Ottawa Field Naturalists' Club (OFNC) Ottawa/Gatineau (50 Km radius from Parliament Hill) E. Ontario, W. Quebec Compiler: Derek Dunnett at sightings@ofnc.ca Dec. 24, 2020 Highlights: Boreal Chickadee - A new Boreal chickadee in the west end of Ottawa, on Fernbank. This one has been around for several weeks, so not the Cumberland bird. The Fieldown Street chickadee was last reported on the 18th. Notable sightings: Cackling Goose - Continues with the Canada Geese on Akins road, Ottawa. Wood Duck - The pair at Billings Bridge continues, and another male appeared in the Eagleson stormwater ponds, Ottawa. Green-winged Teal - Deschenes Rapids Lookout, with Mallards. Double-crested Cormorant - Rockcliff parkway, Ottawa. Glaucous Gull - One continues at Deschenes Rapids Lookout, and another was reported from Billings Bridge, Ottawa. Great Blue Heron - Lac-des-Fées, Gatineau. Belted Kingfisher - One on Ogilvie Road, Ottawa, and another at the Carleton campus on the Rideau. Red-bellied Woodpecker - Birds continuing in Ottawa at the western edge of the Britannia Conservation Area, at the Hilda Road Feeders, and coming to a feeder at Kanata Lakes. New reports in the West on Harbour Street (near Fitzroy PP), and the East on Newton Lane, Ottawa. Continuing in Gatineau at Parc du Lac-Leamy. Winter Wren - Continues on Old Quarry Trail (in the marsh), Ottawa, and another on Wolf Grove Road, Lanark. Carolina Wren - The only report this week was on Villa Crescent, but others are probably still around. Gray Catbird - Cumberland Village, Ottawa. Eastern Bluebird - Continues on Quigley Hill Rd, Ottawa. A flock of six in the vacant lot next to the Golf du château Cartier in Gatineau. Hermit Thrush - A few individuals at: Parc du Lac-Beauchamp, Gatineau, and at Britannia Conservation Area, Merivale Gardens, Vincent Massey Park, and South March Highlands Conservation Forest, Ottawa. Two Christmas bird counts were held in the OFNC Circle over the weekend, and the winter finch super flight was well represented. Both counts had all the winter finches except Purple Finch. The 102nd Ottawa-Gatineau count found 5,700 Bohemian Waxwing, more than ten times the ten year average. The 5th Richmond CBC had 1800 Common Repolls. Purple Finch - One reported singing on Lisgar Road, Ottawa. Hoary Redpoll - One at the Canada Aviation and Space Museum, another at Soldiers Line, Richmond, Ottawa, 5 on the Jock Trail, Richmond, Ottawa, and 5 more in The Nation, Prescott and Russell, all reported in flocks of Common Redpolls. White-crowned Sparrow - A First year bird continues on Shirley Avenue, and an adult on Flewellyn, Ottawa. Swamp Sparrow - Parc du Lac-Beauchamp, Gatineau. Eastern Towhee - The female continues in Fine Estate, Ottawa. Field Sparrow & Song Sparrow - On Rideau Garden Drive, Ottawa. Red-winged Blackbird - The male continues on Cardinal Creek Trail behind Caprihani, Ottawa. A note on covid and birding in the National Capital Region: crossing health unit boundaries or provincial borders for non-essential reasons could lead to big fines, as could a spontaneous gathering of birders around a rarity.