Saturday, February 27, 2010

Field trip report for February 27th

Six birders with attended today’s field trip. Temperature was 2C and not as windy as expected. Started at the Saint-Catherine (s) Récré-o-parc and then moved on to rue Higgins in Chateauguay (c) - 20 species reported

18 Canada Goose (Bernache du Canada) (s)
10 Black duck (Canard noir)
(s)
300 Mallard (Canard colvert)
(s,c)
8 Common goldeneye (Garrot à oeil d'or) (s)
2 Scaup sp. (Fuligule)
(c)
40 Common Merganser (Grand harle)
(s,c)
2 Ring-billed gull (Goéland à bec cerclé)
(s)
1 Herring gull (Goéland argenté) (s)
14 Great black-backed gulls (Goéland marin)
(s,c)
4 Rock pigeon (Pigeon biset)
(s)
8 Downy woodpecker (Pic mineur) (c)
4 Hairy woodpecker (Pic chevelu)
(c)
12 American crow (Corneille d'Amérique)
(s,c)
27 Black-capped chickadee (Mésange à tête noire)
(s,c)
2 Tufted titmouse (Mésange bicolore) (c)
4 White-breasted nuthatch (Sittelle à poitrine blanche) (c)
6 European starling
(Étourneau sansonnet) (s)
2 Northern cardinal (Cardinal rouge)
(s,c)
10 American goldfinch (Chardonneret jaune) (c)
6 House sparrows (Moineau domestique)
(c)

Tom

Sightings for Saturday February 27th

New York, Ausable Point: TUFTED DUCK was easy to spot from rte 9 just before the campground entrance. The duck moved often but stayed away from the large rafts of Scaup and instead spent its time in smaller groups of 5-20 Scaup and Goldeneye, closer to shore than the larger rafts were. The water is nice and calm and great visibility allowed us to find a CANVASBACK and a REDHEAD among a raft of ~1000 mixed SCAUP as well - Matt Medler, Jay McGowan, Melanie McCormack

Ivory Gull (Mouette blanche) was still at the breakwater in Rouses Point this morning - Tom & Donna Gooley

Friday, February 26, 2010

Sightings for Friday February 26th

New York - Rousses Point: Ivory Gull (Mouette blanche) 4:15 to 5:30 pm today, and The bird was near the stone jetty at the end of Stony Point Road in the Village of Rouses Point. The bird was in the company of a small number of Herring Gulls (Goéland argenté) and Great Black-backed Gulls (Goéland marin) - Jay McGowan, Matt Medler
Bird Protection Quebec's monthly meeting

Monday March 1, 2010
7:30 pm - 9:30 pm
Knox Crescent Kensington and First Presbyterian Church, 6225 Godfrey Avenue, NDG

Birds of Prey of the Tundra: How Important Are They? - with Jean-François Therrien

Jean-François Therrien’s Ph.D. project aims to evaluate the importance of avian predators on the terrestrial food web. He is monitoring avian predators such as Snowy Owls, Rough-legged Hawks, Peregrine Falcons, and Parasitic and Long-tailed Jaegers on Bylot Island (Nunavut) and Herschel Island (Yukon). By collecting data on avian predator abundance, breeding success and diet, as well as annual abundance of their prey (mostly lemmings), he hopes to assess the relative importance of avian predators to the community structure.

Furthermore, to better understand the long-distance movements and habitat selection of these predators, he equipped 16 adult Snowy Owls with satellite transmitters and has monitored their long-distance movements since 2007. His project will thus provide information on the importance of predation for the stability of the system and will provide basic but crucial information to predict future changes in the abundance and distribution of these key species.

Jean-François was first involved in scientific research during his B.Sc. at the Université de Sherbrooke when he undertook a project on migrating birds of prey. This passion for predatory birds has brought him from the tropics to the arctic as he is now undertaking his Ph.D. at Université Laval (Québec City) on arctic birds of prey. Another great talk that is not to be missed!

Thursday, February 25, 2010

Sightings for Thursday February 25th

New York
Ivory Gull (Mouette blanche)
changed locations a little bit this morning. He was on the New York side between Sportsmans Pier and Anglers Pier around 7:15am. The easiest way to get to anglers pier(Lighthouse Point Marina) and Sportsmens pier is to go through the village of Rouses Point to the end of Rt11,turn right on to Bridge Rd.(bridge to Vermont) then turn right on to Montgomery St.--. Lighthouse Point Marina is just past Barcombs Marina and Sportsmans Pier is a couple of hundred feet past Lighthouse Point Marina. There is public parking in between the two piers at the Rouses Point boat launch - Tom and Donna Gooley

Tufted duck (Fuligule morillon) south of Plattsburgh airport - was seen from route 9 about one mile north of the intersection of route 442 and route 9. It was in a raft of about 100 Greater and Lesser Scaup - Angus Wilson

Sainte-Anne-de-Bellvue: Bald eagle flying over autoroute 40 just before the Ile aux Tourtes bridge
Pygargue à tête blanche a survolé l'autoroute 40 juste avant le pont de l'Ile aux Tourtes - Nicole F.

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Sightings for Wednesday February 24th

New York - Rousses Point: Ivory Gull (Mouette blanche) was seen this afternoon at 2pm beside The Marina at Lighthouse Point - David Millar

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Sightings for Tuesday February 23rd

St-Timothée, parc des îles: Bald eagle (Pygargue à tête blanche) (ad) - Denis Collins

Monday, February 22, 2010

Sightings for Monday February 22nd

Vermont & New York: Ivory gull (Mouette blanche) is still being seen along the Rouses Point bridge. I was all tied up on the weekend and until this afternoon but
finally managed to get to Rouses Point by 2:30 PM. I found it on the ice and best seen with scope. As the sun shifted west the views got better. The gull flew off and landed by some nearby ice fishing huts.. If it is not around the edge of the ice, people might look there. Mary-Ellen and a host of American birders were also there.
Hopefully the Ivory Gull will stick around. A magnificent bird I also found the Northern hawk owl (Chouette épervière) in Champlain next to the road in front of 494 Prospect St. What with the weather and the birds, a wonderful day - Jeff Harrison

Sunday, February 21, 2010

Sightings for Sunday February 21st


Pointe-Claire: Sharp-shinned (Épervier brun) hawk in backyard - Michael Varga - Click phot to enlarge

Montréal Botanical Gardens: Great horned owl near feeder #6 where he was sleeping in a conifer
Jardin Botanique Grand-Duc près de la mangeoire #6, qui faisait la sieste dans un conifère - Francine Tougas

Vermont & New York: Ivory gull (Mouette blanche) has been seen along the Rouses Point bridge. As of 10:00 the gull had settled onto the breakwater off Stoney Point Rd. at the south end of Rouses Point Village. Photos and Map - Bryan Pfeiffer

---------------------------------------------------------------------
Chateauguay, rue Higgins: Black-capped chickadee, Tufted titmouse, White-breasted nuthatch, Downy woodpecker, Hairy woodpecker, American tree sparrow, American goldfinch, American crow, Northern Cardinal, House sparrow
Mésange à tête noire, Mésange Bicolore, Sittelle à poitrine blanche, Pic mineur, Pic chevelu, Bruant hudsonien, Chardonneret jaune, Corneille d'Amérique, Cardinal rouge, Moineau domestique

Saint-Catherine, Récréo-parc: Bald eagle, Common goldeneye, Common merganser, Mallard, Black duck, Canada goose, Black-capped chickadee, American crow
Pygargue à tête blanche, Garrot à oeil d'or, Grand harle, Canard colvert, Canard noir, Bernache du Canada, Mésange à tête noire, Corneille d'Amérique - Tom Long


Friday, February 19, 2010

Dundee: Réserve nationale de faune du lac Saint-François: 2 Bald eagles (Pygargues à tête blanche) - Patrick Laniel

Montréal: It was some time since December that I saw a couple of Common ravens in the area of the incinerator on rue des Carrières in Rosemont neighborhood. Today, I could confirm my suspicions, both members of the couple were carrying nest building materials to the metal structure attached to the chimney to the east. The second Atlas of the Breeding Birds of Quebec begins this year and the Raven is a species whose status has changed considerably in the extreme south the province since the first atlas. This species did not breed at all on Island of Montreal at the time.
Ça faisait quelques fois depuis décembre que je voyais un couple de Grands Corbeaux dans le secteur de l'incinérateur sur la rue des Carrières dans le quartier Rosemont. Aujourd'hui, j'ai pu confirmer mes doutes, les deux membres du couple transportaient des matériaux de construction de nid sur une structure de métal accrochée à la cheminée la plus à l'est. Le terrain pour le deuxième Atlas des oiseaux nicheurs du Québec commence cette année et le Grand Corbeau constitue une des espèces dont le statut a fortement changé dans l'extrême sud de la province depuis le premier atlas. Cette espèce ne nichait pas du tout sur l'île de Montréal à l'époque. - Samuel Denault

Thursday, February 18, 2010

Sightings for Wednesday February 17th

Cap Tourmente : Evening grosbeak, Great horned owl, Barred owl, Northern saw-whet owl, Black-backed woodpecker, Pileated woodpecker, Hairy woodpecker, Downy woodpecker, Snow buntings, Tree sparrows, Black-capped chickadees, Raven, Crows, White-breasted nuthatch, Peregrine falcon, Pine grosbeak, Pine siskins, Common redpolls
Gros-Bec, Grand Duc, Chouette Rayée, Petite Nyctale, Pic à dos Rayé, Grand Pic, Pic Chevelu, Pic Mineur, Bruants des Neiges, Bruant Hudsonien, Mésange à tête noire, Grand Corbeau, Corneilles, Sittelle à Poitrine Blanche, Faucon Pellerin, Durbec des sapins, Tarin des pins, Sizerin flammé, Roselin Familier -
Serge Couvrette

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Sightings for Tuesday February 16th


Montréal Botanical Gardens: this morning Great Horned owl (Grand duc d'Amérique), Sharp-shinned hawk (Épervier brun) at Leslie Hancock Garden. Cooper's hawk (Épervier de Cooper) was also nearby - Chuck Kling - Click photo to enlarge

Monday, February 15, 2010

Sightings for Monday February 15th

Montréal: Sharp-shinned hawk (Épervier brun) on Wilson Ave. in NDG between Sherbrooke St. and De Maisonneuve Blvd. No bird feeders in sight, but fair numbers of House sparrows (Moineau domestique) and European starlings (Étoureau sasonnet) - Mike Bristol
BPQ's 2010 Winter Bird Course

We have lined up varied and interesting topics and speakers for the BPQ Winter Bird Course (see below). You can sign up for all or just some of the lectures, which will be given on alternate Wednesdays in February and March. Save mailing costs by handing in your application to the Membership Services Table at the monthly meeting.

Time: 7:30 to 9:30 p.m.
Place: Knox Presbyterian Church, 6225 Godfrey Ave, NDG
Cost: $15 per lecture for BPQ members and $20 for non-members

Raptor Identification? No Need to Despair!
with Marcel Gahbauer
DATE: 24 February


Breeding Bird Atlas Techniques, and their Application to Day-to-Day Birding
with Lance Laviolette
DATE: 10 March

Gardening for Birds - or How to Lengthen Your Life-list in Comfort
with Richard and Jean Gregson
DATE: 24 March

For a detailed course description, go to BPQ's website http://www.pqspb.org/courses.html
Download an application form at:
http://www.pqspb.org/downloads/BPQ_Wiinter_BirdCourse_2010.pdf ... or pick one up at the monthly meeting.

For further information, contact Averill Craig at: ak.craig@sympatico.ca
514-484-6575

Friday, February 12, 2010

Sightings for Friday February 12th

Pointe-Claire: Eastern Screech Owl (Petit-duc Maculé) in Terra Cotta park (Field by the Douglas Shand entrance) - Michael Varga

Montréal Jardin botanique (Botanical Gardens): Buse à queue rousse (Red-tailed Hawk) - 1, Pigeon (Rock Pigeon) - 5, Grand duc (Great Horned Owl) - 1 (magnifique!!), Pic mineur (Downy Woodpecker) - 2,Corneille d'Amérique (American Crow) - 2, Mésange à tête noire (Black-capped Chickadee) - 8, Sittelle à poitrine rousse (Red-breasted Nuthatch) - 1, Sittelle à poitrine blanche (White-breasted Nuthatch) - 1, Merle d'Amérique (American Robin) - 9, Junco ardoisé (Dark-eyed Junco) - 1, Quiscale rouilleux (Rusty Blackbird) - 2, Roselin familier (House Finch) - 18, Chardonneret jaune (American Goldfinch) - 6, Moineau domestique (House Sparrow) - 2 - Geoff Garver

Thursday, February 11, 2010

Sightings for Thursday February 11th

Montreal: Pileated woodpecker (Grand pic) was seen this afternoon on a tree in NDG Park, near the corner of Sherbrooke St. and Marcil Ave. The bird was completely unfazed by pedestrians passing close by and busy automobile traffic on the street - Mike Bristol


Châteauguay, rue Higgins: Red-bellied woodpecker (Pic à ventre roux) - Luc Laberge
Île Saint-Bernard - Refuge Faunique Marguerite D'Youville: 3 Tufted titmouse, Pileated woodpecker, 2 Common ravens, 1 Greater scaup
3 Mésanges bicolores, un Grand Pic, 2 Grands Corbeaux, un Fuligule milouinan
, etc. - Pierre Bannon

Sainte-Catherine: On the river in front of the locks at Sainte-Catherine - 50 Canada geese, Black ducks and Mallards, 1 Northern pintail, 150 Common goldeneye, 3 Barrow's goldeneye with a female well observered (orange bill with a rounder brown head), 80 Common mergansers, Red-breasted merganser (m), 2 Bald eagles, 2 Ring-billed gulls etc
sur le fleuve face aux écluses de Sainte-Catherine: 50 Bernaches du Canada, canards noirs et colverts, 1 Canard pilet, 150 Garrots à œil d'or, 3 Garrots d'Islande dont une femelle très bien observée (bec orangé, tête brun foncé plus arrondie), 80 Grands Harles, un Harle huppé (un beau mâle), 2 Pygargues à tête blanche, 2 Goélands à bec cerclé, etc. - Pierre Bannon

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Sightings for Wednesday February 10th

Verdun, Île des Soeurs: this morning in the woods - Northern flicker heard many times, and in the company of Louise Ladouceur-Côté an adult Cooper's hawk
in the afternoon at the observation platform - Harlequin duck (m), 3 Brrow's goldeneye (m), 300 Common goldeneye, 30 Common mergansers, 15 Canada geese, 2 Bald eagles, and an American kestrel that caught a rodent at the foot of the platform. Also Great black-backed and Herring gulls.
ce matin dans le boisé : un Pic flamboyant entendu à plusieurs reprises et, en compagnie de Louise Ladouceur-Côté, un Épervier de Cooper adulte.
Cet après-midi, à partir de la plateforme de la Pointe sud, un Arlequin plongeur mâle, 3 Garrots d'Islande mâles, 300 Garrots à œil d'or, 30 Grands Harles, 15 Bernaches du Canada, 2 Pygargues à tête blanche, et une jolie Crécerelle d'Amérique mâle qui est venue capturer un rongeur au pied de la plateforme. Aussi quelques Goélands marins et argentés - Pierre Bannon

Tuesday, February 09, 2010

Sightings for Tuesday February 9th

Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue: Morgan Arboretum: 1 Great Horned Owl (Grand duc d'Amérique), 60+ Bohemian waxwings (Jaseur boréal), 6 Dark-eyed Juncos (Junco ardoisé), 2 Pileated Woodpeckers (Grand pic) and many other common winter species - Chris Cloutier

St-Clet: Snowy owl at the top of a tree behind 283 Montée Ste-Julie
Harfang des neiges situé à la cime d'un feuillu, derrière le 283 Montée Ste-Julie.

St-Polycarpe: 100 snow buntings and 3 Lapland longspurs in a field near the intersection of Boulevard Cité-des-Jeunes & Chemin Ranger
100 Bruants des neiges et 3 Bruants lapon dans un champ, près de l'intersection du Boulevard Cité-des-Jeunes et du Chemin Ranger
Chemin du Ruisseau Nord: near chemin Ranger: Cooper's hawk
tout près du Chemin Ranger: Épervier de Cooper - Patrick Laniel

Montréal, Botanical Gardens: Chickadees, Goldfinch, 4-5 Downy woodpeckers, House finch, 3 Cardinals, White-breasted nuthatch (heard), Red-breasted nuthatch, 3 Crows, Great horned owl, 2 Rusty blackbirds
Jardin botanique: Nombreuses Mésanges, plusieurs Chardonnerets, 4-5 Pics mineurs, quelques Roselins, 3 Cardinaux, quelques Sitelles à poitrine blanche entendues, une Sitelle à poitrine rousse, 3 Corneilles, Grand-Duc, 2 Quiscales rouilleux - Louise Ladouceur-Côté

Verdun, Île des Soeurs: Carolina wren in the same area of the woods. Accessible from rue de Gaspé near the school. Take the main trail then the first left the wren is behind a series of pale gray brick houses
Troglodyte de Caroline toujours dans le même secteur du boisé. Le secteur est accessible par l'extrémité de la rue de Gaspé près de l'école. Prendre le sentier principal puis le premier à gauche. L'oiseau se tient derrière une série de maison en briques gris-pâle - Pierre Bannon

Monday, February 08, 2010

Sightings for Monday February 8th

Chateauguay, Île Saint-Bernard - Refuge Faunique Marguerite D'Youville: 3 Tufted titmouse (Mésanges bicolores), 1 Song sparrow (Bruant chanteur), 1 American tree sparrow (Bruant Hudsonien), 20 Black-capped chickadees (Mésanges à tête noire), 2 Northern cardinal (Cardinal rouge), White-breasted nuthatch (Sittelle à poitrine blanche), Downy woodpecker (Pic mineur)

rue Pascal: Peregrine falcon (Faucon pèlerine) having breakfast on a lampost - Tom Long


Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, Morgan Arboretum: 1 male Red-Bellied Woodpecker (Pic à vêntre roux), 47 Bohemian Waxwings (Jaseur boréal), 10 American Robins (Merle d'Amérique) (grouped), 6 White Breasted Nuthatches (Sittelle à poitrine blanche), 3 Red Breasted Nuthatches (Sittelle à poitrine rousse), 6 American Crows (Corneille d'Amérique), 4 Northern Cardinals (Cardinal Rouge), 1 Brown Creeper (Grimpereau brun), 40+ Black-Capped Chickadees (Mésanges à tête noire), 3 American Goldfinches (Chardoneret jaune), 1 Hairy Woodpecker (Pic chevelu), 1 Downy Woodpecker (Pic mineur) - Chris Cloutier

Sunday, February 07, 2010

Sighitngs for Saturday February 6th

Pincourt: Northern Hawk Owl (Chouette épervière) was along the strip of land between Blvd. Traversier and Highway 20 (in front of the Maxi parking lot) - Richard Gregson

Sept-Iles: Willow ptarmigan several individuals were found on the access road for the centrale hydroélectrique SM3 20 minutes west of Sept-Iles. Also 2 Common ravens, 78 Common redpolls, 2 Gray jays
Lagopèdes des saules
trouvés quelques individus sur le chemin d'accès de la centrale hydroélectrique de SM3 (chemin à 20 min à l'ouest de Sept-Iles. Et aussi: Grand corbeau (2), Sizerin flammé (78), Mésangeai de Canada (2) - Bruno Duchesne, Jean-François Laporte, Francis Gallant

Wednesday, February 03, 2010

Sightings for Wednesday February 3rd

Verdun, Île des Soeurs: observation platform on Île des Soeurs southern point. 45 Canada geese, 10 Mallards, 300 Common goldeneye, 3 Barrow's goldeneye, 30 Common mergansers, 2 Bald eagles... and 2 Seals probably the the same two we saw December 19th during the Montréal Christmas bird count.
Belvédère de la pointe ouest cet après-midi: 45 Bernaches du Canada, 10 Canards colvert, 300 Garrot à œil d'or , 3 Garrots d'Islande, 30 Grands Harles, 2 Pygargues à tête blanche.... et 2 phoques, probablement les 2 que nous avions vus le 19 décembre
lors du recensement de Noël de Montréal -
Pierre Bannon

Monday, February 01, 2010

Sightings for Monday February 1st

Mont-Laurier: Northern hawk owl seen 3:20 - 3:40 on rue Lalemand between rue Giroux & Godard
Chouette épervière a été observée entre 15:20 et 15:40 sur la rue Lalemand entre la rue Giroux et Godard - Alain Boisclair
 
Nature Blog Network