Upper Canada Migratory Bird Sanctuary - Fall Birding & Camping

Trumpeter Swans coming in for a landing on the Saint Lawrence River in the early hours of the morning.

One aspect of wildlife photography that I’ve come to love is the changing seasons and the different species you can target over the course of the year. Late fall is a great time to photograph and observe migratory waterfowl in many parts of Eastern Canada. This past year in particular I’ve really grown to enjoy photographing different species of ducks. In the past I would have seen large groups of waterfowl out on a lake and thought “oh yea just a bunch of ducks” (thinking all ducks were mallards and I’d continue about my day) but my mind has been blown away by how many different species of ducks there are now that I’ve taken the time to truly observe them. I think part of me loves photographing ducks because I find something endearing about how these amazing creatures humbly go about their days (often in close proximity to many humans and urban areas) while going unnoticed by so many people. Plus, there’s nothing quite like being on the side of a peaceful body of water with your camera just soaking everything in.

At the end of October, I was itching for at least one last overnight adventure this year in the camper van. I’ve had a pin saved in Google Maps on the Upper Canada Migratory Bird Sanctuary since last winter as somewhere I’ve been wanting to check out with the camera. After a little research, it was clear that this was a hotspot for migratory waterfowl in the late fall and it didn’t take much to convince my dad to join me on the 1 hour drive from Ottawa on Friday evening after work.

We pulled into the Upper Canada Migratory Bird Sanctuary Campground later in the evening. In the last fading moments of daylight we crossed the causeway onto Nairne Island where our campsite was located - here we got our first glimpse of what the following day would bring: the channels between the islands and the mainland were packed with birds! Large groups of Ring-necked Ducks, Wigeons, Teals, and Canada Geese of course - but most impressive to us were the numbers of Trumpeter Swans (a species we don’t see often ourselves).

The fading light over the channel between Nairne Island and the mainland.

With the light now gone, we carried on to our campsite on Nairne Island with the goal of setting up camp, staying warm, and enjoying a few cans of Guinness before turning in for the night. We were surprised at how many other people were camping at the site as well given the cool temperatures and the time of year. A very nice campground with all the amenities you need.

We got up at sunrise the next morning to pack up the van and begin our birding adventure. Driving out of the campground we stopped again at the causeway and enjoyed watching all the birds that we had a preview of the night before but this time they were in the early morning golden light.

Mallard swimming against the reflection of the Fall colours.

Trumpeter Swans enjoying the early morning sun.

Trumpeter Swans. I always find it funny to watch them dabble upside down like ducks - except WAY bigger.

Large groups of Ring-necked Ducks covered the channels of the Saint Lawrence.

After watching the birds from the causeway, our plan was to drive over to the Farran Park Campground, park the van there, and walk west along the water front trail that stretched out across the waters of the Saint Lawrence. This seemed like the perfect place to photograph ducks. A few days earlier I had seen on eBird that someone was observing many Northern Pintails in this area, a species we had never seen before, so I was keen to get some photos for my lifer list.

One of the many American Wigeons we saw along this trail.

Wigeon pair.

After seeing many Wigeons, Gadwalls, and a few Pied-billed Grebes from a distance, we came across our first Northern Pintails. We were excited to see fairly large groups of them, probably around 15 or so mixed in amongst Ring-necks, Wigeons and Green-winged Teals.

The first Northern Pintail of many - from a distance.

Northern Pintails along with some Wigeons.

Green-winged Teals resting on shore.

Northern Pintails in flight.

We continued along the water front trail until we got into the forest and to the marsh boardwalks within the Upper Canada Migratory Bird Sanctuary. The water levels were extremely low so there wasn’t even any water within the marshes at this time so not much bird activity other than some very tame Chickadees and a few White-throated Sparrows. We poked our heads into the visitor’s center too before walking back out to the van.

White-throated Sparrow.

Black-capped Chickadee.

A mixed group of ducks on the walk back to the van. Ring-necks, Wigeons, and even a Redhead Duck (the only one of the day that we saw).

An eventful morning with lots of bird action had our energy levels zapped. We headed into Ingleside where we indulged in a breakfast at Jimmy’s Diner. Recommend this place for anyone in the area. For a few bucks we were stuffed with eggs and hashbrowns and each washed it down with multiple cups of complementary coffee.

Recharged, we headed back out in the van for a drive along the Long Sault Parkway. A pretty epic stretch of road. We saw a few less birds along here other than a Red-necked Grebe which I didn’t get any photos of because I was busy flying my drone.

Long Sault Parkway - DJI Mini 4 Pro.

The last of the Fall colours hanging on. I was amazed to see how clear the water was.

Once we got to the end of the parkway, we gradually made our way back to Ottawa. A very successful trip and I’m looking forward to going back again at some point! Just make sure to check yourself for ticks if you head down there - I ended up bringing one back home with me!