Sunday, November 06, 2016

Bird Protection Quebec field trip report, Saturday November 5

Yesterday's early morning drizzle stopped just in time for our field trip at Parc Nature Cap St Jacques and 20 participants enjoyed a pleasant, if quiet (birdwise) walk around the park. Skies remained cloudy throughout, temperatures were seasonable (5ºC) and the NW breezes gradually increased through the morning. We followed our usual five kilometer path along the riverside to the farm and back through the woods to the parking lot.

Songbirds were exceedingly scarce throughout the morning with one notable exception - American Robins. While waiting in the parking lot we were treated to the spectacle of wave after wave passing over our heads heading northwest. We quickly lost count but a conservative estimate would put the number at well over 1000 birds. We later found a group 100-200 feeding in trees near the farm.

Other highlights included two Bohemian Waxwings - first of the new "winter" season for most participants - and two female/juvenile Black Scoters diving in the center of Rivière des Prairies. Common Goldeneyes put on a good show flying up and down the river on whistling wings. A Merlin landed very close by and sat obligingly for those braving the cool breezes off the Lake of Two Mountains while scanning for ducks. A Golden-crowned Kinglet displayed nicely at close range in the bushes at the riverside.

Thanks to everyone for coming out. Pleasant company on a nice late autumn walk. - Wayne Grubert

Our complete list of 36 species includes - Canada Goose - 4, Wood Duck - 2, American Black Duck - 2, Mallard - 30, Scaup species - 200 (Both identified but exact proportion as per species uncertain), Black Scoter- 2, Common Goldeneye - 50, Common Merganser - 12, Double-crested Cormorant - 3, Great Blue Heron - 1, Cooper's Hawk - 1, Red-tailed Hawk - 1, Killdeer - 1, Ring-billed Gull - 24, Herring Gull - 2, Great Black-backed Gull - 4, Rock Pigeon - 18, Downy Woodpecker - 1, Hairy Woodpecker - 1, Pileated Woodpecker - 1, Merlin - 1, Blue Jay - 3, American Crow - 12, Black-capped Chickadee - 20, White-breasted Nuthatch - 5, Brown Creeper - 6, Golden-crowned Kinglet - 4, American Robin - 1000+, European Starling - 200, Bohemian Waxwing - 2, American Tree Sparrow - 3, Dark-eyed Junco - 12, Northern Cardinal - 5, Red-winged Blackbird - 1, American Goldfinch - 4

Bernache du Canada - 4, Canard branchu - 2,  Canard noir - 2, Canard colvert - 30, P
etit fuligule / fuligule milouinan 200, Macreuse noire - 2, Garot à oiel d'or - 50, Grand harle -12, Cormoran à aigrettes - 3, Grand héron - 1, Épervier de Cooper - 1, Buse à queue rousse - 1, Pluvier kildir - 1, Goéland à bec cerclé - 24, Goéland argenté - 2, Goéland marin - 4, Pigeon biset - 18, Pic mineur - 1, Pic chevelu - 1, Grand pic - 1, Faucon émerillon - 1, Geai bleu - 12, Mésange à tête noire - 20, Sittelle à poitrine blanche - 5, Grimpereau brun - 6,  Roitelet à couronne doré - 4, Merle d'Amérique - 1000+, Étourneau sansonnet - 200, Jaseur boréal - 2, Bruant Hudsonien - 3, Junco ardoisé - 12, Cardinal rouge - 5, Carouge à épaulettes - 1 , Chardonneret jaune - 4

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