Ottawa Field Naturalists' Club (OFNC) – Weekly Birding Report Sightings within a 50km radius of Parliament Hill - including eastern Ontario and western Quebec *Compiled by Al Caughey at sightings@ofnc.ca <sightings@ofnc.ca>* Update for the week ending on 2026.08.20 (season 1; episode 29) This past week the total number of species reported within the 50km circle spiked up from 176 last week to 200 this update. The number of notable species jumped from 14 to 21. The long staying Greater White-fronted Goose at Andrew Haydon Park in Nepean and Red-headed Woodpeckers in Constance Bay are still here. As is the Franklin's Gull which can be found between Andrew Haydon Park and les Rapides Deschênes. They've been joined by a White-rumped Sandpiper🔥 [Gatineau (Aug 17)], Red-necked Grebe🔥 [Ottawa (Aug 19), Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry (Aug 19)], and Blue-gray Gnatcatcher🔥 [Ottawa (Aug 16), Gatineau (Aug 18), Leeds and Grenville (Aug 19)]. Two notable species from last update are now being seen as non-notable: - Baird's Sandpiper → last notable report on Aug 13 in Ottawa with at least 5 recent non-notable reports at locations in Gatineau [4], Ottawa [1] - Olive-sided Flycatcher → last notable report on Aug 07 in Ottawa with at least 10 recent non-notable reports at locations in Les Collines-de-l'Outaouais [2], Ottawa [7], Gatineau [1] Six species have not been reported since the last update (including 3 notables): - African Collared-Dove [Gatineau (Aug 08)], Hudsonian Whimbrel🔥 [Ottawa (Aug 10)], Ruddy Turnstone [Prescott and Russell (Aug 08)], Horned Lark [Ottawa (Aug 08), Leeds and Grenville (Aug 09)], Northern Mockingbird🔥 [Lanark (Aug 10)], and Lincoln's Sparrow🔥 [Ottawa (Aug 14)] In terms of the coming week: Fri & Sat are forecast to have light winds from the south/southeast and dry conditions which should slow migrants and provide good viewing opportunities for early passerines moving through local woodlots. Thunderstorms and rain on Sun followed by cooler temperatures on Mon could cause a fallout of migrating warblers, vireos, and flycatchers. Clearer and drier conditions on Tues and Wed should provide good conditions for active morning foraging along mudflats and river corridors as well as open fields, quarry edges, storm ponds and/or settling basins at sewage lagoons. And finally, assuming the current forecast stands, starting on Thurs, the winds should shift back to the southwest which could bring another round of scattered thunderstorms and ground our southbound migrants. Current Notable Birds: *Greater White-fronted Goose*: 46 reports at 2 locations - 1 at Andrew Haydon Park/.35089° N° W [Ottawa] (44 times between Aug 13-20); 1 at Andrew Haydon Park east (formerly Ottawa Beach) [Ottawa] (twice between Aug 15-18) *Trumpeter Swan*: 5 reports at 2 locations - 1 at étang du stationnement P8 [Les Collines-de-l'Outaouais] (4 times between Aug 15-20); 2 at Ch. Eardley-Masham [Les Collines-de-l'Outaouais] (on Aug 15); plus at least 3 non-notable reports at locations in Lanark [2], Ottawa [1] *Bufflehead*: a single report of 1 at Sewage Lagoons [Prescott and Russell] on Aug 14 *Common Goldeneye*: 4 reports at 2 locations - 1 at Shirley's Bay (boat launch) [Ottawa] (twice on Aug 18); 1 at Almonte Lagoons [Lanark] (twice on Aug 16) *Purple Gallinule*🆕: a single report of 2 at Parc Nature Éco-Odyssée [Les Collines-de-l'Outaouais] on Aug 14 (Although, based upon photos attached to the eBird report, I believe that it was actually a Common Gallinule) *Red-necked Phalarope*: 6 reports at 3 locations - 1 at Chaudière Island [Ottawa] (3 times on Aug 19); as many as 2 at Embrun Sewage Lagoons [Prescott and Russell] (twice on Aug 16); 1 at the Casselman Sewage Lagoons [Prescott and Russell] (on Aug 14); plus a single non-notable report in Gatineau *White-rumped Sandpiper*🆕: a single report of 1 at Parc Brébeuf [Gatineau] on Aug 17 *Bonaparte's Gull*: 2 reports of 1 at Almonte Lagoons [Lanark] on Aug 18; plus at least 17 non-notable reports at locations in Ottawa [11], Gatineau [6] *Franklin's Gull*: 65 reports at 6 locations - 1 at Andrew Haydon Park [Ottawa] (45 times between Aug 13-20); 1 at Andrew Haydon Park east (formerly Ottawa Beach) [Ottawa] (13 times between Aug 18-20); 1 at Ottawa River Pathway (view of Britannia Bay) [Ottawa] (on Aug 19); 1 at Filtration Plant/Point [Ottawa] (on Aug 13); 1 at Rapides Deschênes (incluant parc) [Gatineau] (4 times on Aug 13); 1 at Britannia Ridge [Ottawa] (on Aug 13) *Lesser Black-backed Gull*: 6 reports at 5 locations - as many as 6 at Britannia CA* general (use more precise loc.) [Ottawa] (twice between Aug 14-20); 1 at Moodie Drive Quarry [Ottawa] (on Aug 19); 1 at Twin Elm Rugby Park [Ottawa] (on Aug 19); 1 at Richmond NE - Moodie Dr [Ottawa] (on Aug 16); 3 at Filtration Plant/Point [Ottawa] (on Aug 14); plus at least 7 non-notable reports at locations in Gatineau [4], Ottawa [3] *Red-necked Grebe*🆕: 2 reports of 1 at Shirley's Bay (boat launch) [Ottawa] on Aug 19 *Common Loon*: 2 reports of 1 at Lac Pink [Gatineau] between Aug 15-16; plus at least 19 non-notable reports at locations in Les Collines-de-l'Outaouais [15], Lanark [1], Papineau [1], Ottawa [1], La Vallée-de-la-Gatineau [1] *Least Bittern*: a single report of 1 at Riverfront Trail [Lanark] on Aug 18; plus at least 3 non-notable reports at locations in Les Collines-de-l'Outaouais [1], Ottawa [2] *Red-headed Woodpecker*: 9 reports at 2 locations - as many as 3 at Constance bay access at end of Whistler Rd/Bayview Dr [Ottawa] (eight times between Aug 13-19); 2 at Doris Currie Rd [Ottawa] (on Aug 17) *Red-bellied Woodpecker*: a single report of 1 at South Nation River, The Nation ON [Prescott and Russell] on Aug 15 *Yellow-bellied Flycatcher*: 2 reports at 2 locations - 1 at Andrew Haydon Park [Ottawa] (on Aug 14); 1 at Pioneer Plains Park [Ottawa] (on Aug 13); plus at least 6 non-notable reports at locations in Ottawa [5], Gatineau [1] *Yellow-throated Vireo*: 5 reports at 2 locations - 1 at Andrew Haydon Park east (formerly Ottawa Beach) [Ottawa] (3 times on Aug 18); 1 at Britannia CA* general (use more precise loc.) [Ottawa] (twice on Aug 16); plus 2 non-notable reports in Lanark *Philadelphia Vireo*: 22 reports at 11 locations - as many as 2 at Rockcliffe Airport Woods [Ottawa] (6 times between Aug 14-17); 1 at Britannia Ridge [Ottawa] (4 times between Aug 14-17); 1 at Fletcher Wildlife Garden [Ottawa] (twice between Aug 14-17); 2 at Mud Lake [Ottawa] (on Aug 16); 1 in Crystal Beach [Ottawa] (on Aug 16); 1 at Stanley Park [Ottawa] (3 times between Aug 14-15); 2 at Andrew Haydon Park [Ottawa] (on Aug 15); 1 at Parc Brébeuf [Gatineau] (on Aug 15); 1 at Riverrain Park south end [Ottawa] (on Aug 14); 2 at Petrie Island [Ottawa] (on Aug 14); 2 at Pioneer Plains Park [Ottawa] (on Aug 13); plus at least 13 non-notable reports at locations in Ottawa [9], Gatineau [4] *Blue-gray Gnatcatcher*🆕: 2 reports at 2 locations - 1 at Mon jardin [Gatineau] (on Aug 18); 1 at Greenbelt Trail 10 [Ottawa] (on Aug 16). Plus some non-eBird reports at the Shirley's Bay boat launch in Nepean and Millenium Park in Orleans *Blackpoll Warbler*: a single report of 1 at Parc Brébeuf [Gatineau] on Aug 15; plus 4 non-notable reports in Ottawa *Wilson's Warbler*: a single report of 1 at Parc Brébeuf [Gatineau] on Aug 15; plus 2 non-notable reports in Ottawa As always, send questions, comments or photos to sightings@ofnc.ca. Your feedback is appreciated. Good birding, Al