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 2026.10.22 (season 1; episode 38) This week, the number of notables increase to 35 (up from 29) while the total number of species stay relatively the same (157 vs 155). We're still seeing reports of lingering warblers but a number of winter birds have made their first appearances of the season - including Snow Buntings, Northern Shrikes & Bohemian Waxwings! *17 arrivals since the last update (13 notables)*: - Eurasian Wigeon🔥 [Papineau (Oct 18)], Yellow-billed Cuckoo🔥 [Les Collines-de-l'Outaouais (Oct 16)], Red Phalarope🔥 [Ottawa (Oct 17)], White-rumped Sandpiper [Ottawa (Oct 21)], Franklin's Gull🔥 [Ottawa (Oct 18), Papineau (Oct 21)], Iceland Gull🔥 [Ottawa (Oct 17)], Common Tern🔥 [Ottawa (Oct 17)], Common Tern (hirundo/tibetana)🔥 [Ottawa (Oct 17)], Red-throated Loon [Ottawa (Oct 20), Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry (Oct 21)], Red-tailed Hawk (abieticola)🔥 [Ottawa (Oct 20)], Northern Shrike [Ottawa (Oct 22), Renfrew (Oct 17), Les Collines-de-l'Outaouais (Oct 21)], Bohemian Waxwing🔥 [Lanark (Oct 21), Papineau (Oct 20)], White-winged Crossbill [Ottawa (Oct 22), Gatineau (Oct 20), Renfrew (Oct 20)], Snow Bunting🔥 [Ottawa (Oct 21), Pontiac (Oct 22)], Clay-colored Sparrow🔥 [Gatineau (Oct 20)], Orange-crowned Warbler (Gray-headed)🔥 [Ottawa (Oct 18)], Magnolia Warbler🔥 [Ottawa (Oct 20)] 3 notable species from last update are non-notable this week: - Red-shouldered Hawk → last notable report on Oct 10 in Prescott and Russell with 5 recent non-notable reports in Ottawa - Red-bellied Woodpecker → last notable report on Oct 10 in Papineau with a single recent non-notable report in Lanark - Field Sparrow → last notable report on Oct 12 in Gatineau with at least 6 recent non-notable reports at locations in Ottawa [5] & Lanark [1] *15 species not reported since the last update (including 11 notables)*: - Greater White-fronted Goose🔥 [Ottawa (Oct 10), Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry (Oct 10)], Virginia Rail [Ottawa (Oct 11)], Least Sandpiper🔥 [Lanark (Oct 10), Prescott and Russell (Oct 10)], Caspian Tern🔥 [Ottawa (Oct 12)], Osprey (American)🔥 [Ottawa (Oct 15)], White-eyed Vireo🔥 [Gatineau (Oct 14)], Red-eyed Vireo🔥 [Ottawa (Oct 09), Renfrew (Oct 09), Les Collines-de-l'Outaouais (Oct 12)], Northern House Wren🔥 [Ottawa (Oct 15)], Gray-cheeked Thrush [Ottawa (Oct 12), Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry (Oct 11)], Brown-headed Cowbird [Ottawa (Oct 15), Gatineau (Oct 15), La Vallée-de-la-Gatineau (Oct 10)], Northern Waterthrush🔥 [Papineau (Oct 10)], Nashville Warbler (ruficapilla)🔥 [Ottawa (Oct 14)], American Redstart🔥 [Ottawa (Oct 10)], Bay-breasted Warbler🔥 [Gatineau (Oct 12)], Wilson's Warbler🔥 [Ottawa (Oct 10)] The 5 most active hotspots within the circle: 1. Shirley's Bay (boat launch) [Ottawa] - 28 2. Almonte Lagoons [Lanark] - 26 3. Halte routière, Lochaber [Papineau] - 20 4. Andrew Haydon Park [Ottawa] - 20 5. La cour de Guy, Val-des-Monts [Les Collines-de-l'Outaouais] - 19 Plus other hotspots outside the circle: - Cottage on Lac Lacroix, Cayamant, QC [La Vallée-de-la-Gatineau] - 25 - 10th Line Lookout [Lanark] - 21 In terms of the coming week, we are close to the peak movement of Sandhill Cranes that stage in the fields along La Passe Rd (near Beachburg ON) - yes, a little outside the 50km Circle but definitely a spectacle worth seeing. On a good day, there could be several hundred (or more) cranes in the fields! Southerly winds over the weekend will likely hold the cranes in place. On Mon & Tues the winds should shift to the northern causing large kettles to lift off and ride thermals towards the south. Closer to home: Oct 23-24 - freezing temperatures overnight & clear-to-partly-cloudy skies should trigger overnight movements of late-season sparrows and hardy passerines after which they'll feed in sunny thickets by mid-morning. Oct 25 - south winds should slow southbound nocturnal passerines but warming temperatures could encourage soaring raptors along river ridges and open field corridors. Oct 26-28 - northerly winds should re-open a strong migratory corridors for waterfowl and winter irruptives. Oct 29 - warmer temps & winds shifting again to the south should stall songbird departures and keep open-water staging areas active. I'm hoping to maybe find Fox Sparrows this week, perhaps at the Sarsaparilla Trail in Nepean. Current Notable Birds: *Snow x Canada Goose (hybrid)*: 3 reports at 2 locations - 1 at Central Park Boulevard, Russell ON [Prescott and Russell] (twice between Oct 17-19); 1 at Eadie Rd, Russell ON [Prescott and Russell] (on Oct 19) *Trumpeter Swan*: 3 reports at 2 locations - 1 at étang du stationnement P8 [Les Collines-de-l'Outaouais] (twice on Oct 20); 1 at Étand du P8, boucle Nord et parking entre les deux_parc de la Gatineau [Les Collines-de-l'Outaouais] (on Oct 20); plus at least 6 non-notable reports at locations in Leeds and Grenville [1], Lanark [3] & Ottawa [2] *Blue-winged Teal*: a single report of 1 at Champlain St Marsh [Ottawa] on Oct 20; plus at least 7 non-notable reports at locations in Lanark [1], Ottawa [5] & Gatineau [1] *Eurasian Wigeon*🆕: a single report of 1 at Tête de la Baie [Papineau] on Oct 18 *Long-tailed Duck*: 5 reports at 4 locations - 3 at Baie Fraser [Gatineau] (on Oct 20); 1 at Baie Simard [Gatineau] (on Oct 18); 6 at Parc des Cèdres [Gatineau] (on Oct 18); as many as 2 at Parc des Rapides Deschênes [Gatineau] (twice on Oct 16); plus 10 non-notable reports in Ottawa *Ruddy Duck*: a single report of 6 at Tête de la Baie [Papineau] on Oct 19; plus at least 2 non-notable reports at locations in Prescott and Russell [1] & Ottawa [1] *Yellow-billed Cuckoo*🆕: a single report of 1 at Ch Robertson, La Pêche QC [Les Collines-de-l'Outaouais] on Oct 16 *Semipalmated Plover*: 7 reports at 2 locations - 1 at Andrew Haydon Park east (formerly Ottawa Beach) [Ottawa] (5 times between Oct 15-16); 1 at Andrew Haydon Park [Ottawa] (twice on Oct 16); plus at least 2 non-notable reports at locations in Papineau [1] & Ottawa [1] *Red Phalarope*🆕: a single report of 1 at Dick Bell Park [Ottawa] on Oct 17 *Franklin's Gull*🆕: 8 reports at 2 locations - 1 at Tête de la Baie [Papineau] (7 times between Oct 17-21); 1 at Shirley's Bay (boat launch) [Ottawa] (on Oct 18) *Iceland Gull*🆕: a single report of 1 at Champlain Park Woods [Ottawa] on Oct 17 *Common Tern*🆕: 4 reports at Shirley's Bay (boat launch) [Ottawa] (all on Oct 17) *Green Heron*: 7 reports of 1 at Andrew Haydon Park [Ottawa] between Oct 15-17 *Great Egret*: 2 reports of 3 at Hwy 7 Storm Pond [Lanark] on Oct 17; plus at least 27 non-notable reports at locations in Ottawa [20], Gatineau [5], Prescott and Russell [1] & Papineau [1] *Red-tailed Hawk (abieticola)*🆕: a single report of 1 at Devine Rd, Ottawa, ON [Ottawa] on Oct 20 *Yellow-bellied Sapsucker*: a single report of 1 at Piste cyc. Sentier des Voyageurs--Pont Champlain<->Parc des Rapides-Deschênes [Gatineau] on Oct 22; plus 4 non-notable reports in Ottawa *Marsh Wren*: a single report of 1 at Marais des Laîches [Gatineau] on Oct 22; plus at least 2 non-notable reports at locations in Ottawa [1] & Gatineau [1] *Gray Catbird*: 20 reports at 9 locations - 1 at Greenbelt Pathway (East/West of Conroy) [Ottawa] (3 times on Oct 20); 1 at Pine grove trail [Ottawa] (on Oct 20); 1 at Rockcliffe parkway between ogilvie and green's creek [Ottawa] (on Oct 20); as many as 2 at Fletcher Wildlife Garden [Ottawa] (7 times between Oct 15-19); 1 at Britannia Ridge/Britannia CA [Ottawa] (4 times between Oct 18-19); 1 at Parkside Greenspace [Ottawa] (on Oct 15); 1 at Bridlewood Hydro Spur Path [Ottawa] (twice on Oct 15); 1 at Findlay Creek stormwater finishing ponds [Ottawa] (on Oct 15); plus at least 3 non-notable reports at locations in Gatineau [2] & Ottawa [1] *Swainson's Thrush*: 7 reports at 4 locations - 1 at Dartmoor Dr [Ottawa] (on Oct 19); 1 at Clyde Woods [Ottawa] (twice between Oct 15-19); 1 at Rockcliffe Airport Woods [Ottawa] (twice on Oct 19); 1 at Constance Creek Mouth [Ottawa] (twice on Oct 15); plus at least 5 non-notable reports at locations in Gatineau [4] & Les Collines-de-l'Outaouais [1] *Bohemian Waxwing*🆕: 2 reports of 5 at Baie Noire (est et ouest) [Papineau] on Oct 20 *Snow Bunting*🆕: 4 reports of 1 at Shirley's Bay (boat launch) [Ottawa] on Oct 17; plus 2 non-notable reports in Ottawa *Clay-colored Sparrow*🆕: a single report of 1 at Bassin de rétention du Plateau, Gatineau [Gatineau] on Oct 20 *Nelson's Sparrow*: a single report of 1 at Almonte Lagoons [Lanark] on Oct 19 *Savannah Sparrow*: 2 reports at 2 locations - 2 at Auto selected [Prescott and Russell] (on Oct 19); 2 at Auto selected [Prescott and Russell] (on Oct 19); plus at least 18 non-notable reports at locations in Ottawa [10], Lanark [3], Gatineau [2], Les Collines-de-l'Outaouais [2] & Prescott and Russell [1] *Lincoln's Sparrow*: a single report of 1 at Joy's Rd Dead End Trails [Ottawa] on Oct 17; plus at least 4 non-notable reports at locations in Prescott and Russell [1], Gatineau [1], Ottawa [1] & Les Collines-de-l'Outaouais [1] *Tennessee Warbler*: 7 reports at 6 locations - 1 at Rockcliffe parkway between ogilvie and green's creek [Ottawa] (on Oct 20); 1 at Woods [Ottawa] (on Oct 19); as many as 2 at Pioneer Plains Park [Ottawa] (twice between Oct 16-19); 1 at Stanley Park [Ottawa] (on Oct 19); 1 at Fletcher Wildlife Garden [Ottawa] (on Oct 17); 1 at Pleasant Park Woods [Ottawa] (on Oct 15); plus at least 2 non-notable reports at locations in Ottawa [1] & Les Collines-de-l'Outaouais [1] *Orange-crowned Warbler*: 7 reports at 4 locations - 1 at Almonte Lagoons [Lanark] (3 times on Oct 19); 1 at Rockcliffe Airport Woods [Ottawa] (on Oct 19); 1 at Champlain Park Woods [Ottawa] (on Oct 17); 1 at Fletcher Wildlife Garden [Ottawa] (twice between Oct 16-17); a single report of 1 at Pioneer Plains Park [Ottawa] on Oct 18; plus at least 6 non-notable reports at locations in Ottawa [4], Prescott and Russell [1] & Gatineau [1] *Nashville Warbler*: 12 reports at 6 locations - 1 at Britannia CA* general [Ottawa] (twice between Oct 18-19); as many as 2 at Rockcliffe Airport Woods [Ottawa] (3 times between Oct 17-19); as many as 2 at Fletcher Wildlife Garden [Ottawa] (4 times between Oct 15-16); 2 at Pleasant Park Woods [Ottawa] (on Oct 15); 1 at Pioneer Plains Park [Ottawa] (on Oct 15); 1 at Remic Rapids Lookout [Ottawa] (on Oct 15); plus at least 3 non-notable reports at locations in Ottawa [1] & Gatineau [2] *Northern Parula*: 2 reports at 2 locations - 1 at Rockcliffe parkway between ogilvie and green's creek [Ottawa] (on Oct 20); 1 at Remic Rapids and Champlain Bridge area [Ottawa] (on Oct 19); plus at least 3 non-notable reports at locations in Ottawa [1] & Gatineau [2] *Magnolia Warbler*🆕: a single report of 1 at Deerfield Dr and area [Ottawa] on Oct 20 *Palm Warbler*: 2 reports of 1 at Rockcliffe Airport Woods [Ottawa] on Oct 19; plus at least 3 non-notable reports at locations in Lanark [1], Ottawa [1] & Les Collines-de-l'Outaouais [1] *Black-throated Green Warbler*: 2 reports at 2 locations - 1 at Nortel Marsh [Ottawa] (on Oct 18); 1 at Pioneer Plains Park [Ottawa] (on Oct 16) As always, send questions, comments or photos to sightings@ofnc.ca. Your feedback is appreciated. Good birding, Al