Ottawa/Gatineau: recent sightings to Jan 16, 2025 Ottawa Field Naturalists' Club (OFNC) Ottawa/Gatineau (50 Km radius from Parliament Hill) E. Ontario, W. Quebec Compiler: Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca OFNC policy prevents reporting of individual owls. But the Great Gray Owl and Boreal Owl irruptions have reached the OFNC Circle, and there has never been a better time for a walk in the woods or a slow cruise down a rural road with one eye on the tree line. Northern Shoveler (1) Nepean Creek Trail, Ottawa. (1) Jan 12, Etang Grimes, Gatineau. Belted Kingfisher (1) Jan 14, Stittsville--Hickstead Storm Pond, Ottawa. Red-bellied Woodpecker (1) Stony Swamp (Jack Pine Trail), Ottawa. Queenscourt Cres, Ottawa. (1) Fine Estate, Ottawa. (1) Chemin Steele, Les Collines-de-l'Outaouais. (1) Britannia CA (general location), Ottawa. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (1) Fletcher Wildlife Garden, Ottawa. Red-headed Woodpecker (1) Constance Bay, Ottawa. Northern Flicker (1) Britannia CA (general location), Ottawa. (1) Fletcher Wildlife Garden, Ottawa. (1) Jan 10, Ravine Park-Bilberry Creek, Ottawa. Gray Catbird (1) Jan 15, Iris & Pathway, Ottawa. Winter Wren (1) Britannia CA (general location), Ottawa. (1) Torbolton Forest, Ottawa. Hermit Thrush (1) Fletcher Wildlife Garden, Ottawa. (1) Britannia CA, Ottawa. White-crowned Sparrow (1) Rue de la Loire, Gatineau. Deerlane Avenue, Ottawa. Chipping Sparrow (1) Jan 15, Richland Dr, Ottawa. Red-winged Blackbird (8) Jan 13, Milton Road, Ottawa. Rusty Blackbird (1) Jan 13, Milton Road, Ottawa. Atlas notes: New Year, New Birding Goals! Kick off 2025 by making a difference for bird conservation with our January Challenge! Whether you’ve got a backlog of Atlas data to submit or have been collecting bird data via eBird or other sources but haven’t registered or submitted it yet, this challenge is for YOU! How It Works: During January, simply submit any checklist (old or new) with breeding evidence and you’ll earn entries into a draw for a pair of Vortex binoculars! Whether you’re catching up on old data or new to the Atlas and migrating your checklists from eBird or other records, your contributions help shape our understanding of bird populations. And of course, you’ll have a chance to win an exciting prize along the way! Your data are crucial! We can’t wait to see all that you’ve observed. Don’t wait—this is your last chance to participate before the final field season of Atlas-3! For more information on how to register and/or submit data, visit https://www.birdsontario.org/quick-start/