Ottawa Field Naturalists' Club (OFNC) Ottawa/Gatineau (50 Km radius from Parliament Hill) E. Ontario, W. Quebec Compiler: Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca Less an invasion than a subtle infiltration of winter finches this week. Keep an ear out everywhere. Trumpeter Swan - Flock continues in Almonte. (2) Feb 18, Ottawa River off Armitage Ave, Ottawa. Green-winged Teal - Iber Rd storm pond, Ottawa. Ring-necked Duck (2) Feb. 20, Pont Champlain, Gatineau. Lesser Scaup (4) Britannia CA (general location), Ottawa. Barrow's Goldeneye - Rideau River between Strathcona park and the 417, Ottawa. Northern Harrier - Feb 22, Earl Armstrong Rd, Ottawa. Belted Kingfisher - Feb 16, Richmond SW - golf course, Ottawa. Red-bellied Woodpecker(2) Feb 16, Parc de la Gatineau--Relais Shilly-Shallly, Les Collines-de-l'Outaouais. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker - Fletcher Wildlife Garden, Ottawa. Gray Partridge - McFadden Road (and area), Ottawa. Great Blue Heron - Feb 20, Boulevard de Lucerne, Gatineau. Hermit Thrush - Feb 22, Riverside South stormwater ponds, Ottawa. Feb 16, Britannia CA (general location), Ottawa. Parc du Lac-Leamy, Gatineau. Winter Wren - Britannia CA (general location), Ottawa. Chipping Sparrow - Rue Connaught, Gatineau. White-crowned Sparrow - Feb 18, Greenbank Pond, Ottawa. White-throated Sparrow - Feb 21, Dewberry Trail Parking Feeder, Ottawa. Feb 19, Kilborn Gardens Corridor, Ottawa. Feb 18, Stony Swamp-Jack Pine Trail, Ottawa. Feb 18, Sixth Line Road, Ottawa. Feb 18, Stanley Park, Ottawa. Feb 18, Sandhamn/Greenboro, Ottawa. Feb 16, Arlington Woods, Ottawa. Eastern Towhee - Continuing, Stony Swamp (Sarsaparilla Trail), Ottawa. Red-winged Blackbird - McCarthy Woods, Ottawa (stakeout Western Tanager). Feb 21, Iber Rd storm pond, Ottawa. Brown-headed Cowbird (3) Feb 21, Galetta, Ottawa. Western Tanager - McCarthy Woods, Ottawa. Come for the tanager, stay for the Carolina Wren and the Red-winged Blackbirds. Who knows what else might show up, especially if people keep filling the feeders. People maintaining the feeders have passed on the following: please mix your donations into the can and remove garbage from the site. Please keep 5m from the red cage feeder so as to give the WETA more choices to feed: it can and does visit all the feeders. eBird tip: When reporting the Western Tanager, use the stakeout hotspot. It helps others to track sightings: "stakeout Western Tanager, Ottawa--McCarthy Woods" Atlas note: Of late, Red Crossbills have been reported to the Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas in significant numbers across the Ottawa Atlas Region: an area that covers approximately 7500 km2 across most of Ottawa and parts of several adjoining counties including Prescott-Russell, Lanark, and Renfrew. If you are encountering some “late-winter birding doldrums” and are looking for an interesting way to contribute to the Atlas before peak-breeding season starts in May, then searching for crossbills is for you. Look for sizable woodlots with cone-bearing conifers – particularly white pines – and have a listen for their unmistakable “kip-kip-kip” calls. They can also be found on roadways enjoying grit. The Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas welcomes your observations of Red Crossbills anywhere in Ontario, even if they are simply seen or even just heard. Be sure to take a few minutes to watch their behaviour: pairs have already been formed across our Region, and you may even be fortunate to come across nest building behaviour… a great way to enhance the breeding evidence. 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. Participation in the Atlas is straight-forward and as easy as simply noting the presence of a bird. For more information, visit https://www.birdsontario.org/ or contact the Ottawa Region Atlas Coordinator at mailto:Ottawa@birdsontario.org