Sightings for Tuesday March 9th

Ste-Catherine: Barrow's goldeneye (m), Common goldeneye (about 250), Common goldeneye X Barrow's goldeneye (m) hybrid. Bald eagle perched in a large tree on Heron island
Garrot d'Islande (mâle), Garrots à oeil d'or (environ 250). un mâle hybride Garrot à oeil d'or X Garrot d'Islande. Pygargue à tête blanche adulte posé sur un grand arbre sur l'île aux Héron - Gérard Cyr

Bassin de Chambly basin: 1 white Gryfalcon (with prey probably a duck), 30+ Northern pintails, 25 Mallard, 8 Black duck, 17 Common merganser, 6 Common goldeneye, 2 Gadwall, 2 american wigeon, 800+ Canada geese, 1 Snow goose, Gulls - Great black-backed, Herring, Ring-billed, 11 American crow
1 Faucon gerfaut de forme blanche, posé sur une proie. Possiblement un canard. 30+ Canards pilet, 25 Canards colvert, 8 Canards noir, 17 Grands harle, 6 Garrots à oeil d'or, 2 Canards chipeau, 2 Canards d'Amérique, 800+ Bernaches du Canada, 1 Oie des neiges, Goélands - marin, argenté et à bec cerclé, 11 Corneilles d'Amérique - Robert Chartier, Gilles Ethier

Lévis, rue Mercier: Ivory gull (imm), Bald eagle (ad), Gulls - Great black-backed, Herring, Ring-billed
Mouette blanches (imm), adulte Pygargue à tête blanche, Goélands - marins, argentés, becs cerclés - Mario Labrie, Robin Gingras

Verdun, Lasalle: At the end of the afternoon I went to the river on foot (Verdun) and headed west as far as parc des Rapides (LaSalle) - 2 Bufflehead, 2 Hooded merganser, 1 Bald eagle (Parc des Rapides) and the ever present Ring-billed gulls
En fin d’après-midi, je me suis rendue à la course à pied jusqu’au fleuve (Verdun) que j’ai longé vers l’ouest jusqu’au parc des Rapides (LaSalle) - 2 Petits garrots, 2 Harles couronnés, un Pygargue à tête blanche (Parc des Rapides) et les omniprésents Goélands à bec cerclés - Diane Demers

Sightings for Sunday March 7th

entre (between) la pointe de Lévis & la baie de Beauport: Ivory gull is still present in baie de Beauport
Mouette blanche est toujours présente dans la baie de Beauport - Gérard Cyr

St Armand & Philipsburg:
Turkey Vulture (Urubu à tête rouge)
Bald eagle (Pygargue à tête blanche) (imm) chemin Bradley, +1 (ad) refuge Montgomery qui est allé se percher dans dun grand pin au Sud du marais) that landed in a large pine south of the marsh
Red-tailed hawk (Buse à queue rousse)
Rock pigeon (Pigeon biset)
Mounring dove (Tourterelle triste)
Great horned owl (Grand-Duc d'Amérique) (refuge Montgomery, au nid (on nest)
Barred owl (Chouette rayée) (chemin Dutch, au Sud du ch, St-Armand)
Downy Woodpercker (Pic mineur)
Hairy woodpecker (Pic chevelu)
Northern shrike (Pie-grièche grise) (ch. Bradley)
Blue jay (Geai bleu)
American crow (Corneille d'Amérique)
Common raven (Grand Corbeau)
Black capped chickadee (Mésange à tête noire)
Tufted titmouse (Mésange bicolore) (refuge Montgomery & rue Allen - Philipsburg)
White-breasted nuthatch (Sittelle à poitrine blanche)
Brown creeper (Grimpereau brun) (dans les sentiers du refuge Montgomery, près du motel) (on the trail of refuge Montgomery near the motel)
American robin (Merle d'Amérique) (dans les champs de St-Armand) (in the fields of St-Armand)
European starling (Étourneau sansonnet)
American tree sparrow (Bruant hudsonien) (ils sont moins abonndants qu'il y a quelques semaines) (less abundant in the last few weeks)
Song sparrow (Bruant chanteur) (quelques individus ont passé l'hiver au marais de Philisburg) (some indivuals passed the winter at the Philipsburg marsh)
White-throated sparrow (Bruant à gorge blanche) (près de la cache du refuge)
Northern cardinal (Cardinal rouge)
House finch (Roselin familier)
American goldfinch (Chardonneret jaune)
House sparrow (Moineau domestique)

Nous avons entendu de très loin un chant qui ressemblait beaucoup au Troglodyte
de Caroline dans les sentiers du refuge. Cette espèce a été vue samedi par
d'autres observateurs sur la rue Allen à Philipsburg.
We heard from afar a song that closely resembled the Carolina Wren on the trails in the refuge. This species has been seen on Saturday by other observers on Allen Street in Philipsburg - Ramonde Boyer, Suzanne & Yves Cardinal, Alain Deschamps

BPQ's 2010 Winter Bird Course

We have lined up varied and interesting topics and speakers for the BPQ Winter Bird Course (see below). You can sign up for all or just some of the lectures, which will be given on alternate Wednesdays in February and March. Save mailing costs by handing in your application to the Membership Services Table at the monthly meeting.

Time: 7:30 to 9:30 p.m.
Place: Knox Presbyterian Church, 6225 Godfrey Ave, NDG
Cost: $15 per lecture for BPQ members and $20 for non-members

Gardening for Birds - or How to Lengthen Your Life-list in Comfort
with Richard and Jean Gregson
DATE: 24 March

For a detailed course description, go to BPQ's website http://www.pqspb.org/courses.html
Download an application form at:
http://www.pqspb.org/downloads/BPQ_Wiinter_BirdCourse_2010.pdf ... or pick one up at the monthly meeting.

For further information, contact Averill Craig at: ak.craig@sympatico.ca
514-484-6575

Sightings for Saturday March 6th

entre (between) la pointe de Lévis & la baie de Beauport: Discovered by Guy Lemelin this morning. The Ivory gull was still present around noon, in the same place. First observed on the drifting ice it eventually flew and moved closer to rue du Fleuve in Lévis (where we were) to sufficiently see the contrast of the black legs against the white.
Découverte par Guy Lemelin ce matin. La Mouette blanche et la était toujours présente vers midi au même endroit. D'abord observée de loin posée sur les glaces dérivantes, elle s'est finalement envolée et s'est rapprochée de la rue du Fleuve à Lévis (où nous étions installés) suffisamment pour bien voir les pattes noires contrastant avec le dessous blanc. Jacques Lachance, Claude Deschênes, Gaétan Lord

Dundee, Réserve-nationale-de-faune-du-Lac-Saint-François : Bald eagle (ad) (Pygargue à tête blanche) - Patrick Laniel

Lasalle: I learned today that there's a pair of Bald Eagles (Pygargue à tête blanche) on Heron Island. I saw them near one of the nests, from Parc des Rapides. One of the (numerous) other birders in the park told me that the eagles have been there for about two weeks and the speculation is that they intend to take possession of the nest they've been staking out. That could create an interesting situation! - Zofia

Chateauguay, Île Saint-Bernard - Refuge Faunique Marguerite D'Youville: 10 Cedar waxwings (Jaseurs d'Amérique), Northern shrike (Pie Grièche) - Yvon Roy

Sightings for Thursday March 4th

Adstock, Parc Frontenac (secteur St-Daniel): 1 Spruce grouse, 3 Gray jays, 23 Black-capped chickadees, 4 Boreal chickadees, 6 Purple finch, 2 American crows, 1 Pileated woodpecker, 1 Hairy woodpecker, 7 Red-breasted nuthatch, 2 Golden-crowned kinglets, 11 Snow buntings
1 tétras du Canada, 3 mésangeai du Canada, 23 mésanges à tête noire, 4 mésanges à tête brune, 6 roselins poupré, 2 corneilles d'Amérique, 1 grand pic, 1 pic chevelu, 7 sitelles à poitrine rousse, 2 roitelets à couronne dorée, 11 bruants des neiges - Alain Sheinck

Sightings for Wednesday March 3rd

Barrage de Beauharnois dam: A good number of gulls, mostly Herring. 8 Glaucous gulls, 3 Iceland gulls again no Ring-billed gulls, 1 Peregrine falcon
(bon nombre de laridés avec dominance de G. argentés). 8-Goélands bourgmestre, 3-Goélands arctiques, Pas encore de G. à bec cerclés, 1-Faucon pèlerin

Hungry Bay: 1 Common loon, 75 Canada geese (in flight headed N-E), 4 Bufflehead
1- Plongeon huard, 75-Bernaches du Canada (un voilier vers le nord-est), 4 - Petits Garrots

Ste-Clet & Ste-Mathe: 4 Wild turkeys, 8 Gray partridge, 1 Snowy owl, 1 Northern goshawk, 2 Lapland longspur, 150 Snow buntings
(rangs et montées en paysage champètre...), 4- Dindons sauvages, 8- Perdrix grises, 1- Harfang des neiges, 1- Autour des palombes, 2- Bruants lapons, 150-Bruants des neiges

St-Lazare, pinery (pinède) rue Poirier): 12 Pine siskins, 2 Pileated woodpeckers, 1 Ruffed grouse, 1 Winter wrem, 4 Golden-crowned kinglets
12-Tarins des pins, 2-Grands pics, 1-Gélinotte huppée,1-Troglodyte mignon, 4-Roitelets à couronne dorées - Don-Jean Léandri

I spent the weekend in a rented "chalet" at the north (?) end of Lake Massawipi near Ayer's Cliff and although I didn't get out to do any real birding I was pleased to find that the enormous crop of fruit on the lakeshore trees and shrubs (crab apples or cherries? not sure) was attracting large numbers of Bohemian Waxwings (Jaseur boréal). The largest flock that I encountered numbered close to 300 birds but I can't say whether there were more in the area or not. The birds were almost continuously present throughout my three day stay from Feb 27th to March 1st. - Paul Prior

Sightings for Tuesday March 2nd

Verdun, Île des Soeurs: Eastern screech owl in a cavity 4 ft. off the ground in the woods. Cooper's hawk seen 4 times and a Brown creeper singing.
At the end of rue O'Reilly: 12 Canada geese and 2 seals on the ice
Un Petit-duc maculé était dans une cavité à 4 pieds du sol aujourd'hui dans le boisé. J'ai vu l'Épervier de Cooper à 4 reprises, et un Grimpereau brun chantait.
Au bout de la rue O'Reilly: 12 Bernaches du Canada et 2 phoques au large sur
des blocs de glace - Pierre Bannon

Châteauguay, rue Higgins: Red-bellied woodpecker (Pic à ventre roux) - Claude Bélanger, M.Cyr, Pierre Lamontagne - Photo

Field trip report for February 27th

Six birders with attended today’s field trip. Temperature was 2C and not as windy as expected. Started at the Saint-Catherine (s) Récré-o-parc and then moved on to rue Higgins in Chateauguay (c) - 20 species reported

18 Canada Goose (Bernache du Canada) (s)
10 Black duck (Canard noir) (s)
300 Mallard (Canard colvert) (s,c)
8 Common goldeneye (Garrot à oeil d'or) (s)
2 Scaup sp. (Fuligule) (c)
40 Common Merganser (Grand harle) (s,c)
2 Ring-billed gull (Goéland à bec cerclé) (s)
1 Herring gull (Goéland argenté) (s)
14 Great black-backed gulls (Goéland marin) (s,c)
4 Rock pigeon (Pigeon biset) (s)
8 Downy woodpecker (Pic mineur) (c)
4 Hairy woodpecker (Pic chevelu) (c)
12 American crow (Corneille d'Amérique) (s,c)
27 Black-capped chickadee (Mésange à tête noire) (s,c)
2 Tufted titmouse (Mésange bicolore) (c)
4 White-breasted nuthatch (Sittelle à poitrine blanche) (c)
6 European starling (Étourneau sansonnet) (s)
2 Northern cardinal (Cardinal rouge) (s,c)
10 American goldfinch (Chardonneret jaune) (c)
6 House sparrows (Moineau domestique) (c)

Tom

Sightings for Saturday February 27th

New York, Ausable Point: TUFTED DUCK was easy to spot from rte 9 just before the campground entrance. The duck moved often but stayed away from the large rafts of Scaup and instead spent its time in smaller groups of 5-20 Scaup and Goldeneye, closer to shore than the larger rafts were. The water is nice and calm and great visibility allowed us to find a CANVASBACK and a REDHEAD among a raft of ~1000 mixed SCAUP as well - Matt Medler, Jay McGowan, Melanie McCormack

Ivory Gull (Mouette blanche) was still at the breakwater in Rouses Point this morning - Tom & Donna Gooley

Sightings for Friday February 26th

New York - Rousses Point: Ivory Gull (Mouette blanche) 4:15 to 5:30 pm today, and The bird was near the stone jetty at the end of Stony Point Road in the Village of Rouses Point. The bird was in the company of a small number of Herring Gulls (Goéland argenté) and Great Black-backed Gulls (Goéland marin) - Jay McGowan, Matt Medler

Bird Protection Quebec's monthly meeting

Monday March 1, 2010
7:30 pm - 9:30 pm
Knox Crescent Kensington and First Presbyterian Church, 6225 Godfrey Avenue, NDG

Birds of Prey of the Tundra: How Important Are They? - with Jean-François Therrien

Jean-François Therrien’s Ph.D. project aims to evaluate the importance of avian predators on the terrestrial food web. He is monitoring avian predators such as Snowy Owls, Rough-legged Hawks, Peregrine Falcons, and Parasitic and Long-tailed Jaegers on Bylot Island (Nunavut) and Herschel Island (Yukon). By collecting data on avian predator abundance, breeding success and diet, as well as annual abundance of their prey (mostly lemmings), he hopes to assess the relative importance of avian predators to the community structure.

Furthermore, to better understand the long-distance movements and habitat selection of these predators, he equipped 16 adult Snowy Owls with satellite transmitters and has monitored their long-distance movements since 2007. His project will thus provide information on the importance of predation for the stability of the system and will provide basic but crucial information to predict future changes in the abundance and distribution of these key species.

Jean-François was first involved in scientific research during his B.Sc. at the Université de Sherbrooke when he undertook a project on migrating birds of prey. This passion for predatory birds has brought him from the tropics to the arctic as he is now undertaking his Ph.D. at Université Laval (Québec City) on arctic birds of prey. Another great talk that is not to be missed!

Sightings for Thursday February 25th

New York
Ivory Gull (Mouette blanche) changed locations a little bit this morning. He was on the New York side between Sportsmans Pier and Anglers Pier around 7:15am. The easiest way to get to anglers pier(Lighthouse Point Marina) and Sportsmens pier is to go through the village of Rouses Point to the end of Rt11,turn right on to Bridge Rd.(bridge to Vermont) then turn right on to Montgomery St.--. Lighthouse Point Marina is just past Barcombs Marina and Sportsmans Pier is a couple of hundred feet past Lighthouse Point Marina. There is public parking in between the two piers at the Rouses Point boat launch - Tom and Donna Gooley

Tufted duck (Fuligule morillon) south of Plattsburgh airport - was seen from route 9 about one mile north of the intersection of route 442 and route 9. It was in a raft of about 100 Greater and Lesser Scaup - Angus Wilson

Sainte-Anne-de-Bellvue: Bald eagle flying over autoroute 40 just before the Ile aux Tourtes bridge
Pygargue à tête blanche a survolé l'autoroute 40 juste avant le pont de l'Ile aux Tourtes - Nicole F.

Sightings for Wednesday February 24th

New York - Rousses Point: Ivory Gull (Mouette blanche) was seen this afternoon at 2pm beside The Marina at Lighthouse Point - David Millar

Sightings for Tuesday February 23rd

St-Timothée, parc des îles: Bald eagle (Pygargue à tête blanche) (ad) - Denis Collins

Sightings for Monday February 22nd

Vermont & New York: Ivory gull (Mouette blanche) is still being seen along the Rouses Point bridge. I was all tied up on the weekend and until this afternoon but
finally managed to get to Rouses Point by 2:30 PM. I found it on the ice and best seen with scope. As the sun shifted west the views got better. The gull flew off and landed by some nearby ice fishing huts.. If it is not around the edge of the ice, people might look there. Mary-Ellen and a host of American birders were also there.
Hopefully the Ivory Gull will stick around. A magnificent bird I also found the Northern hawk owl (Chouette épervière) in Champlain next to the road in front of 494 Prospect St. What with the weather and the birds, a wonderful day - Jeff Harrison

Sightings for Sunday February 21st

Pointe-Claire: Sharp-shinned (Épervier brun) hawk in backyard - Michael Varga - Click phot to enlarge

Montréal Botanical Gardens: Great horned owl near feeder #6 where he was sleeping in a conifer
Jardin Botanique Grand-Duc près de la mangeoire #6, qui faisait la sieste dans un conifère - Francine Tougas

Vermont & New York: Ivory gull (Mouette blanche) has been seen along the Rouses Point bridge. As of 10:00 the gull had settled onto the breakwater off Stoney Point Rd. at the south end of Rouses Point Village. Photos and Map - Bryan Pfeiffer

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Chateauguay, rue Higgins: Black-capped chickadee, Tufted titmouse, White-breasted nuthatch, Downy woodpecker, Hairy woodpecker, American tree sparrow, American goldfinch, American crow, Northern Cardinal, House sparrow
Mésange à tête noire, Mésange Bicolore, Sittelle à poitrine blanche, Pic mineur, Pic chevelu, Bruant hudsonien, Chardonneret jaune, Corneille d'Amérique, Cardinal rouge, Moineau domestique

Saint-Catherine, Récréo-parc: Bald eagle, Common goldeneye, Common merganser, Mallard, Black duck, Canada goose, Black-capped chickadee, American crow
Pygargue à tête blanche, Garrot à oeil d'or, Grand harle, Canard colvert, Canard noir, Bernache du Canada, Mésange à tête noire, Corneille d'Amérique - Tom Long

Dundee: Réserve nationale de faune du lac Saint-François: 2 Bald eagles (Pygargues à tête blanche) - Patrick Laniel

Montréal: It was some time since December that I saw a couple of Common ravens in the area of the incinerator on rue des Carrières in Rosemont neighborhood. Today, I could confirm my suspicions, both members of the couple were carrying nest building materials to the metal structure attached to the chimney to the east. The second Atlas of the Breeding Birds of Quebec begins this year and the Raven is a species whose status has changed considerably in the extreme south the province since the first atlas. This species did not breed at all on Island of Montreal at the time.
Ça faisait quelques fois depuis décembre que je voyais un couple de Grands Corbeaux dans le secteur de l'incinérateur sur la rue des Carrières dans le quartier Rosemont. Aujourd'hui, j'ai pu confirmer mes doutes, les deux membres du couple transportaient des matériaux de construction de nid sur une structure de métal accrochée à la cheminée la plus à l'est. Le terrain pour le deuxième Atlas des oiseaux nicheurs du Québec commence cette année et le Grand Corbeau constitue une des espèces dont le statut a fortement changé dans l'extrême sud de la province depuis le premier atlas. Cette espèce ne nichait pas du tout sur l'île de Montréal à l'époque. - Samuel Denault

Sightings for Wednesday February 17th

Cap Tourmente : Evening grosbeak, Great horned owl, Barred owl, Northern saw-whet owl, Black-backed woodpecker, Pileated woodpecker, Hairy woodpecker, Downy woodpecker, Snow buntings, Tree sparrows, Black-capped chickadees, Raven, Crows, White-breasted nuthatch, Peregrine falcon, Pine grosbeak, Pine siskins, Common redpolls
Gros-Bec, Grand Duc, Chouette Rayée, Petite Nyctale, Pic à dos Rayé, Grand Pic, Pic Chevelu, Pic Mineur, Bruants des Neiges, Bruant Hudsonien, Mésange à tête noire, Grand Corbeau, Corneilles, Sittelle à Poitrine Blanche, Faucon Pellerin, Durbec des sapins, Tarin des pins, Sizerin flammé, Roselin Familier - Serge Couvrette

Sightings for Tuesday February 16th

Montréal Botanical Gardens: this morning Great Horned owl (Grand duc d'Amérique), Sharp-shinned hawk (Épervier brun) at Leslie Hancock Garden. Cooper's hawk (Épervier de Cooper) was also nearby - Chuck Kling - Click photo to enlarge

Sightings for Monday February 15th

Montréal: Sharp-shinned hawk (Épervier brun) on Wilson Ave. in NDG between Sherbrooke St. and De Maisonneuve Blvd. No bird feeders in sight, but fair numbers of House sparrows (Moineau domestique) and European starlings (Étoureau sasonnet) - Mike Bristol

BPQ's 2010 Winter Bird Course

We have lined up varied and interesting topics and speakers for the BPQ Winter Bird Course (see below). You can sign up for all or just some of the lectures, which will be given on alternate Wednesdays in February and March. Save mailing costs by handing in your application to the Membership Services Table at the monthly meeting.

Time: 7:30 to 9:30 p.m.
Place: Knox Presbyterian Church, 6225 Godfrey Ave, NDG
Cost: $15 per lecture for BPQ members and $20 for non-members

Raptor Identification? No Need to Despair!
with Marcel Gahbauer
DATE: 24 February

Breeding Bird Atlas Techniques, and their Application to Day-to-Day Birding
with Lance Laviolette
DATE: 10 March

Gardening for Birds - or How to Lengthen Your Life-list in Comfort
with Richard and Jean Gregson
DATE: 24 March

For a detailed course description, go to BPQ's website http://www.pqspb.org/courses.html
Download an application form at:
http://www.pqspb.org/downloads/BPQ_Wiinter_BirdCourse_2010.pdf ... or pick one up at the monthly meeting.

For further information, contact Averill Craig at: ak.craig@sympatico.ca
514-484-6575

Sightings for Friday February 12th

Pointe-Claire: Eastern Screech Owl (Petit-duc Maculé) in Terra Cotta park (Field by the Douglas Shand entrance) - Michael Varga

Montréal Jardin botanique (Botanical Gardens): Buse à queue rousse (Red-tailed Hawk) - 1, Pigeon (Rock Pigeon) - 5, Grand duc (Great Horned Owl) - 1 (magnifique!!), Pic mineur (Downy Woodpecker) - 2,Corneille d'Amérique (American Crow) - 2, Mésange à tête noire (Black-capped Chickadee) - 8, Sittelle à poitrine rousse (Red-breasted Nuthatch) - 1, Sittelle à poitrine blanche (White-breasted Nuthatch) - 1, Merle d'Amérique (American Robin) - 9, Junco ardoisé (Dark-eyed Junco) - 1, Quiscale rouilleux (Rusty Blackbird) - 2, Roselin familier (House Finch) - 18, Chardonneret jaune (American Goldfinch) - 6, Moineau domestique (House Sparrow) - 2 - Geoff Garver

Sightings for Thursday February 11th

Montreal: Pileated woodpecker (Grand pic) was seen this afternoon on a tree in NDG Park, near the corner of Sherbrooke St. and Marcil Ave. The bird was completely unfazed by pedestrians passing close by and busy automobile traffic on the street - Mike Bristol


Châteauguay, rue Higgins: Red-bellied woodpecker (Pic à ventre roux) - Luc Laberge
Île Saint-Bernard - Refuge Faunique Marguerite D'Youville: 3 Tufted titmouse, Pileated woodpecker, 2 Common ravens, 1 Greater scaup
3 Mésanges bicolores, un Grand Pic, 2 Grands Corbeaux, un Fuligule milouinan, etc. - Pierre Bannon

Sainte-Catherine: On the river in front of the locks at Sainte-Catherine - 50 Canada geese, Black ducks and Mallards, 1 Northern pintail, 150 Common goldeneye, 3 Barrow's goldeneye with a female well observered (orange bill with a rounder brown head), 80 Common mergansers, Red-breasted merganser (m), 2 Bald eagles, 2 Ring-billed gulls etc
sur le fleuve face aux écluses de Sainte-Catherine: 50 Bernaches du Canada, canards noirs et colverts, 1 Canard pilet, 150 Garrots à œil d'or, 3 Garrots d'Islande dont une femelle très bien observée (bec orangé, tête brun foncé plus arrondie), 80 Grands Harles, un Harle huppé (un beau mâle), 2 Pygargues à tête blanche, 2 Goélands à bec cerclé, etc. - Pierre Bannon

Sightings for Wednesday February 10th

Verdun, Île des Soeurs: this morning in the woods - Northern flicker heard many times, and in the company of Louise Ladouceur-Côté an adult Cooper's hawk
in the afternoon at the observation platform - Harlequin duck (m), 3 Brrow's goldeneye (m), 300 Common goldeneye, 30 Common mergansers, 15 Canada geese, 2 Bald eagles, and an American kestrel that caught a rodent at the foot of the platform. Also Great black-backed and Herring gulls.
ce matin dans le boisé : un Pic flamboyant entendu à plusieurs reprises et, en compagnie de Louise Ladouceur-Côté, un Épervier de Cooper adulte.
Cet après-midi, à partir de la plateforme de la Pointe sud, un Arlequin plongeur mâle, 3 Garrots d'Islande mâles, 300 Garrots à œil d'or, 30 Grands Harles, 15 Bernaches du Canada, 2 Pygargues à tête blanche, et une jolie Crécerelle d'Amérique mâle qui est venue capturer un rongeur au pied de la plateforme. Aussi quelques Goélands marins et argentés - Pierre Bannon

Sightings for Tuesday February 9th

Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue: Morgan Arboretum: 1 Great Horned Owl (Grand duc d'Amérique), 60+ Bohemian waxwings (Jaseur boréal), 6 Dark-eyed Juncos (Junco ardoisé), 2 Pileated Woodpeckers (Grand pic) and many other common winter species - Chris Cloutier

St-Clet: Snowy owl at the top of a tree behind 283 Montée Ste-Julie
Harfang des neiges situé à la cime d'un feuillu, derrière le 283 Montée Ste-Julie.

St-Polycarpe: 100 snow buntings and 3 Lapland longspurs in a field near the intersection of Boulevard Cité-des-Jeunes & Chemin Ranger
100 Bruants des neiges et 3 Bruants lapon dans un champ, près de l'intersection du Boulevard Cité-des-Jeunes et du Chemin Ranger
Chemin du Ruisseau Nord: near chemin Ranger: Cooper's hawk
tout près du Chemin Ranger: Épervier de Cooper - Patrick Laniel

Montréal, Botanical Gardens: Chickadees, Goldfinch, 4-5 Downy woodpeckers, House finch, 3 Cardinals, White-breasted nuthatch (heard), Red-breasted nuthatch, 3 Crows, Great horned owl, 2 Rusty blackbirds
Jardin botanique: Nombreuses Mésanges, plusieurs Chardonnerets, 4-5 Pics mineurs, quelques Roselins, 3 Cardinaux, quelques Sitelles à poitrine blanche entendues, une Sitelle à poitrine rousse, 3 Corneilles, Grand-Duc, 2 Quiscales rouilleux - Louise Ladouceur-Côté

Verdun, Île des Soeurs: Carolina wren in the same area of the woods. Accessible from rue de Gaspé near the school. Take the main trail then the first left the wren is behind a series of pale gray brick houses
Troglodyte de Caroline toujours dans le même secteur du boisé. Le secteur est accessible par l'extrémité de la rue de Gaspé près de l'école. Prendre le sentier principal puis le premier à gauche. L'oiseau se tient derrière une série de maison en briques gris-pâle - Pierre Bannon

Sightings for Monday February 8th

Chateauguay, Île Saint-Bernard - Refuge Faunique Marguerite D'Youville: 3 Tufted titmouse (Mésanges bicolores), 1 Song sparrow (Bruant chanteur), 1 American tree sparrow (Bruant Hudsonien), 20 Black-capped chickadees (Mésanges à tête noire), 2 Northern cardinal (Cardinal rouge), White-breasted nuthatch (Sittelle à poitrine blanche), Downy woodpecker (Pic mineur)

rue Pascal: Peregrine falcon (Faucon pèlerine) having breakfast on a lampost - Tom Long


Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, Morgan Arboretum: 1 male Red-Bellied Woodpecker (Pic à vêntre roux), 47 Bohemian Waxwings (Jaseur boréal), 10 American Robins (Merle d'Amérique) (grouped), 6 White Breasted Nuthatches (Sittelle à poitrine blanche), 3 Red Breasted Nuthatches (Sittelle à poitrine rousse), 6 American Crows (Corneille d'Amérique), 4 Northern Cardinals (Cardinal Rouge), 1 Brown Creeper (Grimpereau brun), 40+ Black-Capped Chickadees (Mésanges à tête noire), 3 American Goldfinches (Chardoneret jaune), 1 Hairy Woodpecker (Pic chevelu), 1 Downy Woodpecker (Pic mineur) - Chris Cloutier

Sighitngs for Saturday February 6th

Pincourt: Northern Hawk Owl (Chouette épervière) was along the strip of land between Blvd. Traversier and Highway 20 (in front of the Maxi parking lot) - Richard Gregson

Sept-Iles: Willow ptarmigan several individuals were found on the access road for the centrale hydroélectrique SM3 20 minutes west of Sept-Iles. Also 2 Common ravens, 78 Common redpolls, 2 Gray jays
Lagopèdes des saules trouvés quelques individus sur le chemin d'accès de la centrale hydroélectrique de SM3 (chemin à 20 min à l'ouest de Sept-Iles. Et aussi: Grand corbeau (2), Sizerin flammé (78), Mésangeai de Canada (2) - Bruno Duchesne, Jean-François Laporte, Francis Gallant

Sightings for Wednesday February 3rd

Verdun, Île des Soeurs: observation platform on Île des Soeurs southern point. 45 Canada geese, 10 Mallards, 300 Common goldeneye, 3 Barrow's goldeneye, 30 Common mergansers, 2 Bald eagles... and 2 Seals probably the the same two we saw December 19th during the Montréal Christmas bird count.
Belvédère de la pointe ouest cet après-midi: 45 Bernaches du Canada, 10 Canards colvert, 300 Garrot à œil d'or , 3 Garrots d'Islande, 30 Grands Harles, 2 Pygargues à tête blanche.... et 2 phoques, probablement les 2 que nous avions vus le 19 décembre
lors du recensement de Noël de Montréal - Pierre Bannon

Sightings for Monday February 1st

Mont-Laurier: Northern hawk owl seen 3:20 - 3:40 on rue Lalemand between rue Giroux & Godard
Chouette épervière a été observée entre 15:20 et 15:40 sur la rue Lalemand entre la rue Giroux et Godard - Alain Boisclair

Field Trip Report - Saturday January 30th

Six birders braved the cold yesterday to take part in our field trip to the Bois de Liesse Nature Park. Early morning temperatures bottomed out at -22C and the breeze in open areas made it feel much colder. But the sun was shining and it definitely had a little warmth in it when a sheltered area could be found.

It was disappointing to discover that not only were many of the bird feeders in the park no longer being filled but they did not even exist! There were feeders near the two chalets but all the ones on the walking trail in between have been removed.

Despite the cold many of the birds seemed to be getting ready for spring, at least early in the morning. Male cardinals were singing and chasing each other, white-breasted nuthatches were calling their territorial song(?) and a few woodpeckers were drumming. Overwintering robins were present adding to the impression of an early spring day.

The highlight of the day came at the very end of the morning when three of the group tracked down some raucous crows along a little used trail and had sensational views of a quite tame, quite small and quite pale gray Great Horned Owl. He would not have been found without the help of the crows and even then blended in incredibly well with the bark of the large oak tree he was perched in.

The other highlights were a very friendly American Black Duck in the open stream near one of the bridges and very colourful views of male cardinals and house finches sharing the same feeder.

Our complete list of 15 species included: American Black Duck (Canard noir)- 1, Rock Pigeons (Pigeon biset)- 12, Mourning Dove (Touterelle triste)- 1, Great Horned Owl (Grand duc d'Amérique)- 1, Downy Woodpecker (Pic mineur)- 2 , Hairy Woodpecker (Pic chevelu)- 6, Blue Jay (Geai bleu)- 1, American Crow (Corneille d'Amérique)- 36, Black-capped Chickadee (Mésange à tête noir)- 25, White-breasted Nuthatch (Sittelle à Poitrine blanche)- 8, American Robin (Merle d'Amérique)- 30, European Starlings (Étourneau sansonnet)- 25, Dark-eyed Juncos (Junco ardoisé)- 5, Northern Cardinal (Cardinal rouge)- 8, House Finch (Roselin familier)- 15

As always, many thanks to those who came out. Hope all the fingers, toes and noses have thawed! - Wayne

Sightings for Saturday January 30th

Pincourt: Northern Hawk Owl was seen a little to the east perched on an electric wire near the Pontiac Buick dealer near Boulevard de l'Ile. Which is not to from from the Maxi in Pincourt
Chouette épervière est toujours présente avec ce froid glacial. Trouvée un peu plus vers l'est, perchée sur un fil électrique tout près du concessionnaire Pontiac Buick, près du Boulevard de l'Ile. Ce n'est pas très loin du Maxi de Pincourt - Sylvain Mathieu

Bird Protection Quebec's Monthly Meeting

Monday, February 1, 2010, 7:30 pm at Knox Crescent Kensington & First Presbyterian Church - 6225 Godfrey Avenue, NDG

Feeding Behaviour: A Window on Avian Intelligence with Louis Lefebvre

Birders, both academic and amateur, have been recording novel and unusual feeding behaviours for decades. The accumulated database is a useful tool to look for species differences in innovativeness. Invention of new behaviours is one of the definitions of intelligence, so we can examine the relationship

between the brain and the rate of innovation in particular birds Louis Lefebvre, our speaker for the evening, is Professor of Biology at McGill University and Program Director for the Minor Concentration in Science for Arts Students Program.

Though he has a Ph.D. in Psychology from Université de Montréal, Louis decided to focus on animals, more specifically the non-genetic means by which new behaviours originate and are maintained and transmitted in animal populations. He studies innovations, learning and cultural transmission in the field, in captivity and with data from the literature. Most of his research centres on birds, with field work conducted on nine avian species out of the Bellairs Research Institute of McGill University, Barbados, and on feral pigeons in Montreal.

Louis is the perfect blend of science and art. He has published scores of scientific articles, several works of fiction and articles for non-specialists. He is also a photographer and a sculptor. A man of many talents and not to be missed!

Preparation for Quebec Breeding Bird Atlas course

As some of you know, I will be giving a course in March on Breeding Bird Atlas Techniques and their Application to Day-to-Day Birding. This is part of the BPQ's Winter Bird Courses. For those of you who are planning on taking the course, I have a small, class asignment for you so that the class can get a 'flying' start on the subject matter.

A number of species in the boreal forest do the unexpected. That is, they begin their breeding period in mid-winter. In fact, the breeding season has already started for the two crossbill species. The ability of these two species to raise a family in the dead of a Canadian winter is truly amazing. If you find yourself in the conifer forests north of Montreal, keep an eye open and an ear cocked for displaying Red and White-winged Crossbills (Bec-croisé des sapins; Bec-croisé
bifascié).

In a month or so, another Boreal Forest resident, the Gray Jay (Mésangeai du Canada), will begin nest building and egg laying. Calls and other indications that the nesting season has started such as seeing a Gray Jay carrying nesting material should be noted.

Lastly, a more widely distributed species, the Great Horned Owl (Grand-duc d'Amérique) is also entering its nesting season. If you're out-and-about in the evening over the next month, listen for their calls.

Displays, territorial calls/songs, and carrying nesting material are all indications of breeding and will be the sort of things participants in the upcoming Quebec Breeding Bird Atlas will be asked to look for.

So, for those of you taking the course, your task is simple. Make it a point of looking and listening for these four species when you are in suitable areas over the next six weeks. At the start of the course we will pool and discuss our observations. - Lance

Sightings for Wednesday January 27th

Ste-Anne-De-Bellevue, Morgan Arboretum: Great Horned Owl (Grand duc d'Amérique) spotted on Black (Snowshoe trail) Trail. Being harassed by about 20 American Crows (Corneille d'Amérique). Easily seen for several minutes as it tried to figure a way out of it's current predicament. Also several Blue Jays (Geai bleu), 1 common raven (Grand corbeau), several downy and hairy woodpeckers (Pics mineur & Chevelu), nuthatches (both red and white-breasted) (Sittelles à poitrine rousse et blanche)many Chickadees (Mésanges) and several pairs of Northern cardinals (Cardinal rouge) - Chris Cloutier

Montréal, Parc Nature Cap St-Jacques & l'anse-a-l'orme: 26 species observed with nice surprises - Common goldeneye, Roughed-grouse, Cooper's hawk, Red-tailed hawk. Northern hawk owl, Northern shrike and Snow buntings south of the cemetery St-Genevieve & college Charlemagne. Bohemian waxwings
26 especes d'oiseaux observé, et des belles surprises!. Garrot a l'oeil d'or(2), Gélinotte huppée(1), Épervier de Cooper(Imm.), et Buse a queue rousse. Une Chouette éperviere, Pie-grieche-grise et Bruants des neiges(8) observé sud de la cimetiere St-Genevieve et college Charlemagne. Jaseur boréal(12) - Joël Coutu

Sightings for Tuesday January 26th

St-Nicolas, chemin Aubin: around 1 pm - Northern goshawk in the large field just in fromt of #2102
vers 13:00 - Autour des Palombes C'est dans le grand champ situé tout juste en face numéro civique 2102 - Robin Gingras

Field Trip Report - Saturday January 23rd

The weather gods were good to us yesterday for our annual trip to the open fields of St-Clet, Ste-Marthe and vicinity. Despite early morning temperatures of -19C, conditions were very pleasant due to an absolute lack of wind. Veterans of this trip know what a rarity that is for this area! A bonus was the beautiful frost covering on many of the trees early in the day. Temperatures eventually warmed to -10C and there really was some noticeable warmth in the sun.

Although reports of Snowy Owls have been spotty this season, the sunny conditions were perfect for sighting the birds at a distance and we were able to find 5 different individuals in the area. The nearest bird was our first of the day, a young owl who perched very obligingly in a tree over a farm house very close to the road on Ste Julie. Others were scattered out in the fields or
sitting in distant trees. Our trip participants really "got the hang" of this owl spotting as 4 different people were the first to sight the individual birds.

We found a few other target species but also missed some. Our species total 12 was low but any day seeing 5 snowy owls has to be considered a good one. Other notables included several large flocks of snow buntings (always spectacular against a clear blue sky) and horned larks. An accipiter at the Hudson Inn provided the usual ID challenge. On the flip of a coin we'll call HER a
sharp-shinned.

Many thanks to all who came out and a special thanks to Tom for chauffeuring your trip leader around after his gas tank tried to disengage from his car on the way to the rendezvous spot! - Wayne

Our complete list included: Sharp-shinned Hawk - 1, Rock pigeon - 250, Snowy Owl - 5, Downy Woodpecker - 2, Hairy Woodpecker - 2, Blue Jay - 15 , American Crow - 20, Horned Lark - 20,
Black-capped chickadee - 6, European Starling 75, Snow Bunting - 425, House Sparrow - 60

Sightings for Sunday January 24th

Ste Anne de Bellevue, highway 40 and Veterans Road: Peregrine Falcon (Faucon pèlerin) chasing a smaller bird and Coopers Hawk (Épervier de Cooper) sitting on a lamp post - Mathias Mutzl

Ville Lasalle: 2 Bald eagles are always on Île aux Hérons (Heron island) easily seen across form 7575 boulevard Lasalle
2 Pygargue à tête blanche sont toujours sur place à l'Île aux Hérons et facilement observable de ville Lasalle (en face du 7575 boulevard Lasalle) - Alain Robert

Montréal Botanical Gardens: A Great horned owl at the First Nations Garden, Pine siskins seen at a feeder near the Tree House and a American robin seen in flight. Also House finch, 1 Red-breasted nuthatch, 1 Northern cardinal, Chickadees
Jardin botanique de Montréal. un Grand-duc d'Amérique au Jardin des Premières Nations, un Tarin des pins vu à une mangeoire près de la Maison de l'arbre et un Merle d'Amérique observé en vol. Aussi, quelques Roselins familiers, une Sittelle à poitrine rousse, un Cardinal rouge, mésanges - J.C. Charbonneau
2 Rusty blackbirds (Quiscales rouilleux) - Louise Dumont

L'Ange-Gardien, chemin Lucien-Lefrançois - between (entre) 9:00 & 9:15: Northern hawk owl (Chouette épervière)

Cap Tourmente, 10:00 - 14h00: Mourning dove, Barred owl, Downy woodpeckers, Hairy woodpeckers, Blue jay, Common raven, Black-capped chickadees, Whit-breasted nuthatch, Red-breasted nuthatch, American robin, American tree sparrow, Pine grosbeak, Pine siskins, American goldfinch
Tourterelle triste (2), Chouette rayée (1), Pic mineur (5), Pic chevelu (9), Grand Pic (1), Geai bleu (10), Grand Corbeau (1), Mésange à tête noire (50), Sittelle à poitrine rousse (7), Sittelle à poitrine blanche (5), Merle d'Amérique (1), Bruant hudsonien (2), Bruant des neiges (60), Durbec des sapins (12), Tarin des pins (30) Chardonneret jaune (15) - Laval Roy, Gaétan Lord

In the region of St-Armand et Bedford: 2 Sharp-shinned hawks, Cooper's hawk, a dozen hawks mostly Red-tails. 60 Wild turkeys with one group of 43 in the same field. Pileated woodpecker, Northern shrike, Common raven, Tufted titmouse, Northern cardinal, a small group of Snow buntings 20, American goldfinch, 50 to 70 Cowbirds, 40 American tree sparrows
dans la région de St-Armand et Bedford: 2 éperviers brun, un cooper, une quinzaine de buses, la queue rousse plus souvent observée. Une soixante de dindons, dont un groupe de 43 dans le même champs. un grand pic, une pie-grièche grise, grand corbeau, mésange bicolore, cardinal rouge. bruants des neiges en petit groupe 20, chardonneret jaune, entre 50 et 70 vacher à tête brune, 40 bruants hudsonien - M. Laporte, Y.Drouin, André Provost.

Sightings for Saturday January 23rd

Pincourt: Northern Hawk Owl (Chouette épervière) was along the strip of land between Blvd. Traversier and Highway 20 (in front of the Maxi parking lot) - Tom Long + many others
A Peregrine falcon hunted below the Ile Perrot bridge scaring the Rock pigeons
Un Faucon pelerin était en chasse au-dessus du pont de l'île Perrot, effarouchant les Pigeons bisets. - Michel Bertrand

Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, Morgan Arboretum: The Red-bellied Woodpecker (Pic à vêntre roux) is back in the Arboretum ... that's two winters running - Richard Gregson

Sainte-Catherine, Récréo-Parc: 2 Bald eagles, 1 Barrow's goldeneye (m), Common goldeneye, Common mergansers, Mallards, Black ducks, Gadwall, Canada geese, Great black-backed gulls, Herring gulls, Black-capped chickadees, 2 White-breasted nuthatch, 1 Northern cardinal, House sparrows
2 Pygargues à tête blanche (un adulte et un sub-adulte), un Garrot d'Islande mâle, beaucoup de Garrots à oeil d'or, plusieurs Grands Harles, plusieurs Canards colverts, quelques Canards noirs, un couple de Canards chipeaux (je les ai manqués), plusieurs Bernaches du Canada, beaucoup de Goélands marins, des Goélands argentés, des Mésanges à tête noire, deux Sittelles à poitrine blanche, un Cardinal rouge... et même des Moineaux domestiques. - Michel Bertrand

Between Islet & St-Jean-Port-Joli: Northern Hawk owl chemin Morin south of autoroute 20
Chouette épervière entre L'Islet et St-Jean-Port-Joli le long du chemin Morin qui suit l'autoroute 20 au sud - Jean-François Rousseau

Sightings for Friday January 22nd

Pincourt, between Blvd. Traversier and Highway 20: Northern Hawk Owl (Chouette épervière) - Several people had great views of the Northern hawk owl this morning between 11 and 11:30 am along the road between the Maxi parking lot and highway 20, perched on a lamp post, briefly on a Stop sign, and hovering once over the ground but without apparent hunting success. A beautiful bird, with piercing yellow eyes! - Nick Acheson

Sightings for Thursday January 21st

Pincourt: Northern Hawk Owl (Chouette épervière) was hunting at 11:30 this morning along the strip of land between Blvd. Traversier and Highway 20 (in front of the Maxi parking lot) - Barbara MacDuff

Montreal, Botanical Gardens: Today and yesterday the Great horned owl was present at the same place in the Leslie Hancock garden.
Aujourd'hui et hier, le Grand-duc était présent au jardin botanique de Montréal. Dans la même repéré dans le jardin Leslie Hancock - Yves Gauthier

Sightings for Wednesday January 20th

Pincourt: Northern Hawk Owl (Chouette épervière) was actively hunting, successfully,this morning between 11:30 and 12:00 along the strip of land between Blvd. Traversier and Highway 20 (in front of the Maxi parking lot). It alternately perched on a wire, a lamppost and in trees (mid height). - Peter Tarassoff

Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, Morgan Arboretum Encountered the "friendly" Barred Owl (Chouette Rayée) on a Lunch walk at the Arbo. Several red squirrel announced his presence in the area. - Panamon Creel - Photos

St-Justine de Newton: Northern Shrike (Pie grièche grise) This evening, one was perched by the side of the road just east of Ferme Beaulieu - Betsy McFarlane

Sightings for Tuesday January 19th

Montréal: European Goldfinch (Chardonneret élégant) was hanging out today at 3PM by the feeders at the Pavillon des Marais (Gouin entrance) in Parc-nature de la
Point-aux-Prairies - Pierre-Paul Bitton

Verdun, Île des Soeurs: observation platform on Île des Soeurs southern point. 2 Bald eagles. On boul. de la Forêt there was an American Kestrel perched in a tree
visible à partir du belvédère de la pointe 2 Pygargue à tête blanche
rue des forêt, une Crécerelle d amérique perché au bout d'un arbre - Roger Rousselle, DaniellePaquette

Saint Clet: Snowy owl (Harfangs des neiges) perched in a tree on Ste. Julie, north of the 201 and just a bit west of the first bend in the road - Betsy McFarlane

Sightings for Monday January 18th

Montreal: 2 Peregrine Falcons perched on the Hotel des Gouverneurs at Place Dupuis at the corner of St-Hubert and Ste-Catherine East
2 Faucons pèlerins qui se pourchassaient autour de l'édifice de l'Hôtel des Gouverneurs de Place Dupuis, angle St-Hubert et Ste-Catherine - Denis Hamel

Sherbrooke: Northern hawk owl near the parking lot of (CHUS)Centre Hospitalier Universitare de Sherbrooke à Fleurimont
Chouette épervière près du stationnement du CHUS à Fleurimont- Bruno Courtemanche

Sightings for Saturday January 16th

Varennes, chemin Du Lac: Large flock - approx 200 Snow Buntings (Bruants des neiges) - nice to see one alone in a tree nearby.



Also small mixed flock of approx 15 Horned Larks (Alouette hausse-col) and Lapland longspurs (Bruant lapone).

Also - photos of a Carlolin Wren and Tufted Titmouse at our house today in St.Bruno.
- Mike and Ann Fleming - click photos to enlarge





St-Roch de l'Achigan: Snowy owl percherd in a tree west side of Montée Rémi-Henri about 500 M of the rue Claude E Hétu intersection
Harfang des neiges était perché sur un arbre du côté ouest de la Montée Rémi-Henri à environ 500 métres de l'intersection de la rue Claude E Hétu - Marcel Cousineau

Ile Perrot: Northern Hawk Owl (Chouette épervière) perched on a wire on the strip of land between Highway 20 and Le Traversier next to the Maxi grocery store. We see him often at this location. - Sharon Ann Cichosz

Ville de Mercier: Around 5 pm a beautiful Snowy owl perchered on top of a silo, near 1501 rte 138. I cuppose it could be the same Snowy seen December 30 on rang St-Marguerite in Mercier
vers 17 h un beau Harfang des neiges perché en haut de sturcture du silo, pres de l adresee 1501 route 138. Je soupsonne que c est peut etre le meme harfang vue le 30 decembre dans le rang st marguerite a mercier. - Danielle Paquette

St-Barthélémy, Rang Ste-Thérèse: Snowy owl (Harfang des neiges) - Denis Hamel

Cap Tourmente: Boreal owl (near feeder #4), Barred owl (near feeder #8), Winter wren (near feeder #12), Lapland longspur (near feeder #1), Snow buntings (near feeder #1)
I missed the Great gray owl and the Northern saw-whet owl seen earlier in the day
Nyctale de Tengmalm (près de la mangeoire #4), Chouette rayée (près de la mangeoire #8), Troglodyte mignon (près de la mangeoire #12), Bruant lapon (près de la mangeoire #1), Bruant des neiges (près de la mangeoire #1)
J'ai manqué la Chouette lapone et la Petite Nyctale, vu plus tôt dans la journée.

village de St-Joachim: Northern Mockingbird (Moqueur polyglotte) (near) près du 361 chemin Royal - Maurice Raymond

Field Trip Report - Sat. January 16, 2010

Montréal, Parc Jean Drapeau

Compared to previous trips we have made to Parc Jean Drapeau at this time of the year, today was absolutely balmy! The temperature throughout the morning's very long walk hovered around the freezing mark. Only in open areas along the water did it get somewhat chilly, due mainly to the winds across the water. Overall, walking conditions were quite good, with the exception of one stretch of solid ice along the waterfront on Ile-Ste-Helene.

Before getting to the day's birds, there were a couple other sightings of note. First off, a very healthy looking fox was waiting for us as we arrived at the parking lot. Later on, as we were preparing to leave the parking lot, we saw him again, this time with what looked to be a furry little meal in his mouth...probably an unfortunate squirrel.

The other much more bizarre sighting, and kudos to Bruno's excellent eyesight for spotting this one, was a spider walking across one of the icy paths! We knew it was mild today, but that mild?

Now on to the birds. 13 birders participated in today's "Birders for Haitian Earthquake Relief" field trip. Our species count for the day totalled 19. Here is the rundown:

Mallard - 20, Common Merganser - 8, Cooper's Hawk - 1, Merlin - 1, Ring-billed Gull - 8, Herring Gull - 10, Great Black-backed Gull - 30, Rock Pigeon - 20, Downy Woodpecker - 5, Hairy Woodpecker - 2 , American Crow - 24, Common Raven - 1,
Black-capped Chickadee - 36, White-breasted Nuthatch - 4, Brown Creeper - 4,
European Starling - 4, Northern Cardinal - 5, American Goldfinch - 6, House Sparrow - 2

Thank you to those who made pledges in advance of the field trip. We had one $1 per species pledge; one $5 per species pledge; and one $10 per species pledge, plus one flat amount pledge of $50. Also, some of our group today had already sent in pledges to the Red Cross earlier this week. Those people have agreed to have us add their donations to our total for the day. Once I have all of those details, I'll post up our grand total.

If you would like to make a donation to the Canadian Red Cross Haitian Earthquake Relief cause as a part of our initiative today, please contact me either by e-mail or by telephone (BPQ #514-637-2141) and will add your donation to our total. Remember that every dollar collected will be matched by the Canadian government.

Thanks to everyone who supported this initiative and a special thanks to those who came out today to track down the birds. - Sheldon

Special Notice RE: Tomorrow's Field Trip

Some of you may remember in January 2005, following the tsunami that killed thousands of people in south-east Asia, we held a special field trip to Parc Jean Drapeau on January 8, 2005, calling it Birders for Asian Tsunami Relief. 25 people showed up for the field trip and we collected $2,270 from those who attended the field trip and from others birders in Quebec who chose this vehicle to support the cause. The funds were donated to the Canadian Red Cross, with tax receipts issued to each supporter by the Canadian Red Cross.

I thought that given the horrific situation in Haiti resulting from the recent earthquake that it might be a good idea to do the same thing again this year with our outing to Parc Jean Drapeau tomorrow. This will be a simple way for BPQ birders and others to join together and bird for a special cause tomorrow.

I have put together the following information release announcing the event "Birders for Haitian Earthquake Relief" and giving details on how you can participate and contribute. I will also be posting this notice in French on the Ornitho-QC notice board.

I understand that some of you may have already made donations to the cause of your choice. If you are attending the field trip tomorrow, please understand that it is in no way compulsory for you to make a donation. It is simply a unique and simple way to help out, should you see fit to do so.

Therefore here is the special notice. Thank you in advance for your support.

-------------------
BIRDERS FOR HAITIAN EARTHQUAKE RELIEF

Bird Protection Quebec will be hosting a very special birdwatching field trip, "Birders for Haitian Earthquake Relief", Saturday, January 16, 2010, at 8 am at Parc Jean Drapeau, on Ile-Ste-Helene. Members of Bird Protection Quebec, together with birders from Montreal and
surrounding regions, are invited and encouraged to join us, not only to observe a variety of exciting winter birds but to raise money for the Canadian Red Cross Haitian Earthquake Relief campaign.

Participants will be invited to donate either in the form of a flat amount or on a per-species basis. For example, if you pledge $1.00 per species and 25 species are spotted during the day, your donation will be $25. Donations are payable either by cheque to The Canadian Red Cross, or in cash. Official receipts for income tax purposes will be sent directly to you by the Canadian
Red Cross. Plus the federal government says it will match any donations made to registered charitable groups for the Haitian disaster from Jan. 12 to Feb. 12, up to a maximum of $50
million. So consider each dollar we collect doubled

Anyone unable to attend the event may still wish to contribute by contacting Bird Protection Quebec by telephone or by e-mail to make a donation. You will be provided with the address to send in your cheque.

All birders wishing to participate in the field trip on Saturday, January 16 are requested to meet at the Helene-de-Champlain parking lot on the south side of Ile-Ste-Helene, off chemin Tour de l'Isle at 8 am.

For further information, please contact:

Sheldon Harvey
Bird Protection Quebec
TELEPHONE: 514-637-2141
E-mail
Web: http://www.birdprotectionquebec.org/

Sightings for Thursday January 15th

Boucherville: 11 Gray partridge in the field across from my new condo. The field leads directly to the woods across from parc de la Frayère.
11 perdrix grises dans le champ face à mon nouveau condo. Ce champ mène directement au boisé face au parc de la Frayère - Claudette Archambault

Varennes, chemin du Lac: 2 Lapland longspurs, the first was with a small group of Horned larks and the second was with a group of Snow buntings eating cracked corn at the side of the road.
2 Bruants lapon, le premier était avec un petit groupe d'Alouettes hausse-col et le second était avec un groupe de Bruants des neiges qui mangeaient du maïs concassé en bordure de la route - Luc Laberge

Verdun, Île des Soeurs: Harlequin duck (M) is visable from the observation platform on Île des Soeurs southern point. There is also a Barrow's goldeneye (M), 35 Canada geese and the usual ducks. A couple of adult Bald eagles were perched in a tree on Île aux Hérons. On boul. de la Forêt there was an American Kestrel
Le mâle Arlequin plongeur est toujours visible à partir du belvédère de la pointe sud de l'île des Sœurs. Il y avait aussi un Garrot d'Islande mâle, 35 Bernaches du Canada ainsi que les canards usuels. Un couple de Pygargue à tête blanche adulte était perché dans un arbre de l'île aux Hérons. Sur le boul. de la Forêt, il avait une Crécerelle d'Amérique - Pierre Bannon

Field Trip

Saturday January 16 - samedi 16 janvier

MONTRÉAL - PARC JEAN DRAPEAU, ÎLE STE-HÉLÈNE & ÎLE NOTRE-DAME
Leader: Sheldon Harvey 450-462-1459 ve2shw@yahoo.com

8:00 AM From the island of Montreal, take the Jacques-Cartier Bridge. At the midway point of the bridge, take the exit for Parc Jean-Drapeau (Île-Ste-Hélène), which leads down a ramp. Stay right at the bottom of the ramp, following the one-way road that circles the island. Continue around the island to the Hélène de-Champlain Restaurant. Meet in the parking lot adjacent to the restaurant, in front of the Biosphere.

There is a mixture of habitats, including open waterfront on the St. Lawrence and the channel between the two islands, numerous wooded areas, as well as open fields and shrubbery around several artificial lakes. This will be a lengthy walking trip as we plan to explore both Île-Ste-Hélène and Île-Notre-Dame. Half day.

8 h 00 De Montréal, prendre le pont Jacques-Cartier. Vers le milieu du pont, prendre la sortie Parc Jean Drapeau (île Ste-Hélène), qui mène à une rampe. Suivre la route à sens unique qui fait le tour de l'île. Rassemblement dans le stationnement situé à côté du restaurant Hélène-de-Champlain, en face de la Biosphère. On y trouve plusieurs habitats dont le fleuve St-Laurent, le canal séparant les deux îles, plusieurs boisés, champs, arbrisseaux et lacs artificiels. Ce sera une longue randonnée puisque nous planifions d’explorer l'île Ste-Hélène et l'île Notre-Dame. Demi-journée

Sightings for Wednesday January 13th

Sept-Iles: around 4 pm I saw a Willow Ptarmigan beside the road for the water treatment plant for ville de Sept-Iles. I will check in the next few days to see if he is not alone
Vers 16h00, il a vu un Lagopède des saules en bordure de route dans le chemin de
l'usine de traitement d'eau de la ville de Sept-Iles. J'irai faire un tour dans
les prochains jours pour voir si il n'est pas seule - Francis Gallant

St-Méthode, 160 Notre-Dame sud: European goldfinch is again present this morning at the feeders behind the house
Chardonneret élégant était encore présent ce matin aux mangeoires derrière la maison - Benoît Lemay

Châteauguay, rue Higgins: Red-bellied woodpecker (pic à ventre roux) - Marc Christophe

sightings for Tuesday January 12th

Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, Morgan Arboretum
On my lunch time walk this afternoon I was able to watch a Bald Eagle (Pygargue à tête blanche) soaring over blossom corner for several minutes. He/she didn't seem to be intent on landing any time soon, but what a spectacular bird to add to this year's bird list - Christopher Cloutier

Today, Mabel and I saw 3 Snowy owls (Harfang des neiges) west of St. Clet. All were immatures. The first was on the south side of Chemin Ste. Julie perched on the top of the largest tree available (probably the same bird that Peter and Anne saw a couple of days ago). The other two were close (from 50 to 150m) to the sharp right right hand bend (i.e. turning west) on 4e Rang just south of the junction of Chemin Ste. Marie and Bertrand. There is a small barn at the bend where you can park off the road. Most of the time the two birds sat on the ground amid corn stubble but they frequently interacted, almost locking talons at times. Although each was looking and listening actively for voles, they were also obviously keeping a beady eye on each other, because whenever one headed off after a vole the other took off too, challenging for the prize. We have seen hawks do this often but rarely Snowy Owls. We watched them for well over an hour.

There must be a good number of voles there because both birds were very active and appeared well nourished. Let's hope they make it through the winter and return safely to the Arctic. At the same location there was a group of about 15 Snow Buntings (bruant des neiges) and 5 Lapland Longspurs (Bruant lapon) flying around and landing on the road, giving us great looks at them (between passing cars, of course). We tried for other owls in the woods further west but without success. - B. Barnhurst

Varennes, chemin de Picardie: Snowy owl (Harfang des neiges) - André Provost

Sighting for Monday January 11th

Chateauguay, rue Flanagan: Merlin (Faucon émerillon) - Tom Long

Montreal
A little after 1:00pm,today, there were two Red-Tailed Hawks (Buse à queue rousse) circling over the grain elevators in the Port of Montreal between McGill street and the Peel Basin of the Lachine canal - Mark Tomalty

Sightings for Sunday January 10th

Chateauguay, rue Flanagan: Merlin (Faucon émerillon) - T. Long

Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, Morgan Arboretum: The Barred owl (Chouette rayée) that Betsy reported a few days ago is showing very well today close to the sugar shack ... we have posted some photographs at http://sparroworks.ca/journal/

As Betsy said, it is not at all fazed by people looking at it but because it is so close to a trail (snowshoe trail) please be careful in the area ... it looks like it is sticking around. The photos I posted were taken with a Canon G9, no need for the big lenses and mice. - R. Gregson

Quebec, Domaine Maizerets: 1 Great horned owl, 1 White-throated sparrow, 2 White-breasted nuthatch, 1 Hairy wood pecker, 30 House finch, 12 Black-capped chickadees
1 Grand-duc d'Amérique, 1 Bruant à gorge blanche, 2 Sittelles à poitrine blanche, 1 Pic chevelu, 30 Roselins familiers, 12 Mésanges à tête noire - Laval Roy & Anne Déry

Sightings for Saturday January 9th

Quebec, Foret Montmorency: 20 Common redpolls, 30 White-winged crossbills, 20 Pine grosbeaks, 1 Pine siskin, 1 Gray jay, 5 Boreal chickadees, 3 Black-capped chickadees, 8 Red-breasted nuthatch, 1 Raven
20 Sizerins flammés, 30 Bec-croisés bifasciés, 20 Durbecs des sapins, 1 Tarin des pins, 1 Mésangeai du Canada, 5 Mésanges à tête brune, 3 Mésanges à tête noire, 8 Sittelles à poitrine rousse, 1 Grand Corbeau - Anne & Laval Roy

Mirabel, rang Ste-Marie: 200 Snow buntings (Bruants des Neiges)
rang St-Dominique: 11 Gray partridge (Perdrix grises) - Lucette d'Amours

St-Barthélemy: Six or Seven Snowy owls (Harfang des neiges) in the immediate area of the village - Chuck Kling

St-Clet area yesterday afternoon there were two Snowy Owls (Harfang des neiges). One was on the west side of Mteé Ste-Julie and one on the south side of Ch. Ste-Julie, both perched on distant high trees - P. Tarassoff

Sightings for Friday January 8th

Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, Morgan Arboretum
In the Arbo this morning, as our group was moving into the woods on the Main Trail, escorted by our usual complement of crows, a Barred Owl (Chouette rayée) suddenly swooped in and peered down at us for several minutes.

It was sharing the tree with one crow, who eyed the owl carefully but didn't say a word until the owl flew off towards Chalet Pruche. As soon as the owl was gone, needless to say, it started to caw to its friends. - B. McFarlane

Sightings for Thursday January 7th

Boucherville: Great horned owl in the parc de la Frayère woods
grand duc d'Amérique dans le boisé du parc de la Frayère (Saulaie)

adult Bald eagle on "ile aux hérons" seen from the Sainte-Catherine, Recreo-parc
un pygargue à tête blanche adult sur l'ile aux hérons observé du Récréoparc de Sainte-Catherine - Pierre Lamontagne

Sightings for Tuesday January 5th
Mirabel: Gray partridge on rangs St-Dominique & Ste-Marie on one of the rangs the Partridge were in the yard of a house
Perdrix grises sur les 2 rangs (St-Dominique et Ste-Marie), sur un des 2 rangs les perdrix étaient dans la cour d'une maison - Alain Robert

Sightings for Sunday January 3rd

Boucherville, Boisé de la saulais: Great horned owl across from 1149 Marie-Victorin about 500' form the road. Also Robins, Chickadees, Creepers, 12 Waxwings (sp) to far to ID
Grand Duc en face du 1149 Marie-Victorin à environ 500' du chemin. Aussi: quelques Merles, Mésanges, Grimpereau, 12 Jaseurs SP= Trop loin. - Yvon Roy

Sightings for Saturday January 2nd

Verdun, Île des Soeurs: Harlequin duck and a Barrow's goldeneye in from of the observation platform on Île des Soeurs southern point
Arlequin plongeur ainsi qu'un Garrot d'islande en face de la passerelle d'observation de la pointe sud de l'Île des Soeurs - Charles Ménard

Sightings for Friday January 1st

Our first yard birds for the New Year here on Flanagan in Chateauguay were: Cooper's hawk, American goldfinch, House finch, Dark-eyed junco, American crow, Blue jay, European starling, Black-capped chickadee, White-breasted nuthatch, Northern cardinal, House sparrow
Épervier de Cooper, Chardonneret jaune, Roselin familier, Junco ardoisé, Corneille d'Amérique, Geai bleu, Étourneau sansonnet, Mésange à tête noire, Sittelle à poitrine blanche, Cardinal rouge, Moineau domestique - Thomas Long

Montreal: A lovely start to a Bigby year: I was just out of the house (NDG) when a Peregrine falcon (Faucon pèlerin), probably female, skimmed like a stealth bomber over the treetops, going south over Somerled up Hingston and out of sight. - Sylvia Wees

Saint-Clet, rang Saint-Emmanuel: a small flock of Wild turkeys fed close to the road because a resident has several feeders on his property adjacent to a small wooded area. also Blue Jays, Tree Sparrows, and Chickadees, Juncos
un petit troupeau de Dindons sauvages s'alimentaient près de la route et pour cause: un résidant a plusieurs mangeoires sur sa propriété jouxtant un petit boisé. Ça valsait de Geais bleus, de Bruants hudsoniens, de mésanges, de juncos...

Saint-Lazare: at the pinery - Red-breasted nuthatch, Brown Creepers, Black-capped chickadees
À la pinède, Sittelles à poitrine rousse, Grimpereaux bruns et de Mésanges à tête noire.
rang Saint-Guillaume: Wild turkeys (Dindons sauvage)

Sainte-Marthe, 3rd rang: Snowy owl on the roof of a barn between montée Bertrand & montée Sainte-Julie
Harfang des neiges bien posté sur le toit d'un grange sur le 3e Rang entre les montées Bertrand et Sainte-Julie - Sylvain Mathieu