Fw: Eastern Ontario (Renfrew Cty) - Gray Jays, Red Crossbill - Mon, 26 Feb 2001

Hello Gord,

Thought this report might be of interest for your Ontario Birding web page. If any other "Ottawa area" (or however you want to classify them re: location) reports of interest come up, I'll try to remember to forward them to you, and not just put them on Ontbirds -- completly understandable that you don't just pull things off "Ontbirds" anymore! What an overwhelming task that would be!

Chris Lewis
Ottawa

----- Original Message -----
From: "Christina Lewis" 
To: "OFO Sightings" 
Sent: February 26, 2001 5:35 PM
Subject: Eastern Ontario (Renfrew Cty) - Gray Jays, Red Crossbill

Hello Ontbirds people,

On Saturday, Feb. 24, a "road-birding" trip to the Calabogie / Fergusons Lake / Mount St. Patrick area of Renfrew County produced some interesting birds. In spite of the ch-ch-chilly temperatures and mountains of snow (which blocked some of the side roads and precluded any great amount of walking), the day was clear & sunny and virtually windless. This made for excellent conditions to listen for birds as well as squeaking/pishing/calling them in. In a four-hour period (11 AM - 3 PM) we found:

 -Ruffed Grouse
 -Mourning Dove
 -Downy Woodpecker
 -Hairy Woodpecker
 -GRAY JAY (a pair who came in to "whistling" calls; they inspected us with
 curiosity but were neither banded nor interested in food hand-outs)
 -Blue Jay
 -Common Raven
 -Black-capped Chickadee (very responsive to squeaking; on the verge of
 being aggressive)
 -Red-breasted Nuthatch
 -White-breasted Nuthatch
 -Purple Finch (heard/seen at most stops, in small numbers)
 -RED CROSSBILL (scarce this year in E.Ontario. We heard and saw a single
 female calling and giving other strange song-like vocalizations, along the
 Calabogie Road between Calabogie Peaks Resort and Ferguson Lake Road)
 -WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILL (males in full song as well as giving
flight-calls;
 indicative of  potential breeding in the area)
 -Pine Siskin (abundant! - 100's were singing/calling at almost every stop
we made, and also very responsive to squeaking)
 -American Goldfinch
 -Evening Grosbeak (approx. half a dozen near Mt. St. Patrick)

DIRECTIONS to the Calabogie / Fergusons Lake / Mt. St. Patick area (approx. 1 1/2 hour drive from downtown Ottawa):

Take Hwy 417 west past Ottawa (it then becomes the 17). Shortly after Arnprior, look for the 508 (signs to Calabogie) and turn left. Continue along the 508 (the "Calabogie Road") through Burnstown, Springtown & Calabogie. You are now in skiing, snowmobiling & ice-fishing heaven, and there are some decent restaurants, "pit-stops", etc. in the area. The Ferguson Lake Road, which goes through the village of Mt. St. Patrick, is just a few kilometers past Calabogie Peaks Resort (sorry, we didn't keep track of exact distances). Ferguson Lake Road is a dirt road, well-maintained but a bit winding with some steep slopes (CAUTION: Only pull off where the road looks wide and visibility of oncoming traffic is good...the shoulders are not predictable, and there are some steep ditches which are not visible when there is a lot of snow). A good variety of habitats ( stands of White Pine, Red Pine, White Spruce, & deciduous upland forests, as well as marshes and fens) can be found along English Road, which goes west shortly after Mt. St. Patrick, as well as along the Ferguson Lake Road (which continues north to Hwy 132, which you can then take northeast to Renfrew and catch the 17 back to Ottawa again)...The Mount St. Patrick Mountains and the Madawaska Highlands are a beautiful part of Eastern Ontario and can be very rewarding for finding birds and other wildlife, in any season!

Getting through the winter as best we can,
Chris Lewis & Bob Bracken
Ottawa, Ont.
weewa@primus.ca

Re:Renfrew County Birds - Mon, 20 Nov 2000

Sighting reports originating from the ONTBIRDS mail server network are repeated courtesy of the Ontario Field Ornithologists (OFO).

Hello Ont. Birders

Yesterday, November 19th I birded the Lake Dore, Muskrat Lake and the Pembroke area. Overall it was quiet in the bush with only a few small flocks of Pine Siskins and a scattering of American Goldfinches. There appears to be lots of cones on the White pines and White Spruces. Small numbers of Red-breasted Nuthatches were noted. On Lake Dore there were 23 Common Loon, 52 Horned Grebe, 4 Red-necked Grebe, 16 Long-tailed Duck, a few flocks of Common Goldeneye and all three merganser species.

At Morrison Island along the Ottawa River just south of Pembroke the 3 Harlequin Ducks (2 in Ontario waters) and the male Barrow's Goldeneye could be viewed below the rapids from the bridge. An immature Bald Eagle flew over while scanning the river.

At Pembroke, a Northern Hawk Owl was hunting just west of the Pembroke Marina along the edge of a small wood lot along the river. Over the river a flock of 26 Bonapartes Gull were seen.

Directions: Lake Dore is located about 8 Km's north of Eganville along Hwy. 41.

To reach Morrison Island from Ottawa take Hwy.17 north to the first Pembroke exit, follow road to turn off for Hwy. 148 to Quebec. You will see the rapids between Morrison and Allumettes Island. The Harlequin's and Barrow's can be found below or above bridge.

To reach the Pembroke Marina continue pass turn off for Hwy. 148 and follow road into Pembroke. Watch for the McDonalds Restaurant on your right, then turn right onto Nelson St. Follow Nelson which runs parallel to the Ottawa River until you cross the Muskrat River and then watch for Marina signs on your right. Park on the west side of the marina.

Bruce Di Labio
bruce.dilabio@sympatico.ca

Westmeath PP, east of Pembroke, ON - Mon, 2 Oct 2000

Sighting reports originating from the ONTBIRDS mail server network are repeated courtesy of the Ontario Field Ornithologists (OFO).

Found along the west beach of Westmeath Provincial Park on the south side of the Ottawa River on Sunday were 3 Sharp-tailed Sparrows. Also there was a Baird's Sandpiper. A Peregrine was seen at the Westmeath town Dock.

Other birds found today, Monday, were 3 Golden Plovers, 7 Black-bellied Plovers, 12 Dunlin, 3 Sanderlings, 1 Least Sandpiper and a Merlin which landed on the sand. The Baird's Sandpiper was still present. I didn't check for Sharp-tailed Sparrows, though.

Westmeath PP is best birded from the west side. Take County Rd. 12 east towards the town of Westmeath but turn north on Sand Point Rd. This is about 2 or 3 kms. from intersection of County Roads 21 and 12. Sand Point Rd. is about 1 km. long and ends at the Ottawa River. Park there. A cottage road runs east and dead ends a few hundred metres before the Park boundary but is private. Walk the beach going east, past the last cottage, for several hundred metres and you will be in Sharp-tailed Sparrow habitat. Past there, there are sand/mud flats where shorebirds can be found.

Chris Michener
(613) 625-2263

_____________________________________________
Chris Michener, Golden Lake, ON  K0J 1X0

Pembroke Area Field Naturalists:
        http://www.renc.igs.net/~cmichener/pafn.index.html
Concerned Citizens of Renfrew County
        http://www.renc.igs.net/~cmichener/ccrc/CCRChome.html
Lifer Birding Gear
        http://www.liferbirdinggear.on.ca/home.html

More birding in CFB Petawawa - Thu, 28 Sep 2000

BIRDING THE PETAWAWA RIVER
IN
CFB PETAWAWA
25-26 SEP '00

While on exercise in the CFB Petawawa Training Area, I managed to see the following species:

 
        Bald Eagle,
        American Black Duck,
        Common Goldeneye,
        Common Snipe,
        Ruffed Grouse,
        Northern Flicker,
        Downy Woodpecker,
        Black-backed Woodpecker,
        Pileated Woodpecker,
        Common Crow,
        Northern Raven,
        Blue Jay,
        Black-capped Chickadee,
        Red-breasted Nuthatch,
        Golden-crowned Kinglet,
        Black-throated Blue Warbler,
        Song Sparrow, and 
        White-throated Sparrow.

CFB Petawawa's Training Area is fairly good for birding; as is the surrounding area. In the springs of '98 and '99 I've seen Sandhill Cranes in the training area as well in other areas of Refrew County.

 
  Good Birdin',
  Martin Roncetti
  Pembroke, ON
  mail718g@dnd.ca

Some sightings on CFB Petawawa - Mon, 11 Sep 2000

BIRDS SEEN ON
SAT., SEP. 09, 2000
AT
BRENNAN LAKE
CFB PETAWAWA, ON

While walking my dog on the morning of 9th of Sep., I found a Pin Cherry(?) tree, which was migration central. Lots of activity all around this tree. The following species were the ones I noticed during the hour or so which I was around the tree:

       
        Wilson's Warbler (1)*,
        Brown Thrasher (2),
        Hairy Woodpecker (3),
        Northern Flicker (3),
        Blue Jay (4-6),
        Solitary Vireo (2),
        Cedar Waxwing (LOTS!),
        Common Yellowthroat (4-6),
        Black-capped Chickadee (up to 12),
        Red-breasted Nuthatch (2),
        American Redstart (1),
        White-throated Sparrow (4-6),
        Hermit Thrush (1), 
        Song Sparrow (6-8) and
        American Robins (LOTS, adults & 1st year young).

I'm sure that as long as there are berries, there will be birds. I'll check later this week.

NOTE: *The majority of the numbers seen are estimates on the conservative side.

Martin Roncetti,
mail718g@dnd.ca

Lark Sparrow near Petawawa - Tue, 23 May 2000

Sighting reports originating from the ONTBIRDS mail server network are repeated courtesy of the Ontario Field Ornithologists (OFO).

Hello - a LARK SPARROW has been at Viola Nitschke's house near Petawawa, ON for two days. It is shy and visible from her kitchen window. Please call ahead to confirm presence and to let her know when you will be there.

Butterflies in the field beside her house (property of the Pembroke Airport) are Chryxsus Arctic and Hoary Elfin... several of each this weekend.

Her Phone number is (613) 687-4926. To get there, go on Hwy 17 between Pembroke and Petawawa to the Achray Rd. turnoff and go north. You will see a 'Y' in the road right away, take the left fork (Cty Rd 26). Go down to Airport road and turn right. Her house is 315 Airport Rd, the white house across the road from the landing strip.

Good luck... hope the sparrow sticks around for awhile.

Chris Michener
Golden Lake
cmichener@renc.igs.net
(613) 625-2263

_____________________________________________
Chris Michener, Golden Lake, ON  K0J 1X0

Pembroke Area Field Naturalists:
        http://www.renc.igs.net/~cmichener/pafn.index.html
Concerned Citizens of Renfrew County
        http://www.renc.igs.net/~cmichener/ccrc/CCRChome.html
Lifer Birding Gear
        http://www.liferbirdinggear.on.ca/home.html