BPQ - Summer Series of Birding 2008 - Trip #2 Report

Pointe des Cascades Saturday July 5th

The Galipeau Bridge provided no problems for the 9 birders who attended Trip #2 of the Summer Series on Saturday. From our meeting spot in Dorion we headed south to Pointe des Cascades where we explored the Parc Regional. There are several great trails in the park leading through wooded areas, waterfront terrain and numerous marshy areas. It is quite a scenic park as well, with several lookout points and a very interesting pathway leading along side the very high stone walls of the old Soulanges Canal.

We discovered a nice mix of bird life in the park with several highlights. Most entertaining was a group of recently fledged Yellow Warblers. They were as curious about us as we were about them. On one occasion, one almost landed on an out-stretched finger that was pointing at him! We had a number of very vocal Gray Catbirds demonstrating their full repetoire of songs. There were several spottings of Baltimore Orioles, Brown-headed Cowbirds and one Rose-breasted Grosbeak, plus a gathering of Cliff Tree and Barn Swallows around an old lighthouse at the entrance to the canal.

After completing the tour of the park, we decided to drive west along chemin du Fleuve, through Les Cedres and into Coteau du Lac. At the foot of rue Gauthier in Les Cedres, we had a Sharp-shinned Hawk and an Osprey, as well as numerous Double-crested Cormorants participating in what seemed to be their own private fishing derby!

We concluded our day with a lunch stop at Coteau du Lac. Our totals pecies count for the day was 43.

Here is the list. Wood Duck, Mallard, Double-crested Cormorant, Great Blue Heron, GreenHeron, Turkey Vulture, Osprey, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Killdeer, SpottedSandpiper, Ring-billed Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Common Tern,Rock Pigeon, Mourning Dove, Downy Woodpecker, Northern Flicker,Eastern Kingbird, Warbling Vireo, Red-eyed Vireo, Blue Jay, AmericanCrow, Tree Swallow, Cliff Swallow, Barn Swallow, Black-cappedChickadee, White-breasted Nuthatch, American Robin, Gray Catbird,European Starling, Cedar Waxwing, Yellow Warbler, Chestnut-sidedWarbler, American Redstart, Chipping Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Red-winged Blackbird, Common Grackle, Brown-headedCowbird, Baltimore Oriole, American Goldfinch, House Sparrow - S. Harvey