Summer Series - Field Trip #8 Report

Today's trip to Cap St Jacques Nature Park was attended by 20 birders many of whom were relatively new to the group and we hope we see them out again. Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves despite the very humid conditions (making the 23C temperatures seem much, much hotter) which meant we walked at a slow pace but covered about 5 km. We spent a fair amount of time enjoying some of the more common birds, getting good looks at them through the scopes. Many thanks to everyone who carried them around given the conditions. This may be the only trip we have ever done to Cap St Jacques where we were praying for a breeze or wind.

Passerines were fairly quiet with the only real concentration of warblers seen in the parking lot at the start of the outing. The highlights of the day were 3 different Bald Eagles all in different plumages. We watched one snatch a fish from the surface of the water that a Herring Gull had laid claim to but wisely did not put up much resistance. Another interesting find were Cliff Swallows with young still in the nest under the barn eaves of the Experimental farm.

Non-bird highlights were the three Giant Swallowtail Butterflies which were Lepidopteran lifers for just about everyone in the group. Very impressive creatures both for colour and size. Also some Cardinal Flowers growing along one of the river paths. - Wayne Grubert

Our complete list of 46 bird species seen or heard included: Canada Goose - 12, Wood Duck - 2, Mallard - 4, Double-crested Cormorant - 2, Great Blue Heron - 2, Great Egret - 1, Bald Eagle - 3, Red-shouldered Hawk - 1, Killdeer - 4, Greater Yellowlegs - 1, Spotted Sandpiper - 6, Ring-billed Gull - 4, Herring Gull - 2, Common Tern - 10, Mourning Dove - 8, Ruby-throated Hummingbird - 2, Belted Kingfisher - 2, Downy Woodpecker - 3, Northern Flicker - 6, Eastern Wood-Pewee - 2, Eastern Phoebe - 2, Great-crested Flycatcher - 3, Eastern Kingbird - 2, Warbling Vireo - 2, Red-eyed Vireo - 6, Blue Jay - 5, American Crow - 10, Tree Swallow - 2, Cliff Swallow - 10, (includes several young in nest), Black-capped Chickadee - 12, White-breasted Nuthatch - 4, American Robin - 24, Gray Catbird - 3, European Starling - 40, Cedar Waxwing - 24, Tennessee Warbler - 1, Nashville Warbler - 1, Yellow Warbler - 8, Yellow-rumped Warbler - 2, American Redstart - 5, Chipping Sparrow - 3, Song Sparrow- 5, Northern Cardinal - 4, Common Grackle - 100, Baltimore Oriole - 2, American Goldfinch - 50

Bernache du Canada - 12, Canard branchu - 2, Canard colvert - 4, Cormoran à aigrettes - 2, Gand héron - 2, Grande Aigrette - 1, Pygargue à tête blanche - 3, Buse à épaulettes - 1, Pluvier kildir - 4, Grand Chevalier - 1, Chevalier grivelé - 6, Goéland à bec cerclé - 4, Goéland argenté - 2, Sterne pierregarin - 10, Tourterelle triste  - 8, Colibri à gorge rubis - 2, Martin-pêcheur d'Amérique - 2, Pic mineur - 3, Pic flamboyant - 6, Pioui de l'Est - 2, Moucherelle phébi - 2, Tyran huppé - 3, Tyran de l'Est - 2, Viréo mélodieux - 2, Viréo aux yeux rouges - 6, Geai bleu - 5, Corneille d'Amérique - 10, Hirondelle bicolore - 2, Hirondelle à front blanc - 10, (avec des jeunes dans le nid), Mésange à tête noire - 12, Sittelle à poitrine blanche - 4, merle d'Amérique - 24, Moqueur chat - 3, Étourneau sansonnet - 40, Jaseur d'Amérique - 24, Paruline obscure - 1, Paruline à joues grises - 1, Paruline jaune - 8, Paruline à croupion jaune - 2, Paruline flamboyante - 5, Bruant familier - 3, Bruant chanteur - 5, Cardinal rouge - 4, Quiscale bronzé - 100, Oriole de Baltimore - 2, Chardonneret jaune - 50