Unpredictable a constant in November
Rare visit from female King Eiders has birders excited
With colder temperatures to the north, the local birding continues to be exciting and unpredictable. With few migrant land birds remaining, the focus over the past week has been birding along the Ottawa River and Lac Deschênes. Over the past three decades, birding between mid-November and mid-December has produced numerous vagrant species in the Ottawa-Gatineau district, including Northern Fulmar, Thickbilled Murre and Ivory Gull. Watch for major weather disturbances, including cold fronts passing through the region, and systems originating from the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Anything is possible.
Definitely the highlight of the week was the discovery of four female King Eiders off Andrew Haydon Park on Nov. 13. Brian Morin and I watched the eiders as they nervously swam in a flock of Canada Geese. The eiders were very wary and anytime geese took flight, the eiders would react. Finally three eiders took flight and were last observed heading south over the city while one stayed in the general area. This very rare Arctic breeder was last observed in the OttawaGatineau district in December 1993, 20 years ago. Fortunately for many birders and photographers who showed up, the one eider remained for a few hours.
On Sunday, Nov. 10, a Purple Sandpiper was observed at Dick Bell Park. This arctic shorebird is a rare fall visitor to eastern Ontario and the final shorebird to move south from its arctic breeding grounds. The Purple Sandpiper spends the winter months along the Atlantic coast from Newfoundland to the Carolinas. On the same day, a first winter Black-legged Kittiwake was observed over Lac Deschênes and last seen at Deschenes Rapids. This species is a very rare visitor to the area from the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Unfortunately, neither bird was relocated, which happens a lot along the river.
Over the past weekend there was a small movement of owls including a Northern Hawk-Owl in the Perth area, both a Northern Saw-whet Owl and Long-eared Owl in Ottawa and a Short-eared Owl near Morrisburg. This southbound movement coincides with the colder temperatures and snow to the north. The Northern Hawk-Owl was my earliest ever for eastern Ontario and the second sighting this month. This is perhaps an indicator that this species is on the move south. Small mammal numbers are low in many areas of northeastern Ontario. So far there haven’t been any sightings of Snowy Owls in eastern Ontario, but a few have been observed in the Prairies. Hopefully a few will make it south to our area this winter.
The feeder-watcher reports continue to be somewhat quiet, but a few Carolina Wrens are now being reported at feeders. Brian Morin reports one made a brief appearance at his suet feeder on Nov. 9 in Cornwall and on Nov. 11 Ted Baldwin of Ottawa had one visit his peanut feeder. The Carolina Wren is a rare visitor to eastern Ontario and has occasionally bred. Being at the northern edge of its breeding range, the Carolina Wren is susceptible to harsh winters. Even with bird feeders available, the wren cannot withstand severe cold and as a result this limits its range expansion northward.
Also watch out for Tufted Titmouse at your feeder. This species is occasionally found in the area. Like the Carolina Wren and Red-bellied Woodpecker, this relative newcomer to eastern Ontario is also affected by severe winter weather. With their chickadee-like behaviour, they can go undetected at your feeder. Carefully watch for this large crested chickadee without a black bib.
Bald Eagles continue to be reported along the Ottawa River at Shirley’s Bay and the Constance Bay area, and more Rough-legged Hawks are being observed south of the Ottawa airport and in the Kinburn area. These winter hawks appear to be on the move south in numbers, which may result in some overwintering in our area. Wild Turkey flocks are being reported from numerous locations, including 25+ in Kanata, 35+ near Dunrobin and 50+ in the Carlsbad Springs area.
Snow Geese numbers continue to increase in the Casselman area. Flocks of 1,000 to 4,000 were observed on Nov. 9 as they fed in fields east and south of Casselman. In the past decade, the number of Snow Geese staging in this area has increased and it is becoming a regular sight similar to the one in spring but not usually in the high numbers witnessed in spring.
Email bird observations and/or photographs to bruce.dilabio@sympatico. ca, subject line Ottawa Citizen Birds. Provide date, location and photographer’s name. The birding Code of Ethics and guidelines of the Ottawa Field-Naturalists’ Club can be found at ofnc.ca/birding/Code-of-Conduct.pdf. To reach the Wild Bird Care Centre for orphaned and injured birds, call 613-828-2849. Report bird bands to pwrc.usgs.gov/BBL/bblretrv/. Access to Shirley’s Bay is restricted. Obtain permission from the office, 613- 9915740, before entering.
View more great photos online on our World of Birds mini site at ottawacitizen.com/birds