ONTARIO Trip Report ~ Feb 2007

We managed to see 3 owl species on Amherst before the snow set in, with extraordinary looks at Long-ear’s and a Saw-whet along with a calling Great Horned at mid day! Large mixed rafts of waterfowl included both scaups, Common Goldeneye, Bufflehead, Long-tailed Duck, Redhead and Common Merganser along with a few Tundra Swans were seen on what small bodies of open water remained on Lake Ontario. Other highlights on the island included a flock of Snow Buntings and a group of 5 Rough-legged Hawks, including both morphs, interacting with each other in flight; a pair of Bald Eagles and 2 male Northern Harriers flying together.

The owl show continued on the middle day with a perched Snowy and a very active Northern Hawk Owl that we saw catch and devour a vole. From here it was onto Algonquin Provincial Park where Pine Siskins, Red and White-winged Crossbills were a common sight in particular along the main road. The visitor center feeders held a large group of Evening Grosbeaks and we did manage to find a Black-backed Woodpecker along with confiding Gray Jays. It would not really be a birding trip without a stop to a rubbish dump, and indeed we did manage to pick through the trash (birds) and find a Glaucous and an Iceland Gull.

Northern Hawk-Owl © J & A Binns

 

SPECIES SEEN

Tundra Swan

As many as 18 on Lake Ontario on the southern side of Amherst Island

 

Mute Swan

3 on Lake Ontario on the southern side of Amherst Island

                                       

Canada Goose

A few between the border and Kingston

 

Gadwall

18 at Dupont Hot Ponds; a couple on Lake Ontario on the southern side of Amherst Island

 

American Black Duck

6 at Dupont Hot Ponds

 

Mallard

400+ at Dupont Hot Ponds

 

Redhead

1 on Lake Ontario on the southern side of Amherst Island

 

Greater Scaup

5 on Lake Ontario on the southern side of Amherst Island

 

Lesser Scaup

3 at Dupont Hot Ponds

 

Long-tailed Duck

1 on Lake Ontario on the southern side of Amherst Island

 

Bufflehead

About 8 on Lake Ontario on the southern side of Amherst Island

 

Common Goldeneye

70+ on Lake Ontario on the southern side of Amherst Island

 

Hooded Merganser

1 male at the Dupont Hot Ponds

 

Common Merganser

3 at the Dupont Hot Ponds; 6 on Lake Ontario on the southern side of Amherst Island

 

American Coot

4 at Dupont Hot Ponds

 

Bald Eagle

2 on Amherst Island with one having just killed a duck; 1 north of Ottawa

 

Northern Harrier

6 on Amherst Island including 2 males in flight together

 

Red-tailed Hawk

About 9 between the Kingston area and Amherst; On the return journey home good numbers perched along the roadside between Kingston and well into New York State

 

Rough-legged Hawk

What a show on Amherst! At least 9 birds in all with all morphs seen very well including at one time 5 in the air.

 

American Kestrel

1 eating a vole at Dupont Hot Ponds; 2 on Amherst Island

 

Ring-necked Pheasant

1 female at the southern end of the road leading to Owl Woods on Amherst

 

Ruffed Grouse

1 posing nicely in a tree on 401 just east of Kingston; 2 west of Brennan Hill in Quebec feeding on the dirt road

 

Wild Turkey

A flock of 17 just east of Portage du Fort in Quebec; About 8 roosting along 81 in New York State

 

Ring-billed Gull

1 around 10,000 islands near the border; 20 in flight near Ottawa

 

Herring Gull

20 near Ottawa in flight; 40+ at the Napanee landfill

 

Iceland Gull

1 1^st cycle bird at Napanee landfill, seen well in flight and sitting

 

Glaucous Gull

1 adult in flight at Napanee landfill

 

Rock Pigeon

Seen daily in small numbers

 

Mourning Dove

60+ on Amherst, most being at a feeder; a few on both other days

 

Great Horned Owl

1 calling in the middle of the day on the north eastern side of Amherst Island

 

Snowy Owl

1 male perched along a fence line near French Hill Road east of Ottawa

 

Northern Hawk Owl

Stunning views of a very active bird west of Brennan Hill in Ottawa, that included seeing it in flight a catching a vole.

 

Long-eared Owl

Great close up looks at 8 in Owl Woods on Amherst Island

 

Northern Saw-whet Owl

1 on Amherst Island

 

Downy Woodpecker

2 in Owl Woods on Amherst Island; 1 at the feeders at Algonquin

 

Hairy Woodpecker

1 in Owl Woods on Amherst Island; 1 at the visitor’s center at Algonquin

Black-backed Woodpecker

1 female at km 8 along Rte 60 in Algonquin

 

Gray Jay

3 at Opeongo Road in Algonquin

 

Blue Jay

Seen daily in small numbers at Amherst and Algonquin

 

American Crow

Up to 25 seen daily, mainly in the southern part of the provinces.

 

Common Raven

Up to 20 seen daily in Algonquin; 10+ seen in Quebec

 

Jackdaw

Just seeing who recognized the 3 huge blackbird sculptures with white eyes in the field on the western side of Rte 81 in upstate New York !!

 

Black-capped Chickadee

30+ in Owl Woods on Amherst Island; Surprisingly few in Algonquin with only a couple of very small flocks consisting of no more that 4 seen

 

Red-breasted Nuthatch

At least 6 seen daily in Algonquin in small flocks of 3

 

White-breasted Nuthatch

1 in Owl Woods on Amherst Island; Heard in Algonquin

 

European Starling

Seen daily in small numbers

 

American Tree Sparrow

A couple at the East gate in Algonquin with 5 or 6 at the Visitor Centers feeders

 

Dark-eyed Junco

3 at the East gate in Algonquin with 1 at the Visitor Centers feeders

 

Snow Bunting

A flock of 75+ on Amherst Island and one of around 500 south west of Ottawa

 

Red-winged Blackbird

6 along 401 east of Kingston

 

Purple Finch

7 in Algonquin – 5 along 60 and 2 females at the visitor center feeders

 

Red Crossbill

As many as 40+ seen in Algonquin, mainly along 60, and at Opeongo Road and the Spruce Bog Trail car park

 

White-winged Crossbill

30+ seen in Algonquin, with a few at the visitor centers feeders; many heard

 

Pine Siskin

The most common of the winter finches with large groups often seen in Algonquin, in particular along 60

 

American Goldfinch

1 seen on both days at the feeders at Algonquin Visitor’s Center

 

Evening Grosbeak

A wonderful flock of 70+ at the Algonquin Visitor’s Center all very chatty

 

House Sparrow

Someone saw 6 in Kingston!

 

Red Squirrel

3 in Algonquin

 

Grey Squirrel

Both grey and black seen in Kingston

 

White-tailed Deer

3 on Amherst Island; 1 near Ottawa and south of Algonquin

 

Meadow Vole

1 in the talons of the Hawk Owl!