Montréal: At around 3:30 PM a Cooper's Hawk (épervier de Cooper) was perched on a tree at the corner of Westbury and Cote-Ste.-Catherine, across the street from the Segal Center. After preening for a while it took off, heading west. It may show up at your bird-feeder tomorrow if you live in NDG - Mike Bristol
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St-Clet: 2 Rred-tailed hawks, not far from one another perched in trees near the road along the 201. Chemin Ste-Julie - Horned Larks, Lapland longspurs and Snow Buntings.
Also: Sharp-shinned hawk, Cooper hawk , American Kestrel and a Northern shrike - Denis Collins
Ste-Marthe: between the 387 and 391 rang St-Guillaume we observed a group of 20 Wild turkeys in a field north side of the road.
A friend in LaSalle Roger Rousselle told me that he observed the adult Bald eagle has been seen on more than one occasion since December on Ile-aux-Herons. It was observed between 14:00 pm and 15:00 pm today - Jacques Falardeau, Richard Dupuis
St-Clet: 2 buses à queue rousse, non loin l'une de l'autre perchèes dans des arbres loin de la route le long de la 201. chemin Ste-Julie - Alouettes hausse-col, bruants lapons et de bruants des neiges
Aussi: épervier brun, épervier de Cooper, crécerelle d’Amérique et une pie grièche grise - Denis Collins
Ste-Marthe: entre le 387 et le 391 rang St-Guillaume nous avons observé un groupe de 20 dindons sauvages dans un champs du côté nord de la route.
Un ami de LaSalle Roger Rousselle m'a fait part qu'il a observé la pygargue à tête blanche adulte qui a été vue à plus d'une reprise depuis décembre sur l'Île-aux-Hérons.Elle aurait été observée entre 14h00 p.m. et 15h00 p.m. aujourd'hui. - Jacques Falardeau, Richard Dupuis
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Rare and interesting bird sightings from Quebec
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Sightings for Saturday January 29th
We drove around the back roads near Ste. Marthe & St. Clet on Saturday Morning. No snowy owls. But we did see a good-sized flock of Horned Larks (Alouette hausse-col) along Mtee. Ste. Marie and a little later a mixed flock of (Plectrophane des neiges (Bruants des neiges) (30) and Lapland Longspurs (Plectrophane lapon (Bruant lapon) (25 - 30) at feeders near the intersection of Mtee. Ste. Julie and Chemin Ste. Julie. - Mike Bristol
Friday, January 28, 2011
Sightings for Friday January 28th
L'Anse-au-Griffon, 70 rue du Portage: Fieldfare (Grive litorne) - Ms. Nancy Girard
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Saint-Constant: I found an immature White-crowned Sparrow in a mixed flock of Dark-eyed Juncos and Tree Sparrows in Saint-Constant. The flock fed beside the road on rang Saint-Simon 200-300 meters from the intersection of montée Saint-Christophe.. On the same rang, I saw a Red-tailed Hawk, 25 Horned Larks, 2 Ravens and many American Crows.
Sainte-Catherine: Previously, I went to the Sainte-Catherine locks where I could see hundreds of Canada geese, 10 Gadwall, Black ducks, hundreds of Mallards, 2 Northern pintails, 2 Greater Scaup, a few hundred Common Goldeneye, and many Common Mergansers. Also Black-backed Gulls and Herring Gulls.
Saint-Constant: J'ai trouvé un Bruant à couronne blanche immature dans un groupe mixte de Juncos ardoisés et de Bruants hudsoniens à Saint-Constant. Le groupe se nourrissait en bordure de route dans le rang Saint-Simon à 200-300 mètres de l'intersection avec la montée Saint-Christophe. Dans le même rang, j'ai vu une Buse à queue rousse, 25 Alouettes hausse-col, 2 Grands Corbeaux et plusieurs Corneilles d'Amérique.
Sainte-Catherine: Auparavant, je m'étais rendu aux écluses de Sainte-Catherine où j'ai pu voir une centaine de Bernaches du Canada, une dizaine de Canards chipeaux, des Canards noirs, des centaines de Canards colverts, 2 Canards pilets, 2 Fuligules milouinans, quelques centaines de Garrots à œil d'or, et plusieurs Grands Harles. Aussi des Goélands marins et des Goélands argentés. - Pierre Bannon
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Châteauguay, rue Higgins: 8 Mourning Doves, 9 European Starling, 12 American Goldfinch, 20 black-capped chickadees, Tufted titmice 1, 4 Downy woodpecker, 3 Hairy woodpecker, a Red-bellied woodpecker, 3 American, crows, 4 White-breasted nuthatches, 3 Tree sparrows, 1 Carolina Wren
8 Tourterelles tristes, 9 Étourneaux Sansonnet, 12 Chardonnerets jaune, 20 mésanges à tête noire, 1 mésange bicolore, 4 pics mineurs, 3 pics chevelu, 1 pic à ventre roux, 3 corneilles d'Amérique, 4 sittelles à poitrine blanche, 3 bruants hudsonien, 1 troglodyte de caroline - Lucien Lemay
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Cap Tourmente: 1 Gray Jay was seen near feeder #8, and a male Black-backed woodpecker in the area of the sugar shack
1 Mésangeai du Canada a été observé près de la mangeoire 8, ainsi qu’un Pic à dos noir mâle dans le s secteur de la Cabane à sucre - Diane Labarre
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Saint-Constant: I found an immature White-crowned Sparrow in a mixed flock of Dark-eyed Juncos and Tree Sparrows in Saint-Constant. The flock fed beside the road on rang Saint-Simon 200-300 meters from the intersection of montée Saint-Christophe.. On the same rang, I saw a Red-tailed Hawk, 25 Horned Larks, 2 Ravens and many American Crows.
Sainte-Catherine: Previously, I went to the Sainte-Catherine locks where I could see hundreds of Canada geese, 10 Gadwall, Black ducks, hundreds of Mallards, 2 Northern pintails, 2 Greater Scaup, a few hundred Common Goldeneye, and many Common Mergansers. Also Black-backed Gulls and Herring Gulls.
Saint-Constant: J'ai trouvé un Bruant à couronne blanche immature dans un groupe mixte de Juncos ardoisés et de Bruants hudsoniens à Saint-Constant. Le groupe se nourrissait en bordure de route dans le rang Saint-Simon à 200-300 mètres de l'intersection avec la montée Saint-Christophe. Dans le même rang, j'ai vu une Buse à queue rousse, 25 Alouettes hausse-col, 2 Grands Corbeaux et plusieurs Corneilles d'Amérique.
Sainte-Catherine: Auparavant, je m'étais rendu aux écluses de Sainte-Catherine où j'ai pu voir une centaine de Bernaches du Canada, une dizaine de Canards chipeaux, des Canards noirs, des centaines de Canards colverts, 2 Canards pilets, 2 Fuligules milouinans, quelques centaines de Garrots à œil d'or, et plusieurs Grands Harles. Aussi des Goélands marins et des Goélands argentés. - Pierre Bannon
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Châteauguay, rue Higgins: 8 Mourning Doves, 9 European Starling, 12 American Goldfinch, 20 black-capped chickadees, Tufted titmice 1, 4 Downy woodpecker, 3 Hairy woodpecker, a Red-bellied woodpecker, 3 American, crows, 4 White-breasted nuthatches, 3 Tree sparrows, 1 Carolina Wren
8 Tourterelles tristes, 9 Étourneaux Sansonnet, 12 Chardonnerets jaune, 20 mésanges à tête noire, 1 mésange bicolore, 4 pics mineurs, 3 pics chevelu, 1 pic à ventre roux, 3 corneilles d'Amérique, 4 sittelles à poitrine blanche, 3 bruants hudsonien, 1 troglodyte de caroline - Lucien Lemay
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Cap Tourmente: 1 Gray Jay was seen near feeder #8, and a male Black-backed woodpecker in the area of the sugar shack
1 Mésangeai du Canada a été observé près de la mangeoire 8, ainsi qu’un Pic à dos noir mâle dans le s secteur de la Cabane à sucre - Diane Labarre
Sightins for Thursday January 27th
Île des Soeurs, woods & southern tip: 2 Gadwall, 1 Harlequin (adult male), Common Goldeneye (hundreds), Common Merganser (few), 1 Cooper's Hawk (adult), 2 Herring Gull, 2 Black-backed Gulls , 1 Eastern Screech Owl, 2 Downy Woodpeckers, 1 Northern Flicker, 1 Pileated Woodpecker, 10 American Crows, 1 Raven, 10 Black-capped Chickadee, 2 White-breasted Nuthatch, Brown Creeper 1, 15 Tree Sparrows, 1 Swamp Sparrow, 2 White-throated Sparrows, Dark-eyed Juncos 4, 3 Northern Cardinals, 2 American Goldfinch, 50 House Sparrows
boisé et pointe sud: 2 Canards chipeaux, 1 Arlequin plongeur (mâle adulte), Garrots à œil d'or (centaines), Grand Harles (quelques-uns), 1 Épervier de Cooper (adulte), 2 Goélands argentés, 2 Goélands marins, 1 Petit-duc maculé, 2 Pics mineurs, 1 Pic flamboyant, 1 Grand Pic, 10 Corneilles d'Amérique, 1 Grand Corbeau, 10 Mésanges à tête noire, 2 Sittelles à poitrine blanche, 1 Grimpereau brun, 15 Bruants hudsoniens, 1 Bruant des marais, 2 Bruants à gorge blanche, 4 Juncos ardoisés, 3 Cardinaux rouges, 2 Chardonnerets jaunes, 50 Moineaux domestiques - Pierre Bannon
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Mabel and I were lucky enough to sight a Snowy Owl (Harfang des neiges) off Chemin Ste. Julie, near St. Clet, this afternoon. It was sitting on the top of a distant tree about a km to the south. Look for Garage St. Denis on Ste. Julie. On Ste. Marie we had a mixed flock of about 70 Lapland Longspurs (Plectrophane lapon (Bruant lapon) and Snow Buntings (Plectrophane des neiges (Bruants des neiges). For once, the vast majority of the birds were longspurs, not buntings. They were apparently feeding on spilled grain behind silos at 3073 Chemin Ste. Marie, just east of Montee Bertrand. Unfortunately, you can't view them on the ground, but periodically the birds flush and perch on a nearby Manitoba Maple tree, as well as on the roof of the barn, giving excellent scope views. It's likely these birds are regular visitors there. We also saw other flocks of Snow Buntings and Horned Larks (Alouette hausse-col) in the area.
On the way back, at dusk, we spotted a Barred Owl (Chouette rayéeon Fief), sitting on a dead snag and silhouetted against the fading sunset - Cheers, Bob.
boisé et pointe sud: 2 Canards chipeaux, 1 Arlequin plongeur (mâle adulte), Garrots à œil d'or (centaines), Grand Harles (quelques-uns), 1 Épervier de Cooper (adulte), 2 Goélands argentés, 2 Goélands marins, 1 Petit-duc maculé, 2 Pics mineurs, 1 Pic flamboyant, 1 Grand Pic, 10 Corneilles d'Amérique, 1 Grand Corbeau, 10 Mésanges à tête noire, 2 Sittelles à poitrine blanche, 1 Grimpereau brun, 15 Bruants hudsoniens, 1 Bruant des marais, 2 Bruants à gorge blanche, 4 Juncos ardoisés, 3 Cardinaux rouges, 2 Chardonnerets jaunes, 50 Moineaux domestiques - Pierre Bannon
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Mabel and I were lucky enough to sight a Snowy Owl (Harfang des neiges) off Chemin Ste. Julie, near St. Clet, this afternoon. It was sitting on the top of a distant tree about a km to the south. Look for Garage St. Denis on Ste. Julie. On Ste. Marie we had a mixed flock of about 70 Lapland Longspurs (Plectrophane lapon (Bruant lapon) and Snow Buntings (Plectrophane des neiges (Bruants des neiges). For once, the vast majority of the birds were longspurs, not buntings. They were apparently feeding on spilled grain behind silos at 3073 Chemin Ste. Marie, just east of Montee Bertrand. Unfortunately, you can't view them on the ground, but periodically the birds flush and perch on a nearby Manitoba Maple tree, as well as on the roof of the barn, giving excellent scope views. It's likely these birds are regular visitors there. We also saw other flocks of Snow Buntings and Horned Larks (Alouette hausse-col) in the area.
On the way back, at dusk, we spotted a Barred Owl (Chouette rayéeon Fief), sitting on a dead snag and silhouetted against the fading sunset - Cheers, Bob.
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Bird Protection Quebec's Field Trip Report - Saturday, January 22
Montreal: 14 birders participated in today's "Winter Wonderland" field trip to the Technoparc along the Bonaventure Expressway and on to Nuns' Island. Clear skies and bright sunshine, with light winds, made for a morning of birding that, at least to most of us, was not as cold as the temperature may have indicated.
The Technoparc area did not produce a lot of birds but it did offer up a Red-tailed Hawk, a White-throated Sparrow and a lone Snow Bunting. However it did succeed in introducing a new birding spot for most of the people on the trip; an area that certainly looks promising for the spring to come.
So here are the results from today; a total of 23 species. Mallard - 2, Common Goldeneye - 3, Hooded Merganser - 3, Common Merganser - 5, Cooper's Hawk - 1, Red-tailed Hawk - 1, Great-black backed Gull - 1, Rock Pigeon - 50, Eastern Screech Owl - 1, Downy Woodpecker - 3, Hairy Woodpecker - 2, Northern Flicker - 1, Blue Jay - 1, American Crow - 15, Common Raven - 2, Black-capped Chickadee - 20, Brown Creeper - 3. European Starling - 3, American Tree Sparrow - 20, White-throated Sparrow - 3, Snow Bunting - 1, Northern Cardinal - 4, House Sparrow - 25
Thank you to the 14 birders who did not allow the low temperature to discourage them from a good morning of birding. - Sheldon
The Technoparc area did not produce a lot of birds but it did offer up a Red-tailed Hawk, a White-throated Sparrow and a lone Snow Bunting. However it did succeed in introducing a new birding spot for most of the people on the trip; an area that certainly looks promising for the spring to come.
So here are the results from today; a total of 23 species. Mallard - 2, Common Goldeneye - 3, Hooded Merganser - 3, Common Merganser - 5, Cooper's Hawk - 1, Red-tailed Hawk - 1, Great-black backed Gull - 1, Rock Pigeon - 50, Eastern Screech Owl - 1, Downy Woodpecker - 3, Hairy Woodpecker - 2, Northern Flicker - 1, Blue Jay - 1, American Crow - 15, Common Raven - 2, Black-capped Chickadee - 20, Brown Creeper - 3. European Starling - 3, American Tree Sparrow - 20, White-throated Sparrow - 3, Snow Bunting - 1, Northern Cardinal - 4, House Sparrow - 25
Thank you to the 14 birders who did not allow the low temperature to discourage them from a good morning of birding. - Sheldon
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Sightings for Friday January 7th
Montreal: male Carolina Wren (Troglodyte de Caroline) at suet around approx. 9:30am on 7th floor balcony top of Ridgewood - Penny Mcewen
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Sightings for Sunday January 2nd
A Northern Hawk Owl (Chouette épervière) has been in Low, Quebec since December 18th, 2010 (first reported on a Quebec birding website). The owl was actively hunting this morning when I arrived moving from tree to tree. On at least four occasion it hovered right in front of me as it determined if there was prey below before flying to a perch.
The owl can be found along Neely road just after the bridge. A favoured perch is on the left side of the road in a bare tree. If it's not perched there, check the field across the road where a gray shed is situated. It was actively hunting there behind the shed area near the river this morning.
Three years ago in 2007, a Hawk Owl was found along McDonald which is just 1.5km from this years location on Neely road (chemin Neely). Infact, McDonald and Neely roads intersect.
Directions: Take hwy 5, direction to Maniwaki. Hwy 5 becomes hwy 105 somewhere along the way. The key is to follow directions to Maniwaki. Low is approximately 64km from downtown Ottawa.
Take Hwy 5/105 direction Maniwaki until you reach McDonald. There is a large sign that says, "Brennan Hill - Restuarant Bar & Grill" at the corner. Turn left there onto McDonald. It looks like a sort of dirt road and is
winding so drive carefully. Continue along McDonald until Neely. Turn right onto Neely and continue until you cross the bridge which isn't far away. Just after the bridge look for the owl either on the right or left side. - Wilson Hum
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Sightings for Sunday January 2nd
A Northern Hawk Owl (Chouette épervière) has been in Low, Quebec since December 18th, 2010 (first reported on a Quebec birding website). The owl was actively hunting this morning when I arrived moving from tree to tree. On at least four occasion it hovered right in front of me as it determined if there was prey below before flying to a perch.
The owl can be found along Neely road just after the bridge. A favoured perch is on the left side of the road in a bare tree. If it's not perched there, check the field across the road where a gray shed is situated. It was actively hunting there behind the shed area near the river this morning.
Three years ago in 2007, a Hawk Owl was found along McDonald which is just 1.5km from this years location on Neely road (chemin Neely). Infact, McDonald and Neely roads intersect.
Directions: Take hwy 5, direction to Maniwaki. Hwy 5 becomes hwy 105 somewhere along the way. The key is to follow directions to Maniwaki. Low is approximately 64km from downtown Ottawa.
Take Hwy 5/105 direction Maniwaki until you reach McDonald. There is a large sign that says, "Brennan Hill - Restuarant Bar & Grill" at the corner. Turn left there onto McDonald. It looks like a sort of dirt road and is
winding so drive carefully. Continue along McDonald until Neely. Turn right onto Neely and continue until you cross the bridge which isn't far away. Just after the bridge look for the owl either on the right or left side. - Wilson Hum