Jim Houghton Spring Warbler Walk "Report"

As one of the participants said, "If it's raining, it must be Tuesday". And it was, but not too aggressively and 14 participants had a good early-morning walk in the Westmount Summit Woods. The trilliums are just past their prime, but still a lovely white blanket, all the dogs were on leashes, and we noted with pleasure that the tree planted in Jim Houghton's honour and sponsored by BPQ is in very good health, blooming prettily. The rain let up enough to let us see or at least hear 24 species (single individuals, unless otherwise noted):

Great Blue Heron/Grand Héron, flying over
Eastern Screech-Owl/Petit-duc maculé
Chimney Swift/Martinet ramoneur (5)
Downy Woodpecker/Pic mineur
Northern Flicker/Pic flamboyant
Great Crested Flycatcher/Tyran huppé
Blue-headed Vireo/Viréo à tête bleue
Red-eyed Vireo/Viréo aux yeux rouges (2)
American Crow/Corneille d'Amérique (10)
Black-capped Chickadee/Mésange à tête noir (4)
Red-breasted Nutchatch/Sitelle à poitrine rousse
White-breastedNuthatch/Sitelle à poitrine blanche
Veery/Grive fauve
Swainson's Thrush/Griveà dos olive (2)
American Robin/Merle d'Amérique (5)
Chestnut-sided Warbler/Paruline à flancs marron
Magnolia Warbler/Paruline à tête cendrée
Cape May Warbler/Paruline tigrée
Black-throated Green Warbler/Paruline à gorge noire
American Redstart/Paruline flamboyante (2)
Song Sparrow/Bruant chanteur
Rose-breastted Grosbeak/Cardinal à poitrine rouge
Indigo Bunting/Passerin indigo
American Goldfinch/Chardonneret jaune

Vivek arrived early and saw or heard the following additional species before the trip proper began: Brown Creeper, Gray-cheeked Thrush, Hermit Thrush, Wood Thrush, Black-throated blue Warbler, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Blackburnian Warbler, Black-and-white Warbler, Ovenbird, Northern Cardinal (Grimpereau brun, Grive à joues grises, Grive solitaire, Grive des bois, Paruline bleue, Paruline à croupion jaune, Paruline à gorge orangée, Paruline noir et blanc, Paruline couronnée, Cardinal rouge). - Eve Marshall