The Bird reported yesterday in Ottawa at Dow's Lake on the Rideau Canal was present until at least 5:15. That's when I watched it fly to the north and did not refind it. I checked for 15 minutes but it had broken its pattern of resting on a gravel bar, feeding and returning to rest. It had done that throughout the day. At that time all of the cormorants were heading north, one by one, likely going to the Ottawa River for the night, possibly roosting at the colony in the Deschenes Rapids at Britannia.
Brian Morin Directions: Dow's Lake is a wide area of the Rideau Canal south of Carling Ave. and off Queen Elizabeth Driveway. Some people parked at the Dow's Lake Pavilion around the loop road but that was only in the afternoon. There was a police car there earlier which may have disuaded people from stopping. Others parked in the adjacent Arboretum at the top of the hill on Prince of Wales Drive, east of the traffic circle. If parking there, go into the Arboretum, keep to the right and follow around to the second parking lot. You can also drive around the lake to the east side, turn east on the short connector street and park on Dow's Lake Rd. You can then walk back to the edge of the lake which gives you a clear view of the gravel bar from Queen Elizabeth Driveway. This is the closest view. -- Ontbirds and Birdnews are moderated email Listservs provided by the Ontario Field Ornithologists (OFO) as a service to all birders in Ontario. Ontbirds is reserved for sightings of provincially rare birds. To post a message on Ontbirds, send an email to: [email protected]. If you have any questions or concerns, contact the Ontbirds Moderators by email at [email protected]. Please review posting rules and guidelines at http://ofo.ca/site/content/listserv-guidelines During the COVID-19 pandemic, all Ontario birders should be taking extra precautions and following local, provincial, and federal regulations regarding physical distancing and non-essential travel. To find out more about OFO, please visit our website at ofo.ca or Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/OntarioFieldOrnithologists.
