BIRDING PROGRAM

WINTER 2019 BIRDING FIELD TRIPS

Relaxed, Fun, Exciting & Educational Excursions in the Greater Ottawa Area ~ From Beginner to Expert – Great For All Levels

Single excursions:

$40.00 per person, per half day excursion (HST Included)
$170.00 per person, per OVERNIGHT excursion (HST Included)

Tuesday Jan 15: Hawks, Snowy Owls & Open Country Birds – Ottawa East
Thursday Jan 17: Winter Water Birds – Ottawa Center and West
Saturday Jan 19: Sarsaparilla Trail & other Greenbelt Trails
Sunday Jan 20: CANCELLED! The Gatineau Escarpment & The Steel Line
Tuesday Jan 22: Winter Water Birds – Ottawa Center and West
Sunday Jan 27: Raptor Search – Ottawa East
Wednesday Jan 30: Dewberry Trail, Mer Bleue & Wall Road – Ottawa East
Sunday Feb 3: Raptor Search – Ottawa East
Thursday Feb 7: Greenbelt Trails – Ottawa West
Saturday/Sunday Feb 9 & 10: Overnight to Algonquin Park
CANCELLED! Tuesday Feb 12: The Gatineau Escarpment & The Steel Line

Tuesday Jan 15: Hawks, Snowy Owls & Open Country Birds – Ottawa East

Time: 8:00am, meet at The Park & Ride Lot, northeast corner, on Trim Road (Orleans), south of intersection with Hwy. 17 – $40.00 per pers.

The open agricultural fields east of Ottawa are often our most productive areas for raptors, especially in winter. Red-tailed Hawks regularly occur here all year round. Some winters, this is the most reliable area for Snowy Owl. The vast open expanses offer ideal hunting grounds for these arctic breeders. With luck, we may see other interesting animals like Coyote, Red Fox, Gray Partridge, Rough-legged Hawk, Northern Goshawk, Short-eared Owl or Lapland Longspur. If time permits, we’ll check woodland edges and suburban areas for interesting over-wintering songbirds.

Thursday Jan 17: Winter Water Birds – Ottawa Center and West

Time 8:00am, meet at Coliseum Theater Parking Lot, northeast corner, 3090 Carling Ave., east of Bayshore. – $40.00 per pers

Every winter, regardless of temperature, our local rivers remain open where waters run fast. Tolerant of extreme cold, many hardy ducks enjoy our rivers simply because they’ve adapted to finding food in these extremes. They wouldn’t survive otherwise. Common Goldeneye, Common Merganser, Mallard and American Black Ducks should be highly visible. Mixed among them will be some uncommon waterfowl like Barrow’s Goldeneye, Hooded Merganser, or maybe something more unusual. There may be some overwintering “white-winged” gulls on the ice edge, like Glaucous, Iceland or Thayer’s. The open waters are also patrolled by hunters like Peregrine Falcon, Bald Eagle or Cooper’s Hawk. With luck, we might see a Gyrfalcon, one of the most sought-after birds of prey.

Saturday Jan 19: Sarsaparilla Trail & other Greenbelt Trails

Time 8:00am, meet at Coliseum Theater Parking Lot, northeast corner, 3090 Carling Ave., east of Bayshore – $40.00 per pers.

Ottawa’s Greenbelt is blessed with a rich network of woodland trails, many providing shelter and food for a rich variety of wildlife. The Sarsaparilla Trail, dominated by coniferous forest, provides a habitat well suited to northern birds. Nearby, the Rideau Trail should entertain us with its natural beauty. There have been many recent reports of winter finches and waxwings spending the season in the Ottawa area. We’ll search them for species like Pine Grosbeak, Evening Grosbeak, Bohemian Waxwing, and with luck, perhaps a Black-backed Woodpecker.

CANCELLED! Sunday Jan 20: The Gatineau Escarpment & The Steel Line

Time 8:00am, meet at the parking lot of the Information Kiosk, corner of Rue Gamelin and Promenade de la Gatineau. – $40.00 per pers.

The rugged beauty of the Gatineau Escarpment offers us the opportunity to see many interesting birds. At the edge of the Canadian Shield, northern finches, woodpeckers and raptors recognize habitats similar to their northern breeding grounds. Typically, they’re found here more easily than in Ottawa’s lowlands. We’ll look for raptors using the updrafts created by the escarpment. Throughout winter Bald Eagles are found regularly. This is also a very consistent spot to see Golden Eagles. We’ll spend the morning exploring the many backroads networked through the hills and lowlands, including the famed Steele Line. Other possibilities include: Pine Grosbeak, Evening Grosbeak, White-winged Crossbill, Red Crossbill, Northern Hawk Owl, Great Gray Owl, Northern Goshawk… the possibilities are endless.

Tuesday Jan 22: Winter Water Birds – Ottawa Center and West

Time 8:00am, meet at Coliseum Theater Parking Lot, northeast corner, 3090 Carling Ave., east of Bayshore – $40.00 per pers.

Every winter, regardless of temperature, our local rivers remain open where waters run fast. Tolerant of extreme cold, many hardy ducks enjoy our rivers simply because they’ve adapted to finding food in these extremes. They wouldn’t survive otherwise. Common Goldeneye, Common Merganser, Mallard and Black Ducks should be highly visible. Mixed among them will be some uncommon waterfowl like Barrow’s Goldeneye, Hooded Merganser, or maybe something more unusual. There may be some overwintering “white-winged” gulls on the ice edge, like Glaucous, Iceland or Thayer’s. The open waters are also patrolled by hunters like Peregrine Falcon, Bald Eagle or Cooper’s Hawk. With luck, we might see a Gyrfalcon, one of the most sought-after birds of prey.

Sunday Jan 27: Raptor Search – Ottawa East

Time 8:00am, meet at The Park & Ride Lot, northeast corner, on Trim Road (Orleans), south of intersection with Hwy. 17. – $40.00 per pers.

This trip highlights birds of prey found east of the city. As winter progresses, some raptors form fairly predictable routines. Meanwhile, others might still be arriving from the north, or wandering around in search of productive feeding grounds. We’ll mainly check open country – the most consistent place to see over-wintering raptors. However, based on current reports from local birding networks, we’ll concentrate our efforts in locations where they’re being seen. Some of our targets include Snowy Owl, Northern Goshawk, Northern Shrike, Rough-legged Hawk or any of the other northern specialties.

Wednesday Jan 30: Dewberry Trail, Mer Bleue & Wall Road – Ottawa East

Time 8:00, meet at The Park & Ride Lot, northeast corner, on Trim Road (Orleans), south of intersection with Hwy. 17 – $40.00 per pers.

Ottawa’s east end is blessed with much natural habitat, including the unique Mer Bleue Bog. Some years, interesting northern birds over-winter here. Perhaps a Northern Hawk Owl, Barred Owl, Evening Grosbeak or a flock of Pine Grosbeaks will give us a show. Hopefully, the fields surrounding the city will produce birds like Snowy Owl, Northern Shrike, Gray Partridge and Snow Bunting. We’ll check feeding stations and trails for winter finches, woodpeckers and sparrows. If time permits, we’ll head further east in search of winter raptors like Rough-legged Hawk , Snowy Owl or Lapland Longspur.

Sunday Feb 3: Raptor Search – Ottawa East

Time 8:00am, meet at The Park & Ride Lot, northeast corner, on Trim Road (Orleans), south of intersection with Hwy. 17 – $40.00 per pers.

Thursday Feb 7: Greenbelt Trails – Ottawa West

Time 8:00am, meet at Coliseum Theater Parking Lot, northeast corner, 3090 Carling Ave., east of Bayshore – $40.00 per pers.

Ottawa’s Greenbelt is blessed with a rich network of woodland trails, many providing shelter and food for a rich variety of wildlife. We’ll start at one of the trail networks in the west end, likely near the Ottawa River. We hope to see flocks of over-wintering songbirds feeding in scrub or along woodland edges. Possibilities include Bohemian Waxwing, Pine Grosbeak, Common Redpoll, Hoary Redpoll, and Evening Grosbeak. In the forests, we’ll look for woodpeckers, chickadees, and raptors. If we’re really lucky, we’ll witness a flock of chickadees mobbing a small owl. If time permits, we’ll check nearby habitats for Snowy Owl and other interesting over-wintering birds.

Sat/Sun Feb 9 & 10: Overnight trip to Algonquin Park

Time: 6:00am – Meet at: Coliseum Ottawa Cinemas Parking Lot – $170.00 per pers. LIMITED SPACE!

NOTE: Registration ASAP with email to: TonysAlwaysAnAdventure@Gmail.com. Algonquin Park is famous for its extensive northern forest habitats. Its large stands of spruce and pine often attract a variety of finches, raptors and other wildlife. It also harbours several northern residents that are considered rare in the Ottawa area. Here we look for Gray Jays, Boreal Chickadees, Spruce Grouse, Evening Grosbeak, Pine Grosbeak, Three-toed and Black-backed Woodpeckers. There’s a chance for other northern finches like Red Crossbill, White-winged Crossbills, Pine Siskin, Common Redpoll, or even a Hoary Redpoll. Perhaps we will also see some interesting mammals like Pine Marten or Fisher. A mixture of large frozen lakes, boggy wetlands, boreal and hardwood forests, this is Ontario’s most accessible northern wilderness. From our starting point, we head straight for the park spending a few hours exploring the east side before we have lunch somewhere in the park. We check into our hotel before dusk. If conditions are good after dinner, we will return to the park and listen for owls and wolves. The following morning, we go back into the park immediately after breakfast. We will spend the entire day there, hiking some of the leisurely trails, leaving around 5:30pm. We can expect to be back home around 8:30 – 9:00pm. Please note: accommodation ($100 + tax per room), transportation, food, refreshments and park-fees are not included in the price.
Contact us for more details or if you have any questions.

CANCELLED! Tuesday Feb 12: The Gatineau Escarpment & The Steel Line

Time 8:00am, meet at the parking lot of the Information Kiosk, corner of Rue Gamelin and Promenade de la Gatineau – $40.00 per pers.

Field Trip Guidelines & Useful Info:

Poor weather conditions often produce the most interesting birds & wildlife. Therefore, trips will proceed rain or shine. Listen to weather forecasts and dress accordingly. Only the most severe weather conditions will postpone trips.
Note that customers of Always an Adventure Inc. are responsible for making their own arrangements for accommodation, transportation and payments for such arrangements is at their own expense.
Transportation will be by personal vehicle and car pool. Passengers are encouraged to contribute to fuel costs. Please let us know if you need transportation.
Some hiking should be expected in areas with active trail networks. Comfortable footwear is recommended.
Participants should bring their own binoculars and refreshments. Please let us know if you need binoculars. High-quality NIKON optics can be loaned.
All transportation cost, ferry cost, park fees, food, accommodation and refreshments are not included in the price.
During times of hot weather, insect repellent comes in handy.
The trip itinerary is subject to change depending on weather patterns, current local bird activity, scouting results or any unforeseen factors.
Please register by email (go to “About us” and then “Contact us”), or through our Facebook Club (https://www.facebook.com/groups/AAAIncClub/)
Payment is by cheque, PayPal or e-Transfer. Make cheque payable to “Always An Adventure Inc” and contact us for payment by PayPal and e-Transfer.
Morning birding excursions normally last for 5.5-6+ hours. Full day birding excursions normally last for 12 hours.
Always An Adventure Inc. is not to be held liable for any unforeseen circumstances that might arise during outings.
Always An Adventure Inc. might ask participants to sign a waiver depending on the day’s activities and sightings
Always An Adventure Inc. is using eBird and participants will receive the day-list per e:mail at the end of the excursion.

Field Trip Guidelines

Poor weather conditions often produce the most interesting birds & wildlife. Therefore, trips will proceed rain or shine. Listen to weather forecasts and dress accordingly. Only the most severe weather conditions will postpone trips.

Note that customers of Always an Adventure Inc. are responsible for making their own arrangements for accommodation, transportation and payments for such arrangements is at their own expense.
Transportation will be by personal vehicle and car pool. Passengers are encouraged to contribute to fuel costs. Please let us know if you need transportation
Some hiking should be expected in areas with active trail networks. Comfortable footwear is recommended.
Participants should bring their own binoculars and refreshments. Please let us know if you need binoculars. If necessary, high quality optics can be loaned.
For overnight excursions, participants will provide their own meals (in some cases, we may eat at restaurants).
All transportation Cost, Ferry Cost, Park Fees, Food, Refreshment or Accommodation is not included in the price
During times of hot weather, insect repellent comes in handy. Always bring a water bottle.
The trip itinerary is subject to change depending on weather patterns, current local bird activity or any unforeseen factors.
Please register by email. Note that some excursions have registration deadlines.
Payment is by cheque or PayPal. Make the cheque payable to "Always An Adventure Inc" and contact us for payment by PayPal. Please note additional PayPal fee when using PayPal.
Please note that all our birding and wildlife excursions, and registration to such, can be found on our Photo & Birding Club Group on Facebook

Wednesday Jan 30: Dewberry Trail, Mer Bleue & Wall Road – Ottawa East

Sunday Feb 3: Raptor Search – Ottawa East

Thursday Feb 7: Greenbelt Trails – Ottawa West

Sat/Sun Feb 9 & 10: Overnight trip to Algonquin Park

CANCELLED! Tuesday Feb 12: The Gatineau Escarpment & The Steel Line

Field Trip Guidelines & Useful Info:

Field Trip Guidelines

Company Profile

About us

Latest Tweets

Recent Posts