Ottawa/Gatineau: recent sightings to Apr 24, 2025 Ottawa Field Naturalists' Club (OFNC) Ottawa/Gatineau (50 Km radius from Parliament Hill) E. Ontario, W. Quebec Compiler: Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca A great push of migrants over the long weekend, with a massive pulse of Kinglets and Fox sparrows, and many early birds. Some great vagrants: a Mountain Bluebird and a Barnacle Goose seen by many, and a Franklin's Gull seen by few. A Spotted x Eastern Towhee. So many waxwings! Ross's Goose (1) Apr 22, Winchester, Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry. Barnacle Goose (1) Apr 18-19, W end of Cambrian Rd W, Ottawa. Green-winged Teal (Eurasian) (1) Apr 19, Halte routière, Lochaber, Papineau. Very exciting if you prefer your teal striped horizontally instead of vertically. Harlequin Duck (1) Apr 17- 22, Chemin Riverside, Wakefield, Les Collines-de-l'Outaouais. Eastern Whip-poor-will (1) Apr 24, Carp Hills, Ottawa. Upland Sandpiper (4) Apr 19-23, Panmure Rd, Ottawa. Spotted Sandpiper (1) Ottawa--Britannia Park (pier), Ottawa. (1) Apr 21, Last Mile Rd, Ottawa. (1) Apr 19, Remic Rapids and Champlain Bridge area, Ottawa. (1) Apr 19, Bruce Pit, Ottawa. Solitary Sandpiper (1) Apr 19, Highland Park Cemetery, Ottawa. Dunlin (2) Apr 21, Frank Kenny Road (bridge), Ottawa. Trumpeter Swan (2) Apr 21, Greenland Road Hawkwatch, Ottawa. (3) Apr 20, Morris Island CA, Ottawa. (2) Apr 19, Dunrobin (Constance Creek), Ottawa. Franklin's Gull (1) Apr 19, Moodie Dr north of Barnsdale, Ottawa, and also Twin Elm Road, Ottawa. Beautiful adult bird. Iceland Gull (1) Trail Road Landfill, Ottawa, or the field south of Moody Quarry, Ottawa. Golden Eagle (1) Apr 22, Panmure Rd., Ottawa. (1) Apr 20, Flewellyn Rd, Ottawa. (1) Apr 19, Prescott-Russel Trail Link, Ottawa. Red-bellied Woodpecker - no longer trips the Ottawa eBird 'rare' filter. Still an awesome bird every time. Red-headed Woodpecker (2) Constance Bay, Ottawa. Eastern Wood-Pewee (1) Apr 22, Andrew Haydon Park, Ottawa Eastern Kingbird (1) Apr 22, Stittsville Stormwater Pond 2, Ottawa. Blue-headed Vireo (3) Apr 20, Pine Grove, north and south of Davidson Road, Ottawa. (1) Apr 19, Rifle Road, Ottawa. Shrike sp (1) Apr 23-24 Panmure road. It's shoulder season for shrike (when both local species are rare) and this bird's id is under review. Northern House Wren (1) Apr 24, Champlain Park Woods, Ottawa. (1) Apr 22, Richmond SE - Gallagher Rd, Mackey to Harnett, Ottawa. Marsh Wren (1) Apr 24, Richmond CA (formerly Richmond Sewage Lagoons), Ottawa. Mountain Bluebird (1) Apr 20-23, Panmure Rd., Ottawa. Bohemian Waxwing - 1000s still around this week. Grasshopper Sparrow (1) Apr 24, Innis Point Bird Observatory, Ottawa. Spotted x Eastern Towhee (hybrid) (1) Apr 21, Twin Elm Road Wetlands, Ottawa. Orange-crowned Warbler (1) Apr 20, Remic Rapids and Champlain Bridge area, Ottawa. This record early warbler was "foraging in the woods behind the Remic bistro area." Atlas notes: What do Eastern Screech Owls, American Woodcocks, and Mourning Doves have in common? They are a few of the handful of local species – along with Trumpeter Swans, Ruffed Grouse, and three other types of owls – that breed here in Eastern Ontario in April. Have you heard or seen these species at this time of year? If so, you can easily join the 250 other Ottawa-area birders who are participating in one of Ontario’s largest community science efforts: the Third Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas. Your breeding bird observations 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 this once-in-a-generation opportunity 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 Ottawa@birdsontario.org