Summer Series 2012 - Field Trip #3

Be prepared, it's going to be a hot one! The forecast for Saturday is sunny with a high of 33 degrees! As I mentioned, there is sufficient interest from people wanting to go to Ste-Catherine to look for the Little Egret, so we'll give it a try. Here are the details

Saturday, July 14
TIME: 8 am - Half Day.
LOCATION: Ste-Catherine Seaway Locks & Recré-o-Parc, Ste-Catherine, QC
MEETING SPOT: Empty lot across the street facing the road leading up to the bridge at the locks. There is a church adjacent to this empty lot. MAP
 Directions to the Ste-Catherine Seaway Locks in Ste-Catherine, QC

By car, via Champlain Bridge: Take the Champlain Bridge, take the first exit after the bridge toward New York State (#15 south / #132 east); take Exit 46 (LaPrairie/Salaberry) and turn right on to Marie-Victorin Blvd. Drive 5.2 km and arrive at the bridge on the right leading to the Sainte-Catherine Locks. Parking lot is on the left.

By car, via Mercier Bridge. At the south end of the bridge, take the left exit (direction LaPrairie-132 east), drive 6.5 km, turn left onto Rue Centrale. Follow Centrale which will turn right on to Marie-Victorin Blvd. The road to the locks is on the left. The Parking lot is on the right.

Itinerary: From the parking lot we will walk across the bridge over the locks, then descend a staircase down to the waterfront. We will walk along the shoreline on a well-worn path to the area of the bay where many birds hang out, hopefully including the Little Egret. Some days, the bird has been showing up later in the morning. If that is the case, we will move on in to the park itself which has an extensive network of paved trails through woods, fields and along the waterfront. We should be able to see a good selection of birds there as well. We'll then return to the basin later in the morning.

This trip will involve a lot of walking. Given the sun and heat being forecast, be prepared with sufficient refreshments, comfortable clothing and shoes, etc. Binoculars, scopes and cameras, of course. If the Little Egret is there, you will have excellent observations and photo ops.

If you have any questions, please contact me at 450-462-1459, or on Saturday morning on the BPQ cell at 514-637-2141