Sightings for Wednesday April 9th

Dundee,Réserve nationale de faune du lac St-François: Egret trail (à la digue aux Aigrettes) – 3 Sandhill cranes (grues du Canada), 3 Great egrets (grande aigrettes), 10 Great blue herons (grand hérons), Snow geese (oies des neiges), Canada geese (bernaches), Hooded mergansers (harles couronné), Kingfishers (martins-pêcheurs), Wood ducks (canards branchu), Norhtern pintails (canards pilet), Northern shoveler (canard souchet), Common snipe (bécassine des marais) - Daniel Lebrun - Click photo to enlarge

Montreal Botanical Gardens: 28 species (espèces) including - Fox Sparrow (Bruant fauve), Golden-crowned kinglets (Roitelet à couronne dorée), Brown creeper (Grimpereau brun), Cedar & Bohemian Waxwings (Jaseur d'Amérique et Boréal), Cooper’s Hawk (M) (Epervier de Cooper), Northern Shrike (Pie-Grièche grise), Cowbird (Vacher à tête brune) - Lucette d'Amours

Ile Bizard: Red-winged Blackbirds (Carouge à épaulettes), 6 Tree Swallows (Hirondelles bicolore), were buzzing around the big passarelle, 2 Great Blue Herons (Grand herons), 4 Wood Ducks (Canard branchu), 6 Mallards (Colverts), 1 Belted Kingfisher (martin-pêcheur), (male) at the small passarelle, 2 Ruby-crowned Kinglets (Roiteleits à couronne rubis), Canada Geese (bernaches du Canada) - Hal Trachtenberg

Saint-Hubert, Route Verte: Winter wren (Troglodyte mignon), Eastern phoebe (Moucherolle phébi), Hermit thrush (Grive solitaire), Sparrows - White-throated & Fox (Bruant à gorge blanche et fauve), Rusty blackbird (Quiscale rouilleux), Yellow-bellied sapsucker (Pic maculé), 12 Golden-crowned kinglets (Roitelets à couronne dorée) - Raymond Belhumeur

Saint-Marc-sur-Richelieu: Vesper Sparrow (Bruant vespéra) - Sébastien Rioux


Tadoussac: at the entrance to Fjord du Saguenay - King eider (M) (Eider à tete grise) est présent à l'entrée du Fjord du Saguenay, en face de nos bureaux du Gremm! Observateurs: R.Pintiaux, M.Moisan, G.Pelletier et J.Cabana. - Renaud Pintiaux

Lac Kénogami, chemin des pionniers: Boreal Owl (Nyctale De Tengmalm) - Lucie Boulay & Marc Gaudreault

Godmanchester, montée Smellie: 75 Red-tailed hawks (Buses à queue rousse), 13 Northern harriers (Busards Saint-Martin), 10 Sharp-shinned hawks (Éperviers bruns), 6 Turkey vultures (Urubus à tête rouge), 3 Red-shouldered hawks (Buses à épaulettes), 3 Rough-legged hawks (Buses pattues), 2 American kestrels (Crécerelles d'Amérique), 1 Cooper’s hawk (Épervier de Cooper) Barn swallow (Hirondelle rustique), American pipits (Pipits d'Amérique), Horned larks (Alouettes hausse-col), Eastern bluebirds (Merlebleu de l'Est), Eastern phoebe (Moucherolle phébi), Northern flicker (Pics flamboyants), Eastern meadowlark (Sturnelles des prés), Wilson’s snipe (Bécassines de Wilson), 3 Pileated woodpeckers (Grands Pics) calling in the woods - Pierre Bannon

Baie-du-Febvre: Rte. 132 between the road and the woods at civic number 450 Sandhill crane (Grue du Canada) Elle s'est posé à moitié chemin entre la route et le boisé sur le côté nord de la 132 au numéro civique 450.
4 Great blue heron (Grand Héron), 3000 Snow geese (Oie des neiges), 400 Canada geese (Bernache du Canada), 2 American wigeon (Canard d'Amérique), 2 Gadwall (Canard chipeau), 8 Green-winged teal (Sarcelle d'hiver), 40 Northern pintail (Canard pilet), Black duck (Canard noir), Mallards (Canard colvert), 3 Gray partridge (Perdrix grise), 2 Northern harrier (Busard St-Martin), Red-tailed hawk (Buse à queue rousse), 4 Rough-legged hawks (Buse pattue), 4 Ring-billed gulls (Goéland à bec cerclé), 3 Killdeer (Pluvier kildir), Rock pigeon (Pigeon biset), 9 Horned larks (Allouette hausse-col), 3 Mourning dove (Tourterelle triste), 3 American crow (Corneille d'Amérique), 13 American robins (Merle d'Amérique), 19 european starlings (Étourneau sansonnet), 30 Song sparrow (Bruant chanteur), 9 Dark-eyed junco (Junco ardoisé), 2 Snow buntings (Bruant des neiges), 120 Red-winged blackbirds (Carouge à épaulettes), 80 Common grackle (Quiscale bronzé), 8 Cowbirds (Vacher à tête brune) - Roger Roy

Sightings for Tuesday April 8th

Chateauguay, rue Flanagan: American woodcock (Bécasse d'Amérique) – T. Long

Montreal Botanical Gardens: 25 species (espèces) including – Song sparrow (Bruant chanteur), Eastern phoebe (Moucherolle phébi), Tree sparrow (bruant hudsonien), Junco, Common redpolls (Sizerin flammé), Cedar waxwings (Jaseur d'Amérique). A Bluebird was reported seen yesterday (autre observateur nous a dit avoir vu un Merlebleu hier. Nous ne l'avons cependant pas retrouvé). - Lucette d'Amours - 7 American woodcock (Bécasse d'Amérique), 2 Fox Sparrows (Bruants fauve), Pileated Woodpecker (Grand Pic), Cedar & Bohemian waxwings (Jaseurs - d'Amérique et Boreal), Cooper’s hawk (Épervier de Cooper), Purple finch (Roselin pourpré), European goldfinch (Chardonneret élégant), 2 Golden-crowned kinglets (Roitelets à couronne dorée) - Yves Gauthier
Viau street facing parc Maisonneuve: European goldfinch (Chardonneret élégant) – A. Francis

Saint-Mathias, Bassin de Chambly at the dock: Greater White-Fronted Goose (Oie Rieuse ) - Raymond Belhumeur

Verchères, Montée Chicoine-Larose: ce soir que j'ai débuté mon BGBY - 24 espèces, 5,5 km de marche - Cackling goose (Bernache de hutchins) 1, Wood duck (Canard branchu) 7, Northern pintail (Canard pilet) 9, Green-winged teal (Sarcelle d'hiver) 1, Northern harrier (Busard Saint-Martin) 1, Red-tailed Hawk (Buse à queue rousse) 1, Snow buntings (Bruant des neiges) 300, Tree sparrow (Bruant hudsonien) 1, Song sparrow (Bruant chanteur) 5, Canada geese (Bernache du Canada) 4000, Killdeer (Pluvier kildir) 1 - Sébastien Rioux

Ste-Foy/Sillery 2hrs observation on rue de Bruyères: Canada geese (Bernache du Canada) 40, Hooded merganser (Harle couronné) 2, Great blue heron (Grand Héron) 2, Turkey vulture (Urubu à tête rouge) 16, Bald eagle (Pygargue à tête blanche) 1, Northern harrier (Busard St-Martin) 2, Sharpshinned hawk (Épervier brun) 5, Cooper’s hawk (Épervier de Cooper) 3, Red-shouldered hawk (Buse à épaulettes) 10, Red-tailed hawks (Buse à queue rousse) 34, Rough-legged hawk (Buse pattue) 17, American kestrel (Crécerelle d'Amérique) 1, Merlin (Faucon émerillon) 2, Raptor sp (Rapace sp.) 12, Killdeer (Pluvier kildir) 11, Glaucous gull (Goéland bourgmestre) 1, Bohemian waxwing (Jaseur boréal) 24 - Olivier Barden

Sightings for Monday April 7th

Lasalle
parc des rapides: 2 Hooded mergansers (harles couronnées), 1 American wigeon (canard d’Amérique), 1 Common mergansers (couple de Grands harles), Many American robins (plusieurs merles d’Amérique), Gadwalls (2 couples de canard chipeau) - Sylvie

On this beautiful spring day it is difficult to stay inside so I conducted my first “marathon walk” to the St. Lawrence River at Parc des rapides and along the river to Verdun.

As people have been reporting there are lots of ducks on the river but the Harlequin and Barrows escaped me. Did find four Buffleheads along with Greater and Lesser Scaup Ring-necked Duck and the usual suspects, bringing my Bigby total to a much more respectable 46. Numerous DC Cormorants including some showing the double crest which is not often seen.

There was a “Black-headed” Gull on the ice where the RB Gulls usually congregate at the east end of Parc des rapides. Unfortunately it did not fly so while I think it was a Franklin’s, visibility was not great even with the scope as I could not get an angle that eliminated the sun’s glare. I am hoping others will check it out and get a photo to confirm one way or another?

Noticeably smaller than the RB’s, it was coming into breeding plumage with an almost completely dark hood, fairly long, what appeared to be all-black fairly thin bill with a definate slight downward hook (but not as much as a Laughing), and partial white eye-ring. The legs appeared reddish-orange. - Jeff

Sightings for Sunday April 6th

Dundee: Egret trail - Sandhill crane (Grue du Canada) est à la Réserve-nationale-de-faune-du-Lac-Saint-François (digue aux aigrettes) - Alain Hogue

Sainte-Barbe: j'ai photographié les Oies des neiges. - Régis Fortin - click photo to enlarge

Verdun, across from the Douglas Hospital: Harlequin Duck (Arlequin Plongeur) with a group of Common goldeneye (garrot à oeil d'or)

Lasalle, Parc des rapides: 3 Black-crowned night-herons (Bihoreau gris). A Belted kingfisher (Martin pêcheur) was reported seen - Sylvie Vanier

Ville-St-Laurent, Parc Technologique: Northern goshawk (Autour des palombes), Cedar waxwings (jaseurs d'Amérique), Cowbirds (vachers à tête brune), killdeer (pluvier kildir), Robins (merles d'Amérique), Song sparrows (bruants chanteurs), Grackles (quiscales bronzés) - Julie Tremblay

Between Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu & Saint-Blaise on rue Fernet: Carolina wren (Troglodyte de Caroline)

Saint-Blaise, 1re Rue face off 50e Avenue: Mute swan (Cygne tuberculé) - Raymond Belhumeur - photo

Montréal, Île Notre-Dame: Townsend's Solitaire (Solitaire De Townsend) - Jean-Pierre Tousignant, Jacques Falardeau, Lynn Chainey et autres

Baie-du-Fèbvre, route Janelle: Horned larks (Alouettes Hausse-col), 2000 Snow geese (oies des neiges), 10 Canada geese (Bernaches du Canada), Killdeer (Pluvier Kildeer) (4) - Suzanne Bisaillon

St-Jean-sur-Richelieu: American coot (Foulque d'Amérique) entre le chemin Ste-Thérèse (la 223) et la rue Ste-Marie de l'Île Ste-Marie près du pont - Roger Roy

Sherbrooke, lac des Nations along rue L'Esplanade: Lesser black-backed gull (Goéland brun), Accompanied by Gulls- Herring, Ring-billed, Greater black-backed (Goélands - Argentés, à Bec cerclé, Marins), Hooded mergansers (Harles couronnés), Common mergansers (Grands Harles), Mallards (Canards colverts) - Michel Bertrand

Percé towards Île Bonaventure: Common murre (guillemot marmette) (40), Black guillemot (guillemot à miroir) (200), Razorbill (petit pingouin) (800) also in the Brant geese (Bernaches cravant) (180) - Albini Couture

Between Cap-Rouge and Grondines 40 species (espèces) including
Cap-Rouge: 12 Common eiders (Eiders à duvet)

Saint-Augustin: 4 Rusty blackbirds (Quiscales rouilleux)

Neuville: 2 Killdeer (Pluviers kildirs)

Portneuf, at the dock: 2 Green-winged teal (Sarcelles d'hiver), 7 Ring-necked ducks (Fuligules à collier), 1 Red-breasted merganser (Harle huppé), 2 Hooded mergansers (Harles couronnés)

Deschambault 75 Snow geese (Oies des neiges), 1 Wood duck (Canard branchu), 2 Turkey vultures (Urubus à tête rouge)

Grondines: 1 Bald eagle (Pygargue à tête blanche), 1 Bufflehead (Petit Garrot) - Gaétan Lord

Bird Protection Quebec's Field Trip Report – April 5th

Lasalle, Parc des Rapids & Verdun: "bring a friend birding" trip to Parc des Rapides and the Verdun waterfront was attended by 21 birders looking for a taste of spring. We were pleased to see some new faces among the group and hope they enjoyed themselves, the company and the birds.

We started out under a blanket of gray but ended the morning with some stretches of sunshine and bright blue sky. Temperatures were above freezing and eventually reached +7 or +8 by the noon hour. The best aspect of the weather - NO WIND! Yours truly had the easy job of the morning chatting with participants and helping with ID hints. Co-leader Diane Demers was given the hard work of finding the birds and she came through with some great ones. Bird of the day was a"sub-adult" male Harlequin Duck at the Verdun waterfront opposite the Douglas Hospital. It proved elusive at first as it fed with a large group of other divers but eventually climbed out on the ice to "catch some rays" and gave everyone a great chance to admire it.

Runner up bird, for those who continued on to Ile des Soeurs at the end of the trip, was a male Barrow's Goldeneye at the end of O'Reilly Street. It was"displaying" with a group of common goldeneyes and gave us a chance to hold an impromptu clinic as we dissected the various ID clues which separate these two species. (I think Diane had this one "tied down" because she drove us to the end of the street, walked down and there it was at relatively close range!) The Harlequin and the Barrow's were lifers for some in the group. Always a nice touch.

HARLEQUIN DUCK (ARLEQUIN PLONGEUR), Bufflehead (Petit Garrot), Ring-necked duck (Fuligule à collier), Barrow’s goldeneye (Garrot d'Islande), Common goldeneye (Garrot à oeil d'or), Mallard & Black duck (Canard Colvert et noir), American wigeon (Canard d’Amérique), Common merganser (Grand harle), Hooded mergansers ( Harles couronné), Red-breasted merganser (Harle Hupée), Gadwall (Canard chipeau), Lesser & Greater scaups (Fuligules - Petit et milouinan), Herring gull (Goéland argenté), Great black-backed gulls (Goélands marin), Ring-billed gulls (Goélands à bec cerclé), Canada geese (Bernache du Canada), Double-crested cormorants (Cormorans à aigrettes), Great blue heron (Grand Héron), Dark-eyed Junco (Juncos ardoisé), Rough-legged hawk (Buse pattue), American kestrel (Crécerelle d'Amérique), Robins (Merles), Mourning dove (Tourterelle triste), Rock dove (Pigeon biset), Downy woodpecker (Pic mineur), American crows (Corneille d’Amérique), Black-capped chickadee (Mésange à tête noir), European Starling (Étourneau sansonnet), Songsparrow (Bruant chanteur), Cardinal (Cardinal rouge), House finch (Roseline familier), Common grackle (Quincale bronzé), House sparrow (Moineau domestique) - American goldfinch (Chardonneret jaune), Red-winged blackbirds (Carouge à épaulettes)

Thanks to Diane for her "eagle-eyed" spotting, thanks to Mary Ellen for compiling the list under duress,and thanks to everyone for coming out on a fun morning. A taste of spring at last!

Wayne Grubert

Sightings for Saturday April 5th

Ile Bizard Nature Park: 1 Barred Owl (Chouette rayée), 1 Great horned owl (Grand Duc) seen near the small passarelle being harassed by crows, 1 Broad-winged Hawk (Petite buse), 3 Great Blue Herons (Grand herons), about 20 Red-winged Blackbirds (Carouge à épaulettes), and the baby of them all, 1 Great Gray Owl (Chouette lapone) seen behind the marsh of the big passarelle (snowshoes recommended) - Hal Trachtenberg - click photo to enlarge

St-Armand, chemin Luke: Eastern meadowlark (sturnelle des prés) - Jean-Guy Papineau

Bromont, l'aéroport de Bromont: Eastern meadowlark (Sturnelle des prés), also in the area 4 American kestrels (Crécerelles d'Amérique), 1 Northern harrier (Busard St-Martin), 4 Red-tailed hawks (Buses à queue rousse), 1 Rough-legged hawk (Buse pattue) - Claude Lalande

Saint-Blaise, in a field on 48th ave: Greater white-fronted goose (Oie rieuse) - Arne Rasmussen

Montreal, Mount-Royal Cemetery: Golden-crownen kinglet (Roitelet à couronne dorée), Winter wren (Troglodyte mignon), Cooper’s hawk (Épervier de Cooper), Song sparrow (Bruant Chanteur) - Johanne Paquette

Boucherville: Black-crowned night-heron (Bihoreau gris) Parc de la Frayère en face
du boisé de la Saulaie - Claudette Archambault

Montreal, Ile ste-Hélène: Yellow-bellied sapsucker (Pic maculé) - Lucette d'Amours

Godmanchester, montée Smellie: 1 Bald eagle (Pygargue à tête blanche), 1 Golden eagle (Aigle royal), 1 Northern harrier (Busard St-Martin), many Red-tailed hawks (Buses à queue rousse), 1 Northern shrike (pie grièche grise), 1000’s Snow geese (Oies des neiges) & Canada geese (Bernaches du Cananda), 2 Killdeer (pluvier kildir)

St-Stanislas-de-Kostka, Hungry Bay: Greater scaup (Fuligule de milouinan), Lesser scaup (petit fuligue), White-winged scoter (macreuse brune), Bufflehead (petit garrot), Common goldeneye (garrot à oeil d'or), Hooded merganser (harle couronné), Red-breasted merganser (harle huppé), Common merganser (grand harle), Common loon (plongeon huard) - Sylvie Vanier

Montérégie near Dewittville: in a field on Rockburn between 3e rang & le chemin de la Rivière-aux-Outardes 30 Wild turkeys (dindons sauvages) dont plusieurs mâles en parade nuptiale, près de Dewittville dans un champ sur Rockburn entre le 3e rang et le chemin de la Rivière-aux-Outardes - Sylvie

Magog,
rue Custeau: Black-crowned night-heron (Bihoreau gris) sur le bord du ruisseau
route 108: Eastern phoebe (Moucherolle phébi), Norhten harrier (Busard Saint-Martin), 11 Snow geese (Oies des neiges)
chemin de Venise: 2 Green-winged teal ( Sarcelle d'hiver), 2 American wigeon (Canard d'Amérique), 325 Canada geese (Bernache du Canada), 50 Ring-necked ducks (Fuligule à collier), Common loon (Plongeon huard), Mallards, Black ducks, Common merganser, Common goldeneye, Turkeys (Canards colvert, noirs, harles , garrots, dindons). Other Raptors seen: Merlin (Faucon émerillon), Sharp-shinned hawk (Épervier brun), Bald eagle (Pygargue à tête blanche) - Benoît Turgeon

Gaspésie,
Rivière-au-Renard: Common eider (Eider à duvet) (106), Surf scoter (Macreuse à front blanc) (10), Common merganser (Grand Harle) (1), Red-breasted merganser (2), Northern gannet (Fou de Bassan) (40), Great Cormorant (Grand Cormoran) (13), Purple sandpiper (Bécasseau violet) (2), Gulls - Great black-backed, Herring, Iceland, Glaucous & Kittiwakes (Goélands - marins, argentés, arctiques et bourgmestres, Mouettes tridactyles), Razorbill (Petit Pingouin) (1), Black Guillemot (Guillemot à miroir) (8), Crow & Raven (Corneilles et Grand Corbeau) (1).

l'Anse-au-Griffon: Common eider (Eider à duvet) (230), Black duck (Canard noir)(8), Common goldeneye (Garrot à oeil d'or) (21), Great cormorant (Grand Cormoran) (12), 1 Song sparrow (Bruant chanteur)

Cap-des-Rosiers: Common eider (Eider à duvet) (632), King eider (Eider à tête grise) (3), Long-tailed duck (Harelde kakawi) (1), Common goldeneye (Garrot à oeil d'or) (10), Red-breasted merganser (Harle huppé) (9), Red-throated loon (Plongeon catmarin) (1), Northern gannet (Fou de Bassan) (1), Great cormorant (Grand Cormoran) (6), Gulls - Great black-backed, Herring, Iceland, Glaucous & Kittiwakes (Goélands - marins, argentés, arctiques et Mouettes Tridactyles), Common murre (Guillemot marmette) (1), Razorbill (Petit Pingouin) (178), Black guillemot (Guillemot à miroir) (35) - Diane Jalbert

Plaisance: Great gray owl (chouette lapone), Wild turkeys (dindons sauvages), Killdeer (pluviers kildirs) Following the Outaouais river east - Red-tailed hawks (buse à queue rousse), Pileated woodpecker (grand pic), Turkey vultures (urubus), Rough-legged hawk (buse pattue)

Grenville Ontario, Outaouais river: Common goldeneye (garrots à oeil d'or), Bufflehead (petits Garrots), Common merganser (grands harles), Hooded merganser (harle couronné), Lesser scaup (petits fuligules), Ring-necked ducks (fuligules à collier), Gree-winged teal (sarcelle d'hiver)

Bald eagle (pygargue à tête blanche) West of the bridge between Hawkesbury and Grenville. At the mouth of rivière Rouge and rivière Outaouais. 5 more Bald eagles (pygargue à tête blanche). 2 Easten Phoebe’s (moucherolles phébis) singing on both sides of rivière Rouge - Daniel Ouellette

Sightings for Friday April 4th

Saint-Eustache, route 148 in an open field: Great gray owl (Chouette lapone) est observée depuis mardi dernier dans un champ vacant de la route 148 - Isabelle Malette

Philipsburg marsh: 8 Woodducks (canards branchu), 9 Green-winged teal (sarcelles d'hiver), 4 Common mergansers (grand harle), 2 Belted kingfishers (martin-pêcheur), 2 Black ducks (canard noir), 2 Mallard (canard colvert), 2 Tufted titmouse (mésange bicolore), 1 Northern flicker (pic flamboyant) - Jean-Guy Papineau

Chamly Basin: 9 Common merganser (Grand harle), 12 Bufflehead & 30+ Common goldeneye (Petit et Garrot à oeil d'or), 50 Ring-necked duck (Fuligule à collier), 100 Mallard & 20 Black duck (Canard Colvert et noir), 29 Canda geese (Bernache du Canada), 1 Great blue heron (Grand Héron), 50+ Northern pintails (Canards pilet), 2 Wood ducks (Canards branchu), 1 Gadwall (Canard chipeau), 1 Herring gull (Goéland argenté), 2 Great black-backed gulls (Goélands marin), 50+ Ring-billed gulls (Goélands à bec cerclé), 2 Dark-eyed Juncos (Juncos ardoisé), 1 Cedar waxwings (Jaseur d'Amérique), 11 Tree swallows (Hirondelles bicolore) - Gilles Ethier

St-Jean: Hooded merganser (Harle couronné), Tree Swallow (Hirondelle bicolore)

Verdun, Behind the Natatorium: Canvasback (Fuligule à dos blanc), Lesser & Greater scaup (Petit et Fuligule milouinan) - Lucette d'Amours

Montreal, St-Alexandre & René-Lévesque: Golden-crowned kinglet (Roitelet couronne dorée) -Denis Lauzon

Sightings for Thursday April 3rd

Verdun
I just came back from a last check on the Verdun waterfront and Île des Soeurs before Saturday's field trip. At Île des Soeurs I was amazed at how fast the ice along the shore had completely melted. There were some duck species Hooded and Common Mergansers, etc. Harles – couronné et Grand), and one immature, probably 2nd winter, Glaucous Gull (Goéland bourgmestre), Song Sparrows (Bruant chanteur) and Red-winged Blackbirds (Carouge à épaulettes) were singing while American Robins (Merles d’Amérique) were «laughing». At Verdun, the male Canvasback (Fuligule à dos blanc), was still there, but I could not find his female partner from last week. There were still plenty of Scaups (both species) (Fuligules (Petit et milouinan), and a few Ring-necked ducks (Fuligules à Collier) along with Buffleheads (Petit Garrot), American Wigeons, Gadwalls (Canards - d’Amérique, chipeau) etc. For those of you interested in coming on Saturday, you would need to wear appropriate footwear for melting snow, water, mud, anything you can thing of, etc. - Diane Demers


Saint-Paul-de-l'Île-aux-Noix, marina Gosselin, at the end of 67th Ave – 5 Mute swans (Cygnes tuberculés) - Yves Payette et des membres du COMIR

Boucherville, 26 Jean-Cadieux: European goldfinch (Chardonneret élégant) - Pierre Casavant

Ste-Martine, at the dam: Graylag goose (Oie cendrée) au barrage de Ste-Martine - Denis Collins
(Micheline Ouellet et Luc Laberge)

Godmanchester, montée Smellie 10am et 1pm: 7 Red-tailed hawks (Buse à queue rousse), 6 Rough-legged hawks (Buse pattue)(2 foncé, 4 pâle), 1 Red-shouldered hawk (Buse à épaulette), 7 Turkey vultures (Urubu à tête rouge), 1 Cooper’s hawk (Épervier de cooper), Northern harrier (Busard St-Martin) mâle, 4 Bald eagles (Pygargue à tête blanche), 1 Golden eagle (Aigle royal), Robins (Merles) (150+), Killdeer (Pluvier kildir) (50+), Song sparrow (Bruants chanteur) (8), 1000’s Snow geese (Oies des neiges) & Canada geese (Bernaches du Canada), 100’s Snow buntings (Bruants des neiges), Horned larks (Alouettes hausse-col), 2 Common redpolls (Sizerins flammés) - Simon Chaloux

Sightings for Wednesday April 2nd

Montreal, Bois-De Liesse Nature Park: In the marsh under the overpass for Autoroute 13 was 1 Killdeer (Pluvier kildir). Also 2 Red-tailed Hawks (Buse à queue rousse), 25 Bohemian Waxwings (Jaseurs Boreal), 1 (m)Hooded Merganser (Harle Couronné) seen in the stream by the 2nd footbridge on the way to Maison Pitfield. - Hal Trachtenberg

Sightings for Tuesday April 1st

Ste-Martine: at the dam "possible" 3 Graylag geese (possibles Oies cendrées) au barrage de Ste-Martine - Denis Collins

Dollard-Des-Ormeaux, Centennial Park: 25 male Red-winged Blackbirds (Carouge à épaulettes), 20 Ring-billed Gulls (Goélands à bec cerclé), 10 Mallards (Canards colvert), 2 Great Blue Herons (Grand herons), 6 American Robins (Merle d’Amérique) - Hal Trachtenberg

Blainville: Bohemian waxwings (Jaseurs boréal) – L. Dumont

Sightings for Monday March 31st

Gatineau, parc Brébeuf: Bonaparte’s gull (Mouette de Bonaparte) visable from the small lookout over the rivière des Outaouais - Raymond Belhumeur - click photo to enlarge

Sightings for Sunday March 30th

St-Mathias-sur-Richelieu, Chambly basin: at the dock, Horned grebe (Grèbe esclavon) L'observation a eu lieu sur le quai - Robert Chartier

Île Bizard: Red-Tailed hawk (Buse à queue rousse), Great gray owl (Chouette Lapone) - Chantal Fournier - Barred owl (Chouette rayée) - Hal Trachtenberg - click photo to enlarge

St-Stanislas-de-Kostka, Hungry Bay: Redhead (Fuligule à tête rouge), Greater scaup (Fuligule milouinan), Bufflehead (Petit Garrot), Common goldeneye (Garrot à oeil d'or), Hooded merganser (Harle couronné), 2 Common loons (Plongeons huards), Canada geese (Bernache du Canada), Red-necked grebe (Grèbe jougris)...disons certaine à 90% car j'ai dû monter le zoom à 60x tellement il était très loin...mais la silhouette ressemblait plus à un jougris qu'à un esclavon...mais à cette distance je peux me tromper. - Micheline Ouellet - White-winged scoter (Macreuse brune), Red-breasted & Common mergansers (Harle huppé et Grand Harle) - Régis Fortin

Verdun, behind the Natatorium: Canvasback (m) (Fuligule à dos blanc), Lesser & Greater scaup (Fuligules - Petit et milouinan), Mergansers – Hooded & Common (Harles - couronné, et Grand), Common goldeneye & Bufflehead (Garrot - à œil d’or et Petit), American wigeon, Gadwall, Mallard, Black ducks (Canards - d’Amérique, chipeau, colvert et noir) - Richard Guillet

Île des Soeurs: southern tip woods of Île des Soeurs a Barred Owl (Chouette rayée), Cooper’s hawk (Épervier de Cooper) (many other winter birds) Barred Owl was in tree that was covered in old vines along trail running parallel to the lake - Mike Henry

Noyan: 4th concession south of the 202 near the border: Tundra swan (Cygne Siffleur) chemin de la 4 ème concession au sud de la 202 près de la frontière.

Ste-Catherine: Red-breasted merganser (harle huppé) - S. Cardinal.

Montreal, Mount-Royal Cemetary: 2 Merlins (Faucons émerillons) photo , Red-tailed hawk (Buse à queue rousse) photo, 2 Pileated woodpeckers (grands pics), Common redpolls (Sizerins flammés) - René Lortie

St-Blaise, marina St-Tropez: Red-necked grebe (Grèbe jougris)

St-Paul de l'Ile aux Noix,
marina Gosselin: 4 Mute swans (Cygnes tuberculés) - Daniel Ouellette
1ère rue: 2 Tufted titmouse (Mésange bicolore), 1 Killdeer (Pluvier kildir) - Don-Jean Léandri

Godmanchester, montée Smellie: 1 Golden eagle (Aigle royal), 1 Bald eagle (Pygargue à tête blanche), 1 Northern goshawk (Autour des Palombes), 2 Northern harriers (Busards St-Martin), 3 Red-tailed hawks (Buses à queue rousse), 1 Rough-legged hawk (Buse pattue), 2 Turkey vultures (Urubu à tête rouge) - Don-Jean Léandri

Sightings for Saturday March 29th

Chute-St-Philippe, lac Pierre: 9 Bald eagles (Pygargue à tête blanche), 4 Golden eagles (Aigles royaux), 1 Northern goshawk (Autour des palombes), 50 Ravens (Grands corbeaux), 2 Black ducks (Canrds noirs), 1 Common merganser (Grand harle), 1 Pine grosbeak (durbec de sapins)
lac-des-Écorces: 6 Red crossbills (bec-croisé des sapins), 1 Red-tailed hawk (Buses à queue rousse) - Marc-Antoine Montpetit accompagné de Gilles et Carmel

St-Blaise, 1ère Rue, près de la 53ième Avenue. 4 Mute swans (Cygnes tuberculés), Canada geese (Bernaches du Canada), Snow geese (Oies des neiges), Hooded mergansers (Harles couronnés), Common mergansers (Grands harles), 1 Song sparrow (Bruant chanteur) - (3 Lesser scaup (Petits fuligule), 1 Red-breasted merganser (Harle huppé), 2 Ring-necked ducks (Fuligules à collier) - photo - Gilles Ethier

Noyan: 5 Turkey vultures (Urubus à tête rouge), Snow geese (Oies des neiges), Snow buntings (Bruants des neiges), Horned larks (Alouettes hausse col)

St-Jean: 1 Pied-billed grege (Grebe à bec bigarré), Mallard (Colverts) près de la
passerelle qui traverse le canal. Common goldeneye (Garrots à oeil d'or) - Michel Juteau

Chateauguay, refuge faunique Marguerite-d'Youville de l’Île Saint-Bernard: Tufted titmouse (Mésange bicolore), Song sparrows (Bruants chanteurs) - Georges Néron - Photos

Verdun: I went at the end or O'Reilly Street at Île des Soeurs to have a lookat what ever duck species there might be there. It was nice, not too cold as the spot was protected from the wind. Among the many Common Mergansers (Grands harles), and Common Goldeneyes (Garrots à oeil d'or) , 1 Hooded Merganser (Harles couronnés) was staying close to the ice edge and a pair of Red-breasted Mergansers (Harles huppés), were standing at a certain distance from the shore. Those two were the first I have seen this year in Montreal. Also interesting was a 3rd winter Iceland Gull (Goéland arctique) alternately standing on the ice and showing itself on brief flights. - Diane Demers

St-Stanislas-de-Kostka, Hungry Bay: Greater scaup (Fuligule milouinan), Common merganser (Grand Harle), Hooded merganser (Harle couronné), Common goldeneye (Garrot à oeil d'or), Bufflehead (Petit Garrot), Canada geese (Bernache du Canada), Northern harrier (Busard Saint-Martin) - photo -Régis Fortin

St-Hubert,
boulevard Clairevue: 8 Horned lark (Alouettes hausse-col), 12 Snow buntings (Bruants des neiges), 1 Red-tailed hawk (Buse à queue rousse), 2 Rough-legged hawks (Buse pattue), 1 Snowy owl (Harfang des neiges)
chemin du Canal: 1 Red-tailed hawk (Buse à queue rousse)

St-Basile-le-Grand, Compost site: 3 Gray partridge (Perdrix grise), 200 Snow buntings (Bruants des neiges), 25 Horned larks (Alouettes hausse col), 1 American kestrel (Crécerelle d'Amérique)

Saint-Paul-de-l'Île-aux-Noix ,
Marina Gosselin: 1 Great blue heron (Grand-héron), Bufflehead (Petits garrot), Common goldeneye (Garrots à oeil d'or), Common merganser (Grands harle), 1 Great black-backed gull (Goéland marin), Hairy woodpecker (Pic chevelu)
99th avenue: Canada geese (Bernaches du Canada), 1 Hooded merganser (Harle couronné)

St-Jean, rue Fernet: 2 Eastern screech owls in a Wood duck nest box (Petits duc maculé) dans les nichoirs de canard branchu. Photo - Gilles Ethier

Beauce between St-Martin et St-Gédéon on the ice of rivière Chaudière: 8 Bald eagles one of which had a transmitter
Paulin Rodrigue et Nancy Jolin ont observé un groupe de 8 pygargues s'alimentant de la carcasse d'un cerf sur les glaces de la rivière Chaudière entre St-Martin et St-GédéonEn plus du nombre, ce qu'il y avait d'intéressant était qu'un pygargue avait un émetteur et des bagues et un autre bagues et numéro - Luc Tremblay - Photo

Bird Protection Quebec's Field Trip Report - March 29th

Île Perrot, Saturday, March 29, 2008

Clear, sunny, piercing wind birders, 36 speciesBirds of the Day: Barrow's Goldeneye, Bohemian Waxwings

Complete list: Canada Goose, American Black Duck, Mallard, Greater Scaup, Lesser Scaup, Bufflehead, Common Goldeneye, Barrow's Goldeneye, Hooded Merganser, Common Merganser, Great Blue Heron, Merlin, Ring-billed Gull, Herring Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Rock Pigeon, Mourning Dove, Downy Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker, Blue Jay, American Crow, Horned Lark, Black-capped Chickadee, White-breasted Nuthatch, American Robin, European Starling, Bohemian Waxwing, Cedar Waxwing, American Tree Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Northern Cardinal, Red-winged Blackbird, Common Grackle, House Finch, American Goldfinch, House Sparrow

Sightings for Friday March 28th

Gaspé
Rivière-au-Renard: Killdeer (Pluvier kildir), 2 Red-throated loons (Plongeons catmarins), 1 Northern gannet (Fou de Bassan)
Cap-des-Rosiers: 500 Common eiders (Eiders à duvet), 2 King eiders (M+F) (Eider à tête grise) - Diane Jalbert - Site COG : http://www.cogaspesie.org/

Saint-Blaise, 1st rue near 53 ave - 4 Mute swans (Cygnes tuberculés) 1ère Rue, près de la 53ième Avenue - Marcel Gauthier

Verdun: Just returned from the river and the Canvasbacks (Fuligules à dos blanc), were still there. They arefeeding with Common Goldeneyes (Garrots à oeil d'or) (100+ in the area), Greater Scaup (Fuligules milouinans), and a few Common Mergansers (Grands harles) directly behind the Natatorium. Also seen were 2 Gadwall (Canards chipeaux), foraging on the edge of the ice shelf.

Thanks for the post, Diane. – A. Plimer

Sightings for Thursday March 27th

Ste-Anne-De-Bellevue, Morgan Arboretum: Barred Owl (Chouette rayée) seen on the orange path, about 400 meters past the Pasture heading to the parking lot. - Hal Trachtenberg - click photo to enlarge

Montreal, Mount-Royal Cemetary: 6 Turkey vultures (Urubu à tête rouge) - Julie Tremblay

Verdun, the river between rue Leclair and the Natatorium, (a little east of the Douglas Hospital): Heron Island 17 Great blue herons at their nests (Grand hérons) étaient posés sur des nids. a pair of Canvasback (Fuligules à dos blanc), 70 Greater scaup (Fuligules milouinans), 4 Bufflehead (Petits garrots), 2 Northern pintail (Canards pilets), Double-creasted cormorant (Cormorans à aigrette), Common goldeneye (Garrots à oeil d'or), Common merganser (Grands harles), Gadwall (Canards chipeaux), American wigeon (Canards d'Amérique), Canada geese (Bernaches du Canada) - Diane Demers

Lasalle, 31st ave: 3 Turkey vultures (Urubu à tête rouge) - Yvon Roy

Vaudreuil-Dorion, intersection 540 & 20: 3 Turkey vultures (Urubu à tête rouge) - Michel Juteau

Sightings for Tuesday March 25th

Noyan, rue Sorel: 2 Greater white-fronted geese (Oies rieuses) with 5 000 Canada geese (Bernaches du Canada) - Yves Payette et des membres du COMIR

St-Blaise, 55th & 1st rue: 4 Mute swans (Cygnes tuberculés) - Micheline Ouellet

St-Timothée, montée Pilon: 1 Cooper’s hawk (Épervier de Cooper), 13 Red-tailed hawks (Buses à queue rousse), 1 Rough-legged hawk (Buse pattue), 1 Turkey vulture (Urubu à tête rouge), 1 Bald eagle (Pygargue à tête blanche), 1 Golden eagle (Aigle royal) - Pierre Bannon

Gaspésie, Cap-d'Espoir: 5 King eiders (Eiders à tête grise), 200 Common eiders (Eiders à duvet) - Albini Couture

Sightings for Monday March 24th

Saint-Paul-de-l'Île-aux-Noix, 55th Avenue - Tundra swan (Cygne siffleur) - many observers

Sightings for Sunday March 23rd

Laval: While at Bois Papineau I heard a loud racket from the area where the Great horned owl (Grand duc d'Amérique) is nesting and upon closer inspection found a rather upset Red Shouldered Hawk (I think, please correct me if wrong) near the nesting site. The Hawk flew a few faint attacks at the nest and after about 10 minutes disappeared to the West. Took a few pics while watching the show: GHO vs. Hawk - photos - M. Swoboda

Pointe Claire: Bald eagle (Pygargue à tête blanche) soaring low over the train tracks on the north side of highway 20 - Sue

Sightings for Saturday March 22nd

Montreal, Botalical Gardens: European goldfinch (Chardonneret elegant) - Denis Lauzon et des membres du COMIR

St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, rue Fernet: Bald eagle (Pygargue à tête blanche), Northern shrike (Pie-grièche grise), Eastern screech owl (Petit-duc maculé)

Saint-Blaise,
rue Dulude: Merlin (Faucon émerillon)
1re Rue: 4 Mute swans (Cygnes tuberculés)
rue Principale: Snow buntings (Bruants des neiges), Lapland longspur (Bruant lapon), Horned larks (Alouettes hausse-col)

Saint-Paul-de-l'Île-aux-Noix, marina Gosselin: 2 Bald eagles (Pygargues à tête blanche) - Sylvain Mathieu

Saint-Stanislas-de-Kostka, Hungry Bay: Common mergansers (Grands harles), Common goldeneye (garrots à oeil d'or), Greater scaup (Fuligules milouinans)

Godmanchester a montée Smellie near 1ère Concession: 2 Easten bluebirds (Merlebleus), American robins (Merles d'Amérique), Golden eagle (Aigle royal), 2 Turkey vultures (Urubus à tête rouge), Red-tailed hawks (Buse à queue rousse)

Noyan, south of route 202: 2 Bald eagles (Pygargues à tête blanche), 2 groups of Snow geese in flight - groupes (d'oie des neiges) en vol. - Daniel Ouellette

Bird Protection Quebec's Field Trip Report - March 22nd

Pierrefonds, Cap-St Jacques

Hello Everyone,Eleven brave (???) birders ignored the cold and wind of Saturday morning and attended the field trip at Cap St Jacques. What was planned as an early spring trip to see returning migrants turned out of to be more of a mid-winter experience with -8C temperatures and strong west winds leading to very low wind chill factors. In sheltered areas the sun did have some warmth in it. We did cut the trip a little short when it was realized conditions were not likely to improve.

The birds were few and far between with little sign of the rites of spring. Bird of the day was a merlin which made a close fly-by before settling in a distant tree. A lapland longspur keeping company with a horned lark along the park road was an unexpected surprise. And an unconcerned pileated woodpecker excavating holes large enough for him to crawl into while searching for carpenter ants(?) was a good sighting.

Our complete albeit meagre list of 13 species included: Common goldeneye - 8, Merlin - 1, Ring-billed gull - 2, Downy Woodpecker - 1, Pileated Woodpecker - 2, American Crow - 30, Horned lark - 1, Black-capped Chickadee - 20, White-breasted Nuthatch - 1, American Robin - 1, Lapland Longspur - 1, Red-winged Blackbird, - 1, House Sparrow - 4

Thanks to everyone who came out for a cold but thoroughly enjoyable walk with good company.

Wayne

P.S. Spring must arrive sooner or later!

Sightings for Friday March 21st

Saint-Stanislas-de-Kostka: 6 Golden eagles (Aigles royaux) by our two valliant "hawkwatchers", Bob Barnhurst & Mabel McIntosh. - Pierre Bannon

Montreal Botalical Gardens: European goldfinch (Chardonneret elegant) - Norman Auger

Sightings for Thursday March 20th

Saint-Paul-de-l'Île-aux-Noix, marina Gosselin: 5 Mute swans (Cygnes tuberculés) - Marcel Gauthier

Sightings for Wednesday March 19th

Valleyfield, St-Timothée sector - boul. Cadieux: pair of Peregrine falcons (couple de Faucon pèlerin) près de la ligne électrique - Daniel Lebrun - click photo to enlarge

Sightings for Tuesday March 18th

Montreal: Peregrine falcon (Faucon Pélerin) à la tour de la bourse - Manon Roy
Île-Notre-Dame: Townsend's Solitaire (Solitaire De Townsend) - Daniel Sarrazin

Chatauguay, Île Saint-Bernard: at the 2nd feeder Tufted titmouse (Mésange bicolore) a la deuxieme mangeoire - Pierre Lamontagne - 12 Common goldeneyes (Garrots à oeil d'or), 1 Barrow’s goldeneye (Garrot d'Islande) on lac St-Louis were the only open water is near the Maritime Indicater. – Monique Groulx

Valleyfield, on one of the towers of the dam at pont Monseigneur Langlois: Peregrine Falcon (Faucon pèlerin) - Michel Juteau

Chambly, Fort Chambly, Redhead duck (Fuligule à tête rouge) - Rober Chartier

Saint-Paul-de-l'Île-aux-Noix, marina Gosselin: 5 Mute swans (Cygnes tuberculés) - Yves Payette & members of COMIR

Magog, where the Magog river empties into Lac Magog: 8 Canvas Back (Fuligules à dos blanc) 7(M)& 1(F), 48 Common goldeneye (Garrot à oeil d'or), 22 Common mergansers (Grand Harle), 14 Hooded mergansers (Harle couronnés), also in the area Rusty blackbird (Quiscal rouilleux), 4 Redwings (Carouge) - Renaud BAETA

Tadoussac, baie de Tadoussac: 111 Greater scaup (Fuligules milouinans), 60 Black ducks (Canards noirs), both Goldeneye species (Garrots des deux espèces), Purple sandpiper (Bécasseaux violets), Ring-billed gull – first of the season (Goéland à bec cerclé - premier de la saison) - Renaud Pintiaux

Alldressed or pepperoni

Got this off a bird forum that I check out. Thought I would share click photo to enlarge

I have to add this one I got of the Red-tailed Hawk this morning. The short story is, I saw 2 crows in the garden fighting over some table scraps Temple put out last night... So I ran to get the camera, and by the time I got them in the viewfinder, Mr. Cooper swooped in and stole their prey from them. He then retreated to a nearby tree to enjoy his slice of pizza! One songbird spared, courtesy of Papa John's. :)

You can visit his other great photos here

Sightings for Monday March 17th

Chatauguay, rue Higgins: Red-bellied woodpecker (Pic a ventre roux) - Pierre Lamontage - photos

Bird Protection Quebec's Field Trip Report - March 15th

Montreal Botanical Gardens

The temperature was cool, -5C, with cloudy skies and intermittent snow. 9 birders were able to find 114 birds of 17 species, the bird of the day being the sharp-shinned hawk which allowed everyone to have great looks for several minutes. The list as follows.

2 Sharp-shinned Hawks, 6 Herring Gull, 4 Rock Pigeon, 1 Downy Woodpecker, 2 Hairy Woodpecker, 12 American Crow, 35 Black-capped Chickadees, 1 Red-breasted Nuthatch, 4 White-breasted Woodpecker, 1 American Robin, 12 European Starling, 10 Cedar Waxwing, 5 Dark-eyed Junco, 7 Northern Cardinal, 1 Common Redpoll, 1 American goldfinch, 10 House Sparrow

An enjoyable trip.

David M.

Sightings for Sunday March 16th

Ayers Cliff, route 141: 2 Turkey vultures (Urubus à tête rouge) - Yvon Roy

St-Stanislas-de-Kostka, Hungry Bay, Common mergansers (grand harles), Common goldeneye (garrots à oeil d'or), 2 lesser scaup (petits fuligules), Bald eagle (pygargue à tête blanche) - Daniel Ouellette

Magog, rue Bernard: 8 Canvas Back (Fuligules à dos blanc) 7(M) & 1(F).
Rivière Magog: Greater white-fronted goose (Oie rieuse), Canada geese (Bernaches du Canada) - Benoît Turgeon

Chutes-St-Philippe, lac Pierre: 2 Golden eagles (aigles royaux), 9 Ravens (Grand corbeaux), 2 Bald eagles (Pygargue à tête blanche), 1 Rough-legged hawk (Buse pattue) - Marc-Antoine Montpetit

Sightings for Saturday March 15th

Ste-Anne-De-Bellevue, Morgan Arboretum: A flock of about 20-30 Cedar Waxwings (Jaseurs d'Amérique) - Hal Trachtenberg - click photo to enlarge

Verdun: 25 Greater scaup (Fuligules milouinans), American wigeon (Canard d'Amérique). A Peregrine Falcon (Faucon pèlerin) was eating a duck on the ice and the Great black-backed gulls (Goélands marins) were feasting on another duck nearby

Lachine: 25 Greater scaup (Fuligules milouinans), Ring-necked duck (Fuligule à collier), 2 Buffleheads (Petits Garrots) - Pierre Bannon - http://www.pbase.com/pbannon ...................................................

Magog, where the Magog river empties into Lac Magog: 7 Canvas Back (Fuligules à dos blanc) 6(M)& 1(F)

rue St-Patrice qui change pour Ch. de Venise une fois sortie de Magog. On prend la première traverse de chemin de fer (rue Bournival )qui sera nécessairement à droite puis on tourne à droite sur la rue Bernard. On parcourt environ un demi kilomètre.Il y a un petit parc privé à gauche. A cet endroit on a une vue sur la décharge de la rivière Magog dans le lac Magog. -Benoît Turgeon

St-Jean sur Richelieu to the border along the Richelieu river: 47 species (espèces) - 2 American wigeon (canards d'Amérique), 2 Bufflehead (petits garrots), 31 Ring-necked ducks (fuligules à collier), 6 Greater scaup (fuligules milouinans), 700+ Common goldeneye (garrots à oeil d'or), 112 Canada geese (bernaches du Canada), 208 red-winged blackbirds (Carouge à epaulettes), 31 Common grackles (quiscales bronzés), 2 Brown-headed cowbirds (vachers à tête brune), 1 Turkey vulture (urubu à tête rouge), 4 Song sparrows (bruants chanteurs), 5 Bald eagles (pygargues à tête blanche), 500+ Snow buntings (bruants des neiges), 245 Horned larks (alouettes hausse-col), Common redpolls (Sizerins flammés), Cedar waxwings (jaseurs d'Amérique), 1 Bohemian waxwing (jaseur boréal), House finch (roselins familier), 3 Tufted titmouse (mésanges bicolores) - Daniel Ouellette

Sightings for Thursday March 13th

Hemmingford: Pileated Woodpecker (Grand pic) Spotted this afternoon in my back yard, Hemmingford Village - Dan Mark

St-Clet: I saw a male Snowy Owl (Harfang des neiges) on the way into Montreal this morning. The bird was sitting on a TV antenna on a house at the west end of Rang Ste-Julie, northwest of St-Clet. No indication of what program the bird was watching - Lance Laviolette

Chambly, Chanbly basin in front of fort Chambly: Ring-necked duck, Northern pintail, many Common goldeneye, Black ducks, Common mergansers, 1 Canada goose, Ring-billed gulls (Fuligule à collier, Canard pilet, plusieurs Garrots à oeil d'or,Canards colverts, Canards noirs,Grands Harles,une Bernache du Canada,une dizaine de Goèlands à bec cerclé sur la glace) - Robert Chartier

St-Hubert, St-Hubert airport: Snowy owl (Harfang des neiges) (M)
Autoroute 30, between Boul. de Montarville & Autoroute 20: 2 Red-tailed hawks (Buses à queue rousse) - Jacques Héneault

Sightings for Wedensday March 12th

Hudson: One of the Great Gray Owls (Chouette lapone) remains west of Hudson in fields bordering Main Roadabout 1.5 to 2km west of Finnegan's Market. If you go to look watch out for thePolice. I was moved on by what appeared to be a twelve year old Police Officer who thought three cars in five minutes constituted a dangerous road. She even declined my offer to show her the owl in a scope. - Mark Dennis

Sightings for Tuesday March 11th

Laval, in a field on Saint-François: 4 Eastern bluebirds (Merlebleus de l'Est), 3(M)+ 1(F), American robin (Merle d'Amérique), Red-winged blackbird (Carouge à épaulettes), Brown-headed cowbird (Vacher à tête brune), Cedar waxwings (Jaseur d'Amérique) - Georges Lachaîne - Click photo to enlarge

Saint-Hubert, Route Verte: Turkey vulture (Urubu à tête rouge) - Raymond Belhumeur

Boucherville, Parc de la Frayère in front of boisé de la Saulaie at 6pm: Great gray owl (Chouette lapone) - Claudette Archambault

Sightings for Monday March 10th

Saint-Paul-de-l'Île-aux-Noix, seen from the marina Gosselin - 5 Mute swans (Cygnes tuberculés) - Marcel Gauthier

Bird Protection Quebec's Field Trip Report – March 8th

Laval, Bois Papineau: cloudy , calm conditions... minus 4 degrees c EIGHTEEN SPECIES!... the woods wore a beautiful white coating on all branches, but were very quiet. BIRD(S) of the day: Great Horned on the same nest as last year. Her partner, tucked away , high up in a tall cedar just opposite the entry point of the path leading to the feeders. As for the feeders: THE MOST ACTIVE I HAD SEEN THEM , IN A VERY LONG TIME. (click photo to enlarge - M. Swoboda)

Other sightings: Mallard (2), Great Black-backed Gull (1), Ring-billed Gull (1), Mourning Dove (4), Downy Woodpecker (4), Hairy Woodpecker (2), Pileated Woodpecker (1), Am. Crow (4), B.C. Chickadee (15), White-breasted Nuthatch (3), Bohemian Waxwing (5).... at parking lot as we finished Cedar Waxwing (15) same tree..." " " " "Am.Tree Sparrow (30 + )... all over the feeder area !! N. Cardinal (4), House Finch (50 ++ ), Common Redpoll ( 30 + ), Am. Goldfinch ( 10 + )

**Today's owls were the 27th sightings of owls for me, so far this fall /winter season.

Chuck Kling www.pbase.com/hootpix

Sightings for Friday March 7th

Chateauguay, Red-winged blackbirds (Carouges à épaulettes) were singing when I got home from work today. A little optimistic I think, with all the snow we've gotten and another 30cm on it's way. T. Long

rue Higgins: 30 American robins (Merles d'Amérique), Red-winged blackbirds (Carouges à épaulettes), 25 Mourning doves (Tourterelles tristes), 25 American tree sparrows (Bruants hudsoniens), “singing” Tufted titmouse (Mésange bicolore) & Northern cardinal (Cardinal rouge) chantaient, Cooper’s hawk (Épervier de Cooper) Monique Groulx saw 2 Red-bellied woodpeckers (M) (Pics à ventre roux) - Pierre Bannon - click photo to enlarge

Sherbrooke, Lac des Nations: Lesser black-backed gull (Goéland brun), Iceland gull (Goland arctique), Glaucous gull (Goéland bourgmestre), Ring-billed gulls (Goéland à bec cerclé) 300+ - Renaud BAETA

Saint – Blaise, 53rd ave. & 1st rue observed around 1:20pm - Mute Swans (Cygnes tuberculés) - Denis Jutras

Sightings for Thursday March 6th

Tadoussac, baie de Tadoussac: 2 Black guillemots (Guillemots à miroir), 85 Greater scaup (Fuligules milouinans), 70 Black ducks (Canards noirs), 2 Mallards (Colverts), 5 Red-breasted mergansers (Harles huppés), 1 Common merganser (Grand Harle), 9 Barrow’s goldeneye (Garrots d'Islande),15 Common goldeneye (Garrots à oeil d'or) - Renaud Pintiaux

Dundee, Pointe Hopkins on chemin Enneigé Menant: Great gray owl (Chouette lapone) - Denis Hamel

Sightings for Wednesday March 5th

Otterburn Park, parc du Ruisseau - enter by rue Mason: Carolina wren (Troglodyte de Caroline) - Catherine Gouillard

Sightings for Tuesday March 4th

Boucherville, Parc des Îles de Boucherville: Great gray owl (Chouette lapone)

Chateauguay, rue Higgins: 2 Red-winged blackbirds (Carouges à épaulettes) 25 Mourning doves (Tourterelles tristes) around 13h30, Bald eagle(sub-adult) (Pygargue à tête blanche)(sub-adulte) passed overhead. Birds heard singing Northern cardinal (Cardinal rouge), Tufted titmouse (Mésange bicolore) - Pierre Bannon - click photo to enlarge

Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, rue St-Jean-Baptiste: King eider (Eider à tête grise) - Dominique Lavoie

Sightings for Monday March 3rd

Montreal Botanical Gardens: Carolina wren (Troglodyte de Caroline) at feeders near The First Nations Garden - Jean-Sébastien Guénette

Sightings for Sunday March 2nd

Chateauguay, rue Flanagan: Cooper's hawk (Épervier de Cooper) – T. Long

Saint-Pierre de Joliette, rang Petite-Noraie: Northern hawk owl (Chouette épervière) - many observers

Berthierville, Île du Milieu also known as "commune de Berthier": Great gray owl (Chouette lapone) about 2km form the parking lot - Stéphane Guimond

Bird Protection Quebec's Field Trip Report – March 1st

Grenville: Today's trip in the Grenville area had been billed as an exploratory trip, the first in an occasional series of trips we will be having. It lived up to its name.

The snow was obviously a deterrent as far as number of participants was concerned. Including co-leaders Jacques Bouvier and Martin Bowman,, the trip began with 8 birders, but soon the road conditions led to 2 people deciding to return to Montreal post haste.

We had hoped to bird up chemin Scotch north of Grenville, but that plan had to be abandoned as the road had not been cleared of snow. The weather conditions certainly were challenging with heavy snow for much of the morning (though it finally cleared near noon). The temperature was around -6 degrees Celsius.

With the leaders plans scotched as it were by this lion of a March 1st, the trip began to live up to its name for real as Jacques and I set out on roads that we hadn't scouted north and east of Grenville in Argenteuil County. The departing two some certainly brought luck as is so often the case. Up till then only American Crows had been encountered. The next bird, which was missed by the co-leaders!, was an adult Bald Eagle in low flight over the 2 vehicles of the 4 remaining participants. Ultimately, this bird was chosen as Bird of the Day despite some real competition.
We took a concession road and found what we came later to realize was the only feeder station in Argenteuil County! No wonder there were birds there, including a textbook Hoary Redpoll that took the collective breath away. A little further along the same road, Jacques thought the habitat looked good, and so we stopped. Soon a bird was found hidden in a conifer and, with some difficulty, we were able to get an identifying look at an adult White-throated Sparrow.

Then came a long period of birdlessness in beautiful country. If only it had been a good year for winter finches!

We ended the trip by the Ottawa River, at first in Grenville and then in Hawkesbury. The river added 5 species for a respectable total of 19 species. The totals below are for Quebec birds unless otherwise noted.

Thanks so much to Jacques Bouvier for his superb birding and guiding and to everyone who came out to make something of a discouraging morning. It turned out to be a very good trip.

Merci beaucoup!

Species with totals: Canada Goose - 3 (in Ontario), Common Goldeneye - 1, Common Merganser - 3 (in Ontario), Bald Eagle - 1, Great Black-backed Gull - 1, American Herring Gull - 5, Rock Pigeon - 8, Mourning Dove - 1, Downy Woodpecker - 2, Hairy Woodpecker - 2, Black-capped Chickadee - 20, White-breasted Nuthatch - 1, Blue Jay - 17, American Crow - 4 (2 more in Ontario), Common Raven - 2, Common Redpoll - 6, Hoary Redpoll - 1, White-throated Sparrow - 1, Dark-eyed Junco 5

Martin

Sightings for Saturday March 1st

Hudson: Great gray owl (Chouette lapone) was still present west of Hudson, viewable from Main Road 1.5km west of Finnegan's Market and hunting the fields between the road and railway. - Mark Dennis

Hatley: Gyrfalcon (Faucon gerfaut) 1km north of Hatley on chemin North or (Nord) - Denis Bergeron

Varennes, autoroute 30 exit chemin de la Baronnie: Snowy Owl (Harfang des neiges)

Verchères, autoroute 30 exit Montée Calixa-Lavallée: Snowy Owl (Harfang des neiges) - Michel Bertrand

Boucherville, Parc des Îles de Boucherville: Great gray owl (Chouette lapone) at the edge of the pinède des Moyens-Ducthe near the road to the golf course. There were several photographers and one had released a Vole that was caught to attract the Owl - Denis Hamel - (please do not bait owls to photograph them)