I was priviledged to be guided around the Britannia Conservation area by Dave, of the Ottawa Field-Naturalists Club. He is a man who knows everything about this local patch, and can charm the birds from the air.
The wet summer has prevented the usual sight of waders on the riverside, but there was still plenty to see, besides the many Canada Geese. Surf Scoters, Red-Necked Grebes and Bufflehead were among the highlights on the river, with Common and Hooded Mergansers, Wood Ducks and Ring-Necked Ducks on the lake; American Goldfinches, Cardinals and Ruby-Crowned Kinglets along the road, and Downy Woodpeckers, Brown Creeper and both Nuthatches in the wood.
Black Duck
American Robin
Green-winged Teal
Downy Woodpecker
A great couple of hours birding, with 32 species seen by Dave (and 31 by myself, as I missed the Pine Siskins). At the end, I was accepted by the local Black-Capped Chickadees, to the extent that they flew to perch on my hand too (and pecked it because there was no food there).
2 comments:
You just hold out your hand and they sit there?? That is what I call friendly birds.
How wonderful that there were so many species to be seen!! And a friendly Chickadee too to really make the day special. Chickadees are beautiful little birds.
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