île aux Hérons Pygargues à tête blanche - Bald eagles

On 18 March, I informed you that the pair of Bald eagles present all winter on île aux Hérons had occupied a nest of a Great Heron in recent weeks. To date, however, the female had clearly not yet laid since the birds were standing in the nest.

This afternoon, I watched the nest for 90 minutes. Throughout this period, one of the birds were clearly in a position of incubation on the nest, while the other was perched on a dead tree a few hundred of meters from the nest.

The Great blue herons are now present in large numbers, and several have already occupied nests. However, all the nests near the Eagles nest are vacant and that is understandable.

A good start for the Breeding Bird Atlas: a first nest Eagles for the Montreal region. All this, a few kilometers from downtown.

I watched the nest with a 60X scope from the park waterfront, corner of Blvd. LaSalle and 1st Avenue. You can observe from the dike along the rapids. The nest is roughly in the center of the Great Blue Heron colony.

Le 18 mars dernier, je vous avais informé que le couple de Pygargues à tête blanche présent tout l'hiver sur l'île aux Hérons occupait un nid de Grand Héron depuis quelques semaines. À cette date toutefois, la femelle n'avait manifestement pas encore pondu puisque les oiseaux se tenaient debout dans le nid.

Cet après-midi, j'ai surveillé le nid pendant 90 minutes. Pendant toute cette période, un des oiseaux étaient manifestement en position d'incubation au nid, tandis que l'autre était perché sur un arbre mort à quelques centaines de mètres du nid.

Les Grands Hérons sont maintenant présents en grand nombre, et plusieurs occupent déjà des nids. Toutefois, tous les nids à proximité du nid des pygargues sont vacants et ça se comprend.

Un beau départ pour l'atlas des oiseaux nicheurs: un premier nid de pygargues pour la région de Montréal. Tout cela, à quelques kilomètres du centre-ville.

J'ai observé le nid au télescope 60X à partir du parc riverain, coin Boul. LaSalle et 1ère avenue. On peut se rapprocher en observant à partir de la digue en bordure des rapides. Le nid est à peu près au centre de la colonie de Grands Hérons. - Pierre Bannon

Sightings for Tuesday March 30th

Saint-Mathias-sur-Richelieu: The Pink-footed goose made a brief appearance at about 11:00 at the Chambly basin, with the arrival of about 700 Canada geese. It was far from shore, but visible from chemin Richelieu

L'oie à bec court a fait une courte présence vers 11h00, au bassin de Chambly, avec un arrivage de 700 Bernaches du Canada. Elle était loin du rivage, mais visible à partir du chemin Richelieu - Raymond Belhumeur
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Baie-du-Febvre: Eurasian wigeon, feeding in the company of his American cousin. The Northern pintail were everywhere, we estimate 1,600 indivuals
A Snowy owl was on a stump in the middle of the National Defence ponds.
route Janelle: 4 Lapland longspurs in the company of Snow buntings and a Horned lark
Snow geese we evaluated at 275,000 present. 1 Snow goose X Ross’s goose hybrid, 1 Ross’s goose

Canard siffleur, il se nourrissait en compagnie de son cousin d’Amérique. Le Canard pilet était omniprésents, nous avons évalué le nombre d’individus à 1 600.
Un Harfang des neiges sur un chicot en plein milieu des étangs de la défense nationale.
route Janelle: Bruant lapon (4) en compagnie du Bruant des neiges et de l’Alouette hausse-col.
l’Oie des neiges nous avons évalué à 275 000 le nombre d’oies présentes. Un Hybride Oie des neiges X Oie de Ross. Une Oie de Ross - Jacques Anctil, Serge Lemieux et Gilles Chapdelaine, Gérard Cyr

Sightings for Monday March 29th

Châteauguay, Rue Higgins: Red-bellied woodpecker (Pic à ventre roux) - Tom Long

Sightings for Sunday March 28th

Saint-Mathias-sur-Richelieu: Pink footed goose and Greater white-fronted goose were side by side and clearly visible along chemin Richelieu south of the mouth of the rivières-des-Hurons
l'Oie à bec court et l'Oie rieuse étaient côte à côte et bien visibles le long du chemin Richelieu au sud de l'embouchure de la rivières-des-Hurons. - Pierre Bannon +++

Sightings for Saturday March 27th

Chambly basin Canada goose numbers have increased in the last couple of days to about 5,000. Amongst them, I was surprised to find a PINK FOOTED GOOSE at Saint-Mathias-sur-Richelieu

bassin de Chambly Bernaches du Canada augmentent en nombre depuis quelques jours, pour atteindre aujourd'hui environ 5 000 individus. Parmi celles-ci, j'ai eu la surprise d'y trouver une OIE À BEC COURT, à Saint-Mathias-sur-Richelieu - Raymond Belhumeur - Click photo to enlarge
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Baie-du-Febvre: 2 Tundra swans, rte 132 "Halte de la Butte"

2 cygnes siffleurs à la butte de la route 132 à Baie-du-Febvre - Pierre Otis, Robert Barbeau
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Pointe des Cascades: beside the dam, 6 Bufflehead (4 m, 2 f) below the dam, Northern shovelers, Green-winged teal, American wigeon, Mallard above the dam and many Canada geese. Song sparrow, 2 Northern cardinals, Ring-billed gulls

près au barrage de Pointe des Cascades, 6 petits garrots (4 mâles 2 femelles) en bas du barrage, 3 couples de canards souchets, 2 couples de sarcelles d'hiver, 2 couples de canards d'amérique et 3 couples de colverts en haut du barrage et plusieurs bernaches. Un bruant chanteur, deux cardinal rouges, goélands à bec cerclé - Michel Juteau
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Châteauguay, Île-St-Bernard - Refuge Faunique Marguerite D'Youville: Saw my first Great egret of the year. Also Common goldeneye, Bufflehead, Common merganser at "la plage du Grillon"

Observer ma première Grande aigrette de l’année. Aussi, Garrots à œil d’or, Petits garrots et Grands harles à "la plage du Grillon". - René Lortie
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Dundee, Réserve nationale de faune du Lac Saint-Francois: digue aux aigrettes : 6 Sandhill cranes (Grue du Canada) - Pierre Lamontagne - Photos & Video
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Rimouski: At sunset tonight, a Short-eared owl was seen near the Rimouski airport

Au coucher du soleil ce soir, observer un Hibou des marais près de l'aéroport à Rimouski. - Hilde Johansen, Alexandre Anctil

Sightings for Friday March 26th

Dundee, Réserve nationale de faune du Lac Saint-Francois digue aux aigrettes : 2 Sandhill cranes (Grue du Canada) - Denis Hamel
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Baie-du-Fèbvre: Northern harrier, Rough-legged hawk, Snowy owl, Snow buntings, Lapland longspur, Song sparrow, Tree sparrow, Northern pintail, Ring-necked duck, Green-winged teal, Mallard, BLack duck, American wigeon, Gadwall, Wood duck, Snow geese, Canada geese, Cackling goose, Red-winged blackbird, Common grackle, Brown-headed cowbird, European starling, American crow, Common raven, Killdeer, Great black-backed gull, Ring-billed gull, American robin, Horned lark, Black-capped chickadee, Rock pigeon, Mourning dove

Busard Saint-Martin (1 mâle adulte au dessus de la 55 à la hauteur de Saint-Célestin), Buses pattue (2 forme claire et 2 forme foncé), Harfang des neiges (1), Bruants des neiges (100), Bruants lapon (presque en plumage nuptial), Bruants chanteur (6), Bruant hudsonien (1), Canards pilet (en très grand nombre), Fulifule à collier, Sarcelle d'hiver, Canard colvert, Canard noir, Canard d'Amérique, Canard chipeau, Canard souchet (3), Canard branchu (6), Oies des neiges, Bernache du Canada, Bernache de Hutchin (3), Carouges à épaulette, Quiscales bronzé, Vacher à tête brune, Étourneau sansonnet, Corneille d'Amérique, Grand corbeau, Pluvier kildir (2), Goéland marin, Goéland à bec cerclé, Merle d'Amérique, Alouette hausse-col, Mésange à tête noire, Pigeon biset, Tourterelle triste - Marc Bois, Jean-Michel Lagueux-Tremblay

Sightings for Thursday March 25th

Montréal: An excellant day for raptor migration at parc-nature de l'ile de la Visitation. 32 bird species were seen including: 1 Turkey vulture, 1 Sharp-shinned hawk, 2 Cooper's hawk (nesting in the park) 2 Red-shouldered hawk, 5 Red-tailed hawk, 1 Merlin, 3 Golden eagles (2 adults & 1 imm.) also Killdeer, 1200+ Snow geese, 20 Northern pintail

Une excellent journee pour la migration des rapaces aux parc-nature de l'ile de la Visitation. Permis les 32 especes d'oiseaux observe, Urubu a tete rouge (1), Épervier brun (1), Épervier de Cooper (2, les nicheurs du parc), Buse a épaulettes (2), Buse a queue rousse (5), Faucon émerillon (1), et les Aigles royal, 2 adultes, et 1 immature. Aussi Pluvier kildir, Oie des neiges (1200+), Canard pilet (20+) - Joel Coutu
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Ste-Foy: I took the opportunity to go do some Hawk watching from Parc de la Plage Jacques-Cartier during my lunch hour.
Here are the interesting observations: 1 Golden eagle (ad), 1 Bald eagle (sub ad.) , 1 Red-shouldered hawk, 1 Cooper's hawk, 1 Sharp-shinned hawk, 2 Rough-legged hawks, Killdeer, 2 Double-crested cormorants

J'en ai profité pour aller faire un peu de "hawkwatch" à partir du Parc de la Plage Jacques-Cartier durant mon heure de dîner.
Voici ce que j'ai pu y observer d'intéressant : Aigle royal 1 (adulte), Pygargue à tête blanche 1 (subadulte), Buse à épaulettes 1, Épervier de Cooper 1, Épervier brun 1, Buse pattue 2, Pluvier kildir 1, Cormoran à aigrettes 2 - Sébastien Rioux
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Baie-du-Fèbvre: 1000’s Snow geese, 1 Golden eagle, 2 Rough-legged hawks, 1 Osprey, 1 Norhtern harrier
Beside rte. Janelle, in front of the Interprétation center: 1 Barnacle goose, 1 Cackling goose chemin Lacerte(Route Verte): Snow buntings, 1 Horned lark, 2 Lapland longspurs

1000’s Oies des neiges, 1 Aigle royal, 2 Buses patties, 1 Balbuzard pêcheur, 1 Busard St-Martin
Près de la route Janelle, en face du Centre d'interprétation: 1 Bernache nonette, 1 Bernache de Hutchins.
chemin Lacerte (Route Verte), un bon groupe de Bruants des neiges, une Alouette hausse-col, 2 Bruants lapon - Gisèle Gilbert

Faucons pèlerins de l'Université de Montréal - University of Montréal, Peregrine falcons - BLOG - WEBCAMS
The first egg was produced last night March 24 between 11:35 & 11:40
La premier oeuf, ça s'est produit hier soir 24 Mars entre 11h35 et 11h40

Wednesday March 24th

Having being forced to sit out the last two days because of the weather, Mabel and I headed to the hawksite this morning with bated breath. The first sunny day after wet weather is generally better for hawks than at any other time, but because of the accompanying cold front we didn't expect miracles (warm fronts are best).

What turned out to be a sunny but very windy day found us half-way to St-Stanislas de Kostka . Our first bird was the first Turkey Vulture of the season, quickly followed by a parade of eagles, mixed in with Red-shouldered Hawks, Rough-legged Hawks, Red-tailed Hawks and Northern harriers. The eagle parade on the 18th was a record breaker but today's parade outshone it. After standing in the cold wind, holding onto the scope, for over 7 hours, finishing at 5.45 p.m., our tally was 20 Golden Eagles and 5 Bald Eagles. We actually saw more eagles but decided to discount a few of them to avoid possible double counting, so the tally could have been even higher. (In strong winds hawks and eagles zigzag in order to get where they are headed, sometimes leading to some limited backtracking. Also, the 10s of thousands of geese constantly flushing from the fields sometimes causes you to loose track of a bird.).

At this point we have already recorded 70 eagles, 80% of which were Goldens. Whether this will continue at this pace for the next couple of weeks is anybodies guess, but it is unlikely. We may have seen the majority of the Goldens already, but there are still lots of Bald Eagles to come.

Cheers, Bob.

Sightings for Tuesday March 23rd

bassin de Chambly (basin) Saint-Mathias-sur-Richelieu: Gyrfalcon, Greater white-fronted goose, Canada geese, Common merganser, Hooded merganser, Common goldeneye, Bufflehead, Lesses scaup, Ring-necked duck
Faucon gerfaut, Oie rieuse, Bernache du Canada, Grand harle (20), Harle couronné (4), Garrot à oeil d'or (25), Petit Garrot (4), Petit Fuligule (6), Fuligule à collier (3)

Saint-Luc, l'île Ste-Thérèse rue Waegener: Lesser black-backed gull (Goéland brun)

Sightings for Monday March 22nd

Baie-du-Febvre: Eurasian wigeon, seen at the "Halte de la butte"
other species seen Greater white-fronted goose, Snow goose, Canada goose, Ducks - Wood, Gadwall, American wigeon, Black, Mallard, Shoveler, Pintail, Redhead, Ring-necked, Ruddy. Northern harrier, Ring-billed Gull, Great black-backed gull, Snowy Owl, Tree and Song sparrow etc.
The lagoons are not thawed, but will be soon. There were about 100,000 Snow geese on the ice at the river and approximately another 75,000 geese along Route 132. approximately 40,000 Canade geese were in the area

Canard siffleur, que nous avons observé à la butte.
Autre espèces vues: oie rieuse, oies des neiges, bernache du canada, canard - branchu, chipeau , d'Amérique, noir, colvert, souchet, pilet, fuligule a tête rouge, fuligule à collier, érismature. busard St-Martin, goéland à bec cerclé et marin, harfang des neiges, bruant hudsonien et chanteur. Plus les espèces communes.
Les étangs d'épurations ne sont pas dégelés, mais ça sera pour bientôt. Ils y avait environ 100,000 oies sur la glace du fleuve et environ un autre 75000 oies en bordure de la route 132. ( évaluation très sommaire) Pour les bernaches environ 40,000 - J. Héneault, M. Fleury, S. St-Louis, D. Gagné +

Sightings for Sunday March 21st

St-Eustache, au coin de (corner of) 58e ave & Grande Cote: Northern mockingbird (Moqueur polyglotte) - Sylvie Vanier

Baie du Febvre: Barnical goose near rte 132 east of the first observation stop
Bernache nonnette près de la route 132 est et de la première halte d'observation - Jean-Marc Hébert & Pierre Lamontagne

Bird Protection Quebec's March 13th Field trip Report

Montréal

19 people showed up for the Montréal Botanical Gardens field trip this morning. 22 species were seen.
The weather was cloudy and the rain held off until the very end of the trip.

The birds seen were:
300 Canada Goose, 10 Mallard, 300 Ring-billed Gull, 2 Cooper's Hawk, 1 Hawk sp., Northern Cardinal, 10 Red-winged Blackbird, 35 American Crow, 12 European Starling, 30 Cedar Waxwing, 1 Dark-eyed Junco, 30 American Robin, 50 Black-capped Chickadee, 2 Downy Woodpecker, 4 Rock Pigeon, 2 Common Grackle, 1 White-breasted Nuthatch, 1 Red-breasted Nuthatch, 1 Golden-crowned Kinglet, 10 House Finch, 50 American Goldfinch, 1 House Sparrow
Bernache du Canada, Canard colvert, Goéland à bec cerclé, Épervier de Cooper, Autour des palombes, Cardinal rouge, Carouge à epaulettes, Corneille d'Amérique, Étourneau sansonnet, Jaseur d'Amérique, Junco ardoisé, Merle d'Amérique, Mésange à tête noire, Pic mineur, Pigeon biset, Quiscale bronze, Sittelle à poitrine blanche, Sittelle à poitrine rousse, Roitelet à couronne dorée, Roselin familier, Chardonneret jaune, Moineau domestique

The birds of the day were, without doubt, the pair of Cooper's Hawks who entertained our group for many minutes. The male was busy bringing twigs to the future nest while the female watched. Finally the pair coupled so quickly that some people who had turned away for a
moment missed out on the voyeurism.

Thanks to all who made the trip so enjoyable. - Guy Zenaitis

Black vulture

Although it was raining when we set out, by the time we got to the Valleyfield hawksite at around noon, the weather was brightening considerably. Later the sun came out locally, although rain and cloud still persisted in the Adirondacks.

After a couple of Rough-legged and Red-tailed Hawks had passed overhead we turned to face east to check for any hawks missed overhead (something we do automatically). A high bird caught our attention. The flap was unique, couldn't be mistaken. So was the silhouette. It was the first Black Vulture we had seen in spring migration since the hawkwatch began back in 1980. (By comparison, the fall migration, at two individuals recorded in 30 years, the latest of which was last October, practically drips with Black Vultures!) In the telescope the bird
showed the off-white primary tips typical of the species.

As we watched the bird circle away to the north, the roar of geese taking off down the road from us signalled the arrival of an adult Golden Eagle, which circled twice, then flapped and glided north, following the vulture.

What made this sighting even more amazing was the very early date and the fact that this was the first vulture of any species we had seen at the hawksite this spring. Not a single Turkey Vulture had yet passed by. You just never know.

Good birding. Cheers, Bob

Sightings for Saturday March 20th

Dundee, Réserve nationale de faune du Lac Saint-Francois digue aux aigrettes : 2 Sandhill cranes, Northern pintails, Ring-necked ducks, Green-winged teal, American wigeon, 2 Northern harrier, many Song sparrows and Tree sparrows. Many Canada geese and Snow geese in the fields in the area
2 Grues du Canada, Canards pilets, Fuligules à collier, Sarcelles d'hiver Canards d'Amérique. 2 Busards St-Martin, beaucoups de Bruants chanteurs et de Bruants hudsonien. Beaucoup de Bernaches et d'Oies des neiges dans les champs environnant - Denis Collins

Darlene and I decided to bird yesterday morning along the western shore of the Richelieu River, hoping to find a number of the early arrivals of the season.

You know it's going to be a good day when your first bird of the day is a Lesser Black-backed Gull! The bird was found on a patch of quickly disappearing ice, eating a fish, near the small bridge crossing over on to Ile-Ste-Therese. We were able to get some very nice photos of the bird.

We moved along the river through St-Jean, St-Blaise and St-Paul-de-l'Ile aux Noix down to the U.S. border at Lacolle at the northern tip of Lake Champlain.

It's great to hear the mixture of the songs of Common Grackle, Red-winged Blackbird and American Robin almost constantly throughout the day and to see the seemingly endless rafts of ducks, particularly Common Goldeneye, along the length of the river.

We completed the day with a total of 35 species, which I'll get to in a moment. Our biggest surprise of the day came towards the end as we travelled along ch. de la Barbotte towards the U.S. border. At a clearing, with an unobstructed view of Lake Champlain, while looking at mixed flocks of Goldeneye, Scaup and Common Mergansers, we spotted at least 4 Tree Swallows skimming over the water. After closer inspection, that number easily increased to perhaps 40 to 50! The first of the season that we're aware of!

It also took until close to midday before we finally heard the familiar sound of hundreds of Snow Geese flying overhead headed towards Lake Champlain.

So, a great spring-like day of birding with the following species:
Snow Goose, Canada Goose, Am. Black Duck, Mallard, Northern Pintail, Scaup species, Common Goldeneye, Hooded Merganser, Common Merganser, American Kestrel, Killdeer, Ring-billed Gull, Herring Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Greater Black-backed Gull, Rock Pigeon, Mourning Dove, Downy Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker, Blue Jay, American Crow, Tree Swallow, Black-capped Chickadee, White-breasted Nuthatch, American Robin, European Starling, Dark-eyed Junco, Song Sparrow, Northern cardinal, Red-winged Blackbird, Common Grackle, Brown-headed Cowbird, Purple Finch, House Finch, American Goldfinch, House Sparrow.
Oies des neiges, Bernache du Canada, Canard noir, Canard colvert, Canards pilets, Fuligules (esp), Harle couronné, Garrot à oeil d'or, Grand harle, Crécerelle d'Amérique, Pluvier kildir, Goéland à bec cerclé, Goéland argenté, Goéland brun, Goéland marin, Pigeon biset, Tourterelle triste, Pic mineur, Pic chevelu, Geai bleu, Corneille d'Amérique, Hirondelle bicolore, Mésange à tête noire, Sittelle à poitrine blanche, Merle d'Amérique, Étourneau sansonnet, Junco ardoisé, Bruant chanteur, Cardinal rouge, Carouge à epaulettes, Quiscale bronze, , Vacher à tête brune, Roselin pourpré, Roselin familier, Chardonneret jaune, Moineau domestique - Sheldon Harvey

Hawk Watch

Mabel and I have been manning the hawkwatch since the 5th March and so far only 1 day off! The weather has been great, especially the last several days. The lake was fully open by the 11th, a very early date, although not a record. Some years this doesn't happen until early April.

Despite the fields here being largely free of snow by the 8th, deep snow still lay on the ground to the south, keeping all but a few small flocks of geese back until late on the 15th, when over 75,000 arrived between 4.30 and 5.00 p.m., a spectacular sight. All early migrants, e.g., Red-winged blackbirds, Ring-billed gulls, Killdeer, etc. were similarly held back. Over the last 3 days we have seen a terrific run of eagles, 38 in all, with a couple of Goldens staying around to hunt. On the 18th we had 20 eagles,, a new one-day high, by one. (So far, we have recorded 44 eagles in total). At one point we had 7 Golden Eagles in one kettle! We have also seen over 50 hawks. With the change back to the more normal, cooler conditions over the next few days the migration will undoubtedly slow down for a while. Still, we should still see from 1-3 eagles almost everyday for the next couple of weeks.

Yesterday, we had flocks of Robins moving by, not really surprising considering the weather. They are known to follow at 10C thermocline. The local pair of Ravens and the local pair of Peregrines have been around for a couple of weeks and we see them just about every day. There has even been the occasionally "menage a trois" battle from time to time! Quite interesting to watch. Yesterday, we also saw three Redtails interacting, with two actually locking talons and spiralling down, just as Bald Eagles do when courting.

Well, must dash, the hawkwatch calls. Cheers, B. Barnhurst

Sightings for Friday March 19th

Dundee, Réserve nationale de faune du Lac Saint-Francois: The Sandhill cranes have returned. I Saw 3 at the beginning of the digue aux aigrettes trail. There was one by itself was being chased the the other two, that were always together.
Also seen were a good number of Canada geese, Snow geese, Red-wings, Mallards, Northern pintails, Black ducks and some Green-winged teals
Les Grues du Canada sont de retour! J'en ai observé 3 à partir de la digue aux aigrettes. Il y en avait une qui était seule et elle à été chassée par les 2 autres qui restaient toujours ensemble.
J'ai aussi appercu bon nombre de bernache, d'Oie des neiges, de carouge, de colvert, de Canards pilets, de Canards noirs ainsi que quelques Sarcelles d'hivers - Dominic Gendron - PHOTOS

bassin de Chambly (basin) Saint-Mathias-sur-Richelieu: Greater white-fronted goose with a group of more than 3000 Canada geese
Oie rieuse toujours sur le bassin de Chambly à Saint-Mathias-sur-Richelieu parmi un groupe de 3000 Bernaches du Canada et plus - Robert Chartier

St-Jean sur Richelieu: Lesser black backed gull around 3pm in the Chambly canal an the bank of rivière des Iroquois at île Ste-Thérèse in front of 324 rue Ste-Thérèse
Goéland brun vers 15h00 dans le canal de Chambly à l'embouchure de la rivière des Iroquois. De l'île Ste-Thérèse, c'est en face du 324 rue Ste-Thérèse - Charles Ménard

Sightings for Wednesday March 17th

bassin de Chambly (basin) at the beginning of Saint-Mathias-sur-Richelieu: Greater white-fronted goose with a group of Canada geese
Oie rieuse sur le dans un groupe de Bernaches du Canada, à partir de Saint-Mathias-sur-Richelieu - Marc Boivert, Robert Chartier

Montréal, (Pierrefonds) - Parc-nature Cap-Saint-Jacques: 33 (especes) species - Snow geese, Common goldeneye, Hooded merganser, Common merganser, Northern harrier (migrating), Killdeer, Eastern screech owl, Pileated woodpecker, Bohemian waxwing with one group of 150+, a 2nd group of 75+, and a 3rd group of 20+. With only 2 Cedar waxwings seen
Oie des neiges, Garrot à oeil d'or, Harle couronne, Grand harle, Busard Saint-Martin (migrateur), Pluvier Kildir, Petit-duc macule, Grand pic, Jaseurs boreal, avec un groupe de 150+, un 2ème groupe de 75+ et un 3ème groupe de 20+. Seulement deux Jaseur d'Amerique observe permit eu. - Joel Coutu

Québec Breeding Bird Atlas!

It's underway! The atlas project has been officially launched, and certain atlassers have already started to note the first signs of breeding evidence for 2010. Some species (e.g., Common Raven, White-winged Crossbill, Rock Pigeon and Great-horned Owl) can nest extremely early in the year, so keep your eyes open and record your observations.

l'Atlas des oiseaux nicheurs du Québec!

C'est parti! La campagne de terrain de l'atlas est officiellement lancée alors que sont rapportés les premiers indices de nidification de l'année 2010. Certains oiseaux (p. ex. Grand Corbeau, Bec-croisé bifascié, Pigeon biset et Grand-duc d'Amérique) peuvent nicher très tôt dans l'année, tant et si bien que nous vous invitons à consigner vos observations dès maintenant.

Sightings for Tuesday March 16th

Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, Morgan Arboretum: About 120-150 Snow Geese (oies des neiges) flew over the Arboretum at about 2:00pm, could probably be heard and seen from almost every corner of the property - Chris Cloutier

Baie-du-Febvre: More than 15,000 Snow geese in the fields in front of the village
Oies des neiges, plus de 15 000 individus dans les champs juste en face du village - Rosaire Lemay

quai de Rivière-Ouelle (dock): 1.5 hrs observation – 1 Red-throated loon (early winter plumage in flight headed west), 1 Black duck (in flight headed east), 1 Black scoter (m)in flight headed west), 7 Common goldeneye (2 small groups in flight headed east), 18 Common merganser (sitting and in flight headed east), 3 Ring-billed gulls, 12 Herring gulls, 25 Iceland gulls, 12 Great black-backed gulls, 3 Black-legged kittiwake (together, in flight haeden west)
En 1heure 30 minutes j'ai observé: Plongeon catmarin 1 (Hâtif! Plumage d'hiver, en vol vers l'ouest), Canard noir 1 (en vol vers l'est), Macreuse noire 1 (mâle en vol vers l'ouest), Garrot à oeil d'or 7 (Deux petis groupes en vol ver l'est), Grand Harle 18 (Posés et en vol vers l'est), Goéland à bec cerclé 3, Goéland argenté 12, Goéland arctique 25, Goéland marin 12, Mouette tridactyle 3 (Ensemble, en vol vers l'ouest!) - Jean-François Rousseau

Sightings for Monday March 15th

In the mixed forest,in St Bruno-de-Montarville between the golf course and rue Jules-Leger I had 2 Cardinals (Cardinal rouge), a Tufted Titmouse(Mésange bicolore), and a Carolina Wren (Troglodyte de Caroline) all singing simultaneously from the yards of three houses that back on the forest. - Mark Tomalty

Sainte-Anne-de-Bellvue, Morgan Arboretum: Red-bellied Woodpecker (Pic à ventre roux) just off the main road this morning, just down the hill from the pond on the way to Maple Corner. Red-winged blackbirds (Carouge à epaulettes) everywhere, including the MBO :-) So nice to hear their call. - Betsy

Montréal, Parc Nature Pointe-aux-Prairies: At the visitor center feeder - American goldfinches) (Chardonneret jaune) as well as one European goldfinch Chardonneret Élégant - Karen & George Dmytriw

Bird Protection Quebec's March 13th Field trip Report

Hudson
14 birders came out to Hudson this morning with hopes of hearing and seeing some early spring birds. Their wishes were granted with the sights and sounds of several Red-winged blackbirds, Common grackles and a single singing Song sparrow.

The early bird got the worm however, or I should say the Sharpie got the Bohemian waxwing at 7:30, before most of the group arrived. No other waxwings were seen. The bird of the morning was the Merlin that flew over and gave everyone a good
look.

Thanks to everyone who came out and to Wayne for his help.

Also seen was a Muskrat and a very active Mink. - Barbara MacDuff

Here is the complete list of the 26 species seen:

Canada goose 75, Mallard 12, Sharp-shinned hawk 1, Cooper's hawk 1, Merlin 1, Ring-billed gull 2, Great black-backed gull 2, Mourning dove 2, Downy woodpecker 6, Hairy woodpecker 1, Blue jay 12, American crow 40, Black-capped chickadee 30, White-breasted nuthatch 6, Brown creeper 2, American robin 3, European starling 20, American tree sparrow 2, Song sparrow 1, Dark-eyed junco 6, Northern cardinal 6, Red-winged blackbird 10, Common grackle 10, House finch 2, American goldfinch 40, House sparrow 2
Bernache du Canada, Canard colvert, Épervier brun, Épervier de Cooper, Faucon émerillon, Goéland à bec cerclé, Goéland marin, Tourterelle triste, Pic mineur, Pic chevelu, Geai bleu, Corneille d'Amérique, Mésange à tête noire, Sittelle à poitrine blanche, Grimpereau brun, Merle d'Amérique, Étourneau sansonnet, Bruant Hudsonien, Bruand chanteur, Junco ardoisé, Cardinal rouge, Carouge à épaulettes, Quiscale bronzé, Roselin familier, Chardonneret jaune, Moineau domestique

Sightings for Friday March 12

Lasalle, on Lasalle Boul. Near 37th av: A pair of Bald Eagles (Pygargue à tête blanche) being harassed by several American crows (Corneilles d'Amérique) in flight - Chris Cloutier

Sightings for Thursday March 11th

Dundee: 2 Pied-billed grebe, 9 american tree sparrows, 14 Black-capped chickadees, 100 American crows, 60 Canada geese, 2 Hairy woodpecker, 3 Northern flicker, 1 Daowny woodpecker, 1 Pileated woodpecker, 2 Whit-breasted nuthatch, 2 Mourning dove, 1 Red-tailed hawk, 1 Merlin, 25 European starlings, 12 Common merganser, 4 Ring-billed gull, 1 Great black-backed gull
Grèbe à bec bigarré 2, Bruant hudsonien 9, Mésange à tête noire 14, Corneille d'Amérique 100, Bernache du Canada 60, Pic chevelu 2, Pic flamboyant 3, Pic mineur 1, Grand Pic 1, Sittelle à poitrine blanche 2, Tourterelle triste 2, Buse à queue rousse 1, Faucon émerillon 1, Étourneau sansonnet 25, Grand Harle 12, Goéland à bec cerclé 4, Goéland marin 1 - Patrick Laniel

quai des Bergeronnnes (dock): Harlequin duck (m) in 1st yr winter plumage not far from a group of Common Goldeneye composed mostly of Barrow’s Goldeneye. Dozens of Black ducks and a Long-tailed duck. Many Gulls – Iceland, Glaucous, Herring and Great black-backed
Arlequin Plongeur mâle en plumage de 1er hiver non loin de la côte parmi un groupe de garrots majoritairement composé de Garrots d'Islande. Plusieurs dizaines de Canards noirs et un Harelde Kakawi plusieurs goélands arctiques, bourgmestres, argentés et marins.

Escoumins: 4 Common eider and 2 Ring-billed gulls. Stopping at Bon-Désir camp ground 2 Brant geese, Red-breasted mergansers and a dozen Purple Sandpipers
4 Eiders à duvet et deux Goélands à bec cerclé. Un arrêt au niveau de du camping de Bon-Désir Bernaches Cravants (2) ainsi que quelques Harles huppés et une dizaine de Bécasseaux violets - Pascal Côté, Samuel Belleau

Sightings for Wednesday March 10th

Châteauguay - (9H00) Intersection 30 & 132: Northern goshawk in a tree along the train track near the 132
autour des palombes sur un arbre longeant la voie ferrée tout près de la 132
Île Saint-Bernard - Refuge Faunique Marguerite D'Youville: Northern shrike, Tufted titmouse, Black-capped chichadee, Hairy & Downy woodperkers, Cardinal, Goldfinch, White-breasted nuthatch, a dozen Common goldeneye, American tree sparrows, Morning doves
pie grièche, mésanges bicolores, mésanges têtes noires, pics chevelu et mineur, cardinal, chardonnets, sitelle à poitrine blanche, une dizaine de garrot à oeil d'or, quelques bruants hudsoniens, tourterelles
rue Higgins: Red-tailed hawk, Red-winged blackbirds, Blue jay, House sparrow, Tufted titmouse, Purple finch, Cardinal, Hairy & Downy woodpecker, Black-capped chickadee
buse à queue rousse, carouges à épaulette, geai bleu, moineaux domestique, mésanges bicolores, roserins pourprés, cardinal, pics chevelu et mineur, mésange à tête noire

Barrage Beauharnois (dam): Bald eagle, Ring-billed gulls, Great black-backed gulls
pygargue à tête blanche, goélands à bec cerclé, goélands marin

St-Louis de Gonzague: Common merganser, Ring-billed gulls, Great black-backed gulls
Grands Harles, Garrots à oeil d'or, Goélands à bec cerclé et marin

Maple Grove, rue McDonald: Canada geese, Northern pintail, Common merganser, Bufflehead, American wigeon
Bernaches, canards pilet, grands harles, petits garrots. canards d'amérique - Josette Laplante

Sightings for Tuesday March 9th

Ste-Catherine: Barrow's goldeneye (m), Common goldeneye (about 250), Common goldeneye X Barrow's goldeneye (m) hybrid. Bald eagle perched in a large tree on Heron island
Garrot d'Islande (mâle), Garrots à oeil d'or (environ 250). un mâle hybride Garrot à oeil d'or X Garrot d'Islande. Pygargue à tête blanche adulte posé sur un grand arbre sur l'île aux Héron - Gérard Cyr

Bassin de Chambly basin: 1 white Gryfalcon (with prey probably a duck), 30+ Northern pintails, 25 Mallard, 8 Black duck, 17 Common merganser, 6 Common goldeneye, 2 Gadwall, 2 american wigeon, 800+ Canada geese, 1 Snow goose, Gulls - Great black-backed, Herring, Ring-billed, 11 American crow
1 Faucon gerfaut de forme blanche, posé sur une proie. Possiblement un canard. 30+ Canards pilet, 25 Canards colvert, 8 Canards noir, 17 Grands harle, 6 Garrots à oeil d'or, 2 Canards chipeau, 2 Canards d'Amérique, 800+ Bernaches du Canada, 1 Oie des neiges, Goélands - marin, argenté et à bec cerclé, 11 Corneilles d'Amérique - Robert Chartier, Gilles Ethier

Lévis, rue Mercier: Ivory gull (imm), Bald eagle (ad), Gulls - Great black-backed, Herring, Ring-billed
Mouette blanches (imm), adulte Pygargue à tête blanche, Goélands - marins, argentés, becs cerclés - Mario Labrie, Robin Gingras

Verdun, Lasalle: At the end of the afternoon I went to the river on foot (Verdun) and headed west as far as parc des Rapides (LaSalle) - 2 Bufflehead, 2 Hooded merganser, 1 Bald eagle (Parc des Rapides) and the ever present Ring-billed gulls
En fin d’après-midi, je me suis rendue à la course à pied jusqu’au fleuve (Verdun) que j’ai longé vers l’ouest jusqu’au parc des Rapides (LaSalle) - 2 Petits garrots, 2 Harles couronnés, un Pygargue à tête blanche (Parc des Rapides) et les omniprésents Goélands à bec cerclés - Diane Demers

Sightings for Sunday March 7th

entre (between) la pointe de Lévis & la baie de Beauport: Ivory gull is still present in baie de Beauport
Mouette blanche est toujours présente dans la baie de Beauport - Gérard Cyr

St Armand & Philipsburg:
Turkey Vulture (Urubu à tête rouge)
Bald eagle (Pygargue à tête blanche) (imm) chemin Bradley, +1 (ad) refuge Montgomery qui est allé se percher dans dun grand pin au Sud du marais) that landed in a large pine south of the marsh
Red-tailed hawk (Buse à queue rousse)
Rock pigeon (Pigeon biset)
Mounring dove (Tourterelle triste)
Great horned owl (Grand-Duc d'Amérique) (refuge Montgomery, au nid (on nest)
Barred owl (Chouette rayée) (chemin Dutch, au Sud du ch, St-Armand)
Downy Woodpercker (Pic mineur)
Hairy woodpecker (Pic chevelu)
Northern shrike (Pie-grièche grise) (ch. Bradley)
Blue jay (Geai bleu)
American crow (Corneille d'Amérique)
Common raven (Grand Corbeau)
Black capped chickadee (Mésange à tête noire)
Tufted titmouse (Mésange bicolore) (refuge Montgomery & rue Allen - Philipsburg)
White-breasted nuthatch (Sittelle à poitrine blanche)
Brown creeper (Grimpereau brun) (dans les sentiers du refuge Montgomery, près du motel) (on the trail of refuge Montgomery near the motel)
American robin (Merle d'Amérique) (dans les champs de St-Armand) (in the fields of St-Armand)
European starling (Étourneau sansonnet)
American tree sparrow (Bruant hudsonien) (ils sont moins abonndants qu'il y a quelques semaines) (less abundant in the last few weeks)
Song sparrow (Bruant chanteur) (quelques individus ont passé l'hiver au marais de Philisburg) (some indivuals passed the winter at the Philipsburg marsh)
White-throated sparrow (Bruant à gorge blanche) (près de la cache du refuge)
Northern cardinal (Cardinal rouge)
House finch (Roselin familier)
American goldfinch (Chardonneret jaune)
House sparrow (Moineau domestique)

Nous avons entendu de très loin un chant qui ressemblait beaucoup au Troglodyte
de Caroline dans les sentiers du refuge. Cette espèce a été vue samedi par
d'autres observateurs sur la rue Allen à Philipsburg.
We heard from afar a song that closely resembled the Carolina Wren on the trails in the refuge. This species has been seen on Saturday by other observers on Allen Street in Philipsburg - Ramonde Boyer, Suzanne & Yves Cardinal, Alain Deschamps

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

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

Sightings for Saturday March 6th

entre (between) la pointe de Lévis & la baie de Beauport: Discovered by Guy Lemelin this morning. The Ivory gull was still present around noon, in the same place. First observed on the drifting ice it eventually flew and moved closer to rue du Fleuve in Lévis (where we were) to sufficiently see the contrast of the black legs against the white.
Découverte par Guy Lemelin ce matin. La Mouette blanche et la était toujours présente vers midi au même endroit. D'abord observée de loin posée sur les glaces dérivantes, elle s'est finalement envolée et s'est rapprochée de la rue du Fleuve à Lévis (où nous étions installés) suffisamment pour bien voir les pattes noires contrastant avec le dessous blanc. Jacques Lachance, Claude Deschênes, Gaétan Lord

Dundee, Réserve-nationale-de-faune-du-Lac-Saint-François : Bald eagle (ad) (Pygargue à tête blanche) - Patrick Laniel

Lasalle: I learned today that there's a pair of Bald Eagles (Pygargue à tête blanche) on Heron Island. I saw them near one of the nests, from Parc des Rapides. One of the (numerous) other birders in the park told me that the eagles have been there for about two weeks and the speculation is that they intend to take possession of the nest they've been staking out. That could create an interesting situation! - Zofia

Chateauguay, Île Saint-Bernard - Refuge Faunique Marguerite D'Youville: 10 Cedar waxwings (Jaseurs d'Amérique), Northern shrike (Pie Grièche) - Yvon Roy

Sightings for Thursday March 4th

Adstock, Parc Frontenac (secteur St-Daniel): 1 Spruce grouse, 3 Gray jays, 23 Black-capped chickadees, 4 Boreal chickadees, 6 Purple finch, 2 American crows, 1 Pileated woodpecker, 1 Hairy woodpecker, 7 Red-breasted nuthatch, 2 Golden-crowned kinglets, 11 Snow buntings
1 tétras du Canada, 3 mésangeai du Canada, 23 mésanges à tête noire, 4 mésanges à tête brune, 6 roselins poupré, 2 corneilles d'Amérique, 1 grand pic, 1 pic chevelu, 7 sitelles à poitrine rousse, 2 roitelets à couronne dorée, 11 bruants des neiges - Alain Sheinck

Sightings for Wednesday March 3rd

Barrage de Beauharnois dam: A good number of gulls, mostly Herring. 8 Glaucous gulls, 3 Iceland gulls again no Ring-billed gulls, 1 Peregrine falcon
(bon nombre de laridés avec dominance de G. argentés). 8-Goélands bourgmestre, 3-Goélands arctiques, Pas encore de G. à bec cerclés, 1-Faucon pèlerin

Hungry Bay: 1 Common loon, 75 Canada geese (in flight headed N-E), 4 Bufflehead
1- Plongeon huard, 75-Bernaches du Canada (un voilier vers le nord-est), 4 - Petits Garrots

Ste-Clet & Ste-Mathe: 4 Wild turkeys, 8 Gray partridge, 1 Snowy owl, 1 Northern goshawk, 2 Lapland longspur, 150 Snow buntings
(rangs et montées en paysage champètre...), 4- Dindons sauvages, 8- Perdrix grises, 1- Harfang des neiges, 1- Autour des palombes, 2- Bruants lapons, 150-Bruants des neiges

St-Lazare, pinery (pinède) rue Poirier): 12 Pine siskins, 2 Pileated woodpeckers, 1 Ruffed grouse, 1 Winter wrem, 4 Golden-crowned kinglets
12-Tarins des pins, 2-Grands pics, 1-Gélinotte huppée,1-Troglodyte mignon, 4-Roitelets à couronne dorées - Don-Jean Léandri

I spent the weekend in a rented "chalet" at the north (?) end of Lake Massawipi near Ayer's Cliff and although I didn't get out to do any real birding I was pleased to find that the enormous crop of fruit on the lakeshore trees and shrubs (crab apples or cherries? not sure) was attracting large numbers of Bohemian Waxwings (Jaseur boréal). The largest flock that I encountered numbered close to 300 birds but I can't say whether there were more in the area or not. The birds were almost continuously present throughout my three day stay from Feb 27th to March 1st. - Paul Prior

Sightings for Tuesday March 2nd

Verdun, Île des Soeurs: Eastern screech owl in a cavity 4 ft. off the ground in the woods. Cooper's hawk seen 4 times and a Brown creeper singing.
At the end of rue O'Reilly: 12 Canada geese and 2 seals on the ice
Un Petit-duc maculé était dans une cavité à 4 pieds du sol aujourd'hui dans le boisé. J'ai vu l'Épervier de Cooper à 4 reprises, et un Grimpereau brun chantait.
Au bout de la rue O'Reilly: 12 Bernaches du Canada et 2 phoques au large sur
des blocs de glace - Pierre Bannon

Châteauguay, rue Higgins: Red-bellied woodpecker (Pic à ventre roux) - Claude Bélanger, M.Cyr, Pierre Lamontagne - Photo