Ottawa Field Naturalists' Club (OFNC) Ottawa/Gatineau (50 Km radius from Parliament Hill) E. Ontario, W. Quebec Compiler: Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca The first Tree Swallows. A surprising number of Northern Shovelers. The Golden Eagle Express continues. A great time to be birding near water. Ross's Goose (2) Appleton Bay Park and Boat Launch, Lanark. Trumpeter Swan (5) Rideau River Provincial Park, Ottawa. Down from 23 birds on Mar 25. (2) Mar 28, Greenland Road Hawkwatch, Ottawa. (2) Mar 27, Old Almonte Rd, Ottawa. (2) Mar 25, Trans-Canada Highway near Ashton, Ottawa. (2) Mar 25, Armitage Ave, Ottawa. Tundra Swan (20) Mar 25, Wendover, Ontario, Prescott and Russell. Northern Shoveler (10), Dow's Lake, Ottawa. (2) Avalon (stormwater pond), Ottawa. (5) , Champlain Street Marsh, Ottawa. (6) Mar 27, Navan (Giroux Road Ponds), Ottawa. (2) Mar 26, Appleton Bay Park and Boat Launch, Lanark. Gadwall (2) Mar 28, Moodie Drive Quarry, Ottawa. (1) Mar 26, Blakeney Slough, Lanark. Redhead (1) Mar 27-28, Moodie Drive Quarry, Ottawa. Barrow's Goldeneye (1) Hurdman Bridge, Ottawa. (1) Dow's Lake, Ottawa. Red-breasted Merganser (1) Mar 27, Remic Rapids and Champlain Bridge area, Ottawa. (1) Mar 25, Shirley's Bay, Ottawa. Glaucous Gull (1) Mar 27, Trail Road Landfill, Ottawa. Black-crowned Night Hero- Mar 28,Nepean Creek Trail, Ottawa. Golden Eagle (1) Mar 28, Sandy Hill, Ottawa. (1) Mar 24, 27, Greenland Road Hawkwatch, Ottawa. (1) Mar 26, Dolman Ridge Road, Ottawa. Tree Swallow (1) Mar 27, Wolf Grove Road, Lanark. (1) Mar 26-27, Carleton Place--Hwy 7 Storm Pond, Lanark. (8) Mar 23, Appleton, Lanark. Red-bellied Woodpecker (1) Mar 28, Shirley's Bay, Ottawa. Mar 28, Young's Pond Park, Ottawa. (1) Mar 24, Queenscourt Crescent, Ottawa. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (1) Fletcher Wildlife Garden, Ottawa. (1) Mar 27, Cumberland, Ottawa. Hermit Thrush (1) Mar 25, Fletcher Wildlife Garden, Ottawa. Chipping Sparrow (1) Connaught, Gatineau. Mar 24, Florizel Avenue, Ottawa. (1) Mar 24, Manotick, Ottawa. White-crowned Sparrow (1) Mar 28, Manotick, Ottawa. Yellow-rumped Warbler (1) Mar 28, Bel Air fields, Ottawa, Atlas note: Pine Siskins and their “insistent wheezy twitters” are seemingly everywhere: they are nomads in search of coniferous seed crops. Atlas II notes that “Pine Siskin breeds between mid-February and late August. Early breeding and highest densities are associated with large crops of conifer seeds, particularly on White Spruce, White Cedar, and Eastern Hemlock…. Courtship flights begin in mid-February, with courtship feeding, copulation, and nest building occurring from late February and early March.” Here in Eastern Ontario, the winter was mild and spring has come early: not surprisingly, we are seeing solid reports of Pine Siskins carrying nesting material west of Ottawa on the “Near Shield.” So if you are looking for some Atlassing opportunities at this time of year because you have already found all the Red Crossbills, have a look for Pine Siskins. Participation in the Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas is straight-forward and easy. Your reports are valuable and will provide essential information for Canadian researchers, scientists, government officials and conservation professionals that will guide environmental policies and conservation strategies across Ontario for years to come. For more information, visit https://www.birdsontario.org/or contact the Ottawa Region Atlas Coordinator at Ottawa@birdsontario.org