Summer Series 2012 - Trip Report #5

An excellent turnout of both birders and birds on a great day, weather-wise. 19 birders turned out for an outing which covered the Mercier sewage lagoons, Ste-Martine, St-Louis-de-Gonzague and Ste-Timothée.


We were hoping for some early migrating shorebirds, particularly at Ste-Martine. We were able to come up with 5 species. Another target bird was the Least Bittern at Ste-Timothée. They did not disappoint either with two birds appearing several times out of the marsh. There were also a few puzzling birds at the same location. Some Redheads took a group effort to finally identify and a single Tern in the Beauharnois Canal was never identified. It was quite far off, even with the scopes.

We ended the day with a total of 62 species. Here is the breakdown for the day - Sheldon:

Canada Goose 12, Wood Duck 24, Gadwall 3, American Wigeon 7, Mallard 115, Redhead 7, Lesser Scaup 1, Pied-billed Grebe 1, Double-crested Cormorant 50, Least Bittern 2, Great Blue Heron 20, Great Egret 5, Black-crowned Night Heron 6, Turkey Vulture 2, Northern Harrier 1, Cooper's Hawk 1, Virginia Rail 2, Common Moorhen 6, Greater Yellowlegs 2, Lesser Yellowlegs 6, Solitary Sandpiper 1, Spotted Sandpiper 24, Least Sandpiper 3, Wilson's Snipe 1, Ring-billed Gull 100+, Great Black-backed Gull 1, Tern Species 1, Rock Pigeon 50, Mourning Dove 20, Chimney Swift 6, Belted Kingfisher 4, Downy Woodpecker 4, Northern Flicker 3, Eastern Phoebe 1, Eastern Kingbird 1, Warbling Vireo 1, American Crow 2, Blue jay 1, Horned Lark 2, Purple Martin 18, Tree Swallow 24, Cliff Swallow 3, Barn Swallow 12, Black-capped Chickadee 1, White-breasted Nuthatch 1, Marsh Wren 6, American Robin 7, Gray Catbird 1, European Starling 250+, Cedar Waxwing 24, Yellow Warbler 4, Chipping Sparrow 1, Savannah Sparrow 4, Song Sparrow 16, Swamp Sparrow 1, Northern cardinal 1, Red-winged Blackbird 250+, Eastern Meadowlark 1, Common Grackle 55, Baltimore Oriole 1, American Goldfinch 6, House Sparrow 10

Bernache du Canada 12, Canard branchu 24, Canard chipeau 3, Canard d'Amérique 7, Canard colvert 115, Fuligule à tête rouge 7, Petit Fuligule 1, Grèbe à bec bigarré 1, Cormoran à aigrettes 50, Petit Blongios 2, Grand Héron 20, Grande Aigrette 5, Bihoreau gris 6, Urubu à tête rouge 2, Busard Saint-Martin 1, Épervier de Cooper 1, Râle de Virginie 2, Gallinule poule-d'eau 6, Grand Chevalier 2, Petit Chevalier 6, Chevalier solitaire 1, Chevalier grivelé 24, Bécasseau minuscule 3, Bécassine de Wilson 1 , Goéland à bec cerclé 100 +, Goéland marin 1, Sterne espèces 1, Pigeon biset 50, Tourterelle triste 20, Martinet ramoneur 6, Martin- pêcheur d'Amérique 4, Pic mineur 4, Pic flamboyant 3, Moucherolle phébi 1, Tyran tritri 1 , Viréo mélodieux 1, Corneille d'Amérique 2, Geai bleue 1, Alouette hausse-col 2, Hirondelle noire 18, Hirondelle bicolore 24, Hirondelle à front blanc 3, Hirondelle rustique 12, Mésange à tête noire 1, Sittelle à poitrine blanche 1, Troglodyte des marais 6, Merle d'Amérique 7, Moqueur chat 1, Étourneau sansonnet 250 +, Jaseur d'Amérique 24, Paruline jaune 4, Bruant familier 1, Bruant des prés 4, Bruant chanteur 16, Bruant des marais 1, Cardinal rouge 1,Carouge à épaulettes 250 +, Sturnelle des prés 1, Quiscale bronzé 55, Oriole de Baltimore 1 , Chardonneret jaune 6, Moineau domestique 10