Bird Protection Quebec "Field Trip Report"

Summerstown Forest (aka Kentucky Woods), Glengarry County, Ontario
Monday, May 21
Participants: 6


Temperature: 22 degrees at 8 a.m.; 29 degrees at 12 noon: sunny with a light breeze at times


BIRD OF THE DAY: YELLOW-THROATED VIREO


Runner-up: Scarlet Tanager


It is not often that a BPQ trip produces a lifer for most of the participants but that is what happened today when we heard two Yellow-throated Vireos along the edge of the swamp and finally everyone got to see one of the birds very well. This was a lifer sighting for 4 of the group (one of whom had had a 'heard-only' encounter before) and was a Canada lifer for another participant. I found all this very exciting as the forest is in a square that I had worked on intensively for the Ontario atlas (2001-2005) and in twenty-five years of birding in this forest I had never encountered the species before. I checked in the atlas and found that during the atlas period only two records were found in the Cornwall region (one a possible breeding evidence by former BPQ president Jeff Harrison in the square immediately adjacent to this one). Fortunately, one of the two birds was singing incessantly in true vireo style and so we were all able to see it well although it did take considerable patience with the abundant foliage.

Another highlight was provided by a pair of Scarlet Tanagers unexpectedly gathering nesting material from coniferous trees. Seeing tanagers at just above eye level is special.

Otherwise it was mostly a festival of song particularly from the flycatchers, vireos and Ovenbirds. As usual more birds were visible once we reached the swamp and turned right towards the gravel pit. A Wilson's Snipe was seen calling from a perch at the top of a snag. A distant raptor, the only one of the walk, remained unidentified.

Thanks to everyone who came out for what was a special morning of birding. - Martin Bowman

Species List (45 species)

Canada Goose - 13, Mallard - 1, Great Blue Heron - 1, Turkey Vulture - 1, Virginia Rail - 1, Wilson's Snipe - 2, Downy Woodpecker - 1, Hairy Woodpecker - 2, Northern Flicker - 1, Eastern Wood-Pewee - 12, Alder Flycatcher - 1, Least Flycatcher - 15, Great Crested Flycatcher - 20, YELLOW-THROATED VIREO - 2, Warbling Vireo - 5, Red-eyed Vireo - 20, Blue Jay - 6, American Crow - 6, Tree Swallow - 6, Black-capped Chickadee - 4, White-breasted Nuthatch - 1, Veery - 8, Wood Thrush - 1, American Robin - 12, Gray Catbird - 1, Cedar Waxwing - 1, Nashville Warbler - 4, Yellow Warbler - 12, Magnolia Warbler - 1, Black-throated Green Warbler - 5, Blackpoll Warbler - 1, Black-and-white Warbler - 1, Ovenbird - 15, Northern Waterthrush - 2, Common Yellowthroat - 15, Scarlet Tanager - 4, Song Sparrow - 2, Swamp Sparrow - 6, White-throated Sparrow - 4, Rose-breasted Grosbeak - 8, Indigo Bunting - 1, Red-winged Blackbird - 12, Common Grackle - 12, Baltimore Oriole - 6, American Goldfinch - 4

Bernache du Canada - 13, Canard colvert - 1, Grand héron - 1, Urubu à tête rouge - 1, Râle de Virginie - 1, Bécassine de Wilson - 2, Pic mineur - 1, Pic chevelu - 2, Pic flamboyant - 1, Pioui de l'Est - 12, Moucherolle des aulnes - 1, Moucherolle tchébec - 15, Tyran huppé - 20, Viréo à gorge jaune - 2, Viréo mélodieux - 5, Viréo aux yeux rouges - 20, Geai bleu - 6, Corneille d'Amérique - 6, Hirondelle bicolore - 6, Mésange à tête noire - 4, Sittelle à poitrine blanche - 1, Grive fauve - 8, Grive des bois - 1, Merle d'Amérique - 12, Moqueur chat - 1, Jaseur d'Amérique - 1, Paruline à joues grises - 4, Paruline jaune - 12, Paruline à tête cendrée - 1, Paruline à gorge noire - 5, Paruline rayée - 1, Paruline Noir et blanc - 1, Paruline couronnée - 15, Paruline des ruisseaux - 2, Paruline masquée - 15, Tangara écarlate - 4, Bruant chanteur - 2, Bruant des marais - 6, Bruant à gorge blanche - 4, Cardinal à poitrine rose - 8, Passerin indigo - 1, Carouge à épaulettes - 12, Quiscale bronzé - 12, Oriole de Baltimore - 6, Chardonneret jaune - 4