Beck on birds: Ottawa River migrants returning
Tony Beck is a pre-eminent birder and naturalist based in Ottawa, with strong roots in the Pontiac region of West Quebec, where his family has a cottage.
I caught up with Beck because April is a key migration month – and I knew he’d like to help identify some birds and respond to some crucial watershed habitat issues. I asked Beck to concentrate on the Ottawa River and comment on some intriguing species.
Nathalie Ferron
Q: Katharine Fletcher: Tony, what are key birding hotspots along the Ottawa River?
p. A: Tony Beck: The entire length of the Ottawa River is a significant corridor for migratory birds travelling between James Bay and the Atlantic. However, without question, there are a few important staging areas that consistently attract large numbers of exciting birds. During winter, any of the rapids will have a variety of waterfowl. The most significant include Morrison Island near Pembroke, Lac Deschenes between Aylmer and Britannia, and Remic Rapids around the Champlain Bridge. During migration, we have huge numbers of waterfowl, gulls, shorebirds and others come through. The best staging areas include Breckenridge Marsh, Shirley’s Bay, Andrew Haydon Park, Petrie Island, and the Quebec shoreline between Angers and Papineauville. During summer, any of our shoreline wetlands will have good diversity.
Q: What are typical marshland species?
p. A: Some of the more exciting birds include shy rails such as Virginia Rail, Sora, and Common Moorhen. Red-winged Blackbird, Swamp Sparrow, Common Yellowthroat, Great Blue Heron, Mallard and Canada Geese are common. Less common species include Pied-billed Grebe, American Bittern and Marsh Wren. American Coot and Least Bittern can be exciting. Something like a Yellow-headed Blackbird or a Sharp-tailed Sparrow would have me dancing.
Q: What are typical open water species?
p. A: Regular species out in the open water include Common Loon, Double-crested Cormorant, Common Merganser, Greater & Lesser Scaup, Common Goldeneye, and a host of different gulls (including Herring and Great Black-backed). Uncommon birds include Horned Grebe, Red-necked Grebe, Brant, White-winged Scoter, Surf Scoter, Black Scoter, Long-tailed Duck and Red-breasted Merganser. Barrow’s Goldeneye and Arctic Tern will get your heart racing. In the last year, local birders thrilled to sightings of Long-tailed Jaeger, Northern Gannet and Sabine’s Gull.
Q: What are typical shoreland species?
p. A: Besides various wetlands, the Ottawa River shoreline has a number of mudflats and rocky edges. These can be good for shorebirds, waterfowl and gulls, especially late spring, and throughout fall. The size of the mudflats vary depending on water levels. When levels are low, they can be covered in migrating birds. From late July all the way to when the river freezes at year’s end, Shirley’s Bay, Graham Bay and Andrew Haydon Park host huge numbers of staging migrants –local birders check these flocks for rare birds.
p. During summer, you can easily find Spotted Sandpiper anywhere along the river shore. Ring-billed Gull and Canada Goose are present except through the coldest months. Sifting through the gull flocks (a challenging process) sometimes produce Iceland Gull, Glaucous Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull or Bonaparte’s Gull. Common migrant waders include Killdeer, Black-bellied Plover, Semipalmated Plover, Semipalmated Sandpiper, Least Sandpiper, Dunlin, Sanderling, Lesser Yellowlegs and Greater Yellowlegs (just to name a few). Less common are Short-billed Dowitcher, Stilt Sandpiper, White-rumped Sandpiper, Ruddy Turnstone, Whimbrel and Red Knot. Lucky birders occasionally discover exciting birds such as the Long-billed Dowitcher, Red Phalarope, Buff-breasted Sandpiper, Purple Sandpiper or Western Sandpiper. Raptors hunting these birds include the uncommon Bald Eagle and Peregrine Falcon. This winter, the river was periodically visited by a rare Gyrfalcon.
Q: What formerly rare birds are increasingly common?
p. A: Birds that were once extremely rare in our area but are now seen in small numbers each year include Great Egret, Sandhill Crane, Bald Eagle, Merlin, Greater White-fronted Goose, and Ross’s Goose.
Q: Why are such species expanding their territory?
p. A: The answer to this is very complex and may not be clear. Each species has its own story for decline or increase. Birds are increasing from all directions. But, while some are increasing, others are in decline. Raptors like Peregrine Falcon and Bald Eagle are more numerous due to ban of pesticides, and reintroduction programs. Some waterfowl numbers are up due to well-funded wetland conservation, and availability of ideal feeding areas in the form of harvested farm fields. Great Egret was once on the brink of extinction after indiscriminate slaughter when their feathers were used in high fashion hat wear. Now they are protected. But, why is the American Black Duck disappearing? Why are some insectivorous birds on the decline? Are they the canaries in the coal mine?
Q: As a birder and naturalist, can you comment on the need for all of us to understand more about and become actively involved in shoreline protection?
p. A: What would we do without water? In the years ahead, it may be more precious than oil because water is life. As our population grows, we create an ever-increasing impact on our environment. If we don’t understand the consequences of our actions, we will eventually face those consequences. Only through education will we understand what we have – and how to protect it for future generations.
As a birder and naturalist, I observe the subtle connection between the life forms, their environment and how things adapt to certain conditions. Nature moves forward only by maintaining a delicate balance. Dramatic changes occur when the balance is offset. Currently, Homo sapiens are dominating the planet, and I suspect tilting the balance. We may already be witnessing the planet adjusting to the tilt. If we become too numerous, or squander our resources, nature will step in and maintain the balance on our behalf. I wonder how she might do that?
Q: Can you comment on how we can best observe birds – while keeping our distance?
p. A: Back in the old days, bird identification was accomplished with a gun. It was easy to identify, or describe a dead bird in the hand. Nowadays, binoculars and telescopes replace the old tools. Modern optics are sharp, bright, clear and relatively inexpensive. So, many birds can easily be observed from a distance. We have also learned so much about the subtle differences between species that the newest field guides are thorough, accurate, and easy to use. Reference materials just keep getting better.
p. Thankfully, there is no need to “collect” a specimen any more. Modern digital cameras can document any rare bird easily.
Having said all this, there is a certain comfort and challenge to getting close to wildlife. I use many techniques to do so. However, I always maintain a sensitivity and respect toward the subjects of my attention. If I feel the animal is nervous or using precious energy, I back off. The priority must always go to the well being of wildlife. They struggle much more than we do.
Q: A controversial issue is what to do when a species becomes, insofar as some human beings are concerned, “too numerous.” I am thinking about the cormorants, and how in some areas, they are being “controlled” by being shot or otherwise culled. As a naturalist and birder, what do you think about such “wildlife management” protocols?
p. A: It’s easy to just go in and have a shoot-em-up attitude. But it doesn’t really solve anything. Nature has a way to maintain a balance. We have to ask the question why the cormorants are so successful. Is it something we are doing to allow them to increase? Or is it just nature taking its course? If it is a natural progression, then why should we play god and interfere? If we are creating conditions for their increase, then we can take moral action to change the conditions.
p. We are so short sighted and poor learners. Do we not learn from documented stories like “The Great Sparrow Campaign” in China? In the late 50s, the Chinese government waged war against the sparrow because it was eating grain crops. The Chinese people were instructed to eradicate the birds. By 1960, with most of the sparrows gone, there were few birds to control locust populations. The locust took over, and destroyed the crops.
Q: What should we do, in your opinion, to encourage a healthy Ottawa River so that bird populations can be stabilized – or even grow?
p. A: I would like to see areas like Ottawa Beach (Graham Bay) and Shirley’s Bay set aside for wildlife only. I also feel that all shoreline should be protected, especially from development.
Katharine Fletcher: Thank-you, Tony, for your thoughtful replies and time.
Beck has grown his love of birds and nature into a full-time freelance profession. He not only offers photo workshops – he leads popular birding outings in the National Capital Region, as well as to such places as Ecuador, Costa Rica and the Galapagos. Visit www.tonybeck.ca
Katharine Fletcher telecommutes from Spiritwood Farm, north of Quyon. Her latest book, Capital Rambles: Exploring the National Capital Region, describes many nature tours including some in the Pontiac (find her books at L’Artizan and Lighthouse Books in Shawville or in bookshops at outfitters in Ottawa/Gatineau. Contact her at chesley@allstream.net
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