Ottawa Field Naturalists' Club (OFNC) Ottawa/Gatineau (50km radius from Parliament Hill) E. Ontario, W. Quebec Compiler: Al Caughey at sightings@ofnc.ca Update for 2026.03.26 (season 1; episode 8) Last week, the total number of species seen in the 50km circle centred at Parliament Hill increased to 114 (up from 106) and 7 new species appeared for the first time in the `notables` list. However, the number notable species dropped from 30 to 26. The decline is mostly due to the fact several species are no longer 'tripping' the rarity filter in eBird. In spite of the 7 new species, consistently cold temperatures and light to moderate winds generally from the N/NW likely did not encourage migration into our area. Migration will likely pickup significantly on Sun/Mon with warmer temperatures and moderate winds from the south. Later in the week, the forecast calls for cooler temps and winds shifting to the east and northwest and that could cause movement to stop in the area. Hopefully some exciting birds will show up in flooded fields, marshy areas and elsewhere. Some highlights from the past week include Tundra Swans near North Gower, a Ross's Goose in and around Almonte, Canvasback reappearing at a couple of locations, and the first reports of Tree Swallows and Night Herons! Snow Goose: 2 reports at 2 locations (plus many other reports in other counties) - 1 at Mississippi Mills, Mississippi Mills ON [Lanark] (on Mar 27); 1 at Martin/St Paul St lookout [Lanark] (on Mar 27) Ross's Goose🆕: 3 reports at 3 locations - 2 at Lalonde Rd, Saint-Pascal-Baylon ON [Prescott and Russell] (on Mar 26); 1 at Riverfront Trail [Lanark] (on Mar 26); 1 at Appleton Side Rd Farm Field [Lanark] (on Mar 25) Greater White-fronted Goose: 24 reports at 7 locations - as many as 2 at the Richmond Sewage Lagoons [Ottawa] (4 times between Mar 26-27); as many as 3 at Appleton Bay Park and Boat Launch [Lanark] (5 times between Mar 25-27); 2 at Fourth Line Rd and Callendor Rd flooded fields [Ottawa] (on Mar 26); 1 at Twin Elm Rd Wetlands [Ottawa] (twice on Mar 26); as many as 3 at Spring St/Martin/St Paul St lookout/Mississippi Mills [Lanark] (6 times between Mar 21-24); as many as 2 at Riverfront Trail [Lanark] (4 times between Mar 22-23); as many as 3 at Almonte Fairgrounds/Water St, Mississippi Mills ON [Lanark] (twice on Mar 21) Snow x Canada Goose (hybrid): 11 reports at 3 locations - 1 at Cobb Lake Creek flood plain [Prescott and Russell] (on Mar 27); 1 at Rapides Deschênes (incluant Parc) [Gatineau] (on Mar 24); 1 at Emerald Meadows x Eagleson storm water ponds [Ottawa] (9 times between Mar 21-23) Trumpeter Swan: 9 reports at 2 locations - as many as 2 at Fourth Line Rd and Callendor Rd flooded fields [Ottawa] (3 times on Mar 26); as many as 2 at Greenland Rd Hawkwatch [Ottawa] (6 times between Mar 23-24) Tundra Swan🆕: 19 reports at 5 locations - as many as 4 at Ch Lalonde, Clarence-Rockland ON/Saint-Pascal-Baylon ON [Prescott and Russell] (twice between Mar 26-27); as many as 11 at Fourth Line Rd and Callendor Rd flooded fields [Ottawa] (9 times on Mar 26); as many as 8 at Dilworth Rd [Ottawa] (4 times on Mar 26); as many as 5 at Cobb Lake Creek flood plain [Prescott and Russell] (4 times between Mar 21-24) Blue-winged Teal🆕: a single report of 2 at Richmond CA (formerly Richmond Sewage Lagoons) [Ottawa] on Mar 24 Northern Shoveler🆕: a single report of 1 at Emerald Meadows x Eagleson storm water ponds [Ottawa] on Mar 26 Canvasback: 26 reports at 2 locations - 1 at Appleton Bay Park and Boat Launch [Lanark] (3 times on Mar 26); 1 at Nimiq Park and stormwater pond/Limebank Rd [Ottawa] (23 times on Mar 23) Greater Scaup: 14 reports at 3 locations - 1 at Britannia Yacht Club [Ottawa] (on Mar 23); as many as 2 at Riverain Park/Adàwe Crossing/Strathcona Park/ Rideau River Eastern Pathway [Ottawa] (13 times between Mar 21-22); Barrow's Goldeneye: 16 reports at 7 locations - 2 at Brewer Park [Ottawa] (on Mar 27); 1 at Eccolands Park [Ottawa] (on Mar 26); 1 at Clifford Allen Island/Billings Bridge [Ottawa] (4 times between Mar 25-26); 1 at Strathcona Park [Ottawa] (twice between Mar 23-26); as many as 2 at Rideau River Eastern /Western Pathway [Ottawa] (4 times between Mar 24-25); 1 at Stanley Park [Ottawa] (3 times between Mar 21-22) Red-breasted Merganser: 15 reports of 1 at Mud Lake CA [Ottawa] on Mar 21 Glaucous Gull🆕: 3 reports at 2 locations - 1 at Filtration Plant/Point [Ottawa] (on Mar 27); 1 at Britannia CA (general location)/Bernie's balcony - facing East by northeast [Ottawa] (twice between Mar 25-27) Lesser Black-backed Gull: 7 reports at 3 locations - as many as 3 at Parc Moussette [Gatineau] (twice on Mar 27); as many as 3 at Baie Simard [Gatineau] (twice on Mar 24); as many as 2 at Rapides Deschênes (incluant Parc) [Gatineau] (3 times between Mar 22-24) Pied-billed Grebe: 2 reports of 1 at Mississippi Riverwalk Trail [Lanark] on Mar 22 Horned Grebe: 22 reports at 4 locations - 1 at Remic Rapids Lookout [Ottawa] (17 times between Mar 21-23); 1 at Parc Moussette [Gatineau] (on Mar 22); 1 at Bate Island [Ottawa] (3 times between Mar 21-22); 1 at Champlain Park Woods-Remic Rapids Loop [Ottawa] (on Mar 21) Double-crested Cormorant: 43 reports at 9 locations - as many as 11 at Brewer Park/Old Ottawa South Between Bank and Bronson [Ottawa] (11 times between Mar 22-27); as many as 3 at Mud Lake CA [Ottawa] (7 times between Mar 21-27); as many as 14 at Clifford Allen Island/Billings Bridge [Ottawa] (8 times between Mar 21-26); 1 at Strathcona Park [Ottawa] (on Mar 26); as many as 13 at Lemieux Island [Ottawa] (12 times between Mar 21-25); 1 at Britannia Yacht Club [Ottawa] (on Mar 23); 1 at Filtration Plant/Point [Ottawa] (on Mar 23); 2 at River Trail at Island Park Drive [Ottawa] (on Mar 22); 1 at Rideau River Eastern Pathway [Ottawa] (on Mar 21) Black-crowned Night Heron🆕: a single report of 1 at Greenbelt Pathway (East/West of Conroy) [Ottawa] on Mar 27 Golden Eagle: 5 reports at 5 locations - 1 at Almonte, Spring Rd [Lanark] (on Mar 27); 1 at Embrun Sewage Lagoons [Prescott and Russell] (on Mar 25); 1 at Milton Rd x Bearbrook Creek [Ottawa] (on Mar 25); 1 at McFadden Rd x Frank Kenny Road [Ottawa] (on Mar 25); 1 at Dunrobin (Constance Creek) [Ottawa] (on Mar 21) Black-backed Woodpecker: a single report of 1 at Ottawa—Fitzroy rail bed [Ottawa] on Mar 23 Tree Swallow🆕: a single report of 5 at Appleton Bay Park and Boat Launch [Lanark] on Mar 26 Hermit Thrush: a single report of 1 at Clyde Woods [Ottawa] on Mar 24 (plus another in Lanark) Pine Grosbeak: 6 reports at 6 locations - 1 at Clyde Woods [Ottawa] (on Mar 25); 1 at Shirley's Bay (Hilda Rd feeders) [Ottawa] (on Mar 24); 1 at Richland Dr [Ottawa] (on Mar 23); 1 at Hiawatha Park area[Ottawa] (on Mar 23); 7 at Watts Creek Pathway [Ottawa] (on Mar 23); 1 at Fletcher Wildlife Garden [Ottawa] (on Mar 22) Fox Sparrow: 6 reports of 1 at Stony Swamp (Sarsaparilla Trail) [Ottawa] between Mar 21-24 White-crowned Sparrow: 8 reports at 3 locations - 1 at Riverside South stormwater ponds [Ottawa] (twice between Mar 26-27); 1 at Central Experimental Farm [Ottawa] (4 times between Mar 21-26); 1 at Fernbank Rd [Ottawa] (twice on Mar 24) White-throated Sparrow: a single report of 1 at OPR [Lanark] on Mar 26 (plus several other reports in Ottawa and Gatineau) Your feedback is appreciated - let me know what you think. Good birding, Al