Bird Protection Quebec's Field Trip Report - Saturday, February 5th

The weather for yesterday's trip to rue Higgins in Châteauguay and the Ste-Catherines's Rec-reo-parc could not have been better for early February. Twelve birders were greeted with sunny skies, warm temperatures reaching toward the freezing point by the end of the morning, and almost no wind.

The Higgin's Street feeders and area were fairly active and produced some good sightings most notably two Red-bellied Woodpeckers, a Carolina Wren and a Tufted Titmouse. All waterfowl sightings at the Recreoparc were noteworthy for the excellent lighting conditions showing off the ducks in their best plumage. A definitive identification of one distant gull proved elusive although best guess is a Glaucous. A Peregrine Falcon sitting on an icebound rock in the river was a pleasant surprise for three birders at the end of the trip.

Please note that the numbers listed below are the leader's estimates as no post trip count was held due to commitments taking many participants away early.

Our complete list of 31 (32?) species included the following:

Canada Geese - 30, American Black Ducks - 20, Mallards - 600+, Northern Pintail - 1, Common Goldeneyes - 100+, Common Mergansers - 50+, Peregrine Falcon - 1, Ring-billed Gull - 6, Herring Gull - 2, Glaucous Gull - 1 (possible), Great Black-backed Gull - 30, Rock Pigeon - 20, Mourning Dove - 6, Red-bellied Woodpeckers - 2, Downy Woodpeckers - 4, Hairy Woodpeckers - 6, Pileated Woodpecker - 2, Blue Jays - 2, American Crow - 20, Common Raven - 1 (probable), Black-capped Chickadees - 20,
Tufted Titmouse - 1 (heard), White-breasted Nuthatches - 4, Carolina Wren - 1, American Robin - 1,
European Starlings - 20, American Tree Sparrows - 3, Dark-eyed Juncos - 5, Northern Cardinals - 3, House Finch - 1, American Goldfinches - 30, House Sparrows - 10

Bernaches du Canada - 30, Canards noirs - 20, Canard colvert - 600 +, Canard pilet - 1, Garrots à oeil d'or - 100 +, Grands Harles - 50 +, Faucon pèlerin - 1, Goéland à bec cerclé - 6, Goéland argenté - 2, Goéland bourgmestre - 1 (possible), Goéland marin - 30, Pigeon bisset - 20, Tourterelles tristes - 6, Pic à ventre roux - 2, Pic mineur - 4, Pic chevelu - 6, Grand Pic - 2, Geai bleu - 2, Corneille d'Amérique - 20, Grand Corbeau - 1 (possible), Mésange à tête noire - 20, Mésange bicolore - 1 (entendu), Sittelles à poitrine blanche - 4, Troglodyte de Caroline - 1, Merle d'Amérique - 1, Étourneau sansonnet - 20, Bruant Hudsonien - 3, Juncos ardoisés - 5, Cardinal rouge - 3, Roselin familier - 1, Chardonnerets jaune - 30, Moineaux domestiques - 10

Thanks to everyone for an enjoyable morning - Wayne Grubert