Saturday, June 30, 2012

Sightings for Saturday June 30

Hemmingford: Across from 577 James-Fisher, a Clay-colored sparrow sang around 7:30 In a second pass around 9:30, he was still singing. The habitat is an abandoned orchard with a row of lilacs at the roadside. I did not see any feeding, but its behavior suggests that there may be young at the edge of the road. Indeed, he often made a tour of the lilacs where I heard calls of young. However, it is possible that these young Sparrows were Chipping sparrow. Indeed, a Chipping Sparrow adult was also nearby.

Then on chemin Nichols, a group of 11 Red-Crossbills flew over me. They came from a large pine forest east of the road. These birds were moving north-west, perhaps to Covey Hill where at the first year of the Atlas, I had also spotted a small group of this species in a pine forest. It is quite possible that this species nests in this region where the great white pine abound.
 
D'abord en face du 577 James-Fisher, un Bruant des Plaines chantait vers 7h30. Lors d'un second passage vers 9h30, il chantait encore. L'habitat est un verger abandonné avec une rangée de lilas au bord de la route. Je ne l'ai pas vu nourrir, mais son comportement suggère qu'il y a peut-être des jeunes au bord de la route. En effet, il venait souvent faire un tour dans les lilas où j'entendais des cris de jeunes. Toutefois, il est possible que ces jeunes fussent des Bruants familiers. En effet, un Bruant familier adulte était aussi dans les parages.

Ensuite, sur le chemin Nichols, un groupe de 11 Bec-croisés des sapins m'a survolé. Il provenait d'une grande pinède située à l'est du chemin. Ces oiseaux se dirigeaient vers le nord-ouest, peut-être vers Covey-Hill où lors de la première année d'atlas, j'avais aussi repéré un petit groupe de cette espèce dans une pinède. Il est tout à fait possible que cette espèce niche dans cette région où les grands Pins blancs abondent. - Pierre Bannon

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Sightings for Tuesday June 26

Parc Mont-St-Bruno by the Rang des Vingt, beside St-Basile-le-Grand. I did not go too far away in the park, maybe 50 meters farther down that spruce up the coast.

Here are the birds observed: Hooded Merganser, Mourning Dove, Alder Flycatcher, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Downy Woodpecker, Black-capped Chickadee, Veerym American Robin, Eastern Bluebird, male and female and at least two young, Gray Catbird, Yellow Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, 2 Mourning Warbler, male and female with food in its beak, Chestnut-sided Warbler, Song Sparrow, Chipping Sparrow, Field Sparrow 1, Cedar Waxwing, Northern Cardinal, Rose-breasted grosbeak, Indigo Bunting, American Goldfinch


Parc Mont-St-Bruno par le Rang des Vingt, coté St-Basile-le-Grand. Je ne suis pas allée trop loins dans le parc, peut-être 50 metres plus loins que les épinettes en haut de la côte.

Voici les oiseaux observés: Harle couronné, Tourterelle triste, Moucherolle des aulnes, Colibri à gorge rubis, Pic mineur, Mésange à tête noire, Grive fauve, Merle d'Amérique, Merlebleu de l'Est, male et femelle et au moins 2 jeunes, Moqueur chat, Paruline jaune, Paruline masquée, Paruline triste 2, male et femelle avec nourriture dans le bec, Paruline à flancs marron, Bruant chanteur, Bruant familier, Bruant des champs 1, Jaseur d'Amérique, Cardinal rouge, Cardinal à poitrine rose, Passerin indigo, Chardonneret jaune -Leah den Besten

Saturday, June 23, 2012

Summer Series 2012- Trip #1 Report

A gorgeous day to be out birding! Sunny, not overly warm and a nice breeze greeted 11 birders this morning for our first trip of the Summer Series at Pointe de Yamachiche. This location provides a nice mix of habitats with wooded areas, an elevated boardwalk that snakes through the woods and terminates at a lookout point towards Lac St-Pierre, then along the grassy trail alongside a small stream terminating at a sandy point sticking out into Lac St- Pierre.

We finished the morning's outing with a total of 51 species. The highlight of the day was three young bald eagles, seen both in flight and sitting on the ground and in a snag. A local birder indicated that at least 7 bald eagles have been seen at one time at this site.

Thanks to everyone who joined us this morning. Lots of great birds and lots of great talk!


Here is our list of species: Canada Goose - 22, Mallard - 1, Common Merganser - 2, Double-crested Cormorant - 30, Great Blue Heron - 5, Bald Eagle - 3, Semipalmated Plover - 1, Killdeer - 1, Spotted Sandpiper - 6, Wilson's Snipe - 2, Bonaparte's Gull - 1, Ring-billed Gull - 50, Common Tern - 4, Black Tern - 12, Mourning Dove - 2, Belted Kingfisher - 2, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker - 1, Downy Woodpecker- 5, Hairy Woodpecker - 2, Northern Flicker - 4, Eastern Wood-Pewee - 3, Least Flycatcher - 2, Great Crested Flycatcher - 3, Eastern Kingbird - 1, Warbling Vireo - 12, Red-eyed Vireo - 3, Blue Jay - 4, American Crow - 6, Tree Swallow - 6, Black-capped Chickadee - 8, White-breasted Nuthatch - 1, Brown Creeper - 2, House Wren - 2, Veery - 12, American Robin - 4, Gray Catbird - 2, European Starling - 2, Cedar Waxwing - 4, Yellow Warbler - 50, American Redstart - 6, Common Yellowthroat - 25, Chipping Sparrow - 1, Song Sparrow - 25, Swamp Sparrow - 3, Northern Cardinal - 1, Rose-breasted Grosbeak - 1, Red winged Blackbird - 30, Common Grackle - 50, Brown-headed Cowbird - 2, Baltimore Oriole - 12, American Goldfinch - 3

Bernache du Canada - 22, Canard colvert - 1, Grand Harle - 2, Cormoran à aigrettes - 30, Grand héron - 5, Pygargue à tête blanche - 3, Pluvier semipalmé - 1, Pluvier kildir - 1, Chevalier grivelé - 6, Bécassine de Wilson - 2, Mouette de Bonaparte - 1, Goéland à bec cerclé - 50, Sterne pierregarin - 4, Guifette noire - 12, Tourterelle triste - 2, Martin-Pêcheur d'Amérique - 2, Pic maculé - 1, Pic mineur -5, Pic chevelu - 2, Pic flamboyant - 4, Pioui de l'Est - 3, Moucherolle tchébec - 2, Tyran huppé - 3, Tyran tritri - 1, Viréo mélodieux - 12, Viréo aux yeux rouges - 3, Geai bleu - 4, Corneille d'Amérique - 6, Hirondelle bicolore - 6, Mésange à tête noire - 8, Sittelle à poitrine blanche - 1, Grimpereau brun - 2, Troglodyte familier - 2, Grive fauve - 12, Merle d'Amérique - 4, Moqueur chat - 2, Étourneau sansonnet - 2, Jaseur d'Amérique - 4, Paruline jaune - 50, Paruline flamboyante - 6, Paruline masquée - 25, Bruant familier - 1, Bruant chanteur - 25, Bruant des marais - 3, Cardinal rouge - 1, Cardinal à poitrine rose - 1, Carouge à épaulettes - 30, Quiscale bronzé - 50, Vacher à tête brune - 2, Oriole de Baltimore - 12, Chardonneret jaune - 3

Sightings for Saturday June 23

St-Hubert: A Northern mockingbird pursued and harassed an American Kestrel  that was in a dead tree near the intersection of Chemin de Chambly and Chemin de la Savanne.

Un Moqueur polyglotte poursuivre et harceler une Crécerelle d'Amérique qui était dans un arbre mort tout près de l'intersection du Chemin de Chambly et du Chemin de la Savanne. - Charles Ménard
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Boucherville: Northern mockingbird - at the corner of Chemin du Tremblay and Graham Bell, in the small green space opposite the green corridor that leads to the wooded Tremblay, in the industrial park.
 
Moqueur polyglotte - coin de Chemin du Tremblay et Graham Bell, dans le petit espace vert, en face du corridor vert qui mène au boisé du Tremblay, le tout dans le parc industriel. - Simon Chaloux

Friday, June 22, 2012

Sightings for Friday June 22

St-Basile-le-Grand: This morning on chemin des Trentes in St-Basile-le-Grand, there were several Vesper Sparrows, 7 or more singing. The best place to see was close to a row of trees on the left side of the road, straight after all the large mounds of compost and locked fence. Either with the telescope or binoculars, the outer white tail feathers, the eye ring and rufus shoulder were readily identified. Here, the grass was swarming small grasshoppers, perhaps not a coincidence.

Also, behind the fence that I had passed, there were 2 Gray Partridge. In all, chemin des Trentes gave me 27 species today and the best observation of Vesper Sparrows in my life.


Ce matin sur le chemin des Trentes à St-Basile-le-Grand, il y avait plusieurs Bruants vespérals, 7 ou plus qui chantaient. Le meilleur endroit pour les voir de proche était une rangée d'arbres sur le coté gauche du chemin, tout droit après toutes les grandes collines de compost et la clotûre barrée. Soit avec le télescope ou les jumelles, les rectrices externes blanches, le cercle oculaire et l'épaulette marron étaient facilement en évidence. Ici, l'herbe grouillait de petites sauterelles, peut-être pas un coincidence.

Également, derrière la clôture que j'avais passé, il y avait 2 Perdrix grises. En tout, le chemin des Trentes m'a donné 27 espèces aujourd'hui et la plus belle observation de Bruant vespèral à vie. - Leah den Besten
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Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue: This morning a couple of Red-bellied Woodpecker were present at the Morgan Arboretum in the sugar bush on the Orange Trail, near the small pond. The Arboretum revealed 60 species this morning, including a Philadelphia Vireo and Scarlet Tanager. Yet, I missed several interesting species, for the Island Montreal, that I observe regularly like Barred Owls, Mourning Warbler, Magnolia Warbler, and Wood Thrush. Definitely a site with good birding potential!


Another statement of interest, I also made the observation of a juvenile Brown-headed Cowbird being fed by a pair of Golden-crowned Kinglet....


Ce matin, un couple de Pic à ventre roux était présent à l'Arboretum Morgan  (Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue) dans l'érablière du sentier orange, près du petit étang. L'Arboretum a révélé 60 espèces dans la matinée, dont un Viréo de Philadelphie et le Piranga écarlate. Pourtant, j'ai manqué plusieurs espèces intéressantes, pour l'Île de Montréal, que j'y observe régulièrement comme la Chouette rayée, la Paruline triste, la Paruline à tête cendrée et la Grive des bois. Définitivement un site  ayant un bon potentiel  ornithologique!

Comme autre mention d'intérêt, j'y ai aussi fait l'observation d'un Vacher à tête brune juvénile se faisant nourrir par un couple de Roitelet à couronne dorée... - Don-Jean Léandri-Breton

Thursday, June 21, 2012

Summer Series of Birding 2012- Trip #1

We begin the 9th annual Summer Series of Birding field trips this Saturday with a visit to Pointe de Yamachiche, located near the town of Yamachiche, on the north shore of Lac St. Pierre, north-east of Montreal, approximately 120 km. from central Montreal.

DATE: Saturday, June 23
8:00 AM – Half-day outing
MEETING PLACE: The parking lot at Exit 180 off Autoroute 40, at Yamachiche GOOGLE MAP


DRIVING DIRECTIONS: From Montreal, take highway 40 east, off the island of Montreal at the far eastern tip, on to the north shore. Continue on Autoroute 40 (direction Trois-Rivieres) to Exit 180. Just off the exit there is a parking lot for Pointe de Yamachiche. Parking is free. This will be our meeting point.


Calculate approximately a 90-minute drive to the meeting point, particularly if you are coming from the western part of Montreal.

ITINERARY: We will walk from the parking lot along the extensive boardwalk, then along a wooded path leading to the waterfront of Lac St-Pierre. There should be a good selection of songbirds in the woods and along the stream. At the waterfront we will be looking for waterfowl marsh birds and shorebirds. A scope will be useful, particularly at the waterfront. There was a field trip by another birding club to this location on June 9 which produced some excellent results. See their report

Insect repellent may be needed through the wooded area. The weather forecast for Saturday looks good at this point; sunny, high of 25. This will be a half-day trip wrapping up by approximately Noon.


Here is a link to a Quebec Natural Resources page about Pointe de Yamachiche

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me by e-mail  or by telephone at 450-462-1459. You can reach me on Saturday morning on the BPQ cellphone, 514-637-2141. - Sheldon

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Sightings for Tuesday, June 12

Even if we go regularly to a place, a bird can still seep through the cracks. In this regard, I received information yesterday from a colleague in Saint-Bruno, Gilles Daoust, who had observed a Northern Mockingbird bike singing, opposite the new Marché central next to the Longueuil city hall, in dry tall poplars.



So I hopped on my bike this morning and arrived 10 minutes later at the intersection of route de l'Aéroport and chemin de la Savane, the mimic generously sang, perched on the sign of Saint-Hubert Airport / general aviation. It has been a few years that I had not seen this species in the area, a former nesting site.


Then the tenor takes off towards the soccer field, in front, and disappears, I took the opportunity to ride in the quadrilateral of neighboring streets and the bird is not found. After thirty minutes, I find it on the barbed wire fence, calling loudly in front of a disused airstrip, where it hunts for insects among the short grass and turf.
Here, an Eastern Meadowlark begins to sing, a hundred meters ahead of him: What a duo ...!


There's nothing better than to stop, look and listen ...!
This species does not seem to have been reported yet in the plot 18XR24. Thanks Gilles !
 
Même si on passe régulièrement à un endroit, un oiseau peut tout de même s'infiltrer au travers des mailles du filet. À cet égard, j'ai reçu une information hier d'un collègue de Saint-Bruno, Gilles Daoust, qui avait observé en vélo un Moqueur polyglotte chanteur, en face du nouveau Marché central jouxtant l'Hôtel de ville de Longueuil, dans les grands peupliers secs.



J'ai donc enfourché ma bicyclette ce matin et en arrivant 10 minutes plus tard à l'intersection de la route de l'Aéroport et du chemin de la Savane, le mimidé chantait généreusement, perché sur l'enseigne Aéroport de Saint-Hubert/Aviation générale. ça faisait quelques années que je n'avais pas observé cette espèce dans le secteur, un ancien site de nidification.


Puis, le ténor s'envole vers le terrain de soccer, en face, et disparaît; j'en profite pour pédaler dans le quadrilataire des rues avoisinantes et l'oiseau reste introuvable. Après une trentaine de minutes, je le retrouve sur la clôture en fil barbelé, s'époumonant devant une piste d'atterrissage désaffectée, où il chasse des insectes parmi les herbes courtes et des surfaces gazonnées.

Tiens, la Sturnelle des prés se met à chanter, à une centaine de mètres devant lui : quel duo...!
Y'a rien de mieux que de s'arrêter, de regarder et d'écouter...!


Cette espèce ne semble pas avoir été rapportée encore dans la parcelle 18XR24. Merci à Gilles! - Raymond Belhumeur

Sunday, June 10, 2012

Sightings for Sunday June 9

As I listened to the singing and the Willow flycatcher and Alder flycatcher in a field in front of Pascan Aviation, road to Saint-Hubert Airport, a cuckoo passed quickly in front of me and hides in a large shrub.


Immediately, he emerges with an Eastern Kingbird on his tail, which expelled him from its territory. During this short accelerated race, I saw the rufus primaries of the bird. This is the Yellow-billed Cuckoo.

Alors que j'écoutais chanter le Moucherolle des saules et le Moucherolle des aulnes, dans un champ en face de Pascan Aviation, route de l'Aéroport à Saint-Hubert, un coulicou passe en vitesse devant moi et se cache dans un gros arbuste.


Immédiatement, il en ressort avec un Tyran tritri à ses trousses, qui l'expulse de son territoire. Pendant cette courte course en accéléré, j'observe les taches rousses des couvertures sus-alaires de l'oiseau en fuite : il s'agit du Coulicou à bec jaune. - Raymond Belhumeur

Sightings for Saturday June 9

Pointe Yamachiche, some observations shared with members of SOL:  - Double-crested Cormorant - 3, Great Blue Heron - 2, Canada Geese - 3, Bald Eagle - 2 (1 adult + juvenile), Black-bellied Plover - 3 \ 4 (breeding plumage), Lesser Yellowlegs - 2, Spotted Sandpiper - 3, Ruddy Turnstone - 1 (breeding plumage), Sanderling - 2, White-rumped Sandpiper - 2 \ 3, Least Sandpiper - 4 \ 5, Pectoral Sandpiper - 4, - Dunlin - 3 (2 breeding plumage), Ring-billed Gull - 40 +, Greater black-backed Gull - 3 +, CASPIAN TERN - 1. Common Tern - 6 +. Black Tern -4, Belted Kingfisher - 2, Mourning Dove - 3, Downy Woodpecker -1, Great Crested Flycatcher - 1, Warbling Vireo - several, American Crow - several, Tree Swallow - xx, Bank Swallow-10, Veery - 2, Hermit Thrush - 1, Wood Thrush - sang in several places, Gray Catbird - 1, Northern Mockingbird - 1, Europrean Starling - 10, Cedar waxwings - 12 +, Yellow Warbler - xx, American redstart - 2, Song Sparrow - xx, Red-winged Blackbird - xx, Blackbird br. - xx, Baltimore Oriole - 5

Pointe Yamachiche, certaines observations partagées avec des membres du SOL: Cormoran à aigrettes - 3, Grand Héron - 2, Bernache du Canada - 3, Pygargue à t. blanche - 2 ( 1 adulte + juvénile), PLUVIER ARGENTÉ - 3\4 (plumage nuptial), Petit chevalier - 2, Chevalier grivelé - 3, Tournepierre à collier - 1 ( plumage nuptial), Bécasseau Sanderling - 2, Bécasseau à croupion blanc - 2\3. Bécasseau minuscule - 4\5, Bécasseau à poitrine cendrée - 4, Bécasseau variable - 3 (2 plumage nuptial), Goéland à b. cerclé - 40+, Goéland marin - 3 +, STERNE CASPIENNE - 1, sterne pierregarin - 6+, guifette noire- 4, Martin-pêcheur - 2, Tourterelle triste - 3, Pic mineur- 1, Tyran huppé - 1, Viréo mélodieux - plusieurs, Corneille d'Amérique - plusieurs, Hirondelle bicolore - xx, Hirondelle de rivage- 10, Grive fauve - 2, grive solitaire - 1, Grive des bois - chantait à plusieurs endroits, Moqueur chat - 1, Moqueur polyglotte - 1,  Étouneaux sansonnet - 10,  Jaseurs d'Amérique - 12+,  Paruline jaune - xx,  Paruline flambloyante - 2,  Bruant chanteur - xx, Carouge à épaulettes - xx,  Quiscale br. - xx, Oriole de Baltimore - 5 - Pierre Casavant et Monique Coulombe

Saturday, June 09, 2012

Bird Protection Quebec "Field Trip Report, June 9"

Alfred Kelly Nature Reserve – Prévost/Piedmont

Only a day or so before this trip the meteo was promising a day of rain but the weather gods smiled and we enjoyed a gloriously bright, but not too hot visit to the AKNR accompanied by Guy and Ericka from the local CRPF who had volunteered to show us some new trails and lead us to the Peregrine Falcon nesting site. 28 birders came along, including a couple of very experienced birders up from Massachusetts. On the way out we met a small group walking into the reserve who asked for directins – they had learned about the AKNR from the BPQ website and had been encoouraged to come along and try their luck – word is getting about. The trails took us from our meeting point at the old Prévost rail station along to the cliffs and then by a circuitous and bird-rich trail, steep but not too steep though rather et and muddy in parts, up to the forest above the cliffs. A pause at the belvedere for stunning views over the surrounding countryside and our first Peregrine flypast of the day then along the cliff tops and down to the access view point for the falcon nest (rich with poison ivy – very rich), down to Lac Paradis for a pair of Wood Duck and back to our starting point at a bit after 1:00pm.

Our thanks to Guy and Ericka for their patient guiding which has given us a much better idea of the riches to be foound within the AKNR. This is a wonderful place and less than an hour from Montreal – take a trip, you will enjoy it.

A series of photographs have been posted at the foot of this report to give you a good idea of the nature of the terrain and the habitat. Click on the thumbnails for larger versions.

Birds of the day were undoubtedly the Peregrine Falcons – we saw plenty of flybys from the two adults and heard the young on the nest (there are two this year). Plenty of other excellent birds were well in evidence with a total of 39 being seen by the party. There were a lot of Ravens who signalled our passing to each other as we walked through their territories, four species of Thrushes, 8 Warblers and an Alder Flycatcher.

The 39 species seen were as follows: Wood Duck, American Black Duck, Turkey Vulture, Broad-winged Hawk, Merlin, Peregrine Falcon, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Northern Flicker, Eastern Wood-Pewee, Alder Flycatcher, Warbling Vireo, Red-eyed Vireo, Blue Jay, American Crow, Common Raven, Black-capped Chickadee, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Eastern Bluebird, Veery, Swainson’s Thrush, Hermit Thrush, Wood Thrush, American Robin, Cedar Waxwing, Ovenbird, Black-and-white Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, Northern Parula, Magnolia Warbler, Chestnut-sided Warbler, Black-throated Green Warbler, Canada Warbler, Song Sparrow, White-throated Sparrow, Indigo Bunting, Red-winged Blackbird, Common Grackle, Purple Finch, American Goldfinch

Canard branchu, Canard noir, Urubu à tête rouge, large-Petite Buse, Merlin, Faucon pèlerin, Pic maculé, Pic flamboyant, Pioui de l'Est, Moucherolle des aulnes, Viréo mélodieux, Viréo aux yeux rouges, Geai bleu, Corneille d'Amérique, Grand Corbeau, Mésange à tête noire, Sittelle à poitrine rousse, Merlebleu de l'Est, Grive fauve, Grive à dos olive, Grive solitaire, Grive des bois, Merle d'Amérique, Jaseur d'Amérique, Paruline couronnée, Paruline noir et blanc, Paruline masquée, Paruline à collier, Paruline à tête cendrée , Paruline à flancs marron, Paruline à gorge noire, Paruline du Canada, Bruant chanteur, Bruant à gorge blanche, Passerin indigo, Carouge à épaulettes, Quiscale bronzé, Roselin pourpré, Chardonneret jaune - Richard Gregson (organiser, but not really leader)

Thursday, June 07, 2012

Bird Protection Quebec "field Trip"

Saturday, June 9 - samedi juin 9

NCC/BPQ Alfred Kelly Nature Reserve at Prévost/Piedmont
Leaders: Richard Gregson (BPQ) e-mail Guy d’Anjou and Ericka Thierlot (CRPF) - MAP

Looking for raptors (possibility Peregrine Falcons), warblers and other Laurentian Forest species in the new Alfred Kelly Nature Reserve. Half day.

8:30 a.m. Meet at La Gare de Prévost, 272, rue de la Traverse, Prévost http://www.interactif-qc.ca/garedeprevost/ Take Autoroute 15 north in the direction of St Jerome. Take the right fork in St Jerome onto Autoroute des Laurentides Ouest which, in 2 km, becomes Boulevard du Curé-Labelle/QC-117 N. In about another 7 km, in Prévost, turn right on Rue de la Traverse (signed for Saint-Hippolyte). The station is less than 100 metres from this point.The following Google map link will help give you directions from your home

8h30 Rassemblement à la gare de Prévost, 1272, rue de la Traverse, Prévost. http://www.interactif-qc.ca/garedeprevost/. Prendre l'autoroute 15 Nord en direction de St-Jérôme. A la bifurcation de St-Jérôme, prendre la voie de droite sur l'autoroute des Laurentides Ouest qui, après 2 km, devient le boulevard Curé-Labelle/QC-117 N; après 7 km, tourner à droite dans Prévost sur la Rue de la Traverse (direction Saint-Hippolyte), la gare est située à moins de 100 mètres. Le lien Google map suivant vous aidera à obtenir l'itinéraire depuis votre domicile http://goo.gl/nzhUq À la recherche des oiseaux de proie (possiblement le Faucon pèlerin), des parulines et autres espèces de la forêt laurentienne dans la nouvelle réserve naturelle Alfred Kelly. Demi-journée.

Tuesday, June 05, 2012

Sightings for Tuesday June 5


Saint-Hubert: Woke up this morning to a Common Nighthawk (Engoulevent d'Amérique) napping on some pool pipes in my backyard. What a start to the day! - Shawna Sevigny - CLICK PHOTO TO ENLARGE

Sunday, June 03, 2012

Sightings for Sunday June 3

Montréal: This morning, in the cemetery...section G7...I was alerted to a loud call...and I briefly spotted a YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO (Coulicou à bec jaune). UP HIGH IN A TREE. no chance for photos. it was around 8:30 am

.Amazingly..15 minutes later...I ran into a photographer who got the bird...and..a BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO (Coulicou à bec noir) ... both photographed ...His Yellow-billed was high up a tree..but he got the Black-billed , much lower down.
He said he would post his shots at " Oiseaux Rares " - Chuck Kling
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Philipsburg: Jane Cormack and I spent Saturday morning birding in the region mostly east of the George H. Montgomery Sanctuary at Philipsburg. We had spent some time in that region before last Saturday's BPQ field trip to the Sanctuary and had seen some interesting birds, including singing Pine Warbler, singing Field Sparrow, Eastern Bluebird, lots of singing Bobolinks. We also spent some time along Boulevard de la Falaise, across the highway from the Montgomery Sanctuary, a sparsely populated residential area with an interesting variety of habitats. We ended up with 55 species, in spite of rainy and windy conditions (but the weather improved in mid-morning and we even got a bit of sun!).

Notable observations: The Field Sparrow we had seen May 26 was still in same place, singing. This is in a bushy meadow at the southwest corner of Chemin Pelletier and Chemin St. Armand, about 1 km east of the town center of St. Armand. Unfortunately, we could not find the singing Pine Warbler we had seen just south of there a week before. We also found a pair of Field Sparrows in an area of bushes and high grass east of Chemin Benoit, south of where it branches off from Chemin Dutch (route 235).

We heard a singing Horned Lark in bare fields south of Chemin de Morse's Line. We also had a great look at a singing male Purple Finch near Blvd de la Falaise.

We found an active nest of Tufted Titmice with calling young being fed near Blvd de la Falaise;




We also found a probable nest of a Merlin, in a big pine tree near the lakeshore in the Blvd de la Falaise area; a female merlin was perched nearby, calling.


List of birds seen: Wild Turkey – 2, Great Blue Heron – 2, Turkey Vulture – 4, Osprey – 1, Red-tailed Hawk – 1, American Kestrel – 1, Merlin – 1, Mourning Dove – 10, Downy Woodpecter – 1, Hairy Woodpecker – 2, Alder Flycatcher – 2, Least Flycatcher –3, Eastern Phoebe – 10, Eastern Kingbird – 1, Warbling Vireo – 15, Red-eyed Vireo – 15, Blue Jay –10, American Crow – 20, Common Raven – 8, Horned Lark – 1, Tree Swallow – 15, Barn Swallow – 4, Black-capped Chickadee – 10, Tufted Titmouse – 5, Brown Creeper – 1, House Wren – 10, Eastern Bluebird – 3, Wood Thrush – 4, American Robin – 30, Gray Catbird – 8, European Starling – 10, Cedar Waxwing – 4, Nashville Warbler – 1, Yellow Warbler – 8, Chestnut-sided Warbler – 2, American Redstart – 8, Ovenbird – 3, Common Yellowthroat – 15, Chipping Sparrow – 20, Field Sparrow – 3, Savannah Sparrow – 1, Song Sparrow – 15, Scarlet Tanager – 1, Northern Cardinal – 8, Rose-breasted Grosbeak – 4, Indigo Bunting – 1, Bobolink – 5, Red-winged Blackbird – 20, Common Grackle – 15, Brown-headed Cowbird – 10, Baltimore Oriole – 5, Purple Finch – 1, House Finch – 2, American Goldfinch – 40, House Sparrow – 5

Dindon sauvage - 2, Grand héron - 2, Urubu à tête rouge - 4, Balbuzards pêcheurs - 1, Buse à queue rousse - 1, Crécerelle d'Amérique - 1, Faucon émerillon - 1, Tourterelle triste - 10, Pic mineur - 1, Pic chevelu - 2, Moucherolle des aulnes - 2, -3 Moucherolle tchébec, Moucherolle phébi - 10, Tyran tritri - 1, Viréo mélodieux - 15, Viréo aux yeux rouges - 15, Geai bleu -10, Corneille d'Amérique - 20, Grand Corbeau - 8, Alouette hausse-col - 1, Hirondelle bicolore - 15, Hirondelle rustique - 4, Mésange à tête noire - 10, Mésange bicolore - 5, Grimpereau brun - 1, Troglodyte familier - 10, Merlebleu de l'Est - 3, Grive des bois - 4, Merle d'Amérique - 30, Moqueur chat - 8, Étourneau sansonnet - 10, Jaseur d'Amérique - 4, Paruline à joues grises - 1, Paruline jaune - 8, Paruline à flancs marron - 2, Paruline flamboyante - 8, Paruline couronnée - 3, Paruline masquée - 15, Bruant familier - 20, Bruant des champs - 3, Bruant des prés - 1, Bruant chanteur - 15, Tangara écarlate - 1, Cardinal rouge - 8, Cardinal à poitrine rose - 4, Passerin indigo - 1, Goglu des prés - 5, Carouge à épaulettes - 20, Quiscale bronzé - 15, Vacher à tête brune - 10, Oriole de Baltimore - 5, Roselin pourpré - 1, Roselin familier - 2, Chardonneret jaune - 40,  Moineau domestique - 5 - Nicholas Acheson
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Parc National du Mont-Tremblant; Passing through Sectors Pimbina and L'Assomption.

Ring-Necked Duck (10), Common Merganser (1), Ruffed Grouse (4), Common Loon (6), Great Blue Heron (3), Red-tailed Hawk (1), Merlin (1), Ruby-throated Hummingbird (5), Yellow-shafted Flicker (3), Pileated Woodpecker (2), Red-eyed Vireo (3), Blue Jay (8), Gray Jay (1), Common Raven (1), American Crow (4), Tree Swallow (2), Black-capped Chickadee (6), White-breasted Nuthatch (1), Red-breasted Nuthatch (6), Golden-crowned Kinglet (5), Ruby-crowned Kinglet (1), Swainson's Thrush (10), Hermit Thrush (7), American Robin (3), Cedar Waxwing (2), Orange-crowned Warbler (1), Nashville Warbler (6), Northern Parula (5), Chestnut-sided Warbler (2), Magnolia Warbler (10), Northern Waterthrush (3), Yellow-rumped Warbler (4), Black-throated Blue Warbler (4), Blackburnian Warbler (3), Black-throated Green Warbler (30+), Bay-breasted Warbler (2), Black-and-white Warbler (15), American Redstart (1), Ovenbird (1), Common Yellowthroat (5), White-throated Sparrow (24), Slate-colored Junco (1), Red-winged Blackbird (8), Common Grackle (1), American Goldfinch (2)

Fuligule à collier (10), Grand Harle (1), Gélinotte huppée (4), Plongeon huard (6), Grand Héron (3), Buse à queue rousse (1), Faucon émilleron (1), Colibri à gorge rubis (5), Pic flaboyant- (3), Grand Pic (2), Viréo aux yeux rouges (3), Geai bleu (8), Mésangeai du Canada (1), Grand corbeau (1), Corneille d'Amérique (4), Hirondelle bicolore (2), Mésange à tête noire (6), Sittelle à poitrine blanche (1), Sittelle à poitrine rousse (6), Roitelet à couronne dorée (5), Roitelet à couronne rubis (1), Grive à dos olive (10), Grive solitaire (7), Merle d'Amérique (3), Jaseur d'Amérique (2), Paruline verdâtre (1), Paruline à joues grises (6), Paruline à collier (5), Paruline à flancs marron (2), Paruline à tête cendrée (10), Paruline des ruisseaux (3), Paruline à croupion jaune (4), Paruline bleue (4), Paruline à gorge orangée (3), Paruline à gorge noire (30 +), Paruline à poitrine baie (2), Paruline noir et blanc (15), Paruline flamboyante (1), Paruline couronnée (1), Paruline masquée (5), Bruant à gorge blanche (24), Junco ardoisée  (1), Carouge à épaulettes (8), Quiscale bronzé (1), Chardonneret jaune (2) - Lisa Keelty