Sightings for Saturday October 10th

The NORTHERN WHEATEAR (TRAQUET MOTTEUX) continued to put on a great show at the composting site in St-Basile-le-Grand this morning. We had the opportunity to observe the bird for well over an hour. It continues to frequent the area around the truck weigh
station opposite the entrance to the site, as well as around the heavy equipment
just inside the wire fence at the entrance.

Fellow BPQers Diane Demers, Mark Dennis and his wife, and Mary Ellen Graham were also on hand at various times this morning to see the bird, together with several other birders from various locations.

In a brief look around the fields at the site, we were able to spot a Red-tailed Hawk (Buse à queue rousse), Northern Harrier (Busard Saint-Martin), Yellow-rumped Warblers (Paruline à croupion jaune), White-throated (Bruant à gorge blanche) and White-crowned Sparrows (Bruant à couronne blanche) as well as several flocks of migrating Canada Geese (Bernache du Canada) and Red-Winged Blackbirds (Carouge à épaulettes).

Also, heading back towards Highway 116, on one of the residential side-streets off of Montee Robert, we saw an incredibly large mixed flock of birds on the ground and in trees surrounding a public park. There were numerous European Starlings (Étourneau sansonnet), but the flock was dominated by Common Grackles (Quiscale bronzé), easily 500 or more.

The leaves have turned nicely on Mont St-Bruno. It should be an excellent outing next Saturday to the Lac-Boivin Reserve at Granby. We look forward to seeing everyone there, not just for the birds, but for the fall colours as well - S. Harvey

Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, l'île Ste-Thérèse, rue du Ste-Thérèse & rue les Peupliers: Lesser black-backed gull observed at the canal
Observer sur le canal de navigation, un Goéland brun - Philippe & Robert Chartier

Bassin de Chambly (basin) 17:30hrs: 2 Pied-billed grebe, 8 Horned grebe, 2 Red-necked grebe, 13 Black scoter, Gulls - Ring-billed, Herring, Great black-backed
Grèbe à bec bigarré (2), Grèbe esclavon (8), Grèbe jougris (2), Macreuse noire (13) Goèlands - bec cerclé, argenté, marin - Robert Chartier

Tadoussac: more than 700 raptors with 7 Golden eagles (Juv), Osprey, Bald eagles, Sharp-shinned hawks, Northen goshawk, Broad-winged hawk, American kestrel, Merlin, Peregrine falcon, Turkey vultures, 10 Black-backed woodpeckers, 2 Three-toed woodpeckers
plus de 700 rapaces dont 7 Aigles royaux, tous des juvéniles. balbuzard, pygargue, Épervier brun, autour, une Petite Buse tardive, Busard St-Martin, Buse à queue rousse et pattue, crécerelle, émerillon, pèlerin, et urubu. Également 10 Pics à dos
noir et 2 Pics à dos rayé. - Samuel Denault
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Danville, l'étang Burbank (pond) Canada geese, 185 Ring-necked duck, 1 Red-necked grebe, 43 Pied-billed grebe, 41 Black scoter, Mallard, Black duck, Green-winged teal, Gray catbird
Bernache du Canada, Fuligule à collier (185), Grèbe jougris (1), Grèbe à bec bigaré (43), Macreuse noire (41), Canard colvert, noir et Sarcelle à ailes verte, Quelques passereaux autour de l'étang dont 1 Moqueur chat.

Victoriaville, stopped at réservoir Beaudet around 5pm: Canada geese, 1 Cackling goose, 6000 Snow geese (will surely be more by sunset), 1 Ross's goose, Ring-necked duck, Mallard, Black duck, 2 Red-necked grebe, 3 Horned grebe, 33 Black duck, 13 White-winge scoter, Cormorants
Au retour, un arrêt au réservoir Beaudet m'a permi d'observer les espèces suivantes jusqu'à 5:00 hre: Bernache du Canada, Bernache de Hutchiin (1), Oie des neiges (6000, surement plus avant le coucher du soleil), Oie de Ross (1), Fuligule à collier, Canard colvert, noir, Grèbe jougris (2), Grèbe esclavon (3), Macreuse noire (33), Macreuse brune (13), Cormoran - Daniel Gagné