Bird Protection Quebec "Field Trip Report" June 1

8 birders turned out for the field trip at the Lac St-Francois Reserve in Dundee, Quebec today. It was hot and humid, but occasional cloud cover and some cooling breezes made the morning enjoyable, as did the birds.

We completed the day with 58 species with the highlight being the Blue-Gray Gnatcatchers at the Great Egret Walk, their second consecutive year nesting at this site.

In general, the species count was good, but the volume of many of the species was quite low. The absence of ducks in the marshes was somewhat odd. The only duck species today was Mallard, with just two of them seen in a fly-by. Swallows, normally very active over the marshes, were also few in numbers.
Overall, the majority of the birds were somewhat quiet as well. Perhaps the heat had something to do with that, plus there seemed to be a lot of birds moving around carrying food, so perhaps many of the birds were busy taking care of new families.

Patrick Laniel, at the reserve welcome centre, indicated that the Sandhill Cranes were present at the Great Egret Walk, but we were unable to locate them today.

Here is our species list for the day: Canada Goose 60, Mallard 2, Pied-billed Grebe 4, Double-crested Cormorant 6, Great Blue Heron 6, Great Egret 4, Green Heron 1, Turkey Vulture 10, Osprey 4, Bald Eagle 1, Northern Harrier 2, Killdeer 3, Wilson's Snipe 3, Ring-billed Gull 8, Common Tern 2, Mourning Dove 6, Ruby-throated Hummingbird 1, Downy Woodpecker 1, Northern Flicker 1, Pileated Woodpecker 2, Eastern Wood-Pewee 1, Alder Flycatcher 6, Willow Flycatcher 10, Eastern Phoebe 3, Great Crested Flycatcher 6, Eastern Kingbird 10, Warbling Vireo 6, Red-eyed Vireo 4, Blue Jay 1, American Crow 12, Common Raven 1, Tree Swallow 12, Barn Swallow 6, Black-capped Chickadee 4, White-breasted Nuthatch 1, House Wren 1, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 2, Eastern Bluebird 1, Veery 12, American Robin 6, Gray Catbird 2, European Starling 4, Cedar Waxwing 25, Yellow Warbler 25+, Chestnut-sided Warbler 1, American Redstart 3, Northern Waterthrush 3, Common Yellowthroat 8, Savannah Sparrow 1, Song Sparrow 12, Swamp Sparrow 12, Northern Cardinal 1, Rose-breasted Grosbeak 3, Bobolink 6, Red-winged Blackbird 50+, Common Grackle 30, Baltimore Oriole 6, American Goldfinch 8

Bernache du Canada 60, Canard colvert 2, Grèbe à bec bigarré 4, Cormoran à aigrettes 6, Grand Héron 6, Grande Aigrette 4, Héron vert 1, Urubu à tête rouge 10, Balbuzard pêcheur 4, Aigle à tête blanche 1, Busard Saint-Martin 2, pluvier kildir 3, Bécassine de Wilson 3, Goéland à bec cerclé 8, Sterne pierregarin 2, Tourterelle triste 6, Colibri à gorge rubis 1, Pic mineur 1, Pic flamboyant 1, Grand Pic 2, Pioui de l'Est 1, Moucherolle des aulnes 6, Moucherolle des saules 10, Moucherolle phébi 3, Tyran huppé 6, Tyran tritri 10, Viréo mélodieux 6, Viréo aux yeux rouges 4, Geai bleu 1, Corneille d'Amérique 12, Grand Corbeau 1, Hirondelle bicolore 12, Hirondelle rustique 6, Mésange à tête noire 4, Sittelle à poitrine blanche 1, Troglodyte familier 1, Gobemoucheron gris-bleu 2, Merlebleu de l'Est 1, Grive fauve 12, Merle d'Amérique 6, Moqueur chat 2, Étourneau sansonnet 4, Jaseur d'Amérique 25, Paruline jaune 25 +, Paruline à flancs marron 1, Paruline flamboyante 3, Paruline des ruisseaux 3, Paruline masquée 8, Bruant des prés 1, Bruant chanteur 12, Bruant des marais 12, Cardinal rouge 1, Cardinal à poitrine rose 3, Goglu des prés 6, Carouge à épaulettes 50 +, Quiscale bronzé 30, Oriole de Baltimore 6, Chardonneret jaune 8