The Ottawa River is an IBA (Important Bird Area) especially during the spring and fall migrations. The river acts a bit like a highway, funneling the birds down from the boreal forest towards warmer weather. In Ottawa there is a number of small islands in the river that act as rest stops for these birds. Recently I went down to the river to try to spot some of the migrating birds. My first stop was the Deschênes Rapids Lookout, which as the name suggests looks out over the rapids. There wasn't much at this spot other than a few song sparrows. This spot was under the flight path for Ottawa Airport, which meant I got to try my hand at some plane photography for the first time. I will say its interesting but not something I'll get into. The second stop of the day was to Bates Island. I had last visited in March of this year. I was able to spot a few birds on this island, including a large flock of Yellow-rumped Warblers, a White-breasted Nuthatch and a chickadee, along wit...
Photography and Travel Blog