Bird Protection Quebec's Field Trip - Saturday March 19th

The promise of good weather brought many birders out of winter hibernation as 31 showed up for the Ile Perrot portion of our combined Ile Perrot/Cap St Jacques field trip. They were greeted with sunny skies, cool temperatures (-4C) and light northern breezes. Much of the lake to the northeast of Pointe-du-Moulin was still ice covered but the western sections out toward Beauharnois were open.

The group spent several hours studying the waterfowl off the point and looking for passerines in the adjacent treed area. Later, a group of nine birders continued on to Cap St Jacques for a pleasant although not overly "bird productive" walk along the shoreline. The general impression was that the cooler temperatures and north wind were inhibiting overt signs of territorial behavior among the terrestrial birds and what individuals were present were quietly going about the business of eating and staying warm.

Bird of the day was a horned grebe that played hide and seek while feeding along the shoreline near the point on Ile Perrot but eventually allowing almost  everyone at least brief looks.

Our overall list included 36 species from Ile Perrot and we added one and possibly two more from Cap St Jacques.

Many of the numbers listed below are very rough estimates as the waterfowl species were spread out over much of the water surface into the extreme distance and were constantly shifting positions.

Numbers in brackets are additional numbers from Cap St Jacques.

Canada Goose - 600+ ( 25), American Black Duck - 12, Mallard - 2, Northern Pintail - 30, Ring-necked Duck - 1, Greater Scaup - 650, Lesser scaup - 350, Bufflehead - 30 (2), Common Goldeneye - 400 (24), Common Merganser - 100 (1), Red-breasted Merganser - 4, Horned Grebe - 1, Red-tailed Hawk - 2, Ring-billed gull - 24, Herring Gull - 20, Great Black-backed Gull - 24, Rock Pigeon - 6, Mourning Dove - 2, Downy Woodpecker - 2 (1), Hairy Woodpecker - 1 (1), Blue Jay - 4, American Crow - 24 (12), Common Raven - (2 possible/probable Cap St Jacques), Black - Capped Chickadee - 10 (10), White-breasted Nuthatch - 2 (3), Brown Creeper - 3, American Robin - 6 (1), European Starling - 24 (6), American Tree Sparrow - (1), Song Sparrow - 2, Dark-eyed Junco - 1, Northern Cardinal - 3, Red-winged Blackbird - 24, Common Grackle - 6, Brown-heade Cowbird - 1, Common Redpoll - 6 (12), American Goldfinch - 1, House Sparrow - 4

Bernache du Canada - 600 + (25), Canard noir - 12, Canard colvert - 2, Canard pilet - 30, Fuligule à collier - 1, Fuligule milouinan - 650, Petits fuligules - 350, Petit Garrot - 30 (2), Garrots à oeil d'or - 400 (24), Grand Harle - 100 (1), Harle huppé - 4, Grèbe esclavon - 1, Buse à queue rousse - 2 , Goéland à bec cerclé - 24, Goéland argenté - 20, Grande Goéland marin - 24, Pigeon biset - 6, Tourterelle triste - 2, Pic mineur - 2 (1), Pic chevelu - 1 (1), Geai bleu - 4, Corneille d'Amérique - 24 (12), Grand Corbeau - (2 possible / probable à Cap St Jacques), Mésange à tête noir 10 (10), Sittelle à poitrine blanche - 2 (3), Grimpereau brun - 3, Merle d'Amérique - 6 (1), Étourneau sansonnet - 24 (6), Bruant hudsonien - (1), Bruant chanteur - 2, Junco ardoisé - 1, Cardinal rouge- 3, Carouge à épaulettes - 24, Quiscale bronzé - 6, Vacher à tête brune - 1, Sizerin flammé - 6 (12), Chardonneret jaune - 1, Moineau domestique - 4

Many thanks to all the experienced individuals who helped point out birds and give identification tips to the newer birders in the group. And thanks to everyone for coming out for what proved to be by March standards at Pointe-du-Moulin an extremely pleasant morning weatherwise. - Wayne Grubert