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 2026.05.07 (season 1; episode 14) This week, I am sending you the update from Leamington ON because I'm on the OFNC trip to Point Pelee. A huge thanks goes out to Martha for organizing everything and to our exceptionally knowledgeable guides: Alex, Jakob and Jamie. As with the past several updates, the number of species reported within the 50km circles had grown - this week from 178 to 190 - but counter-intuitively, the number of notable species has dropped from 50 to 37 (because many are now in their expected arrival time frames). Yesterday, I was planning to say that the exciting find of the week was the Orchard Oriole found by Mark Gawn on Twin Elm Rd but just as I sat down to prepare the report, I started to get notifications that a Hooded Warbler had been found on the Jack Pine NCC trail in Nepean (I believe by Richard Rowlee) - both are really good finds! New arrivals since the last update: Surf Scoter, Least Sandpiper, Red-headed Woodpecker, Yellow-throated Vireo, Lincoln's Sparrow, Orchard Oriole, Hooded Warbler, Tennessee Warbler, American Redstart, Magnolia Warbler, Indigo Bunting Not reported since the last update: Golden Eagle, Swainson's Thrush Still being seen but no longer notable: Eastern Whip-poor-will, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Bonaparte's Gull, Gray Catbird, Evening Grosbeak, Grasshopper Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, Bobolink, Baltimore Oriole, Ovenbird, Nashville Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, Blackburnian Warbler, Northern Yellow Warbler, Black-throated Blue Warbler, Black-throated Green Warbler, Rose-breasted Grosbeak In terms of the coming week, south winds and warm temps on Saturday could result in another big push before cooler temps, precipitation and winds swinging to the west/northwest stalls movement midweek. All that to say, it could be another exciting week! I'm tempted to say that it'll be hard to top the Orchard Oriole and Hooded Warbler but we've had a good string of exceptional finds. I just hope they stick around until I return from Pelee. ------------------------------------------------------- Current Notable Birds: Cackling Goose: 3 reports of 3 at Hwy 7 Storm Pond [Lanark] on May 6 Redhead: 3 reports of 2 at Almonte Lagoons [Lanark] on May 1 Greater Scaup: a single report of 1 at Almonte Lagoons [Lanark] on May 6; plus several other reports in several counties where they are not flagged as notable Surf Scoter🆕: 5 reports at 2 locations - 4 at Rapides Deschênes (incluant Parc) [Gatineau] (on May 6); as many as 4 at Shirley's Bay [Ottawa] (4 times on May 6) Dunlin: 10 reports of 2 at Holland's Marsh [Ottawa] between May 1-2 Least Sandpiper🆕: a single report of 1 at Hwy 7 Storm Pond [Lanark] on May 5; plus several other reports in several counties where they are not flagged as notable Lesser Black-backed Gull: 2 reports at 2 locations - 9 at Cambrian Rd W [Ottawa] (on May 6); 1 at Woods off of Derreen Ave [Ottawa] (on May 5) Iceland Gull: 3 reports at 2 locations - 1 at Cambrian Rd W [Ottawa] (on May 6); 1 at Rapides Deschênes (incluant Parc) [Gatineau] (twice on May 6) Rough-legged Hawk: a single report of 1 at Aut Guy-Lafleur E [Gatineau] on May 2; plus another report in Ottawa county (where they are not notable) Red-headed Woodpecker🆕: 10 reports at 4 locations - 1 at Chelsea [Les Collines-de-l'Outaouais] (twice on May 7); 1 at Route 105, Chelsea QCCh du Vallon/Ch Station/Ch Station, Chelsea Quebec [Les Collines-de-l'Outaouais] (4 times between May 3-6); 1 at Cottage [Ottawa] (3 times between May 4-5); 1 at Marais aux Grenouillettes [Gatineau] (on May 3) Red-bellied Woodpecker: 3 reports at 3 locations - 1 at Rue Paradis [Gatineau] (on May 7); 1 at Macnamara Trail [Renfrew] (on May 3); 1 at Parc Queen [Gatineau] (on May 2); plus several other reports in several counties where they are not flagged as notable Black-backed Woodpecker: a single report of 1 at Trans Canada Trail [Ottawa] on May 4 Least Flycatcher: a single report of 1 at Spring St [Lanark] on May 1; plus several other reports in several counties where they are not flagged as notable Yellow-throated Vireo🆕: 7 reports at 2 locations - 1 at Rapides Deschênes (incluant Parc) [Gatineau] (twice on May 6); 1 at Richmond CA (formerly Richmond Sewage Lagoons) [Ottawa] (5 times on May 5) Eastern Warbling Vireo: a single report of 1 at Grenville St [Leeds and Grenville] on May 1; plus several other reports in several counties where they are not flagged as notable Violet-green Swallow: 5 reports of 1 at Britannia CA (general location)/Mud Lake [Ottawa] between May 1-2 Marsh Wren: a single report of 1 at Trans Canada Trail [Ottawa] on May 4; plus several other reports in several counties where they are not flagged as notable Northern Mockingbird: 3 reports at 3 locations - 1 at Moodie Drive Quarry [Ottawa] (on May 6); 1 at Harwick Cres [Ottawa] (on May 5); 1 at Ch Thérien, Luskville [Les Collines-de-l'Outaouais] (on May 2) Bohemian Waxwing: 6 reports at 5 locations - as many as 8 at Bruce Pit [Ottawa] (twice between May 2-5); 4 at Richmond CA (formerly Richmond Sewage Lagoons) [Ottawa] (on May 3); 1 at Greenbelt Trail 10 [Ottawa] (on May 2); 1 at CarpBarrens Trail [Ottawa] (on May 2); 1 at Dunrobin (Carp Hills) [Ottawa] (on May 2); plus a couple of reports in Gatineau where they are not considered to be notable Evening Grosbeak: 3 reports at 3 locations - 2 at Beckwith Park [Lanark] (on May 5); 2 at Backyard Feeder [Lanark] (on May 2); 1 at Riverfront Trail [Lanark] (on May 1); plus several other reports in several counties where they are not flagged as notable Redpoll: a single report of 15 at Greenbelt Pathway West [Ottawa] on May 5 American Tree Sparrow: 3 reports at 3 locations - 1 at Tree grove in park [Ottawa] (on May 6); 1 at Ottawa ON [Ottawa] (on May 5); 2 at Old Quarry Trail [Ottawa] (on May 5); one in the Beacon Hill area (May 1-5); plus several other reports in several counties where they are not flagged as notable Fox Sparrow: 7 reports at 5 locations - 1 at Green's Creek Sewage Treatment Facility [Ottawa] (on May 6); 1 at Britannia CA (general location)/Mud Lake [Ottawa] (twice on May 3); 1 at home [Ottawa] (on May 3); 1 at Richmond CA (formerly Richmond Sewage Lagoons) [Ottawa] (twice on May 3); 1 at path of stonecrest [Ottawa] (on May 3); plus several other reports in several counties where they are not flagged as notable Lincoln's Sparrow🆕: a single report of 1 at Domaine de la ferme Moore [Gatineau] on May 3; plus another report in Ottawa county (where they are not considered to be notable) Orchard Oriole🆕: 8 reports at the Twin Elm Rd Wetlands [Ottawa] (all on May 6) Tennessee Warbler🆕: 2 reports at 2 locations - 1 at Ottawa — Briargreen (general location) [Ottawa] (on May 6); 1 at Richmond CA (formerly Richmond Sewage Lagoons) [Ottawa] (on May 5) Orange-crowned Warbler: 3 reports at 2 locations - 1 at Fletcher Wildlife Garden [Ottawa] (on May 7); 1 at Rapides Deschênes (incluant Parc) [Gatineau] (twice on May 6) Hooded Warbler🆕: at least 11 reports of 1 at Stony Swamp (Jack Pine Trail) [Ottawa] on May 7 American Redstart🆕: 4 reports at 3 locations - as many as 3 at Parc Guillot & Marais Lamoureux [Gatineau] (twice on May 5); 1 at Ch. de la Sapinière [Les Collines-de-l'Outaouais] (on May 5); 1 at Forêt Boucher [Gatineau] (on May 5); plus several other reports in several counties where they are not flagged as notable Cape May Warbler: 7 reports at 4 locations - 1 at Settlers Way, North Grenville ON [Leeds and Grenville] (on May 4); 1 at Bruce Pit/Trails North of Stony Swamp [Ottawa] (twice on May 2); 1 at Britannia CA (general location) [Ottawa] (3 times on May 1); 1 at Stanley Park [Ottawa] (on May 1); plus several other reports in several counties where they are not flagged as notable Northern Parula: 16 reports at 9 locations - 3 at Shirley's Bay [Ottawa] (on May 2); 2 at Greenbelt Pathway West [Ottawa] (on May 2); 1 at Nortel Marsh [Ottawa] (on May 2); as many as 2 at Stanley Park [Ottawa] (4 times between May 1-2); 1 at Hurdman Woods (feeders) [Ottawa] (on May 1); as many as 2 at Britannia CA (general location) [Ottawa] (5 times on May 1); 1 at Twin Elm Rd Wetlands [Ottawa] (on May 1); 1 at Filtration Plant/Point [Ottawa] (on May 1); 1 at Wolf Grove Rd [Lanark] (on May 1); plus several other reports in several counties where they are not flagged as notable Magnolia Warbler🆕: 2 reports at 2 locations - 2 at Ch Cowden, Chelsea QC [Les Collines-de-l'Outaouais] (on May 6); 2 at Atlas square 18TVR42 - Linda Thom Park [Ottawa] (on May 3) Indigo Bunting🆕: a single report of 1 at Hamlet Rd [Ottawa] on May 5; plus another on May 6 at the Richmond Sewage Lagoons (after they stopped being reported as notable in Ottawa county) As always, send questions, comments or photos to sightings@ofnc.ca. Your feedback is appreciated. Good birding, Al