Mt St Bruno Field Trip Report for June 16th

The last officially scheduled field trip of the season was well attended by birders (if not birds) with seventeen enthusiasts showing up and enjoying a leisurely stroll along the Sentier du Grand Duc. This trail is alittle rougher than others in the park but led through a variety of potentially good habitats near the park's entrance. For the last half hourof the trip we passed through the small but interesting arboetum section of the park, As is often the case at this time of the year, the combination of birds no longer being as vocal this far into the breeding season and a late start (if one goes by "bird standard time" - they have already been up for four hours by the time we started at 8:00 a.m.), we had to work hard for our sightings. Our best avian views were of a very cooperative indigo bunting, several close cedar waxwings and several redstarts in a variety of plumages, not to mention with a variety of songs! Views of both geese and a mallard duck with young in tow were as usual with met with many oohs and aahs.

On the mammalian list were at least one and probably 2 different foxes who crossed paths with us and 2 deer, one of which refused to be disturbed from her morning siesta while lying in a field as we trooped by. Squirrels and chipmunks abounded.

Our complete list of 44 species (several seen only by Jean, Clemence and Carol as they waited patiently early in the morning for the gate to open) is given below.

Thanks to everyone for coming out. A big welcome to Carole on her first trip with us and a special big thank you to Jean and Clemence who once again lived up to their "volunteers of the year" award winning status by giving Carole a lift to the trip and helping her out with seeing and ID'ing the birds throughout the walk. Thanks to Tom for his extra pair of binoculars. Thanks to Sheldon for co-leading and suggesting a walk through the arboretum section.

Remember that Sheldon's "Summer Series of Birding" trips will begin in twoweeks time. Watch your e-mails for details.

40 Canada geese, 7 Mallards (1 female and 6 young), 2 Great blue herons, 1 Turkey vulture, 2 hawk species, both of which were too quick for positive ID, 12 Ring-billed gulls, 1 Rock Pigeon, 1 Ruby-throated hummingbird, 1 Belted kingfisher, 6 Yellow-bellied sapsuckers, 1 Downy Woodpecker, 3 Northern flickers, 1 Eastern wood pewee, 2 Alder flycatchers, 1 Willow flycatcher, 1 Eastern Kingbird, 3 Red-eyed vireos, 1 Blue Jay, 6 American Crows, 1 Tree swallow, 1 Barn Swallow, 6 Black-capped chickadees, 2 White-breasted nuthatches, 3 Veeries, 24 American Robins, 2 European Starlings, 8 Cedar Waxwings, 1 Nashville Warbler, 4 Yellow warblers, 1 Chestnut-sided warbler, 6 American Redstarts, 1 Ovenbird, 3 Common yellowthroats, 2 Chipping Sparrows, 3 Song sparrows, 1 White throated sparrow1, Northern Cardinal, 4 Indigo Buntings, 3 Bobolinks, 5 Red-winged blackbirds, 6 Common grackles, 3 Brown-headed cowbirds, 30 American Goldfinches

Thanks to everyone for coming out. A big welcome to Carole on her first trip with us and a special big thank you to Jean and Clemence who once againlived up to their "volunteers of the year" award winning status by giving Carole a lift to the trip and helping her out with seeing and ID'ing thebirds. Thanks to Tom for his extra pair of binoculars.

Wayne