Summer Series of Birding 2009 - Trip #9 Report

We brougth this year's Summer Series of Birding to an end today at Ile-de-la-Visitation in Montreal with guest leader Joel Coutu. 18 birders turnout out for a hot and humid walk along the numerous trails throughout the park and along the Riviere des Prairies shore. The dominant sound of the day was, no doubt, the constant song of hundreds and hundreds of cicadas.

Given the heat and humidity, bird life was mostly laying low in the trees trying to stay cool. However we managed to come up with a total of 35 species for the morning. Earlier in the week, Joel had spotted a Black-billed Cuckoo in the park, so all eyes were scanning the trees for this bird today. Joel believed that he may have caught a glimpse of the bird in the same location today, but we were unable to locate it again for a better view.

Our thanks to Joel for leading the trip today and for his expert knowledge of the park and its inhabitants.

I will be preparing a full summary of our 9 Summer Series outings in time for the next Song Sparrow newsletter. In the meantime, thanks to everyone who came out to participate in this year's edition of the Summer Series of Birding. We had some great days, with great birds and fun times.

Now, on to the list of today's species.

1 Canada Goose Bernache du Canada, 1 American Black Duck Canard noir, 16 Mallard Canard colvert, 1 Wood Duck Canard branchu, 2 Double-crested Cormorant Cormoran à aigrettes, 5 Great Blue Heron Grand Héron, 2 Black-crowned Night-Heron Bihoreau gris, 1 Spotted Sandpiper Chevalier grivelé, 200 Ring-billed Gull Goéland à bec cerclé, 4 Great Black-backed Gull Goéland marin, 24 Rock Pigeon Pigeon biset, Black-billed Cuckoo Coulicou à bec noir (probable), 2 Belted Kingfisher Martin-pêcheur d'Amérique, 2 Downy Woodpecker Pic mineur, 6 Northern Flicker Pic flamboyant, 1 Great Crested Flycatcher Tyran huppé, Flycatcher (sp) Moucherolle (espèces), 2 Eastern Warbling-Vireo Viréo mélodieux, 12 Red-eyed Vireo Viréo aux yeux rouges, 1 Blue Jay Geai bleu, 4 American Crow Corneille d'Amérique, 1 Barn Swallow Hirondelle rustique, 12 Black-capped Chickadee Mésange à tête noire, 3 White-breasted Nuthatch Sittelle à poitrine blanche, 14 American Robin Merle d'Amérique, 6 Cedar Waxwing Jaseur d'Amérique, 2 Yellow Warbler Paruline jaune, 1 Blackburnian Warble Paruline à gorge orange, 1 Ovenbird Paruline couronnée, 1 Song Sparrow Bruant chanteur, 10 Northern Cardinal Cardinal rouge, 30 Common Grackle Quiscale bronze, 2 Baltimore Oriole Oriole de Baltimore, 6 American Goldfinch Chardonneret jaune, 6 House Sparrow Moineau domestique

A Cockatiel was also heard and seen in a tree beside on of the paths