Summer Series of Birding 2008 - Trip #4 Report

Boucherville, Parc de la Frayere: Saturday July 19th

Most of the nine participants in Saturday's Summer Series trip travelled through some gray skies and light showers on their way to the destination site, Parc de la Frayere in Boucherville but, by the time we started our walk, the rain held off for the rest of the morning with the sun occasionally breaking through.

The water level on the St. Lawrence, and in the marsh, is still quite high into mid July, but we did manage to track down a very respectable 42 species.The highlight of the morning was actually one of the first birds seen.

We had a Common Loon swimming and diving a good distance offshore, but the scope gave all of the participants a good look at him. Humid conditions and lots of mosquitos prevented us from spending alot of time in the woods across boul. Marie-Victorin from the parking area but we did do a quick tour along the path managing to spot a number of Northern Cardinals.

Our list of species for the morning was as follows: Canada Goose, Wood Duck, American Black Duck, Mallard, Common Loon, Pied-billed Grebe, Double-crested Cormorant, Great Blue Heron, Black-crowned Night-Heron, Common Moorhen, Solitary Sandpiper, Spotted Sandpiper, Ring-billed Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Common Tern, Rock Pigeon, Mourning Dove, Belted Kingfisher, Northern Flicker, Least Flycatcher, Great Crested Flycatcher, Eastern Kingbird, BlueJay, American Crow, Tree Swallow, Black-capped Chickadee, White-breasted Nuthatch, Marsh Wren, American Robin, Gray Catbird, European Starling, Cedar Waxwing, Yellow Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, Chipping Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Swamp Sparrow, Northern Cardinal, Red-winged Blackbird, Common Grackle, Brown-headed Cowbird, American Goldfinch.

Thanks to those who participated - Sheldon