Last fling before Virginia
June 15th, 2010
Went walking today, starting from Dominion Station and heading northeast along the river. This was a "this day's too beautiful to waste" walk, not a birding walk per se, but I brought along my binoculars on general principle.
I'm glad I did! I ended up at Champlain Bridge--I didn't realize the hike from Dominion to there was so short. This bridge is a nesting site for Cliff Swallows, probably the scarcest of Ottawa's six swallow species, certainly one I don't see every day. (These are the guys who, famously, "return to Capistrano"--although of late, those particular Cliff Swallows have relocated.) I'd heard about the colony but never come to see it before. I took a stairway up, and found that the bridge had both a bike lane and a pedestrian lane (have I mentioned I love my city?), so I followed along and watched for them. Ended up seeing quite a few flying back and forth, their pale buff-colored rumps (and sometimes their white forehead spots) clearly visible. From down on Bate Island, I was even able to see one of the rows of nests. They build them out of mud along the sides of the bridge.
On the bike path, a smell of carrion attracted a Turkey Vulture who, in turn, attracted the attention of several angry songbirds. (Not sure why they bother harassing a vulture...maybe he could prey on a nestling?) Yellow Warbler parents were busily carrying insects to their young. And at one point, on the ground, was a quite young but out-of-the-nest Red-Winged Blackbird. His head wasn't even fully feathered yet.
This will be my last outing before Virginia. We're leaving in three days, and I have lots to do before then.
June 15th, 2010
Went walking today, starting from Dominion Station and heading northeast along the river. This was a "this day's too beautiful to waste" walk, not a birding walk per se, but I brought along my binoculars on general principle.
I'm glad I did! I ended up at Champlain Bridge--I didn't realize the hike from Dominion to there was so short. This bridge is a nesting site for Cliff Swallows, probably the scarcest of Ottawa's six swallow species, certainly one I don't see every day. (These are the guys who, famously, "return to Capistrano"--although of late, those particular Cliff Swallows have relocated.) I'd heard about the colony but never come to see it before. I took a stairway up, and found that the bridge had both a bike lane and a pedestrian lane (have I mentioned I love my city?), so I followed along and watched for them. Ended up seeing quite a few flying back and forth, their pale buff-colored rumps (and sometimes their white forehead spots) clearly visible. From down on Bate Island, I was even able to see one of the rows of nests. They build them out of mud along the sides of the bridge.
On the bike path, a smell of carrion attracted a Turkey Vulture who, in turn, attracted the attention of several angry songbirds. (Not sure why they bother harassing a vulture...maybe he could prey on a nestling?) Yellow Warbler parents were busily carrying insects to their young. And at one point, on the ground, was a quite young but out-of-the-nest Red-Winged Blackbird. His head wasn't even fully feathered yet.
This will be my last outing before Virginia. We're leaving in three days, and I have lots to do before then.
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