Spring is Finally Here!

Male Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

Saturday 28 April:

We started the morning at Petrie Island.

It was beautiful sunshine with a crisp spring wind coming from north-west.

Song Sparrows were singing everywhere and Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers were drumming from several places.

The short trail around the island revealed Yellow-rumped Warbler, Ruby-crowned Kinglet and a Winter Wren.

After our obligatory stop at Timmy's we went driving around, and on our journey we saw Greater Yellowlegs, Sandhill Crane, Bald Eagle, Barn & Tree Swallow, several sparrows and other songbirds.

All in all we ended up with 52 species on this glorious day.

1. American Black Duck
2. American Goldfinch
3. American Robin
4. American Tree Sparrow
5. Bald Eagle
6. Barn Swallow
7. Belted Kingfisher
8. Black-capped Chickadee
9. Blue Jay
10. Brown Creeper
11. Brown-headed Cowbird
12. Bufflehead
13. Canada Goose        
14. Chipping Sparrow
15. Common Grackle
16. Common Merganser
17. Common Moorhen
18. Common Raven
19. Double-crested Cormorant
20. Downy Woodpecker
21. European Starling
22. Great Blue Heron
23. Greater Yellowlegs
24. Green-winged Teal
25. Hairy Woodpecker
26. House Finch
27. House Sparrow
28. Killdeer
29. Mallard
30. Mourning Dove
31. Northern Flicker
32. Northern Harrier
33. Osprey
34. Red-tailed Hawk
35. Red-winged Blackbird
36. Ring-billed Gull
37. Ring-necked Duck
38. Rock Pigeon
39. Ruby-crowned Kinglet
40. Sandhill Crane
41. Savannah Sparrow
42. Song Sparrow
43. Tree Swallow
44. Turkey Vulture
45. White-breasted Nuthatch
46. White-throated Sparrow
47. Wild Turkey
48. Wilson's Snipe
49. Winter Wren
50. Wood Duck
51. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
52. Yellow-rumped Warbler

Female Yellow-rumped Warbler

Male Wood Duck, Photo Courtesy Roger Cobbledick

Sunday 29 April:

The weather was very much the same as on Saturday, although a little bit milder in the morning.

We met at Andrew Haydon Park and did a small stroll around the park including the beach.

We then went to the Grandview Trail where we had Eastern Towhee, Brown Trasher and a beautiful singing male White-throated Sparrow.

After a short hike, we went driving around the near by area and encountered several Red-tailed Hawks, 4 Broad-winged Hawks, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Eastern Bluebird and White-winged Scoter, to mention a few.

1. American Crow
2. American Goldfinch
3. American Robin
4. American Kestrel
5. Barn Swallow
6. Black-capped Chickadee
7. Broad-winged Hawk
8. Brown Creeper
9. Brown-headed Cowbird
10. Bufflehead
11. Canada Goose        
12. Cedar Waxwing
13. Common Grackle
14. Common Raven
15. Dark-eyed Junco
16. Double-crested Cormorant
17. Downy Woodpecker
18. Eastern Bluebird
19. Eastern Meadowlark
20. Eastern Phoebe
21. Eastern Towhee
22. European Starling
23. Great Blue Heron
24. Hooded Merganser
25. House Sparrow
26. Lesser Scaup
27. Mallard
28. Mourning Dove
29. Northern Cardinal
30. Northern Flicker
31. Northern Harrier
32. Pied-billed Grebe
33. Red-tailed Hawk
34. Red-winged Blackbird
35. Ring-billed Gull
36. Rock Pigeon
37. Ruby-crowned Kinglet
38. Sharp-shinned Hawk
39. Song Sparrow
40. Swamp Sparrow
41. Tree Swallow
42. Turkey Vulture
43. Virginia Rail
44. White-breasted Nuthatch
45. White-throated Sparrow
46. White-winged Scoter
47. Wild Turkey
48. Wood Duck
49. Yellow-rumped Warbler

Grandview Trail - Ottawa

Male White-throated Sparrow

Male Eastern Towhee

Brown Thrasher

Tuesday 1st May:

We started the month with a spectacular day of birding. 

We had light drizzle, mild temperature and no wind.

Again, we started the morning hiking around Andrew Haydon Park.

It was a beautiful sight to see a bonded pair of Canada Geese with their 4 goslings hiding under the secure wing of one of their parents.

We then went to Shirley's Bay and took a little walk there before we hit the road.

We had a total of 66 species today, including American Bittern, Black & White Warbler, Cedar Waxwing, Common Moorhen, Eastern Meadowlark, Field Sparrow, Hermit Thrush, Horned Grebe and Ruffed Grouse.

1. American Bittern
2. American Crow
3. American Goldfinch
4. American Robin
5. American Tree Sparrow
6. Barn Swallow
7. Belted Kingfisher
8. Black & White Warbler
9. Black-capped Chickadee
10. Blue Jay
11. Brown Creeper
12. Brown Thrasher
13. Bufflehead
14. Canada Goose        
15. Cedar Waxwing
16. Common Goldeneye
17. Common Grackle
18. Common Merganser
19. Common Moorhen
20. Common Raven
21. Double-crested Cormorant
22. Downy Woodpecker
23. Eastern Bluebird
24. Eastern Meadowlark
25. European Starling
26. Field Sparrow
27. Gadwall
28. Great Blue Heron
29. Greater Scaup
30. Hairy Woodpecker
31. Hermit Thrush
32. Herring Gull
33. Hooded Merganser
34. Horned Grebe
35. Killdeer
36. Lesser Scaup
37. Mallard
38. Mourning Dove
39. Northern Cardinal
40. Northern Flicker
41. Northern Harrier
42. Osprey
43. Pileated Woodpecker
44. Purple Finch
45. Red-breasted Merganser
46. Red-breasted Nuthatch
47. Red-necked Grebe
48. Red-winged Blackbird
49. Ring-billed Gull
50. Ring-necked Duck
51. Rock Pigeon
52. Ruby-crowned Kinglet
53. Ruffed Grouse
54. Savannah Sparrow
55. Song Sparrow
56. Swamp Sparrow
57. Tree Swallow
58. Turkey Vulture
59. Virginia Rail
60. White-breasted Nuthatch
61. White-throated Sparrow
62. Wild Turkey
63. Wilson's Snipe
64. Wood Duck
65. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
66. Yellow-rumped Warbler

American Bittern

Virginia Rail, Photo Courtesy Bill Bowman

Virginia Rail Habitat

Thursday 3rd May:

With a hint of drizzle and no wind, it started out to be a very promising day at Petree Island.

Birds were actively singing all over the place, and we were awarded with 7 different species of warblers.

These were Yellow, Yellow-rumped, Black-throated green, Blackburnian, Magnolia, Nashville and Nothern Waterthrush.

Other gems today were Rough-winged Swallow, Green Heron, Blue-winged Teal and Rose-breasted Grosbeak.

1. American Black Duck
2. American Crow
3. American Goldfinch
4. American Robin
5. Bald Eagle
6. Barn Swallow
7. Belted Kingfisher
8. Blackburnian Warbler
9. Black-capped Chickadee
10. Black-throated Green Warbler
11. Blue-winged teal
12. Brown Creeper
13. Brown Thrasher
14. Brown-headed Cowbird
15. Bufflehead
16. Canada Goose        
17. Chipping Sparrow
18. Common Grackle
19. Common Loon
20. Common Merganser
21. Double-crested Cormorant
22. Downy Woodpecker
23. Eastern Bluebird
24. Eastern Meadowlark
25. Eastern Phoebe
26. European Starling
27. Great Blue Heron
28. Green Heron
29. Green-winged Teal
30. Hermit Thrush
31. Hooded Merganser
32. House Sparrow
33. Killdeer
34. Magnolia Warbler
35. Mallard
36. Merlin
37. Mourning Dove
38. Nashville Warbler
39. Northern Flicker
40. Northern Waterthrush
41. Osprey
42. Pileated Woodpecker
43. Purple Finch
44. Red-winged Blackbird
45. Ring-billed Gull
46. Rock Pigeon
47. Rose-breasted Grosbeak
48. Rough-winged Swallow
49. Ruby-crowned Kinglet
50. Rusty Blackbird
51. Savannah Sparrow
52. Song Sparrow
53. Spotted Sandpiper
54. Tree Swallow
55. Turkey Vulture
56. Virginia Rail
57. Warbling Vireo
58. White-breasted Nuthatch
59. White-throated Sparrow
60. Wilson's Snipe
61. Winter Wren
62. Wood Duck
63. Yellow Warbler
64. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
65. Yellow-rumped Warbler

Rough-winged Swallow

Petrie Island

Red-tailed Hawk (see under how it was captured), Photo Courtesy Tony Beck

Capturing and viewing Red-tailed Hawk

All excursions organized by:

Always An Adventure

We are now taking a 14 days break in our local program, to go to Point Pelee with Road Scholar.
See you at the end of May ~

Happy Spring Birding!