June Excursions

June Excursions in the greater Ottawa Area – Canada

Tuesday June 19:

Although the weather seemed unsettling as we left Ottawa for the Purdon Fen, upon our arrival, the rain completely stopped. Much to our delight, the glistening rain droplets covered ever bloom ofShowy Lady’s Slippers. It became an excellent day with calm conditions and endless photo opportunities.Regardless of all the beautiful flowers surrounding us, we still located several interesting birds, including a few wood-warblers on territory. We ended the day with a list of 49 bird species.

Canada Goose

Branta canadensis

Mallard

Anas platyrhynchos

Wild Turkey

Meleagris gallopavo

Great Blue Heron

Ardea herodias

Great Egret

Ardea alba

Green Heron

Butorides virescens

Turkey Vulture

Cathartes aura

Cooper’s Hawk

Accipiter cooperii

Broad-winged Hawk

Buteo platypterus

American Kestrel

Falco sparverius

Spotted Sandpiper

Actitis macularius

Ring-billed Gull

Larus delawarensis

Rock Pigeon

Columba livia

Mourning Dove

Zenaida macroura

Chimney Swift

Chaetura pelagica

Northern Flicker

Colaptes auratus

Alder Flycatcher

Empidonax alnorum

Eastern Kingbird

Tyrannus tyrannus

Warbling Vireo

Vireo gilvus

Red-eyed Vireo

Vireo olivaceus

Blue Jay

Cyanocitta cristata

American Crow

Corvus brachyrhynchos

Common Raven

Corvus corax

Tree Swallow

Tachycineta bicolor

Black-capped Chickadee

Poecile atricapillus

American Robin

Turdus migratorius

European Starling

Sturnus vulgaris

Cedar Waxwing

Bombycilla cedrorum

Ovenbird

Seiurus aurocapilla

Black-and-white Warbler

Mniotilta varia

Nashville Warbler

Oreothlypis ruficapilla

Common Yellowthroat

Geothlypis trichas

Blackburnian Warbler

Setophaga fusca

Yellow Warbler

Setophaga petechia

Pine Warbler

Setophaga pinus

Black-thr. Green Warbler

Setophaga virens

Clay-colored Sparrow

Spizella pallida

Field Sparrow

Spizella pusilla

Savannah Sparrow

Passerculus sandwichensis

Grasshopper Sparrow

Ammodramus savannarum

Song Sparrow

Melospiza melodia

Swamp Sparrow

Melospiza georgiana

White-throated Sparrow

Zonotrichia albicollis

Northern Cardinal

Cardinalis cardinalis

Red-winged Blackbird

Agelaius phoeniceus

Eastern Meadowlark

Sturnella magna

Common Grackle

Quiscalus quiscula

American Goldfinch

Spinus tristis

House Sparrow

Passer domesticus

Thursday June 21:

It was a fantastic day to explore Morris Island’s Forest & Wetlands. Birds were extremely active gathering food and defending territory. Some of the interesting birds we had near the trail entrance included Scarlet Tanager and Black-throated Green Warbler.The ponds were quiet but the forest was full of life. Veery and Ovenbirds were everywhere. We encountered a pair of Hairy Woodpeckers having a territorial dispute. And we could hear the faint trill of a male Pine Warbler echoing over the wetlands. We ended the day with a list of 57 species.

Canada Goose

Branta canadensis

Double-crested Cormorant

Phalacrocorax auritus

Great Blue Heron

Ardea herodias

Turkey Vulture

Cathartes aura

Osprey

Pandion haliaetus

American Kestrel

Falco sparverius

Killdeer

Charadrius vociferus

Spotted Sandpiper

Actitis macularius

Upland Sandpiper

Bartramia longicauda

Ring-billed Gull

Larus delawarensis

Rock Pigeon

Columba livia

Mourning Dove

Zenaida macroura

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

Sphyrapicus varius

Downy Woodpecker

Picoides pubescens

Hairy Woodpecker

Picoides villosus

Pileated Woodpecker

Dryocopus pileatus

Eastern Wood-Pewee

Contopus virens

Eastern Phoebe

Sayornis phoebe

Great Crested Flycatcher

Myiarchus crinitus

Warbling Vireo

Vireo gilvus

Philadelphia Vireo

Vireo philadelphicus

Red-eyed Vireo

Vireo olivaceus

Blue Jay

Cyanocitta cristata

American Crow

Corvus brachyrhynchos

Common Raven

Corvus corax

Purple Martin

Progne subis

Tree Swallow

Tachycineta bicolor

Black-capped Chickadee

Poecile atricapillus

Red-breasted Nuthatch

Sitta canadensis

White-breasted Nuthatch

Sitta carolinensis

Winter Wren

Troglodytes hiemalis

Veery

Catharus fuscescens

American Robin

Turdus migratorius

European Starling

Sturnus vulgaris

Cedar Waxwing

Bombycilla cedrorum

Ovenbird

Seiurus aurocapilla

Northern Waterthrush

Parkesia noveboracensis

Black-and-white Warbler

Mniotilta varia

Common Yellowthroat

Geothlypis trichas

Yellow Warbler

Setophaga petechia

Pine Warbler

Setophaga pinus

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Setophaga coronata

Black-thr. Green Warbler

Setophaga virens

Chipping Sparrow

Spizella passerina

Field Sparrow

Spizella pusilla

Song Sparrow

Melospiza melodia

Swamp Sparrow

Melospiza georgiana

White-throated Sparrow

Zonotrichia albicollis

Scarlet Tanager

Piranga olivacea

Rose-breasted Grosbeak

Pheucticus ludovicianus

Indigo Bunting

Passerina cyanea

Bobolink

Dolichonyx oryzivorus

Red-winged Blackbird

Agelaius phoeniceus

Eastern Meadowlark

Sturnella magna

Common Grackle

Quiscalus quiscula

Baltimore Oriole

Icterus galbula

Purple Finch

Carpodacus purpureus

American Goldfinch

Spinus tristis

Saturday June 23:

The Bill Mason Center started fairly quiet as the sun heated the morning. However, as soon as we entered the tree-covered woodland trail, birds and sounds were many.We had Green Heron and Wilson’s Snipe flying over the wetlands. We found Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Chestnut-sided Warbler and Black & White Warbler at the forest edge. Inside the forest, we heard Veery, Hermit and Wood Thrush, just to mention just a few.Later in the morning, the heat became more bearable with the arrival of overcast conditions. We were delighted to have tallied 63 species of birds by the end of the morning.

Canada Goose

Branta canadensis

Wood Duck

Aix sponsa

Mallard

Anas platyrhynchos

Hooded Merganser

Lophodytes cucullatus

Least Bittern

Ixobrychus exilis

Great Blue Heron

Ardea herodias

Green Heron

Butorides virescens

Turkey Vulture

Cathartes aura

Osprey

Pandion haliaetus

Broad-winged Hawk

Buteo platypterus

Red-tailed Hawk

Buteo jamaicensis

Virginia Rail

Rallus limicola

Killdeer

Charadrius vociferus

Spotted Sandpiper

Actitis macularius

Wilson’s Snipe

Gallinago delicata

Ring-billed Gull

Larus delawarensis

Common Tern

Sterna hirundo

Rock Pigeon

Columba livia

Mourning Dove

Zenaida macroura

Belted Kingfisher

Megaceryle alcyon

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

Sphyrapicus varius

Downy Woodpecker

Picoides pubescens

Hairy Woodpecker

Picoides villosus

Northern Flicker

Colaptes auratus

Eastern Wood-Pewee

Contopus virens

Alder Flycatcher

Empidonax alnorum

Willow Flycatcher

Empidonax traillii

Eastern Phoebe

Sayornis phoebe

Great Crested Flycatcher

Myiarchus crinitus

Eastern Kingbird

Tyrannus tyrannus

Warbling Vireo

Vireo gilvus

Red-eyed Vireo

Vireo olivaceus

Blue Jay

Cyanocitta cristata

American Crow

Corvus brachyrhynchos

Common Raven

Corvus corax

Purple Martin

Progne subis

Barn Swallow

Hirundo rustica

Black-capped Chickadee

Poecile atricapillus

Red-breasted Nuthatch

Sitta canadensis

White-breasted Nuthatch

Sitta carolinensis

Veery

Catharus fuscescens

Hermit Thrush

Catharus guttatus

Wood Thrush

Hylocichla mustelina

American Robin

Turdus migratorius

Gray Catbird

Dumetella carolinensis

European Starling

Sturnus vulgaris

Cedar Waxwing

Bombycilla cedrorum

Ovenbird

Seiurus aurocapilla

Black-and-white Warbler

Mniotilta varia

Common Yellowthroat

Geothlypis trichas

Yellow Warbler

Setophaga petechia

Chestnut-sided Warbler

Setophaga pensylvanica

Chipping Sparrow

Spizella passerina

Field Sparrow

Spizella pusilla

Song Sparrow

Melospiza melodia

Swamp Sparrow

Melospiza georgiana

White-throated Sparrow

Zonotrichia albicollis

Northern Cardinal

Cardinalis cardinalis

Rose-breasted Grosbeak

Pheucticus ludovicianus

Bobolink

Dolichonyx oryzivorus

Red-winged Blackbird

Agelaius phoeniceus

Common Grackle

Quiscalus quiscula

American Goldfinch

Spinus tristis

Sunday June 24:

The weather was absolutely amazing today! Good for birders. But unfortunately, not so great for birds. Nevertheless, we had a wonderful day birding the Larose Forest area. In fact, it was so good, we didn’t have time to visit any of the eastern sewage lagoons.Some of the birds we came across this morning included Northern Harrier, Broad-winged Hawk, Blue-headed Vireo, Golden-crowned Kinglet and Mourning Warbler. We ended the morning with a respectable 60 species:

Wood Duck

Aix sponsa

Mallard

Anas platyrhynchos

Wild Turkey

Meleagris gallopavo

American Bittern

Botaurus lentiginosus

Great Blue Heron

Ardea herodias

Turkey Vulture

Cathartes aura

Northern Harrier

Circus cyaneus

Broad-winged Hawk

Buteo platypterus

Virginia Rail

Rallus limicola

Killdeer

Charadrius vociferus

Wilson’s Snipe

Gallinago delicata

Ring-billed Gull

Larus delawarensis

Rock Pigeon

Columba livia

Mourning Dove

Zenaida macroura

Black-billed Cuckoo

Coccyzus erythropthalmus

Belted Kingfisher

Megaceryle alcyon

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

Sphyrapicus varius

Northern Flicker

Colaptes auratus

Alder Flycatcher

Empidonax alnorum

Eastern Phoebe

Sayornis phoebe

Eastern Kingbird

Tyrannus tyrannus

Blue-headed Vireo

Vireo solitarius

Warbling Vireo

Vireo gilvus

Red-eyed Vireo

Vireo olivaceus

Blue Jay

Cyanocitta cristata

American Crow

Corvus brachyrhynchos

Common Raven

Corvus corax

Tree Swallow

Tachycineta bicolor

Barn Swallow

Hirundo rustica

Black-capped Chickadee

Poecile atricapillus

Red-breasted Nuthatch

Sitta canadensis

White-breasted Nuthatch

Sitta carolinensis

Marsh Wren

Cistothorus palustris

Golden-crowned Kinglet

Regulus satrapa

Veery

Catharus fuscescens

American Robin

Turdus migratorius

European Starling

Sturnus vulgaris

Cedar Waxwing

Bombycilla cedrorum

Ovenbird

Seiurus aurocapilla

Black-and-white Warbler

Mniotilta varia

Mourning Warbler

Geothlypis philadelphia

Common Yellowthroat

Geothlypis trichas

Blackburnian Warbler

Setophaga fusca

Yellow Warbler

Setophaga petechia

Chestnut-sided Warbler

Setophaga pensylvanica

Pine Warbler

Setophaga pinus

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Setophaga coronata

Savannah Sparrow

Passerculus sandwichensis

Song Sparrow

Melospiza melodia

Swamp Sparrow

Melospiza georgiana

White-throated Sparrow

Zonotrichia albicollis

Northern Cardinal

Cardinalis cardinalis

Rose-breasted Grosbeak

Pheucticus ludovicianus

Indigo Bunting

Passerina cyanea

Bobolink

Dolichonyx oryzivorus

Red-winged Blackbird

Agelaius phoeniceus

Common Grackle

Quiscalus quiscula

Purple Finch

Carpodacus purpureus

American Goldfinch

Spinus tristis

House Sparrow

Passer domesticus

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