Summer Birding with rarities...!

Juvenile Barn Swallow - Hirundo rustica

Green Heron - Butorides virescens, Photo credit by Roger Cobbledick

Tuesday July 5

It was a most beautiful summer morning. We started the excursion at Petrie Island where there were many birds. One of the highlights was the continuous calls from a Sora Rail. I was really hoping to see it, because it would have been a lifer for me. But, unfortunately the bird would not come into view.

A little later we went looking for the famous rarity, the Eared Grebe, that is staying at the various Eastern lagoons in the Ottawa area these days. It had moved from Embrun over to Casselman.

Other lagoon highlights were Common Loon, Common Moorhen, Lesser Yellowlegs, Ruddy Duck, and Solitary & Spotted Sandpiper.

Day list:

1. American Bittern
2. American Crow
3. American Goldfinch
4. American Robin
5. American Wigeon
6. Baltimore Oriole
7. Barn Swallow
8. Black-capped Chickadee
9. Blue-winged teal
10. Brown-headed Cowbird
11. Canada Goose        
12. Cedar Waxwing
13. Chipping Sparrow
14. Common Grackle
15. Common Loon
16. Common Moorhen
17. Common Yellowthroat
18. Coopers Hawk
19. Eared Grebe
20. Eastern Kingbird
21. Eastern Meadowlark
22. Eastern Wood-Pewee
23. European Starling
24. Great Blue Heron
25. Great-crested Flycatcher
26. Green Heron
27. Green-winged Teal
28. House Finch
29. House Sparrow
30. Killdeer
31. Least Flycatcher
32. Least Sandpiper
33. Lesser Scaup
34. Lesser Yellowlegs
35. Mallard
36. Mourning Dove
37. Northern Flicker
38. Northern Shoveler
39. Pied-billed Grebe
40. Red-winged Blackbird
41. Ring-billed Gull
42. Rock Pigeon
43. Ruddy Duck
44. Savannah Sparrow
45. Solitary Sandpiper
46. Song Sparrow
47. Sora Rail
48. Spotted Sandpiper
49. Tree Swallow
50. Turkey Vulture
51. Virginia Rail
52. Warbling Vireo
53. White-breasted Nuthatch
54. Wood Duck
55. Yellow Warbler

White-faced Ibis - Plegadis chihi

Turkey Vulture - Cathartes aura

Thursday July 7

From our meeting spot at Andrew Haydon Park we immediately left for Carp where a rare White-faced Ibis had been spotted 2 days earlier. The bird was there in all it’s glory when we arrived. This is the first record of this species for Ottawa, and a lifer for many local birders, me included. After a while we went for more uncommon local species such as Red-headed Woodpecker, Sedge Wren and Eastern Towhee. We also had a great view of a tree full of Turkey Vultures with at least 10 individuals. We also counted 9 American Kestrels on our drive around the countryside.

Day list:

1. American Crow
2. American Goldfinch
3. American Redstart
4. American Robin
5. American Kestrel
6. Bank Swallow (Sand Martin)
7. Barn Swallow
8. Black-capped Chickadee
9. Blue Jay
10. Bobolink
11. Canada Goose        
12. Cedar Waxwing
13. Chestnut-sided Warbler
14. Chimney Swift
15. Chipping Sparrow
16. Cliff Swallow
17. Common Grackle
18. Common Raven
19. Common Yellowthroat
20. Double-crested Cormorant
21. Downy Woodpecker
22. Eastern Bluebird
23. Eastern Kingbird
24. Eastern Meadowlark
25. Eastern Towhee
26. Eastern Wood-Pewee
27. European Starling
28. Field Sparrow
29. Great Blue Heron
30. Grey Catbird
31. House Sparrow
32. Indigo Bunting
33. Killdeer
34. Lesser Yellowlegs
35. Mallard
36. Mourning Dove
37. Northern Cardinal
38. Northern Flicker
39. Osprey
40. Purple Finch
41. Purple Martin
42. Red-eyed Vireo
43. Red-headed Woodpecker
44. Red-winged Blackbird
45. Ring-billed Gull
46. Rock Pigeon
47. Rose-breasted Grosbeak
48. Rough-winged Swallow
49. Savannah Sparrow
50. Sedge Wren
51. Song Sparrow
52. Spotted Sandpiper
53. Swamp Sparrow
54. Tree Swallow
55. Turkey Vulture
56. Veery
57. Warbling Vireo
58. White-breasted Nuthatch
59. White-faced Ibis
60. White-throated Sparrow
61. Wood Duck
62. Yellow Warbler
63. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

Turkey Vulture - Cathartes aura

Bull Thistle

Sedge Wren - Cistothorus platensis

Chipping Sparrow - Spizella passerina, Photo credit Danielle Labonte

Killdeer - Charadrius vociferus

Lesser Yellowlegs, Tringa flavipes

Saturday July 9

Changes in weather gave us a sunny but cool morning with wind from the north.

We started at Petrie Island and were a little bit surprised over the lack of activity compared to just a few days ago. But still, we had several birds such as American Bittern, Green Heron, Belted Kingfisher and Common Moorhen.

We are beginning to experience clear changes in the dynamics of bird activity. Young are in the process of leaving the nest, so for many birds the breeding season is over. Nevertheless, we had many great birds such as Coopers Hawk being bombarded by Purple Martins, a Northern Harrier being mobbed by Red-winged Blackbirds, and Red-tailed Hawk chased by European Starlings.

We also visited the St-Isidore Lagoon where we had Lesser Yellowlegs, Semipalmated Plover, Spotted Sandpiper and Virginia Rail. We also went to Alfred Bog, where we were greeted by an American Woodcock laying quietly on the ground only a few meters from the board walk. We were entertained by a curious Lincoln’s Sparrow while photographing the orchids.

Day list:

1. American Bittern
2. American Black Duck
3. American Coot
4. American Crow
5. American Goldfinch
6. American Robin
7. American Wigeon
8. American Woodcock
9. American Kestrel
10. Bank Swallow (Sand Martin)
11. Barn Swallow
12. Belted Kingfisher
13. Black-capped Chickadee
14. Blue Jay
15. Blue-winged teal
16. Bobolink
17. Brown Thrasher
18. Brown-headed Cowbird
19. Canada Goose        
20. Cedar Waxwing
21. Chipping Sparrow
22. Common Grackle
23. Common Moorhen
24. Common Yellowthroat
25. Coopers Hawk
26. Downy Woodpecker
27. Eastern Kingbird
28. Eastern Meadowlark
29. Eastern Wood-Pewee
30. European Starling
31. Great Blue Heron
32. Green Heron
33. Green-winged Teal
34. Grey Catbird
35. Hairy Woodpecker
36. Horned Lark
37. House Finch
38. House Sparrow
39. Indigo Bunting
40. Killdeer
41. Least Sandpiper
42. Lesser Yellowlegs
43. Lincoln's Sparrow
44. Mallard
45. Mourning Dove
46. Northern Flicker
47. Northern Harrier
48. Osprey
49. Purple Finch
50. Purple Martin
51. Red Head
52. Red-breasted Nuthatch
53. Red-eyed Vireo
54. Red-tailed Hawk
55. Red-winged Blackbird
56. Ring-billed Gull
57. Rock Pigeon
58. Rose-breasted Grosbeak
59. Rough-winged Swallow
60. Ruddy Duck
61. Savannah Sparrow
62. Semipalmated Plover
63. Song Sparrow
64. Sora Rail
65. Spotted Sandpiper
66. Swamp Sparrow
67. Tree Swallow
68. Turkey Vulture
69. Vesper Sparrow
70. Virginia Rail
71. Warbling Vireo
72. Wild Turkey
73. Wilson's Snipe
74. Wood Duck
75. Yellow Warbler
76. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

Echinacea

Wild Turkey - Meleagris gallopavo

Sunday July 10

Yet another beautiful and very hot summer morning...

We headed for the Carp Ridge where we found Eastern Towhee, Eastern Phoebe, Baltimore Oriole with fledglings, White-throated Sparrow and Chestnut-sided Warbler. On our drive we had an unique encounter with a juvenile Wild Turkey. Tony spotted the bird in the ditch next to the road and we stopped to investigate. The bird did not budge! After a little while it came out from the tall grass and started posing for us – a great joy for the photographers among us.

Two other highlights were Eastern Bluebird, Indigo Bunting and Eastern Meadowlark.

Day list:

1. American Crow
2. American Goldfinch
3. American Redstart
4. American Robin
5. American Kestrel
6. Baltimore Oriole
7. Barn Swallow
8. Belted Kingfisher
9. Black-capped Chickadee
10. Blue Jay
11. Brown Thrasher
12. Canada Goose        
13. Cedar Waxwing
14. Chestnut-sided Warbler
15. Chipping Sparrow
16. Common Grackle
17. Common Raven
18. Common Tern
19. Common Yellowthroat
20. Double-crested Cormorant
21. Downy Woodpecker
22. Eastern Bluebird
23. Eastern Kingbird
24. Eastern Meadowlark
25. Eastern Phoebe
26. Eastern Towhee
27. Eastern Wood-Pewee
28. European Starling
29. Field Sparrow
30. Great Blue Heron
31. Great-crested Flycatcher
32. Green Heron
33. Grey Catbird
34. Hairy Woodpecker
35. Hooded Merganser
36. House Finch
37. House Sparrow
38. House Wren
39. Indigo Bunting
40. Killdeer
41. Lesser Scaup
42. Mallard
43. Merlin
44. Mourning Dove
45. Northern Cardinal
46. Northern Flicker
47. Osprey
48. Ovenbird
49. Pine Warbler
50. Purple Finch
51. Purple Martin
52. Red-winged Blackbird
53. Ring-billed Gull
54. Rose-breasted Grosbeak
55. Ruffed Grouse
56. Savannah Sparrow
57. Song Sparrow
58. Spotted Sandpiper
59. Swamp Sparrow
60. Tree Swallow
61. Turkey Vulture
62. Veery
63. Warbling Vireo
64. White-breasted Nuthatch
65. White-throated Sparrow
66. Wild Turkey
67. Yellow Warbler

Lincoln's Sparrow, Melospiza lincolnii, Photo credit Tony Beck

And, Summer continues... :o)

All excursions organized by Tony Beck ~ Always An Adventure