BIRDING PROGRAM

LATE SUMMER 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)

Sunday Aug 11 – Bluebirds, Flycatchers, Towhees & Cuckoos – Ottawa West
Tuesday Aug 13 – Watercourses, Wetlands & Fields – Ottawa East
Thursday Aug 15 – The Gatineau Escarpment
Saturday Aug 24 – Lac Deschênes & the Ottawa River – Ottawa West
Sunday Aug 25 – Watt’s Wetland & Shirley’s Bay – Ottawa West
Thursday Aug 29 – Late Summer Birding – Ottawa East
Saturday Sep 07 – Peak Fall Songbird Migration – Ottawa West
Sunday Sep 08 – Wetlands and Fields – Ottawa East
Saturday Sep 14 – The Intensity of Fall Migration – Ottawa West
Tuesday Sep 17 – Lac Deschênes & the Ottawa River – Ottawa West
Sunday Sep 22 – Migration Along The Ottawa River – Ottawa West

Sunday Aug 11 – Bluebirds, Flycatchers, Towhees & Cuckoos – Ottawa West

Time: 7:30am – Meet at: Andrew Haydon East Parking Lot, off Carling Ave., West of Bayshore, East of Holly Acres Road (Water Playground & Picnic Grounds) – $40.00 per person

This relaxing day will have us exploring areas around Dunrobin, and the Carp Ridge. Both areas will reveal much evidence of young birds at various stages of development. Thanks to concerned property owners and networks of birdhouses, Eastern Bluebirds are relatively regular in rural settings around Ottawa. In the scrubby fields along the Carp Ridge, we’ll look & listen for Black-billed Cuckoos and Eastern Towhees. In the wet meadows, we’ll listen for Sedge Wren. Although these species are among our targets, many other animals should be out in full force. Blackbirds will be abundant, and juvenile hawks may also be visible. This is a wonderful time of year, and wildlife thrives outside the city.

Tuesday Aug 13 – Watercourses, Wetlands & Fields – Ottawa East

Time: 7:30am – Meet at: Petrie Island Causeway, north of intersection at Highway 17 and Trim Road (Orleans) – $40.00 per person

This is a transitional time for our local wildlife. Some birds have begun their migration south while others continue caring for young. We’ll start by checking around Petrie Island and the Ottawa River. Here, we should find plenty of diversity. In the fields south of the river, juvenile birds will be looking to their parents for guidance. Shorebirds, swallows, blackbirds and others will frantically engorge on tiny invertebrates in order to fatten-up for the long journey ahead. We’ll spend most of today traveling around the back-roads of Eastern Ontario looking for the signs of the season. There is always potential for exciting rarities, bird-identification challenges and interesting wildlife behaviors.

Thursday Aug 15 – The Gatineau Escarpment – QC

Time: 7:30am – Meet at: The Information Kiosk, corner of Rue Gamelin and Promenade de la Gatineau – $40.00 per person

The upper elevations of the Canadian Shield, in this case the Gatineau Hills, are excellent for a variety of wildlife. Most of the spring songbirds will have abandoned their emphatic territorial vocalizations for simple communication call notes. The dense vegetation will likely be filled with many species. But, locating them might be a challenge. We’ll follow the lower parts of the Gatineau Escarpment looking for any signs of wildlife. We’ll also explore parts of the park, including one or two short trails. The beautiful vistas along the backroads are an added bonus. We hope to see a variety of warblers, thrushes, raptors and perhaps a few mammals.

Saturday Aug 24 – Lac Deschênes & the Ottawa River – Ottawa West

Time: 7:30am – Meet at: Andrew Haydon East Parking Lot, off Carling Ave., West of Bayshore, East of Holly Acres Road (Water Playground & Picnic Grounds) – $40.00 per person

Lac Deschenes is this area’s widest part of the Ottawa River. The waterway bends here from north to east. Each summer, the relatively shallow depths beside Andrew Haydon Park and Shirley’s Bay provide significant staging grounds for a variety of waterfowl, gulls and migratory shorebirds. Further out, toward the deeper centre, the river attracts loons, grebes and diving waterfowl. Although still early in the season, this general hotspot always has the potential to attract rare migrants. To maximize our chances of finding something interesting, we’ll observe the river from a variety of vantage points.

Sunday Aug 25 – Watt’s Wetland & Shirley’s Bay – Ottawa West

Time: 7:30am – Meet at: Andrew Haydon East Parking Lot, off Carling Ave., West of Bayshore, East of Holly Acres Road (Water Playground & Picnic Grounds) – $40.00 per person

Greenbelt habitats can produce many interesting life forms. The Watt’s Wetland, a large marsh between Crystal Bay and Kanata, has been fairly consistent for many shy species like Sora, Virginia Rail, Marsh Wren and various herons. We’ll keep our eyes and ears out for elusive birds like Sedge Wren and Least Bittern. This is also an excellent area for wildflowers and colourful insects. Once we’re finished exploring this area, we’ll head toward the Ottawa River, and the Shirley’s Bay trails. We might catch a few early fall migrants, especially if water levels are low.

Thursday Aug 29 – Late Summer Birding – Ottawa East

Time: 7:30am – Meet at: Petrie Island Causeway, north of intersection at Highway 17 and Trim Road (Orleans) – $40.00 per person

Approaching the peak of fall migration, we’ll check staging hot-spots in Ottawa’s east end. Starting at Petrie Island, we’ll check for a variety of wetland birds like Wilson’s Snipe, Least Bittern and Sora. Juvenile birds should be present and unwary. Hopefully, they’ll allow us to approach closely. In the surrounding vegetation, we should see several migrating songbirds like swallows, warblers and flycatchers. From here, we’ll continue through the open fields looking for raptors and flocks of migrating songbirds. The few small ponds and wetlands east of the city should be productive with songbirds, shorebirds and waterfowl. With luck, we might find some migratory gulls, or wandering rarities. Since anything is possible at this time of year, we will pay close attention to recent postings on local birding networks, and track down any exciting reports of rare birds.

Saturday Sep 07 – Peak Fall Songbird Migration – Ottawa West

Time 7:30am, Meet at Andrew Haydon East Parking Lot, off Carling Ave., West of Bayshore, East of Acres Road (Water Playground & Picnic Grounds) – $40.00 per person

More than any other time of year, the greatest diversity of birds in the Ottawa area occurs now – the first week of September. The forest is filled with migrating warblers, tanagers and flycatchers, while the first sparrows and kinglets may be present. We can expect waterfowl, shorebirds and gulls to gather along the shallows of the Ottawa River. Broad-winged Hawks are on the move, as are blackbirds, swallows and others. The last of the insect-eating birds will be passing through, and there is always a chance for something unusual. We will pay attention to recent reports of bird-movements and plan our morning accordingly. We will likely spend most of the morning checking woodlands and shorelines near the Ottawa River.

Sunday Sep 08 – Wetlands and Fields – Ottawa East

Time: 7:30am – Meet at: Petrie Island Causeway, north of intersection at Highway 17 and Trim Road (Orleans) – $40.00 per person

The end of summer is a transitional time for local wildlife. Many birds have begun their migration south while a few local breeding species are still caring for young. In the fields around us, juvenile birds will be looking to their parents for guidance. In our many local lagoons and wetlands, we’ll find both young and adult birds. Shorebirds, blackbirds and others will frantically engorge on tiny invertebrates in order to fatten-up for their long journey ahead. We’ll spend most of today traveling around the backroads of Eastern Ontario looking for the signs of the season. At this time of year, there is great potential for exciting rarities, bird-identification challenges and interesting wildlife behaviors.

Saturday Sep 14 – The Intensity of Fall Migration – Ottawa West

Time: 7:30am – Meet at: Andrew Haydon East Parking Lot, off Carling Ave., West of Bayshore, East of Holly Acres Road (Water Playground & Picnic Grounds) – $40.00 per person

As the Arctic begins to freeze, the Ottawa River acts as a corridor leading migrants to their wintering areas in the south. Many waterfowl feed and rest along the shallows of Constance Bay, Shirleys Bay, Andrew Haydon Park or the Moodie Drive Quarry Ponds. Often, the numbers and diversity of birds can be staggering with large flocks coming and going. Local farm fields provide food for thousands of geese and gulls. We’ll check through the common Canada Geese and Ring-billed Gulls for unusual species like Cackling Goose, Ross’s Goose and Greater White-fronted Goose. Out in the deeper waters of our rivers, diving ducks, loons & grebes frantically feed before continuing their journey. Migratory birds occasionally fly off course, taking them far away from their normal range. This phenomenon is especially true in autumn. It’s a very exciting time for local birders.

Tuesday Sep 17, Lac Deschênes & the Ottawa River – Ottawa West

Time: 7:30am, Meet at Andrew Haydon East Parking Lot, off Carling Ave., West of Bayshore, East of Acres Road (Water Playground & Picnic Grounds) – $40.00 per person

Lac Deschenes has been designated an “Important Bird Area” by Nature Canada, Bird Studies Canada and several international conservation groups. Here, the waterway elbows from north to east. Each fall, the relatively shallow depths beside Andrew Haydon Park and Shirley’s Bay provide significant staging grounds for a variety of waterfowl, gulls and shorebirds. Further out, toward the deeper centre, the river attracts loons, grebes and diving ducks. We will observe the river, and its shoreline habitats, from a variety of vantage points. This famous birding “hotspot” always has the potential to attract rare migrants, especially in the fall.

Sunday Sep 22 – Migration Along The Ottawa River – Ottawa West

Time: 7:30am – Meet at: Andrew Haydon East Parking Lot, off Carling Ave., West of Bayshore, East of Holly Acres Road (Water Playground & Picnic Grounds) – $40.00 per person

In late September, the Ottawa River acts as a refuge for migrating birds with activity increasing almost on a daily basis. Fluctuating numbers of birds appear along the shoreline as birds arrive and depart during their southward migration. Often, large flocks of Canada Geese land in the shallows. We’ll study the flocks for uncommon or rare species like Cackling Goose, Ross’s Goose or Greater White-fronted Goose. In the vegetation lining the shores, migratory songbirds tease us with their skulking behaviour. Along sandy beaches and muddy shorelines, we’ll look for unusual shorebirds, like American Golden Plover, Long-billed Dowitcher or Hudsonian Godwit. We’ll also search for the first migrating high-arctic waterfowl, including Brant, Black Scoter and Long-tailed Duck. Overhead, on the water, or resting on shore, evidence of migration will surround us. Our strategy is to position ourselves at key locations in order to maximize our ability to find interesting species on the river.

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

Saturday Sep 07 – Peak Fall Songbird Migration – Ottawa West

Sunday Sep 08 – Wetlands and Fields – Ottawa East

Saturday Sep 14 – The Intensity of Fall Migration – Ottawa West

Tuesday Sep 17, Lac Deschênes & the Ottawa River – Ottawa West

Sunday Sep 22 – Migration Along The Ottawa River – Ottawa West

Field Trip Guidelines & Useful Info:

Field Trip Guidelines

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