BIRDWATCH: All about one of the early birds to arrive in the Upper Ottawa Valley
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One of the earliest swamp birds to arrive in our area is the American Bittern. By late April when the ice finally leaves most of the surface of the marsh, this bird arrives and quickly hides in the brush.
The American Bittern (Butaurus lentinginosis) is about 23 inches high and has a wingspan of 40-52 inches. It has a dark brown crown, a pointed yellow beak and a white-throat. The upper parts of this bird are streaky brown and its underparts are a combination of streaky brown and white. It has pointed wings seen in flight and is easily identified in the evenings by its loud drainpipe sound.
This Bittern stands motionless, hidden in the vegetation of the marsh either on ground or in water. There it forages for a variety of foods including frogs, small fish, small eels and snakes, crayfish, small rodents and aquatic bugs.
The American Bittern is best known for its reaction to perceived danger. When it senses danger, it will hide by standing motionless with its beak pointed upwards and its body tightly contracted. It resembles a large stick in the marsh. The markings on this bird readily blend in with the marsh vegetation and can make the Bittern unnoticeable, even when just a few feet away.
Sometimes this can be quite comical as I have often seen this bird in its protective mode standing in a wide-open area where it is easily observed. This stance kind of defeats the purpose as there is no camouflage to conceal it.
The American Bittern is polygamous and can have several mates over a lifetime. It is a solitary nester and has one brood per year. The eggs of this Bittern are incubated by the female for 24-29 days. The young remain in their nest for another 14 days and are fed by both parents.
The American Bittern is a common bird located across Canada and the northern and central United States. It winters in the southern coastal states as well as in parts of Mexico and Central America. It is definitely an interesting bird!
On the local scene, the spring migration continues with the arrival of the last of the first wave of migrants and the arrival of the second wave (the insect eaters). The most recent arrivals include Brown-headed Cowbirds, Northern Flickers, Barn Swallows, Northern Shovelers, Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, Northern Orioles, White-crowned Sparrows, some early Whip-poor-wills, Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Sora, Virginia Rail, Common Gallinule and Veery, Blue-headed Vireo, Broad-winged Hawk, Hermit Thrush and Bobolink.
As of May 18, the following warblers have already begun to enter our area. These include Pine, Yellow, Black-throated Green, Black-throated Blue, Palm Warbler, Northern Water thrush and Yellow-rumped Warbler and Black and White.
This year, the Ruby-throated Hummingbirds did not arrive as early as I thought they would, probably due to cooler temperatures at the beginning of May. The earliest report this year was on May 6 and was reported by Susan Ellis.
Back on April 29, Rob Cunningham of Barren Canyon Road had the area’s first report of Brown-headed Cowbird, and on this same date, Allan Mills of Elizabeth Street informed me he had White-throated and Chipping Sparrows, a Northern Flicker and Dark-eyed Juncos in his yard. Later, on May 5, Allan reported the area’s first White-crowned Sparrow, also in his yard.
On May 1, Jean Marc Boulanger sighted the area’s first Baltimore Oriole for our area. This is definitely an early arrival.
Two days later, Debra Lloyd of Pembroke spotted the area’s first Ruby-crowned Kinglet.
On May 4, Karen Davis-Wirth heard the areas first Whip-poor-wills in the field behind her home. These birds are also very early. The bulk of these will arrive much later,
On this same date, Dave Coulton photographed the area’s first Rose-breasted Grosbeak, and two days later, Al Gutz of Green Lake Road had one at his feeder. Expect to see several of these birds throughout the month of May.
On May 5, Marilyn Lloyd took an excellent picture of a Northern Goshawk in her area. It is easily distinguished as a Goshawk by its white eyebrows and size. The next day, Karen Okum located a Palm Warbler in the Coben area.
On May 8, Rob Cunningham has the area’s first Veery in his backyard. It is good to see the Thrushes coming back. Keep an eye out for both Wood and Hermit Thrush over the next two weeks.
On May 9th, Jenny Lyn Bouthiller of Pembroke observed 10 American Pipits in Cobden, four White-crowned Sparrows in her area and at the Shaw Woods she spotted the areas first Broad-winged Hawk and Hermit Thrush.
The next day Bernd Kruegar of Golden Lake spotted a Great Egret in the Cobden Marsh. This scarce bird is only seen every few years in our area. Nice find!
On May 12, Helen Walsh took an excellent photo of a Red-bellied Woodpecker in her area. These woodpeckers are gradually increasing in numbers in our area annually as they follow the spread north of the Emerald Bore.
Finally, Tara Yourth photographed the area’s first spring report of Bobolinks in the Stafford third line area.
Please call me with your bird sightings at 613-735-4430 or email me at hooles@bell.net . For more information on nature, just Google the Pembroke Area Field Naturalists’ website or like us on Facebook.
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