Bird Protection Quebec "Field Trip Report" - Saturday, October 31

Twenty-one birders were treated to sunny skies, moderate temperatures (peaking at 6C) and LIGHT WINDS for today's walk around Parc Nature Cap St Jacques. Maybe the weather was TOO nice. Bird life was quiet with very few ducks in the channel separating the park from Ile Bizard and a smaller than usual variety of passerine species. A large raft of Scaup was seen west of the park on the Lake of Two Mountains but were much, much too distant for trying to separate the two species.

For those interested in a little more information on two of the topics we discussed today here are a couple of links

Native versus Oriental Bittersweet
http://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fsbdev3_017307.pdf

Downy Woodpeckers and Goldenrod Gall
http://www.birdwatching.com/tips/goldenrod_bonus.html

Our complete list of 33 species included: Canada Goose - 100, American Black Duck - 4, Mallard - 20, Scaup sp. - 1000+, Black Scoter - 1, Bufflehead - 2, Common Goldeneye - 2, Hooded Merganser - 4, Red-breasted Merganser - 2, Great Blue Heron - 1, Sharp-shinned Hawk - 1, Cooper's Hawk - 1, Red-tailed Hawk - 1, Ring-billed Gull - 12, Mourning Dove - 5, Downy Woodpecker - 1, Hairy Woodpecker - 6, Pileated Woodpecker - 1, Blue Jay - 4, American Crow - 20, Black-capped Chickadee - 15, White-breasted Nuthatch - 10, Brown Creeper - 10, American Robin - 100, European Starling - 100, Cedar Waxwing - 5, Yellow-rumped Warbler - 1, American Tree Sparrow - 6, White-throated Sparrow - 2, Dark-eyed Junco - 10, Northern Cardinal 4, Common Grackle - 200 (All in one group), American Goldfinch - 20 

Bernache du Canada - 100, Canard noir - 4, Canard colvert - 20, Fuligule sp. - 1000, Macreuse noire - 1, Petit Garrot - 2, Garrot à oeil d'or - 2, Harle couronné - 4, Harle huppé - 2, Grand Héron - 1, Épervier brun - 1, Épervier de Cooper - 1, Buse à queue rousse - 1, Goéland à bec cerclé - 12, Tourterelle triste - 5, Pic mineur - 1, Pic chevelu - 6, Grand Pic - 1, Geai bleu - 4, Corneille d'Amérique - 20, Mésange à tête noire - 15, Blanc Sittelle à poitrine - 10, Grimpereau brun - 10, Merle d'Amérique - 100, Étourneau sansonnet - 100, Jaseur d'Amérique - 5, Paruline à croupion jaune - 1, Bruant Hudsonien - 6, Bruant à gorge blanche - 2, Junco ardoisé - 10, Cardinal Rouge 4, Quiscale bronzé - 200 (Tout en un groupe), Chardonneret jaune - 20 - Wayne Grubert