headed Vireo and Magnolia Warbler.

Our day list reached 68 species.

Day list:

1. Alder Flycatcher
2. American Crow
3. American Goldfinch
4. American Redstart
5. American Robin
6. American Kestrel
7. Barn Swallow
8. Black & White Warbler
9. Black-billed Cuckoo
10. Black-capped Chickadee
11. Blue Jay
12. Blue-headed Vireo
13. Bobolink
14. Canada Goose        
15. Cedar Waxwing
16. Chestnut-sided Warbler
17. Chipping Sparrow
18. Cliff Swallow
19. Common Grackle
20. Common Loon
21. Common Raven
22. Common Yellowthroat
23. Double-crested Cormorant
24. Downy Woodpecker
25. Eastern Bluebird
26. Eastern Kingbird
27. Eastern Meadowlark
28. Eastern Phoebe
29. European Starling
30. Golden-crowned Kinglet
31. Great Blue Heron
32. Great-crested Flycatcher
33. Green Heron
34. Green-winged Teal
35. Grey Catbird
36. Hairy Woodpecker
37. Hermit Thrush
38. Herring Gull
39. House Sparrow
40. Indigo Bunting
41. Killdeer
42. Magnolia Warbler
43. Mallard
44. Merlin
45. Mourning Dove
46. Northern Flicker
47. Northern Harrier
48. Ovenbird
49. Pileated Woodpecker
50. Pine Warbler
51. Red-breasted Nuthatch
52. Red-eyed Vireo
53. Red-winged Blackbird
54. Ring-billed Gull
55. Rock Pigeon
56. Savannah Sparrow
57. Song Sparrow
58. Swamp Sparrow
59. Turkey Vulture
60. Veery
61. Virginia Rail
62. Warbling Vireo
63. White-throated Sparrow
64. Wild Turkey
65. Wilson's Snipe
66. Wood Duck
67. Yellow Warbler
68. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

Western Meadowlark - My life bird #300!

Viceroy on Queen Anne's Lace

Virginia Ctenucha - ctenucha virginica

Thursday July 21
At Andrew Haydon Park, our meeting spot, we had 2 Caspian Terns, a Great Blue Heron and 5 Great Egrets including one leg-banded individual.

With great excitement we went straight for the area where a Western Meadowlark was being seen. Sure thing, immediately upon arrival, it was there perched high on a utility pole. It later came down lower giving us a great show.

We had the pleasure meeting Ray Holland, the discoverer of this rare bird. The Western Meadowlark was my #300 life bird!

Another highlight of the day was Red-headed Woodpecker.

Day list:

1. Alder Flycatcher
2. American Crow
3. American Goldfinch
4. American Robin
5. American Kestrel
6. Barn Swallow
7. Belted Kingfisher
8. Black-capped Chickadee
9. Black-crowned Night Heron
10. Brown Thrasher
11. Canada Goose        
12. Caspian Tern
13. Cedar Waxwing
14. Chipping Sparrow
15. Common Grackle
16. Common Raven
17. Common Tern
18. Common Yellowthroat
19. Double-crested Cormorant
20. Downy Woodpecker
21. Eastern Bluebird
22. Eastern Kingbird
23. Eastern Meadowlark
24. Eastern Phoebe
25. European Starling
26. Great Blue Heron
27. Great Eagret
28. Great-crested Flycatcher
29. Grey Catbird
30. Hairy Woodpecker
31. House Sparrow
32. Indigo Bunting
33. Mallard
34. Mourning Dove
35. Northern Cardinal
36. Northern Flicker
37. Osprey
38. Purple Martin
39. Red-eyed Vireo
40. Red-headed Woodpecker
41. Red-winged Blackbird
42. Ring-billed Gull
43. Ruby-throated Hummingbird
44. Savannah Sparrow
45. Song Sparrow
46. Swamp Sparrow
47. Turkey Vulture
48. Upland Sandpiper
49. Western Meadowlark
50. Wild Turkey
51. Wood Duck
52. Yellow Warbler

Photography class learning the 'Sunny 16' rule

Red Squirrel in a Eastern Bluebird House

12-Spotted Skimmer - Libellula pulchella

Mallard

Saturday July 23 - Photography day Mer Bleue

The summer season’s second photography day was carried out in the Mer Bleue area.

The heat was intense already from early morning, but the photographers were eager to learn the Sunny 16 rule, among other subjects. Some hints and tips about composition were also well received.

Although it was a photography day, we encountered 50 species of birds. One participant got the Lincoln’s Sparrow at Mer Bleue Boardwalk as a lifer.

Day list :

1. Alder Flycatcher
2. American Crow
3. American Goldfinch
4. American Robin
5. American Kestrel
6. Barn Swallow
7. Black & White Warbler
8. Black-capped Chickadee
9. Blue Jay
10. Broad-winged Hawk
11. Canada Goose        
12. Cedar Waxwing
13. Chestnut-sided Warbler
14. Chipping Sparrow
15. Common Grackle
16. Common Yellowthroat
17. Downy Woodpecker
18. Eastern Bluebird
19. Eastern Kingbird
20. European Starling
21. Great-crested Flycatcher
22. Green Heron
23. Grey Catbird
24. Hairy Woodpecker
25. Hermit Thrush
26. House Finch
27. House Sparrow
28. Lincoln's Sparrow
29. Mourning Dove
30. Northern Cardinal
31. Northern Harrier
32. Pileated Woodpecker
33. Red-eyed Vireo
34. Red-tailed Hawk
35. Red-winged Blackbird
36. Ring-billed Gull
37. Rock Pigeon
38. Savannah Sparrow
39. Scarlet Tanager
40. Song Sparrow
41. Sora
42. Swamp Sparrow
43. Tree Swallow
44. Turkey Vulture
45. Virginia Rail
46. White-breasted Nuthatch
47. White-throated Sparrow
48. Wild Turkey
49. Yellow Warbler
50. Yellow-bellied Flycatcher

Marsh Wren - Cistothorus palustris, Photo courtesy Tony Beck

Lesser Yellowlegs - Tringa flavipes

Killdeer - Charadrius vociferus

Juvenile Pied-billed Grebe - Podilymbus podiceps

Sunday July 24

We met at Petrie Island where we had quick views of Sora and Marsh Wren among many other species.

We visited Ottawa’s Eastern Lagoons and had several shorebirds - the beginnings of fall migration. Highlights were Spotted, Least, Semipalmated & Solitary Sandpipers, Lesser and Greater Yellowlegs, Pied-billed Grebe and Northern Shoveler.

It was a good day in the heat and we encountered 56 species.

Day list:

1. American Crow
2. American Goldfinch
3. American Robin
4. Bank Swallow (Sand Martin)
5. Barn Swallow
6. Blue Jay
7. Bobolink
8. Brown-headed Cowbird
9. Cedar Waxwing
10. Chipping Sparrow
11. Cliff Swallow
12. Common Grackle
13. Common Moorhen
14. Eastern Kingbird
15. Eastern Wood-Pewee
16. European Starling
17. Great Blue Heron
18. Greater Yellowlegs
19. Green Heron
20. House Finch
21. House Sparrow
22. Indigo Bunting
23. Killdeer
24. Least Sandpiper
25. Lesser Scaup
26. Lesser Yellowlegs
27. Mallard
28. Marsh Wren
29. Merlin
30. Mourning Dove
31. Northern Flicker
32. Northern Harrier
33. Northern Shoveler
34. Osprey
35. Pied-billed Grebe
36. Red-tailed Hawk
37. Red-winged Blackbird
38. Ring-billed Gull
39. Rock Pigeon
40. Ruddy Duck
41. Savannah Sparrow
42. Semipalmated Sandpiper
43. Sharp-shinned Hawk
44. Solitary Sandpiper
45. Song Sparrow
46. Sora
47. Spotted Sandpiper
48. Swamp Sparrow
49. Tree Swallow
50. Turkey Vulture
51. Virginia Rail
52. Warbling Vireo
53. Wild Turkey
54. Wilson's Snipe
55. Wood Duck
56. Yellow Warbler

Great Blue Heron - Ardea herodias

This is the last birding excursion entry I will be doing for a while.
Day lists will still be made on every excursion. These lists can be forwarded upon request to:
tonysalwaysanadventure@gmail.com


All excursions organized by Tony Beck ~ Always An Adventure


HAPPY SUMMER TO ALL ! :o)