Surprises continue to drop in
Birders treated to a few sightings of rare visitors
The birding in eastern Ontario and the Outaouais continues to be exciting with a number of rarities and new fall migrants passing through.
On Sept. 15, a flock of 19 Hudsonian Godwits was found at Shirley’s Bay. This species is a long-distance migrant that breeds in the Hudson Bay Lowlands and winters in southern South America. Most observations are of single birds or small flocks under 10 individuals. During inclement weather, larger groups can be grounded but usually for only a short time. The largest flock ever recorded in the OttawaGatineau district is 298 birds found on Sept. 4, 1988, at Embrun Sewage Lagoon.
An adult Northern Gannet was observed on Sept. 14 off Charwell Point along the south shore of Prince Edward County. It is interesting to note that an adult Northern Gannet has been observed over the past four months at various locations along Lake Ontario, including Presqu’ile Provincial Park, Toronto and Hamilton. Most records of gannets in Ontario are of immature birds found during the fall so this is likely the same bird wandering around.
A surprise find at Andrew Haydon Park, a Least Bittern was spotted on Sept. 15. This secretive species is scarce in the Ottawa-Gatineau district where it typically frequents cattail marshes along the Ottawa River and other inland wetlands. This bittern didn’t have much habitat to hide in along the ponds in the park.
With cooler temperatures to the north, migration continues with new fall migrants arriving weekly. The first reports of Whitecrowned Sparrow, Rusty Blackbird and Ruby-crowned Kinglet were received from the Britannia Conservation Area/Mud Lake on Sept. 15. Over the next few weeks, the number of migrating sparrows or “little brown jobs” will increase and include Fox Sparrow, Lincoln’s Sparrow, American Tree Sparrow, White-throated Sparrow and the rare Nelson’s Sparrow. Have your field guide handy as these can be a challenge to identify as they skulk in the grass or weeds. And keep your binoculars in hand because once you have your binoculars trained on the sparrow, it will disappear as quickly as it came. Like warblers, they can challenge your patience.
Warbler watching continues to be excellent with the Britannia Conservation Area/Mud Lake again leading the way with 18 species being reported, including Canada Warbler, Pine Warbler, Blackthroated Blue Warbler, Palm Warbler and Orange-crowned Warbler. The most common species of warbler observed was the Yellowrumped Warbler and this trend will continue into October as the overall numbers and variety decline. Even though it is primarily an insect eater, the Yellow-rumped Warbler is a hardy bird that can sometimes be found later in the fall as it will eat berries to survive or visit feeders eating suet. Also, the occasional Pine Warbler has attempted to overwinter in eastern Ontario, but usually succumbs to the cold.
After a somewhat quiet summer for Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, there has been a recent increase in observations over the past week. On Sept. 11, Bill Gilmour observed 12 at his backyard hummingbird feeders near Presqu’ile Provincial Park. This high concentration is likely due to migrant hummers passing through the area.
On Amherst Island on Sept. 15, six Ruby-throated Hummingbirds were sighted as they moved along the south shore of the island. Locally, a few individuals were reported from various locations as they fed on flowers or were spotted flying by.
Most Ruby-throated Hummingbirds leave the area by late September. If you still have a hummingbird feeder up, watch for the Rufous Hummingbird. This western vagrant has been found at hummingbird feeders in eastern Ontario, including Algonquin Park, Eganville, Battersea and Kingston during the fall. Keep your camera handy.
Canada Geese are on the move south now and over the past week there has been a noticeable increase as they feed in farm fields throughout the area. The first reports of Snow Geese include two at Shirley’s Bay on Sept. 10 and one at Andrew Haydon Park on Sept. 11. Also two Cackling Geese were observed flying over Shirley’s Bay on Sept. 12. This small version of the Canada Goose is a scarce migrant in our area.
Carefully check the flocks for other species of geese, including Great White-fronted and Ross’s Goose. All these species are rare, but regular fall migrants.
Shorebird migration continues to be sparse over most of eastern Ontario due to high water levels along most rivers as well as Lake Ontario. A visit to Presqu’ile Provincial Park on Sept. 10 produced six Baird’s Sandpiper, eight Semipalmated Plover, six Least Sandpiper, one Sanderling, and five Semipalmated Sandpiper. At Amherst Island on Sept. 15, a flock of 27 adult American Golden-Plover were observed flying over the island.
Feeder watchers, remember to fill your feeders. As well, with the fall migration now well underway it’s important to review some of the best field guides available for all levels of birders. Remember, there is no shortage of “field guides” on the market but only a few are worth their weight. 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 National Geographic 6th edition, 2011, titled Field Guide to the Birds of North America. I highly recommend this book, even for just eastern Ontario and the Outaouais.