Bird Protection Quebec "Field Trip Report" Saturday June 11

Twenty-seven people took a tour of some of the remaining green spaces in the St Laurent Technoparc yesterday for a little "urban birding". Skies were cloudy with a few sprinkles of rain late in the morning and temperatures were steady in the low to mid teens. Winds were light.

This area has several small tracts of forest, some scrubby sections, a few wet spots with dead trees and a good deal of manicured lawn on the grounds of all the high tech industries present.

Although this is obviously a very built up area adjacent to a major airport some interesting birds were spotted. A Great Egret did a flyover, several Green Herons were observed at close range, an American Kestrel was seen kiting over the airport grounds and a Wilson's Snipe was heard and seen briefly also in the area near the runway. A Spotted Sandpiper exhibited behavior that would suggest it had a nest in one of the landfill areas. A major surprise for the day was a flyover by an adult plumaged Common Loon. Bird of the day as voted on by the group was a beautiful male Green-winged Teal seen well at close range by everyone as it preened on a log amongst a group of Mallards. The size comparison was striking. - Wayne Grubert

Our complete list of 45 species included: Canada Goose - 40 (distant flyby), 

Wood Duck - 2, Mallard - 12 ( + an additional 12 well developed ducklings), Green-winged Teal - 1, Common Loon - 1 (a flyover), Pied-billed Grebe - 1 (young bird with striped head), Great Egret - 1 (flyover), Green Heron - 5, Common Gallinule- 1 (heard), Spotted Sandpiper - 1, Wilson's Snipe - 1, Ring-billed Gull - 20, Rock Pigeon - 1, Downy Woodpecker - 4, Hairy Woodpecker - 1, Northern Flicker - 4, American Kestrel - 1, Least Flycatcher - 2 heard), Great Crested Flycatcher - 2, Eastern Kingbird - 4, Warbling Vireo - 3, heard), Red-eyed Vireo - 4 (heard), American Crow - 6, Common Raven - 5, Tree Swallow - 20, Barn Swallow - 10, Black-capped Chickadee - 4, White-breasted Nuthatch - 1, Wood Thrush - 2 (heard), American Robin - 12, Gray Catbird - 4, European Starling - 60, Cedar Waxwing - 40, Common Yellowthroat - 6, American Redstart - 2, Yellow Warbler - 25, Chestnut-sided Warbler - 1, Song Sparrow - 15, Swamp Sparrow - 1 (heard), Northern Cardinal - 3, Red-winged Blackbird - 40, Common Grackle - 12, Baltimore Oriole - 2, House Finch - 1, American Goldfinch - 30

Bernache du Canada - 40, Canard branchu - 2, Canard colvert - 12 (+ 12 canetons bien développés), Sarcelle d'hiver - 1, Plongeon haurd - 1 (en vol), Grèbe à bec bigarré - 1 (jeune oiseau à tête rayée), Grande Aigrette - 1 (en vol), Héron vert - 5, Gallinule à poule-d'eau- 1 (entendu), Chevalier grivelé - 1, Bécassine de Wilson - 1, Goéland à bec cerclé - 20, Pigeon biset - 1, Pic mineur - 4, Pic chevelu - 1, Pic flaboyant- 4, Crécerelle d'Amérique - 1, Moucherolle tchébec - 2 entendu), Tyran huppé - 2, Tyran tritri - 4, Viréo mélodieux - 3, entendu), Viréo aux yeux rouges - 4 (entendu), Corneille d'Amérique - Grand Corbeau - 5, Hirondelle biclore - 20, Hirondelle rustique - 10, Mésange à tête noire - 4, Sittelle à poitrine blanche - 1, Grive des bois - 2 (entendu), Merle d'Amérique - 12, Moqueur chat - 4, Étourneau sansonnet - 60, Jaseur d'Amérique - 40, paruline masquée - 6, Paruline flamboyante - 2, Paruline jaune - 25, Paruline à flancs marron - 1, Bruant chanteur - 15, Bruant des marais - 1 (entendu), Cardinal rouge - 3, Carouge à épaulettes - 40, Quiscale bronzé - 12, Oriole de Baltimore - 2, Roselin familier - 1, Chardonneret jaune - 30