[two_third]Hi Folks!
As part of Nature Canada’s celebrations of International Migratory Bird Day here in the capital, we’re coordinating a fun initiative with the Ottawa Field-Naturalists Club (OFNC).

Each day with the help of OFNC birders and volunteers we’re submitting a migratory bird traffic report to the local CBC Radio One show, Ottawa Morning, with host Robyn Bresnahan. I expect you’re asking yourself ‘what is migratory bird traffic?’ Well, it’s a new way to think about the movement of hundreds of millions of birds throughout our hemisphere each spring and fall. Our skies and the lands and waters beneath them, are a lot like trails, collectors and highways for our feathered friends as they move with the seasons. Here at Nature Canada, I thought to myself ‘if we can report on vehicular traffic every day, why not celebrate IMBD by reporting on the massive ‘winged migration’ that’s going on right above our heads?’ I thank the good folks at CBC Ottawa for their interest in the idea! This is also a golden opportunity to promote our efforts to celebrate, raise awareness, protect and monitor the globally significant Lac Deschênes Important Bird Area, straddling the Ottawa River between Ottawa and Gatineau.

This week during Ottawa Morning, traffic announcer and radio personality Dave Brown is reporting on local migratory bird traffic in the Ottawa-Gatineau area, time permitting. You can listen for the bird reports by tuning into Ottawa Morning from 5:30 am to 8:37 am (eastern) at 91.5 FM or via the internet. Without my morning shade-grown coffee, I stuttered my way through a great interview with Robyn on this morning’s show

Here are this week’s first two migratory bird traffic reports, as submitted to Ottawa Morning. Bear in mind that air-time is precious and we don’t expect that each piece will be read in its entirety – but you can check our blog each day to read the full report.

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Good numbers of Warblers have been passing through the Ottawa West area, with 20 different species recorded around Mud Lake-Britannia. Canada Warblers are beginning to arrive in the region, lagging a bit behind the White-throated and White-crowned Sparrows that have been moving through Britannia and Shirley’s Bay in good numbers. There’s a lot of traffic noise in Ottawa West related to many songbird species that are looking for that special ‘someone’ for the breeding season. Waterfowl numbers are modest on the Deschênes Rapids. With continued warm weather we should see some increased traffic in the next few days.

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With the warm weather we continue to see lots of Warblers passing through Ottawa, with 22 different species observed – up 2 species from the weekend. A lonely male Hooded Warbler was spotted on the Ottawa General Hospital campus – a rare treat in the capital. Birders are still reporting a stalled Carolina Wren in the Britannia woods who, after spending all winter at backyard feeders, may now be looking for mate in the area. Several species of insect-feeding birds still being reported in good numbers in Ottawa West, including Flycatchers and Vireos; here’s hoping they stick around until black-fly season! Lots of shorebirds are moving through to northern breeding grounds, including Spotted Sandpipers and Dunlin. Finally, birders near Dunrobin are reporting slow-moving Rusty Blackbirds who in the face of a more than 90% decline in the last 40 years, are returning to their Boreal forest breeding grounds to hopefully raise some fledglings!

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Common Tern in southwest Nova Scotia

Great Blue Heron

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