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 2026.07.23 (season 1; episode 25) This update comes to you from Barrie ON where I stopped in hopes of a miraculous re-appearance of the Kirtland's Warblers at the Simcoe County Museum (nope!). In my update last week, I suggested that we should check mudflats, flooded rural fields etc. for returning shorebirds and that came through in spades (esp., later in the week) as there were 8 new species seen in the circle this week (1 notable) and most were shorebirds: - American Coot [Prescott and Russell (Jul 23)], Short-billed Dowitcher [Prescott and Russell (Jul 23)], Wilson's Phalarope [Prescott and Russell (Jul 23)], White-rumped Sandpiper🔥 [Prescott and Russell (Jul 23)], Pectoral Sandpiper [Ottawa (Jul 20)], Semipalmated Sandpiper [Ottawa (Jul 23), Prescott and Russell (Jul 23)], Bay-breasted Warbler [Gatineau (Jul 20)], Palm Warbler [Ottawa (Jul 19)] Otherwise, the total number of species seen remained steady and the number of notables slipped down to 10. The Greater White-fronted Goose continues at Andrew Haydon Park in Nepean and once again accounted for more than 70% of the notable species reports this week. Three notable species from last update are now being seen as non-notable: - Semipalmated Plover → last notable report on Jul 14 with at least 3 recent non-notable reports at locations in Ottawa [2], Prescott and Russell [1] - Great Black-backed Gull → last notable report on Jul 11 with 8 recent non-notable reports in Ottawa - Common Loon → last notable report on Jul 15 with at least 19 recent non-notable reports at locations in Ottawa [6], Les Collines-de-l'Outaouais [9], Lanark [2], Gatineau [2] One species was not reported at all since the last update: Upland Sandpiper [Lanark (Jul 13)] In terms of the coming week: warm temps and light-to-moderate westerly/northwesterly winds on Fri & Sat could push more shorebirds into the area; increasing cloud cover & scattered showers/thunderstorms later on might result in 'fallouts' along exposed mudflats, river margins, flooded agricultural fields and at local sewage lagoons. Swallows will soon begin to gather at pre-migratory staging roosts so it could be good to check local storm ponds - esp. later in the day. Current Notable Birds: *Greater White-fronted Goose*: 71 reports of 1 at Andrew Haydon Park [Ottawa] between Jul 16-23 *Trumpeter Swan*: 3 reports of 1 at étang du stationnement P8 [Les Collines-de-l'Outaouais] between Jul 16-20; plus a single non-notable report in Ottawa *Common Goldeneye*: 2 reports of 1 at Andrew Haydon Park [Ottawa] on Jul 16 *White-rumped Sandpiper*🆕: 2 reports of 1 at Embrun Sewage Lagoons [Prescott and Russell] between Jul 22-23 *Lesser Black-backed Gull*: 2 reports at 2 locations - 1 at Moodie Drive Quarry [Ottawa] (on Jul 23); 1 at Britannia CA [Ottawa] (on Jul 20) *Red-headed Woodpecker*: 7 reports of as many as 4 at 3 locations in the Constance Bay/Torbolton Woods [Ottawa] area between Jul 16-20 - including Goodin St/Spinnaker Way (5 times ) and Doris Currie Rd *Sedge Wren*: a single report of 1 at Harbison Rd [Ottawa] on Jul 21 *Northern Mockingbird*: a single report of 1 at Innovation Dr [Ottawa] on Jul 17 *Tennessee Warbler*: 3 reports at 3 locations - as many as 9 at Rockcliffe Airport Woods [Ottawa] (on Jul 23); 1 at Richmond SE - Harnett Rd N of Paden [Ottawa] (on Jul 23); 1 at Spring St [Lanark] (on Jul 21) *Northern Parula*: 3 reports at 2 locations - 1 at Beacon Hill North-general area [Ottawa] (on Jul 22); 1 at Rockcliffe Airport Woods [Ottawa] (twice between Jul 16-17); plus 2 non-notable reports in Gatineau An note from Jon Ruddy if anyone is thinking about chasing shorebirds at the Embrum Sewage Lagoons: the lagoons are located along Route 400. The best viewing position is usually along the fence line adjacent to the white municipal building. Access inside the fences around the lagoons themselves is not permitted. A spotting scope is essential. As always, send questions, comments or photos to sightings@ofnc.ca. Your feedback is appreciated. Good birding, Al