Chateauguay, Ile St-Bernard

Went birding on Ile St-Bernard, in Chateauguay this morning. Found 31 Species including:
American Black Duck, Bufflehead,Common Goldeneye, Common Merganser, Greater Scaup, Lesser Scaup, Mallard, Northern Pintail, Ring-necked Duck, Wood Duck, Canada Goose, Great Blue Heron, Downy Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker, Pileated Woodpecker, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Red-tailed Hawk

Sightings for Friday March 30th

Baie-du-Febvre, 250,000 Snow Geese (Oies des neiges) Rosaire Lemay

Notre-Dame-du-Mont-Carmel, rang de la Barbotte: Cackling goose (Bernache de Hutchins)

Saint-Paul-de-l'île-aux-Noix
94th. Avenue: White-fronted Goose (Oie rieuse), White-fronted Goose X Canada goose Hybrid (Oie rieuse X Bernache du Canada)
55th Avenue: American coot (Foulque d'Amérique), Ring-necked ducks (Fuligules à collier), American wigeon (Canards d'Amérique) Louise Simard

St-Barthélémy, in the flooded fields: 5000 Canada geese (Bernaches du Canada, 4000 Snow geese (Oies des neiges), 6500 Northern pintail (Canards pilets) 40 Green-winged teal (Sarcelles d'hiver), 100 each - Mallards and black ducks (Canards colverts et noirs), 2 American wigeon (Canards d'Amérique), 6 Wood ducks (Canards branchus) also seen Turkey vultures (urubus à tête rouge), Rough-legged hawks (Buses pattues), Killdeer (Pluviers kildir), Song sparrows (Bruants chanteurs), Rusty blackbirds (Quiscalles rouilleux) Olivier Barden

Sightings for Thursday March 29th

Hungry Bay Greater scaup (fuligules milouinans), Canada Geese (Bernaches de Canada), Northern pintails (canards pilets), Mallards (colverts), Common goldeneye (garrots à oeil d'or), Ring-necked duck (fuligules à collier), 3 Merganser species (3 espèces de harles), 1 Redhead (fuligule à tête rouge)
montée Smellie 10:00 à 14:00: Golden eagle (aigle royal), Red-tailed hawks (buses à queue rousse), Turkey vultures (urubus à tête rouge), Northern harrier (busard des marais), Coopers hawk (épervier de Cooper), Wilson’s snipe (bécassine de Wilson), American pipit (pipit d'Amérique) Killdeer (pluviers kildirs)
On the road to Dundee, montée Quesnel and route 132: Green-winged teal (sarcelles d'hiver), Wood ducks (canards branchus) route 132, American wigeon (canards d'Amérique), Gadwall (chipeaux) rue Trépanier
Other species of note: Wild turkey (dindon sauvage), Great blue heron (grand héron) at Dundee, Pileated woodpecker (grand pic) on Carr Front, Golden-crowned kinglets (roitelets à couronne dorée), Cedar waxwings (jaseurs d'Amérique) on montée Smellie, Turkey vultures (urubus) Purple finch (roselin pourpré) on rang 4 - 50 species (espèces) Daniel Ouellette

Sightings for Wednesday March 28th

Laval, rue Dessureaux de St-Francois: 2 Iceland gulls (Goélands arctiques) Patrice Franche

Montreal, Pierre-Elliott-Trudeau airport, flew over the Air Canada “power plant” and landed beside the hanger for Air Transat: Snowy Owl (Harfang des neiges) C. Geraghty

Maskinongé and Saint-Barthélemy: 3 Snowy Owls (Harfangs des neiges) rang Grand-Saint-Jacques, chemin de la Rivière-aux-Pins, and montée Saint-Laurent M. Boulard, M. Boulard

Sightings for Tuesday March 27th

Longueuil, Longueuil regional park: 2 American woodcock calling (Bécasses d'Amérique), Killdeer (Pluvier Kildir) Jean Marc Béliveau

Laval: Turkey vulture (Urubu à tête rouge) Alain Robert

Sightings for Sunday March 25th

Chateauguay, Higgins: Eastern towhee (Tohi à flancs roux) Régis Fortin

Mount Royal cemetary: 5 Turkey vultures (Urubus à tête rouge), Bald eagle (Pygargue à tête blanche), 2 Northern harriers (Busards Saint-Martin), Coopers hawk (Épervier de Cooper), 2 Red-shouldered hawks (Buses à épaulettes), Red-tailed hawks (Buse à queue rousse), Merlin (Faucon émerillon) Pierre Bannon

Verdun, between Île des Sœurs and the Douglas hospital: Double-crested cormorant (Cormoran à aigrettes), Northen pintails (Canards pilets), Buffleheads (Petits garrots), Ring-necked ducks (Fuligules à collier), Gadwall (Canards chipeau), American wigeon (Canards d’Amérique), Common mergansers (Grands harles),Common goldeneye (Garrots à œil n’or). In front of the Douglas hospital a Long-tailed duck (Harelde kakawi) 11 Great blue herons (Grands hérons) standing on nests on Heron Island. Diane Demers

St-Hubert airport: Snowy owl (Harfang des neiges)

Chambly, fort Chambly: Common goldeneye (Garrots à oeil d'or), Mallards (colverts), Ring-necked duck (Fuligule à collier), Hooded merganser (Harle couronné)

St-Basile, compostage site: Red-tailed hawk (Buses à queue rousse), Rough-legged hawk (Buse pattue), Short-eared owl (Hibou des marais), Horned larks (alouettes) 1 Snow bunting (Bruant des neiges), Killdeer (Pluviers kildirs), Red-shouldered hawk (Buse à épaulettes), Turkey vultures (Urubus à tête rouge), Gyrfalcon (Faucon gerfaut), Northern harrier (Busard St-Martin) Jean Marc Béliveau

Dorval, Pierre-Elliott-Trudeau airport: Snowy owl (Harfang des neiges) C. Geraghty

Saint-Paul-de-l'Île-aux-Noix Richelieu river: White-fronted Goose (Oie rieuse) L. Simard, J. May

Sightings for Saturday March 24th

Chateauguay
Rue Higgins: Red-bellied woodpecker (Pic à ventre roux), Eastern towhee (Tohi à flancs roux), Tree Sparrows (Bruant hudsonien), Downy & Hairy woodpeckers (Pics mineur et Chevelu), White-breasted nuthatch (Sittelles à poitrine blanche), Chickadees (Mésanges à tête noire), Mourning doves (Tourterelle Triste), Blue jays (Geais bleus), American crows (Corneilles d'Amérique), American robins (Merles d'Amérique), junco (Juncos ardoisés), Northern cardinals (Cardinaux rouges), House sparrow (Moineaux domestiques), Starlings (Étourneaux sansonnets), Cowbird (Vacher à tête brune), Common grackle (Quiscale bronzé) T. Long Great horned owl (Grand duc) heard calling from Kahnawake. Pierre Bannon

mouth of the Châteauguay river: 14 Wood ducks (Canards branchus), Ring-necked ducks (Fuligules à collier), Greater and lesser scaup (Fuligules milouinans et Petits Fuligules), Bufflehead (Petit Garrot), Common goldeneye (Garrots à œil d'or), Common mergansers (Grands Harles), Mallards (Canards colvert), Black ducks (Canards noir) T. Long

Saint-Timothee: Great horned owl on nest (Grand duc), 8 Killdeer (Pluviers kildirs) T. Long

Baie-du-Febvre: 2000 Snow geese (Oies des neiges) Rosaire Lemay

Sightings for Thursday March 22nd

Godmanchester, montée Smellie: 2 Golden eagles (Aigles royaux), 1 Bald eagle (Pygargue à tête blanche), 2 Red-tailed hawk (Buses à queue rousse), 1 Accipiter (Épervier sp), 1 Northern harrier (Busard Saint-Martin), 1 Turkey vulture (Urubu à tête rouge). Also 1 Raven (Grand Corbeau), Killdeer (Pluviers kildirs)
Sainte-Barbe: Turkey vulture (Urubu à tête rouge) 200 Snow geese (Oies des neiges)
Beauharnois: 2 Turkey vultures (Urubu à tête rouge)
Chateauguay, mouth of the Châteauguay river: 2 Wood ducks (Canards branchus), 2 Ring-necked ducks (Fuligules à collier), Greater and lesser scaup (Fuligules milouinans et Petits Fuligules), Bufflehead (Petit Garrot), Common goldeneye (Garrots à œil d'or), Common mergansers (Grands Harles) Monique Groulx & Pierre Bannon

Kahnawake: Turkey vulture (Urubu à tête rouge) T. Long

Sightings for Thursday March 11th

Verdun, across from the Douglas hospital: 4 Greater scaup (Fuligules milouinans), Common goldeneye (Garrots à œil d'or), American wigeon (Canards d'Amérique), Gadwall (Canards chipeau)
Dorval, Parc du Millénaire: 39 Greater scaup (Fuligules milouinans), Barrow’s goldeneye (Garrot d'Islande), Red-winged blackbirds (Carouges à épaulettes) on the neighbouring streets
Sainte-Catherine: 6 Barrow’s goldeneye (Garrot d'Islande) Pierre Bannon

A lucky streak

A friend and I decided to profit from the great weather and extra hour of daylight by doing some South Shore birding this afternoon; neither of us had been able to get out for a while and the craving was on us. We thought we'd go to Parc de la Frayère in Boucherville and see if we could find a Long-eared Owl (Hibou moyen-duc), or two. Turned out to be no trouble: not far from the trail head, we came upon a small knot of people armed with cameras and binoculars and figured we were in the right place. Sure enough, a Long-eared Owl, clutching a vole in its talons was perched in quite an open location. We got great views--the best my friend and I had ever had of this species.

Having heard some of the other birders at Parc de la Frayère talk about the Short-eared Owl (Hiboux des marais), at the Saint-Basile composting site, we then decided to try our luck there. The afternoon was young, the weather was perfect, and the fact that neither of us had a clue where the composting site is was no obstacle, in our view: after all,Saint-Basile is a small town, and we were sure we'd find it easily enough. Amazingly, this proved to be true! Moreover, just as we got there, another birder was leaving the site; he not only confirmed that he'd seen a Short-eared Owl but kindly gave us detailed directions onhow to find it. We followed the directions and came up trumps again--again, our best ever looks at this particular species. Had we not encountered our helpful friend, we'd have had no chance of finding the bird.

We were now pumped and the sight of Mont Saint-Hilaire not far away gave us another idea: why not head over there and get us a gyr? Westill had a couple of hours of daylight in hand and we felt we wereon a roll. So to Mont Saint-Hilaire we went. Not five minutes after we arrived at the viewing field, the white Gyrfalcon (Faucons gerfaut) flew up and gave us a short but satisfying show! If we'd arrived much later, we probably wouldn't have seen it, as the only reason we could find it perched wasthat we had seen it fly in.

By this point, we felt that it would be reasonable to make up our minds to drive to Chambly to look for a bird of paradise with good hopes of success--at the very least, we should have bought lottery tickets! However, it was after 6:00 and our dinners were calling us, so we called it a day.A hat trick like this makes up for quite a few disappointments--such as dipping out on the Black-throated Gray!

Zofia

Sightings for Thursday March 11th

Montreal, Botanical Gardens: European goldfinch (Chardonneret élégant), at the feeders near the parking lot, Charles Ménard

Châteauguay, rue Higgins: Red-winged blackbirds (Carouges à épaulettes), Eastern towhee (Tohi à flancs roux) Pierre Bannon

Sainte-Catherine: Perigrine falcon (Faucon pèlerin), Common goldeneye (Garrots à
œil d'or), 3 Barrow’s goldeneye (Garrots d'Islande) Pierre Bannon - Song sparrow (bruant chanteur), American robin (merle d'Amérique), Bald eagle (Pygargue à tête blanche) on the eastern tip of Heron island Daniel Ouellette

Verdun, across from the Douglas hospital: Long-tailed duck (Harelde kakawi), Gadwall (Canards chipeau), 2 American wigeon (Canards d'Amérique) Pierre Bannon

Sightings for Thursday March 3rd

Ste-Julie, 1513 des Boutons-d'or: Yellow-Headed Blackbird (Carouge À Tête Jaune) T. Long, S. Veysey

Sightings for Thursday March 1st

Saint-Hyacinthe, route 116 coming from Sainte-Madeleine less than 1km from the small airport: Snowy owl (Harfangs des neiges) Serge Barceloux

Ste-Julie, 1513 des Boutons-d'or: Yellow-Headed Blackbird (Carouge À Tête Jaune) Raymond Belhumeur

Saint-Hubert,
at the airport: 2 Snowy owls (Harfangs des neiges)
boul.Clairevue: 20 Gray partridge (Perdrix grises) Raymond Belhumeur

Châteauguay, rue Higgins: Red-bellied woodpecker (Pic à ventre roux), Carolina wren (Troglodyte de Caroline), Pileated woodpecker (Grand Pic), Northern flicker (Pic flamboyant), Purple finch (Roselin pourpré) Nelson Roy