Bird Protection Quebec "Field trip Report"

2013 Summer Series of Birding - Trip #5

At the start of yesterday's Summer Series trip to the St-Lazare sand pits and surrounding areas it felt more like a fall trip than a summer one. It was a little chilly with a stiff wind but things warmed up later in the morning with sunny conditions throughout. 8 birders participated in the outing, gathering a collection of 41 species. The Bird of the Day was a really unexpected find. Mark Dennis had suggested that we check out a gravel road, Montee Chenier, south of the sand pits area, where he had been seeing a number of sparrow species moving through earlier in the week. We didn't find the sparrows but did find an empty farm field with 12 Black-bellied Plovers together with a couple dozen Killdeer!

Here is the list of 41 species for the day that covered the sand pits, Montee Chenier and chemin Fief.

Snow Goose 1 (perhaps injured), Canada Goose 10,  American Black Duck 1, Mallard 30,Great Blue Heron 8, Green Heron 2, Turkey Vulture 5, Northern Harrier 1, Accipiter species - 1, Merlin 2, Black-bellied Plover 12, Killdeer 25, Greater Yellowlegs 8, Lesser Yellowlegs 8, Spotted Sandpiper 2, Sandpiper species (Least or Semipalmated), Pectoral Sandpiper 1, Ring-billed Gull 80, Mourning Dove 6,  Woodpecker species 1 (heard hammering only), Alder Flycatcher 1, Eastern Phoebe 2, Eastern Kingbird 3, Flycatcher species 1, Blue Jay 2, American Crow 12, Tree Swallow 5, Barn Swallow 20, Black-capped Chickadee 12, American Robin 2, European Starling 4, Cedar Waxwing 20, Scarlet Tanager 2 (females), Chipping Sparrow 20, Song Sparrow 12, Swamp Sparrow 1, Northern Cardinal 1, Red-winged Blackbird 6, Common Grackle 1, American Goldfinch 30, House Sparrow 2

Oie des neiges 1 (peut-être blessé), Bernache du Canada 10, Canard noir 1, Canard colvert 30, Gand héron 8, Héron vert 2, Urubu à tête rouge 5, Busard Saint-Martin 1, espèces Accipiter - 1, Faucon émerillon 2, Pluvier argenté 12, pluvier kildir 25, Grand Chevalier 8, Petit Chevalier 8, Chevalier grivelé 2, espèces Bécasseau (moins ou Semipalmated), Bécasseau à poitrine cendrée 1, Goéland à bec cerclé 80, Tourterelle triste 6, Espèces de pics 1 (entendu marteler uniquement), Moucherolle des aulnes 1, Moucherolle phébi 2, Tyran tritri 3, espèces Moucherolle 1, Geai bleu 2, Corneille d'Amérique 12 Hirondelle bicolore 5, Hirondelle rustique 20, Mésange à tête noire 12, Merle d'Amérique 2, Étourneau sansonnet 4, Jaseur d'Amérique 20, Tangara écarlate 2 (femelle), Bruant familier 20, Bruant chanteur 12, Bruant des marais 1, Cardinal rouge 1, Carouge à épaulettes 6, Quiscale bronzé 1, Chardonneret jaune 30, Moineau domestique 2

Thanks to all who attended and thanks to Mark Dennis for suggesting a few spots to check out that ended up leading us to the Plovers.