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 2026.04.09 (season 1; episode 10) Last week, we yo-yo'd between warm temps and southerly winds and then freezing temps and snow (ick!). It looks like birds took advantage of warm peaks so the total number of species seen in the 50km circle jumped from 114 to 132 and the number notable species increased from 27 to mid 30s - including a number of gulls, sparrows and our first early warblers. Next week promises several days with warm temps and strong southerlies with a few rainy days that could cause the migrants to `fall-out`. With the ice leaving the rivers and lakes, there should still be a number of geese, ducks and swans moving through the area - keep your eyes out (and fingers crossed) for a barnacle or tundra bean goose. It looks like it could be an(other) exciting week for migrants *New arrivals since the last update*: - Red-breasted Merganser, Iceland Gull, Bonaparte's Gull, Black-crowned Night Heron (American), Yellow-headed Blackbird, Great Cormorant, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Chipping Sparrow, Vesper Sparrow, Eastern Towhee, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Pine Warbler *Current Notable Birds:* Ross's Goose: 25 reports at 3 locations - 1 at John Shaw Rd [Ottawa] (on Apr 9); 1 at Fernbank Storm Water Pond (18 times between Apr 6-7); 1 at Cobbs Lake Creek at Du Lac Rd [Prescott and Russell] (6 times between Apr 6-7) Greater White-fronted Goose: 25 reports at 9 locations - 1 at Roger Stevens Drive [Ottawa] (on Apr 9); 1 at Frank Kenny Rd [Ottawa] (twice on Apr 8); 1 at Milton and Frank Kenny Rds [Ottawa] (on Apr 8); as many as 2 at Richmond CA (formerly Richmond Sewage Lagoons) [Ottawa] (12 times between Apr 3-6); 1 at Hwy 7 Storm Pond [Lanark] (5 times between Apr 3-6); 1 at Milton Rd [Ottawa] (on Apr 5); 1 at County Rd 32, North Stormont ON [Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry] (on Apr 5); 4 at Kinburn old rail trail [Ottawa] (on Apr 5); 4 at County Rd 22 [Ottawa] (on Apr 3) Snow x Canada Goose (hybrid): 11 reports at 5 locations - 1 at Cobbs Lake Creek at Lalonde Rd [Prescott and Russell] (3 times on Apr 6); 1 at Milton Rd [Ottawa] (3 times between Apr 3-5); 1 at Dunning Rd [Ottawa] (on Apr 4) Trumpeter Swan: 35 reports at 16 locations - as many as 4 at Dunrobin (Constance Creek) [Ottawa] (7 times between Apr 3-9); as many as 2 at Vances Side Rd/Torbolton Pit on Vance’s Side Rd [Ottawa] (twice on Apr 9); 2 at John Shaw & Grants Side Rd [Ottawa] (on Apr 8); 1 at Fletcher Wildlife Garden [Ottawa] (on Apr 8); 2 at River Rd [Ottawa] (on Apr 7); as many as 2 at Riverside South stormwater ponds [Ottawa] (10 times between Apr 3-7); 2 at Kinburn old rail trail [Ottawa] (on Apr 6); 2 at Burnt Lands Provincial Park [Ottawa] (on Apr 5); 2 at Paden Rd (west of Malakoff) Ottawa ON [Ottawa] (on Apr 5); 2 at Rideau River - Black Rapids - Long Island lock [Ottawa] (on Apr 5); 2 at Bronson-Bryant Line [Les Collines-de-l] (on Apr 4); 2 at Woods off of Derreen Ave [Ottawa] (on Apr 4); 2 at Kettles Rd [Ottawa] (on Apr 4); 4 at Ch Steele [Les Collines-de-l] (on Apr 3); as many as 4 at Upper Dwyer Hill Rd [Ottawa] (3 times on Apr 3); as many as 2 at Marshall Bay [Ottawa] (twice on Apr 3) Tundra Swan: 71 reports at 8 locations - 34 at Prudhomme St, Alfred and Plantagenet ON [Prescott and Russell] (on Apr 9); as many as 21 at Cobb Lake Creek flood plain [Prescott and Russell] (18 times between Apr 3-8); as many as 17 at Cobbs Lake Creek at Lalonde Rd/Cobbs Lake Creek at Du Lac Rd/Lalonde Rd, Clarence-Rockland ON [Prescott and Russell] (29 times between Apr 3-7); as many as 4 at Milton Rd [Ottawa] (9 times between Apr 3-6); as many as 7 at Milton Rd [Ottawa] (10 times between Apr 3-5); as many as 14 at Johnston Rd, Curran ON/Johnston Rd, Clarence-Rockland ON [Prescott and Russell] (3 times on Apr 4) Blue-winged Teal: 3 reports at 3 locations - 2 at Drummond Rd and Ramsay Con. 7A [Lanark] (on Apr 3); 2 at Drummond Rd, Mississippi Mills ON [Lanark] (on Apr 3); 2 at Ramsay Concession 7A, Carleton Place ON [Lanark] (on Apr 3) Canvasback: a single report of 4 at McLean Ave, Arnprior ON [Renfrew] on Apr 4; plus a couple of reports at Bell Park in Arnprior ON (just outside the 50km circle) Barrow's Goldeneye: 6 reports at 3 locations - 2 at Rideau Valley Dr [Ottawa] (on Apr 8); 1 at Rideau River Eastern Pathway north of Hurdman Bridge [Ottawa] (4 times between Apr 3-8); 2 at Kingsview Park [Ottawa] (on Apr 6) Red-breasted Merganser🆕: 2 reports at 2 locations - 3 at Sawmill Creek Reservoir [Ottawa] (on Apr 9); 2 at Shirley's Bay [Ottawa] (on Apr 9) Bonaparte's Gull🆕: 3 reports at 2 locations - as many as 2 at Moodie Drive Quarry [Ottawa] (twice on Apr 5); 6 at Milton Rd [Ottawa] (on Apr 5) Glaucous Gull: 5 reports of 1 at Moodie Drive Quarry [Ottawa] on Apr 5 Iceland Gull: 5 reports at 4 locations - 1 at Lockhead Rd West [Ottawa] (on Apr 9); 1 at Trail Rd Landfill [Ottawa] (on Apr 8); 2 at West end of Cassels [Ottawa] (on Apr 8); 1 at Moodie Drive Quarry [Ottawa] (twice on Apr 6); a single report of 1 at Lockhead Rd West [Ottawa] on Apr 9 Red-necked Grebe: 2 reports at 2 locations - 1 at Eccolands Park [Ottawa] (on Apr 5); 1 at Rideau River - Black Rapids - Long Island lock [Ottawa] (on Apr 5) Great Cormorant🆕: a single report of 1 at Echo Dr [Ottawa] on Apr 8 - hopefully this bird can be refound as is it is the first sighting of this species since 2017! Black-crowned Night Heron: 21 reports at 6 locations - 3 at Bronson Av [Ottawa] (on Apr 7); as many as 2 at Brown's Inlet Park/Rideau Canal Eastern Pathway [Ottawa] (3 times on Apr 7); as many as 2 at Filtration Plant/Point [Ottawa] (twice on Apr 7); as many as 4 at Lemieux Island [Ottawa] (5 times between Apr 5-6); as many as 4 at Mud Lake/Britannia CA (general location) [Ottawa] (9 times between Apr 3-6); 1 at Moodie Drive Quarry [Ottawa] (on Apr 5) Great Egret: 11 reports at 5 locations - 1 at Rifle Rd [Ottawa] (on Apr 4); 2 at Carp River at Sensplex [Ottawa] (on Apr 4); as many as 7 at Mud Lake/Britannia CA (general location) [Ottawa] (6 times between Apr 3-4); as many as 3 at Britannia Ridge [Ottawa] (twice between Apr 3-4); 1 at Black Rapids Creek Greenbelt Pathway [Ottawa] (on Apr 3) Golden Eagle: 6 reports at 4 locations - 1 at Shirley's Bay [Ottawa] (3 times on Apr 9); 1 at Michael's garden [Ottawa] (on Apr 8); 2 at Dunning Rd [Ottawa] (on Apr 3); 1 at Cobb Lake Creek flood plain [Prescott and Russell] (on Apr 3) American Goshawk: 2 reports at 2 locations - 1 at Sentier Gamelin [Gatineau] (on Apr 8); 1 at Aylmer rural - secteur sud-ouest [Gatineau] (on Apr 4) Red-bellied Woodpecker: a single report of 2 at Pontiac Sta Rd [Pontiac] on Apr 5 Black-backed Woodpecker: a single report of 1 at Rue des Saisons [Gatineau] on Apr 7 Barn Swallow: a single report of 1 at Farm [Ottawa] on Apr 3; plus several sighting in other regions within the 50km circle Ruby-crowned Kinglet🆕: 8 reports at 7 locations - 1 at Greenbelt pathway south of Davidson Rd [Ottawa] (on Apr 9); 2 at Beckwith Trail [Lanark] (on Apr 9); 1 at Mud Lake [Ottawa] (twice on Apr 9); 1 at Richmond CA (formerly Richmond Sewage Lagoons) [Ottawa] (on Apr 8); 1 at Prescott-Russel Trail Link [Ottawa] (on Apr 7); 1 at Cowell Rd [Ottawa] (on Apr 6); 1 at Central Experimental Farm [Ottawa] (on Apr 3) Hermit Thrush: 11 reports at 8 locations - 1 at Macnamara Trail [Renfrew] (on Apr 9); 1 at Britannia CA (general location) [Ottawa] (on Apr 7); 1 at Grasshopper Hill Park [Ottawa] (twice between Apr 6-7); as many as 2 at Clyde Woods [Ottawa] (twice between Apr 6-7); 1 at Fletcher Wildlife Garden [Ottawa] (on Apr 6); 1 at Champlain St Marsh [Ottawa] (on Apr 6); 1 at Cambridge St N [Ottawa] (on Apr 5); 1 at Conley Rd [Ottawa] (twice on Apr 5) Pine Grosbeak: a single report of 1 at Crystal Beach Greenspace [Ottawa] on Apr 3 Chipping Sparrow🆕: 8 reports at 6 locations - 1 at Ottawa - Elmvale Acres [Ottawa] (twice on Apr 7); 1 at Mon jardin [Gatineau] (on Apr 7); 1 at Rosehill path - North Side of Ravine [Ottawa] (on Apr 6); 1 at Gallagher Rd [Ottawa] (twice on Apr 5); 1 at Backyard Feeder [Lanark] (on Apr 4); 1 at *Notre résidence , Cantley [Les Collines-de-l] (on Apr 3) White-crowned Sparrow: 12 reports at 4 locations - 1 at Fernbank Rd [Ottawa] (8 times between Apr 3-8); 2 at Raina Way, North Grenville ON [Leeds and Grenville] (on Apr 7); 1 at Beaverbrook Park [Ottawa] (on Apr 7); 1 at Riverside South stormwater ponds/Owl Valley Dr [Ottawa] (twice between Apr 4-5) White-throated Sparrow: a single report of 1 at Centennial Park [Lanark] on Apr 5 Vesper Sparrow🆕: a single report of 1 at Milton Rd x Bearbrook Creek [Ottawa] on Apr 7 Eastern Towhee🆕: 6 reports at 4 locations - 1 at Hull, rue Gabriel-Lacasse/Domaine de la ferme Moore [Gatineau] (twice between Apr 6-8); 1 at Sentier de la rivière Gatineau [Gatineau] (on Apr 8); 1 at Parkway Rd [Ottawa] (twice on Apr 7); 1 at Copeland Rd [Ottawa] (on Apr 5) Yellow-headed Blackbird🆕: 3 reports at 1 locations - 1 at McIntosh Park Area [Lanark] (at least twice on Apr 9) Pine Warbler🆕: a single report of 1 at Almonte Lagoons [Lanark] on Apr 5 Yellow-rumped Warbler🆕: 4 reports at 4 locations - 1 at Rue des Saisons [Gatineau] (on Apr 8); 1 at Seguinbourg Rd, The Nation ON [Prescott and Russell] (on Apr 6); 1 at Aylmer rural - secteur sud-ouest [Gatineau] (on Apr 4); 1 at Wolf Grove Rd [Lanark] (on Apr 3) Rose-breasted Grosbeak: a single report of 1 at Pioneer Line Rd [Ottawa] on Apr 7 As always, send questions, comments or photos to sightings@ofnc.ca. Your feedback is appreciated. Good birding, Al