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 2026.04.02 (season 1; episode 9) Last week, cooler temperatures and light to moderate north winds likely stalled most of the migrants so the total number of species seen in the 50km circle remained at 114 and the number notable species increased by just one to 27. Double-digit temperatures tomorrow (Friday) and moderate winds from the south will likely trigger lots of movement on the weekend. That'll probably slow midweek when the temps drop and winds pick up from north before another surge towards the end of the week assuming we get the predicted warmer temperatures and southerlies. New arrivals since the last update: - Great Black-backed Gull, Black-crowned Night Heron, Great Egret, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Osprey Not reported since the last update (or longer notable): - Canvasback, Red-breasted Merganser, Pied-billed Grebe, Horned Grebe, Black-backed Woodpecker, Barn Swallow, Pine Grosbeak, Lapland Longspur, Fox Sparrow, White-throated Sparrow Current Notable Birds: Snow Goose: 2 reports at 2 locations in Lanark - 1 at Mississippi Mills, Mississippi Mills ON (on Mar 27); 1 at Martin/St Paul St lookout (on Mar 27); (plus in several other regions where they are not deemed to be notable) Ross's Goose: 65 reports at 9 locations - as many as 4 at Ch Lalonde, Clarence-Rockland ON/Cobbs Lake Creek at Du Lac Rd [Prescott and Russell] (6 times between Mar 30-Apr 1); 1 at Brownlee Rd [Ottawa] (36 times on Mar 31); 1 at Shea Stormwater Pond [Ottawa] (on Mar 30); 1 at Clarence-Rockland ON [Prescott and Russell] (twice on Mar 30); 1 at Martin/St Paul St lookout/Almonte Fairgrounds/Water St, Mississippi Mills ON/Mississippi Mills [Lanark] (20 times on Mar 28) Greater White-fronted Goose: 52 reports at 5 locations - 1 at Richmond CA [Ottawa] (35 times between Mar 27-Apr 2); 1 at Terry Carisse Park [Ottawa] (on Mar 30); 1 at Twin Elm Rd Wetlands [Ottawa] (12 times between Mar 28-30); 1 at - Shea Rd Storm Pond [Ottawa] (on Mar 29); 1 at Appleton Bay Park and Boat Launch [Lanark] (3 times on Mar 27) Snow x Canada Goose (hybrid): 27 reports at 4 locations - as many as 2 at Richmond CA [Ottawa] (22 times between Mar 28-29); 1 at Notre-Dame St, Russell ON [Prescott and Russell] (on Mar 28); 1 at Baie Fraser [Gatineau] (3 times on Mar 27); 1 at Cobb Lake Creek flood plain [Prescott and Russell] (on Mar 27) Trumpeter Swan: 34 reports at 10 locations - 2 at Richmond CA [Ottawa] (on Apr 2); 2 at Chapman Mills CA [Ottawa] (on Apr 2); as many as 2 at Riverside South stormwater ponds [Ottawa] (18 times between Mar 31-Apr 2); 2 at Dwyer Hill Rd [Ottawa] (on Apr 2); as many as 3 at Greenland Rd Hawkwatch [Ottawa] (3 times between Mar 29-30); 1 at Pellerin, bridge [Les Collines-de-l] (on Mar 29); 3 at Constance Lake area [Ottawa] (on Mar 29); as many as 4 at Constance Creek [Ottawa] (4 times on Mar 29); as many as 4 at Mohrs Rd/Mississippi River Mohrs Rd [Ottawa] (3 times on Mar 29); 2 at Lac Lapeche - Pellerin peninsula [Les Collines-de-l] (on Mar 28) Tundra Swan: 16 reports at 3 locations - as many as 26 at Cobbs Lake Creek at Du Lac Rd/Ch Lalonde, Clarence-Rockland ON [Prescott and Russell] (11 times between Mar 27-Apr 2); as many as 5 at Cobb Lake Creek flood plain [Prescott and Russell] (3 times between Mar 29-30); as many as 2 at Clarence-Rockland ON [Prescott and Russell] (twice on Mar 30) Blue-winged Teal: 4 reports of 1 at Richmond CA [Ottawa] between Mar 30-Apr 2 Northern Shoveler: 16 reports at 4 locations - as many as 4 at Britannia Yacht Club [Ottawa] (6 times on Mar 30); as many as 4 at Britannia CA (general location) [Ottawa] (5 times on Mar 30); 2 at Moffatt Farm Veteran's Park [Ottawa] (on Mar 30); as many as 4 at Boat Launch [Lanark] (4 times on Mar 30) Greater Scaup: 2 reports at 2 locations - 2 at Filtration Plant/Point [Ottawa] (on Mar 30); 2 at Britannia CA (general location) [Ottawa] (on Mar 30) Barrow's Goldeneye: 8 reports at 5 locations - 1 at Rideau River Eastern/Western Pathway north of Hurdman Bridge (twice between Mar 29-Apr 1); 1 at Clifford Allen Island [Ottawa] (on Apr 1); as many as 2 at Rideau River at Dutchy's Hole Park/Strathcona Park [Ottawa] (twice between Mar 27-29); 1 at Mooney's Bay Park [Ottawa] (on Mar 29); as many as 2 at Brewer Park [Ottawa] (twice between Mar 27-28) Sandhill Crane: 3 reports of 3 at Marais des Laîches [Gatineau] between Mar 30-Apr 1 (plus several times in other regions) Great Black-backed Gull🆕: a single report of 1 at Hwy 7 Storm Pond [Lanark] on Mar 31 Glaucous Gull: 34 reports at 5 locations - as many as 2 at Britannia CA [Ottawa] (10 times between Mar 27-Apr 1); 1 at Filtration Plant/Point [Ottawa] (16 times between Mar 27-30); 1 at Moodie Drive Quarry [Ottawa] (3 times on Mar 30); 1 at Deschenes Rapids Lookout [Ottawa] (3 times between Mar 27-29); 1 at Britannia Yacht Club [Ottawa] (twice between Mar 27-28) Lesser Black-backed Gull: 3 reports at 2 locations - 1 at Rapides Deschênes (incluant Parc) [Gatineau] (on Mar 28); as many as 3 at Parc Moussette [Gatineau] (twice on Mar 27); (plus several times in other regions) Double-crested Cormorant: 77 reports at 22 locations... too many to list! Black-crowned Night Heron🆕: a single report of 1 at Greenbelt Pathway (East/West of Conroy) [Ottawa] on Mar 27 Great Egret🆕: 21 reports at 6 locations - as many as 2 at Nepean Creek Trail [Ottawa] (7 times between Mar 30-Apr 2); as many as 5 at Filtration Plant/Point [Ottawa] (5 times between Mar 30-Apr 2); as many as 4 at Britannia CA (general location) [Ottawa] (6 times between Mar 30-Apr 2); 5 at Bruce Pit [Ottawa] (on Apr 1); 1 at Atlas square 18TVR31 - Ottawa-Carleton Regional Municipality, 18TVR31: [Ottawa] (on Mar 31) Osprey🆕: a single report of 1 at Ch du fer-à-cheval [Gatineau] on Apr 2 Golden Eagle: 21 reports at 10 locations - 1 at Dilworth Rd, Kemptville ON [Ottawa] (twice on Apr 1); 1 at Cambrian Rd [Ottawa] (on Mar 30); 1 at Twin Elm Rd Wetlands [Ottawa] (3 times on Mar 30); 1 at Fourth Line Rd and Callendor Rd flooded fields [Ottawa] (on Mar 29); 1 at Greenland Rd Hawkwatch [Ottawa] (5 times on Mar 29); 1 at Roger Stevens Dr Flooded Field [Ottawa] (3 times on Mar 28); 1 at Trail Rd Landfill [Ottawa] (3 times on Mar 28); 1 at Moodie Drive Quarry [Ottawa] (on Mar 28); 1 at National Wildlife Research Centre environs [Ottawa] (on Mar 28); 1 at Almonte, Spring Rd [Lanark] (on Mar 27) Yellow-bellied Sapsucker🆕: 3 reports at 3 locations - 1 at Rockcliffe Park Pavillion [Ottawa] (on Mar 31); 1 at Ch du Lac-Pike, La Pêche QC [Les Collines-de-l] (on Mar 30); 1 at Dolman Ridge [Ottawa] (on Mar 28) Red-bellied Woodpecker: 2 reports of 1 at Atlas square 18TVR91 - 105 Seguinbourg Rd, The Nation ON [Prescott and Russell] on Mar 31; (plus several times in other regions) Tree Swallow: 2 reports at 2 locations - 3 at Beckwith Waterfront Park [Lanark] (on Apr 1); 3 at Appleton Bay Park and Boat Launch [Lanark] (on Mar 31) Hermit Thrush: 3 reports at 3 locations - 1 at Brunei Embassy [Ottawa] (on Mar 30); 1 at Bel Air fields [Ottawa] (on Mar 30); 1 at Strathcona Park [Ottawa] (on Mar 29) White-crowned Sparrow: 8 reports at 3 locations - 1 at Fernbank Rd [Ottawa] (4 times between Mar 28-Apr 2); 1 at Riverside South stormwater ponds [Ottawa] (3 times between Mar 27-Apr 2); 1 at Central Experimental Farm [Ottawa] (on Apr 1) As always, send questions, comments or photos to sightings@ofnc.ca. Your feedback is appreciated. Good birding, Al