The Bird reported yesterday in Ottawa at Dow's Lake on the Rideau Canal was
present until at least 5:15. That's when I watched it fly to the north and
did not refind it. I checked for 15 minutes but it had broken its pattern
of resting on a gravel bar, feeding and returning to rest. It had done that
throughout the day. At that time all of the cormorants were heading north,
one by one, likely going to the Ottawa River for the night, possibly
roosting at the colony in the Deschenes Rapids at Britannia.
Brian Morin
Directions: Dow's Lake is a wide area of the Rideau Canal south of Carling
Ave. and off Queen Elizabeth Driveway. Some people parked at the Dow's Lake
Pavilion around the loop road but that was only in the afternoon. There was
a police car there earlier which may have disuaded people from stopping.
Others parked in the adjacent Arboretum at the top of the hill on Prince of
Wales Drive, east of the traffic circle. If parking there, go into the
Arboretum, keep to the right and follow around to the second parking lot.
You can also drive around the lake to the east side, turn east on the short
connector street and park on Dow's Lake Rd. You can then walk back to the
edge of the lake which gives you a clear view of the gravel bar from Queen
Elizabeth Driveway. This is the closest view.