Summer Series of Birding Field Trip #2 Report - July 4

17 birders had a great morning of birding at two new locations for our Summer Series on Saturday. We visited the Laval Cemetery in eastern Laval, followed up by a visit to the Tylee Marsh in Rosemere. Both locations are excellent birding sites that will certainly deserve return visits at other times of the year, particularly during the spring and fall migration periods.

Laval Cemetery is not large, but offers a nice mix of habitats including wooded areas, grassy sections, a few small streams and marshy areas, plus it is bordered by a combination of farm fields and thicker forested areas on both sides. The cemetery is also very bird friendly, with many bird houses spread throughout the grounds. The administration is also very friendly to birders. We were even provided free coffee!

Moving on to Tylee Marsh, located at 202 chemin de la Grande-Cote, just east of Labelle Blvd. in Rosemere, has a large free parking lot. The long, winding, elevated boardwalk heads out from the parking lot through the marsh and terminates in a forested areas with trails leading through the woods and down at several locations to the Milles-Iles River waterfront. This site offers up a wide variety of trees, plants, reptiles and amphibians, as well as a few mammals.

The highlight of the day's outing was, without a doubt, the discovery of an active nest of Brown Creepers, just a few feet away from the boardwalk, offering up great close-up looks at the two active parents gathering up food and transporting it to the waiting hungry mouths of at least two young Creepers.

Thanks to all who turned out for the trip, including several new people for our group. Sheldon Harvey

Our species count for the two sites combined for the day was 46. Here is the breakdown

Laval Cemetery: Canada Goose 20, Mallard 1, Great Blue Heron 1, Green Heron 1, Black-crowned Night Heron 2, Killdeer 1, Ring-billed Gull 3, Common Tern 2, Rock Pigeon 1, Hairy Woodpecker 1, Northern Flicker 4, Eastern Wood-Pewee 2, Least Flycatcher 2, Great-crested Flycatcher 1, Eastern Kingbird 4, Warbling Vireo 4, Red-eyed Vireo 2, American Crow 6, Tree Swallow 20, Barn Swallow 25, Black-capped Chickadee 2, White-breasted Nuthatch 3, House Wren 8, Veery 4, American Robin 12, Gray Catbird 2, European Starling 30, Cedar Waxwing 6, Yellow Warbler 1, American Redstart 2, Common Yellowthroat 2, Chipping Sparrow 9, Song Sparrow 15, Rose-breasted Grosbeak 1, Red-winged Blackbird 24, Common Grackle 2, Brown-headed Cowbird 1, Purple Finch 2, American Goldfinch 12, House Sparrow 1

Bernache du Canada 20, Canard colvert 1, Grand héron 1, Héron vert 1, Bihoreau gris 2, Pluvier kildir 1, Goéland à bec cerclé 3, Sterne pierregarin 2, Pigeon biset 1, Pic chevelu 1, Pic flamboyant 4, Pioui de l'Est 2, Moucherolle tchébec 2, Tyran huppé 1, Tyran de l'Est 4, Viréo mélodieux 4, Viréo aux yeux rouges 2, Corneille d'Amérique 6, Hirondelle bicolore 20, Hirondelle rustique 25, Mésange à tête noire 2, Sittelle à poitrine blanche 3, Troglodyte familier 8, Grive fauve 4, Merle d'Amérique 12, Moqueur chat 2, Étourneau sansonnet 30, Jaseur d'Amérique 6, Paruline jaune 1, 2 Paruline flamboyante, Paruline masquée, 2, 9 Bruant familier, Bruant chanteur 15, Cardinal à poitrine rose 1, Carouge à épaulettes 24, Quiscale bronzé 2, Vacher à tête brune 1, Roselin pourpré 2, Chardonneret jaune 12, Moineau domestique 1

Tylee Marsh: Canada Goose 12, Mallard 12, Great Blue Heron 1, Black-crowned Night Heron 1, Ring-billed Gull 2, Common Tern 2, Ruby-throated Hummingbird 1, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 6, Downy Woodpecker 3, Hairy Woodpecker 1, Northern Flicker 1, Eastern Phoebe 1, Eastern Kingbird 2, American Crow 3, Tree Swallow 6, Barn Swallow 2, Black-capped Chickadee 10, White-breasted Nuthatch 2, Brown Creeper 4, House Wren 1, American Robin 4, Gray Catbird 1, Song Sparrow 12, Red-winged Blackbird 8, Common Grackle 1, Baltimore Oriole 1, American Goldfinch 6

Bernache du Canada 12, 12 Canard colvert, Grand héron 1, Bihoreau gris 1, Goéland à bec cerclé 2, Sterne pierregarin 2, Colibri à gorge rubis 1, Pic maculé 6, Pic mineur 3, Pic chevelu 1, Pic flamboyant 1, Moucherolle phébi 1, Tyran de l'Est 2, Corneille d'Amérique 3, 6 Hirondelle bicolore, Hirondelle rustique 2, Mésange à tête noire 10, Sittelle à poitrine blanche 2, Grimpereau brun 4, Troglodyte familier 1, Merle d'Amérique 4, Moqueur chat 1 , Bruant chanteur 12, Carouge à épaulettes 8, Quiscale bronzé 1, Oriole de Baltimore 1, Chardonneret jaune 6