Summer Series - Field Trip #7 Report

An absolutely perfect weather day today for our 7th field trip of this year's Summer Series. We followed the waterfront westward from Pointe-des-Cascades, through Les Cedres, into Coteau du Lac. From there we headed north across Highway 20 into the farmlands of St-Clet.

14 people participated in the trip, accumulating 42 species of birds. It didn't take long to come up with our Bird of the Day. At our very first stop in the west end of Pointe-des-Cascades we found an adult Bald Eagle perched in the distance in a dead tree. We had a nice mix of water birds both in Les Cedres and Coteau-du-Lac. The St-Clet farmlands didn't produce a lot. We were particularly looking for flat open fields; those not being used this season for farming, with the hope of possibly finding some early arriving Plovers, Killdeer, etc., but it seemed that the fields this year in this area were all being used and producing crops most effectively. - Sheldon Harvey

Here is our complete list of species for the trip: Canada Goose 150, American Black Duck 4, Mallard 100, Double-crested Cormorant 100, Great Blue Heron 10, Great Egret 3, Osprey 1, Bald Eagle 1, Merlin 1, Killdeer 1, Spotted Sandpiper 1, Ring-billed Gull 250, Herring Gull 4, Great Black-backed Gull 12, Caspian Tern 3, Rock Pigeon 10, Mourning Dove 25, Chimney Swift 8, Belted Kingfisher 2, Downy Woodpecker 2, Eastern Wood-Pewee 2, Warbling Vireo 2, Blue Jay 4, American Crow 12, Tree Swallow 12, Northern Rough-winged Swallow 1, Barn Swallow 4, Black-capped Chickadee 12, White-breasted Nuthatch 2, House Wren 2, American Robin 20, Gray Catbird 3, European Starling 240, Cedar Waxwing 25, Yellow Warbler 6, Northern Waterthrush 1, Song Sparrow 40, Northern Cardinal 4, Red-winged Blackbird 6, Common Grackle 12, American Goldfinch 40, House Sparrow 12

Bernache du Canada 150, Canard noir 4, 100 Canard colvert, Cormoran à aigrettes 100, Gand héron 10, Grande Aigrette 3, Balbuzard pêcheur 1, Pygargue à tête blanche 1, faucon émerillon 1, Pluvier kildir 1, Chevalier grivelé 1, Goéland à bec cerclé 250, Goéland argenté 4, Goéland marin12, Sterne caspienne 3, Pigeon biset 10, Tourterelle triste 25, Martinet ramoneur 8, Martin-pêcheur d'Amérique 2, Pic mineur 2, Pioui de l'Est 2, Viréo mélodieux 2, Geai bleu 4, Corneille d'Amérique 12, Hirondelle bicolore 12, Hirondelle à ailes hérissées 1, Hirondelle rustique 4, Mésange à tête noire 12, Sittelle à poitrine blanche 2, Troglodyte familier 2, Merle d'Amérique 20, Moqueur chat 3, Étourneau sansonnet 240, Jaseur d'Amérique 25, Paruline jaune 6, Paruline des ruisseaux 1, Bruant chanteur 40, Cardinal rouge 4, Carouge à épaulettes 6, Quiscale bronzé 12, Chardonneret jaune 40, Moineau domestique 12