Shorebird sightings abound as water levels remain low
With the lazy, hazy days of summer upon us, don’t put your binoculars or camera away. There are still lots of birds and interesting behaviour to watch or photograph.
With the continuing lower water levels along the Ottawa River, Shirleys Bay is one of the richest areas and continues to attract lots of birds. An early morning visit on July 19 was very productive, with a good selection of shorebirds, including 11 Lesser Yellowlegs, seven Least Sandpipers, and five Semipalmated Sandpipers.
On July 20, at Shirleys Bay, numerous species took advantage of the lower water levels including 12 Great Egrets that were successfully feeding on small fish. On the recently exposed mudflat, eight Lesser Yellowlegs, one Greater Yellowlegs, two Solitary Sandpipers and seven Killdeer enjoyed the offerings.
Over the next few months, many species of shorebirds will stop and feed along the Ottawa River between Britannia Pier and Constance Bay. If low water levels prevail, these mudflats will attract many species of shorebirds that will feed or rest before continuing their flight south. In the shorebird family, the adults migrate first, followed by the juveniles weeks later. With adult shorebirds already on the move south, it won’t be long before the first juveniles are spotted in the area. We should being seeing juvenile Lesser Yellowlegs, Least Sandpiper and Solitary Sandpiper in the next week or so. Other species of young shorebirds, including Semipalmated Plover, Semipalmated Sandpiper and Greater Yellowlegs, will be arriving in early to mid-August.
Marsh species at Shirleys Bay included a family group of both Soras and Virginia Rails, one American Bittern and two Common Gallinules. A few Marsh Wrens could be heard calling, too. Lots of interesting shorebird watching is on the way.
The Almonte Sewage Lagoons have some good habitat, and on July 17, there were Killdeer, one Greater Yellowlegs, 17 Lesser Yellowlegs, 15 Least Sandpipers, three Spotted Sandpipers, and five Solitary Sandpipers. All were adults, with the exception of a few Killdeer.
On July 20, at the Richmond Conservation Area, off Eagleson Road, there were 11 Solitary Sandpipers, one Lesser Yellowlegs, 16 Killdeer, and one Least Sandpiper. Other water birds included Wood Ducks, Mallards and a lone male Green-winged Teal.
Interestingly, despite the hot and humid conditions, there are still lots of birds singing during the day. On July 17, I still had singing Scarlet Tanagers, Indigo Buntings, Hermit Thrushes, Wood Thrushes and other common species at various locations in Ottawa.
The Ruby-throated Hummingbird population continues to thrive in most areas, and I continue to receive many new reports from feeder watchers, including sightings at Carp, Almonte, Russell, Alexandria, Perth, Winchester and Lancaster. The once-rare Sandhill Crane continues to expand its range in Eastern Ontario and the Outaouais, with recent sightings of adults with young near Alfred on July 17, Smiths Falls in early July, and in the Cornwall area.
After the loss of their first nest, our Chimney Swifts in Carp are doing well and sitting on eggs. Hopefully, in another week, the activity level will rise as the newly hatched young will need to be fed. Feeder reports have dropped off, with only a few sightings of Rosebreasted Grosbeak, Baltimore Oriole and Northern Cardinal.
You may have noticed an increase in the bird activity in your neighbourhood recently, as most local species have finished nesting and are on the move in search of food.
With fall migration now underway, it’s important to review some of best field guides available for all levels of birders. Remember that there is no shortage of “field guides” on the market, but only a few are worth their weight. Still, the top three Eastern guides are the National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of Eastern North America, The Sibley Field Guide to Birds of Eastern North America and The Peterson’s Field Guide to Birds of Eastern North America. For those interested in North American birding, the most up-to-date field guide for this region is the sixth edition (2011) of the National Geographic Field Guide to the birds of North America. I highly recommend this book, even for just Eastern Ontario and the Outaouais region. I thank birders, photographers and feeder watchers who sent reports and/or photos this past week. Please email bird observations and/or photos to: dilabiobirding@gmail.com, subject line “Ottawa Citizen Birds.” For photos, provide date, location and photographer’s name, and for bird reports, observer, date and location. The birding Code of Ethics and guidelines of the Ottawa Field-Naturalists’ Club is at ofnc.ca/ birding/ Code-of-Conduct.pdf. For injured and orphaned birds, call Wild Bird Care Centre, 613-828-2849. Report bird bands to pwrc.usgs.gov/BBL/ bblretrv/. Access to Shirleys Bay is restricted.