Ottawa/Gatineau: recent sightings to May 24, 2024 Ottawa Field Naturalists' Club (OFNC) Ottawa/Gatineau (50 Km radius from Parliament Hill) E. Ontario, W. Quebec Compiler: Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca Exciting birding continues, even as warbler migration tapers off. Last weekend was the annual Arctic tern migration, and a Yellow-headed Blackbird turned up in Alfred on May 24. Snow Goose (1) May 21, Hunt Club Road, Ottawa. Blue phase. Flyover with Brant. Harlequin Duck (2) May 16, Rapides Deschênes (incluant Parc), Gatineau Surf Scoter (1) May 21, Petrie Island, Ottawa Piping Plover (1). May 11-12, Petrie Island, Ottawa. Red-necked Phalarope (1) May 20, Limebank Rd, Ottawa. Lesser Black-backed Gull (1) May 18, Moodie Drive Quarry, Ottawa. Arctic Tern (30) May 20, Rapides Deschênes (incluant Parc), Gatineau. (41) May 20, Shirley's Bay (boat launch), Ottawa. Presumably the same group on their annual gettogether weekend tour of the region. Red-headed Woodpecker (2) Goodin St, Ottawa. (1) May 17, Rue Wells, Gatineau. Yellow-throated Vireo (1) May 19, Pine grove trail, Ottawa. Yellow-headed Blackbird (1) May 23, Alfred Sewage Lagoons, Prescott and Russell. Outside the OFNC circle, but a cool bird worth seeking out. Blue-winged Warbler (2) May 20-23, Burnt Lands Provincial Park, Ottawa. (1) May 19, Extrémité Ch. de l'Hôtel de Ville, Luskville, Les Collines-de-l'Outaouais. Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos) (1) May 23, Riverfront Trail, Mississippi Mills, Lanark. Back on territory at the Ottawa Airport as usual. Atlas note: Peak bird breeding period in Southern Ontario begins on Friday 24 May and continues through to 10 July. If you are out and about, remember that almost every bird you encounter can be added to the Third Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas: a once in a generation province-wide community-science effort to provide data that will help shape conservation efforts for years to come. Every observation is welcome and valued: whether a bird seen or heard in appropriate habitat (possible breeding) through to a bird carrying nesting material or food (confirmed breeding). Many observers have now switched their bird reporting from the eBird app to the Nature Counts atlassing app. It is a simple and efficient way to add your sightings to the Atlas project and it can be configured to automatically and seamlessly share your Atlas observations with your eBird account. For more information on the Atlas, please visit www.birdsontario.org or contact the Ottawa Regional Coordinator at Ottawa@birdsontario.org