Bird Protection Quebec, Summer Series 2014 - Field trip #6 Report

8 people participated in the final field trip of this year's Summer Series. We headed out to visit 4 different sewage lagoons (water filtration ponds) in St, Albert, Embrun, Casselman and St-Isidore, Ontario. It was mostly a cloudy and cool day, which was actually a nice break on this annual trip. Generally it has been very hot and humid and the lagoons offer no cover or shade from the hot sun. Fortunately we wrapped up the day's birding just prior to a major rainfall in St-Isidore.

I have always mentioned that this particular trip involves a lot of walking but, until this year, we never really knew just how much walking. On Saturday's trip one of our participants wore a pedometer. By the end of the day we had walked 7.2 kilometers.

We always hope for shorebirds on this trip each year and we were not disappointed. Our list of 56 species included several shorebird species. The Birds of the Day were the Solitary Sandpiper and the White-rumped Sandpiper.

So here is the list from Saturday. Canada Goose 20, Wood Duck 10, American Black Duck 2, Mallard 75, Blue-winged Teal 40, Northern Shoveler 6, Green-winged Teal 24, Hooded Merganser 20, Ruddy Duck 6, Pied-billed Grebe 12, American Bittern 2, Great Blue Heron 2, Northern Harrier 1, Broad-winged Hawk 1, Red-tailed Hawk 2, American Kestrel 1, Merlin 4, Common Moorhen 35 Semipalmated Plover 7, Killdeer 30, Greater Yellowlegs 3, Lesser Yellowlegs 30, Solitary Sandpiper 1, Spotted Sandpiper 10, Semipalmated Sandpiper 12, Least Sandpiper 10, White-rumped Sandpiper 1, Pectoral Sandpiper 2, Wilson's Snipe 1, Ring-billed Gull 6, Rock Pigeon 8, Mourning Dove 24, Chimney Swift 4, Belted Kingfisher 1, Downy Woodpecker , 2Northern Flicker 5, Eastern Phoebe 1, Blue Jay 10, American Crow 10, Purple Martin 6, Tree Swallow 1,000+, Bank Swallow 6, Cliff Swallow 12, Barn Swallow 3, Black-capped Chickadee 4, American Robin 2, Gray Catbird 1, European Starling 20, Common Yellowthroat 1, Savannah Sparrow 4, Song Sparrow 6, Bobolink 1, Red-winged Blackbird 12, Common Grackle 3, American Goldfinch 15, House Sparrow 6

Bernache du Canada 20, Canard branchu 10, Canard noir 2, Canard colvert 75, Sarcelle à ailes bleues 40, Canard souchet 6, Sarcelle d'hiver 24, Harle couronné 20, Érismature rousse 6, Grèbe à bec bigarré 12, Butor d'Amérique 2, Grand Héron 2, Busard Saint-Martin 1, Petite Buse 1, Buse à queue rousse 2, Crécerelle d'Amérique 1, Faucon émerillon 4, Gallinule poule d'eau 35, Pluvier semipalmé 7, Pluvier kildir 30, Grand Chevalier 3, Petit Chevalier 30, Chevalier solitaire 1, Chevalier grivelé 10, Bécasseau semipalmé 12, Bécasseau minuscule 10, Bécasseau à croupion blanc 1, Bécasseau à poitrine cendrée 2, Bécassine de Wilson 1, Goéland à bec cerclé 6, Pigeon biset 8, Tourterelle triste 24, Martinet ramoneur 4, Martin-pêcheur 1, Pic mineur 2, Pic flaboyant 5, Moucherelle Phébi 1, Geai bleu 10, Corneille d'Amérique 10, Hirondelle moire 6, Hirondelle bicolore 1000 +, Hirondelle de rivage 6, Hirondelle à front blanc 12, Hirondelle rustique 3, Mésange à tête noire 4, Merle d'Amérique 2, Moqueur chat 1, Étourneau sansonnet 20, Paruline masquée 1, Bruant des prés 4, Bruant chanteur 6, Goglu des prés 1, Carouge à épaulettes 12, Quiscale bronzé 3, Chardonneret jaune 15, Moineau domestique 6

Thanks to everyone who participated in this year's Summer Series, our 11th season. Of course this doesn't mean that the summer is over. We still have some great weather ahead of us and some great trips coming up in the weeks ahead leading into the fall. - Sheldon.