Ottawa Field Naturalists' Club (OFNC) Ottawa/Gatineau (50 Km radius from Parliament Hill) E. Ontario, W. Quebec Compiler: Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca A tale of two vagrants! A rare Willow Ptarmigan followed the usual mega rarity script and was not seen again, but the Neotropical Cormorant broke with tradition, and seems to have set up a pattern that allows for as many (distant) photos as a birder could ask of a lifer. In the background, expected birds continue to stream in early, geese linger, and winter finches trickle back north. Greater White-fronted Goose - Richmond Sewage Lagoons, Ottawa on the 29th. Pair reported Apr 28, Parkway Rd, (Greely), and another on Armitage Ave, Ottawa. On the 27th, in the small Ponds north of the main Moodie Ponds (near Cambrian), Ottawa, and the Kars flood plain, Rideau Valley Drive South, Ottawa. Cackling Goose - Chemin Mulligan, and Chemin River (both Quyon), Chemin Kennedy (Luskville), Baie Parker, all in Les Collines-de-l'Outaouais. Long-tailed Duck - Marais aux Massettes, Papineau. Parc des Cèdres, and Marais des Laîches, Gatineau. Willow Ptarmigan - It wasn't just finches and owls that came South this winter. Willow Ptarmingan were found in many places south of thier usual range, but Sarsfield on April 25? A team of excellent birders was unable to relocate the bird and it was never seen again. Those fields are worth a scan from the road. Purple Sandpiper - On April 23, a rare spring sighting of Purple Sandpiper at the base of the Deschênes rapids on the Quebec side. Another(?) seen on the same rock on the 29. Close to the Quebec shore, they were just visible from Britannia Point, Ottawa, with a good scope, the right air conditions, and a lot of squinting. Purple Sandpiper - On April 23, a rare spring sighting of Purple Sandpiper at the base of the Deschênes rapids on the Quebec side. It was seen again on the 29th. Close to the Quebec shore, it was just visible from Britannia Point, Ottawa, with a good scope, the right air conditions, and a lot of squinting. Solitary Sandpiper - At the usual spot on Twin Elm Road, Ottawa. Iceland Gull - Moodie Drive Ponds, Ottawa. Lesser Black-backed Gull - Reports of first, second, and adult birds from Rapides Deschênes, Gatineau. First year bird reported from Moodie Quarry from Barnsdale, Ottawa. Neotropic Cormorant - Continues to spend most days at Dow's Lake, Ottawa, with the Double-crested Cormorants. Roosts in Gatineau at night, visible from the Sentier des Voyageurs. Seen most days from April 21-29. Glossy Ibis - Reported Apr 23, from the Marais aux Massettes, Papineau. The bird was not refound. Golden Eagle - Apr 25, Britannia Conservation Area, Ottawa. Apr 24, Brophy Drive (Kars), Ottawa. Blue-headed Vireo - Reported Apr 18, Marlborough Forest (Roger's Pond), Ottawa. Warbling Vireo - Heard warbling in Stanley Park, Ottawa. Grasshopper Sparrow - Panmure Road, Pakenham, Lanark. Bobolink - Chemin Kennedy (Quyon), Les Collines-de-l'Outaouais. Red Crossbill - Hammond, Prescott and Russell. Northern Waterthrush - Osgoode Trail, Ottawa. Bedell Road south of Kemptville, Leeds and Grenville. Scarlet Tanager - Cannonball trail, Ottawa. A timely tip from the local eBird reviewers: Did you know that the default scaup in Ottawa county is Lesser? Normally Lessers outnumber Greater, often by a ratio of 100:1 or more. This is particularly true away from Lac Deschênes. If you are not sure, please enter sightings as "scaup species". The DND property at Shirley's Bay is now restricted to official business only. If this changes in the future, there will be an announcement.