Bird Protection Quebec "Field Trip Report" September 13

A cool morning and a forecast of rain in the early afternoon did not discourage 10 people from participating in yesterday's field trip to Pointe de Yamachiche, near Trois-Rivieres. What surprised us most was the condition of the waterfront at Lac St-Francois. When visiting this site in years past we were always able to spend a lot of time on the large flat sandy area at the point. However, this time the point was covered in vegetation and lots of standing water, providing only a few small spots where we were able to scan out across the sandbars offshore. The wooded area was very quiet with little bird activity. There were small pockets of warblers moving through quickly but not easy to view through the high vegetation. Regardless of these drawbacks, we did accumulate a good number of species.

4 members of our group decided to continue on from Yamachiche, crossing the river at Trois-Rivieres and making a stop at Baie-du-Febvre. This proved to be quite productive, adding a number of waterfowl in particular to our day's total. Here is the complete list of our sightings, split into the two locations. Both sites combined for a total of 53 species - Sheldon Harvey

Greater yellowlegs / Grand chevalier

Pointe de Yamachiche - 36 species: Canada Goose 50, Wood Duck 5, Mallard 6, Common Loon 1, Double-crested Cormorant 1, Great Blue Heron 1, Turkey Vulture 2, Bald Eagle 1, Sharp-shinned Hawk 1, Merlin 1, Semipalmated Plover 2, Killdeer 1, Greater Yellowlegs 2, Spotted Sandpiper 2, Semipalmated Sandpiper 1, Least Sandpiper 1, Ring-billed Gull 100+, Great Black-backed Gull 10, Belted Kingfisher 1, Hairy Woodpecker 1, Northern Flicker 1, Eastern Wood-Pewee 1, Great Crested Flycatcher 1, Blue Jay 4, American Crow 6, Black-capped Chickadee 12, European Starling 6, Cedar Waxwing 20, Tennessee Warbler 1, Nashville Warbler 1, Magnolia Warbler 1, Black and White Warbler 1, American Redstart 1, Common Yellowthroat 1, Song Sparrow 2
White-throated Sparrow 4

Bernache du Canada 50, Canard branchu 5, Canard colvert 6, Plongeon huard 1, Cormoran à aigrettes 1, Grand Héron 1, Urubu à tête rouge 2, Pygargue à tête blanche 1, Épervier brun 1, Faucon émerillon 1, Pluvier semipalmé 2, Pluvier kildir 1, Grand Chevalier 2, Chevalier grivelé 2, Bécasseau semipalmé 1, Bécasseau minuscule 1, Goéland à bec cerclé 100+, Goéland marin 10, Martin-pêcheur d'Amérique 1, Pic chevelu 1, Pic flamboyant 1, Pioui de l'Est 1, Moucherolle huppé 1, Geai bleu 4, Corneille d'Amérique 6, Mésange à tête noire 12, Étourneau sansonnet 6, Jaseur d'Amérique 20, Paruline obscure 1, Paruline à joues grises 1, Paruline à tête cendrée 1, Paruline noir et blanc 1, Paruline flamboyante 1, Paruline masquée 1 , Bruant chanteur 2 Bruant à gorge blanche 4

Sharp-shinned hawk / Épervier brun

Baie-du-Febvre - 25 species: Canada Goose 30, Gadwall 12, Mallard 12, Blue-winged Teal 4, Northern Shoveler 25, Green-winged Teal 10, Ring-necked Duck 4, Common Goldeneye 10, Ruddy Duck 8, Wild Turkey 1, Pied-billed Grebe 3, American Bittern 1, Great Egret 1, Northern Harrier 2, Sharp-shinned Hawk 1, Merlin 1, Ring-billed Gull 15, Rock Pigeon 30, Mourning Dove 6
Belted Kingfisher 1, American Crow 6, Barn Swallow 2, European Starling 50, Red-winged Blackbird 12, American Goldfinch 6

Bernache du Canada 30, 12 Canard chipeau, Canard colvert 12, Sarcelle à ailes bleues 4, Canard souchet 25, Sarcelle d'hiver 10, Fuligule à collier 4, Garrot à oeill d'or 10, Érismature rousse 8, Dindon sauvage 1, Grèbe à bec bigarré 3, Butor d'Amérique 1, Grande Aigrette 1, Busard Saint-Martin 2, Épervier brun 1, Merlin 1, Goéland à bec cerclé 15, Pigeon biset 30, Tourterelle triste 6

Martin-pêcheur d'Amérique 1, Corneille d'Amérique 6, Hirondelle rustique 2, Étourneau sansonnet 50, Carouge à épaulettes 12, Chardonneret jaune 6

Bird Protection Quebec "Field Trip"

Saturday, September 13 – samedi 13 septembre
Pointe Yamachiche   latest sightings eBird Hotspot
Leader: Sheldon Harvey – 450-462-1459 – e-mail

8:00 a.m. Allow 75 minutes driving time from Montreal. Take Highway 40 east to Exit 174. At the intersection in the middle of the exit drive straight forward. Within 100 metres there is a large parking lot which will serve as our meeting area. This is mainly a walking trip on trails that are usually dry, but bring boots just in case. We will visit two areas on Lac Saint-Pierre with a variety of habitats (woods, marsh, riverside, fields.) Bring a lunch in case the trip runs a little long. Half day.

8 h 00. Prévoir 1 h 15 de route depuis Montréal. Prendre l’autoroute 40 est, sortie 174. À l’intersection, au centre de la sortie, continuer tout droit. À 100 mètres de l’intersection se trouve un grand stationnement, lieu de notre rendez vous. Une bonne promenade nous attend au bord du Lac St-Pierre à travers champs, bois et terres qui risquent d’être humides, alors apportez des bottes imperméables. Apporter à boire et à manger si jamais notre sortie se prolonge. Demi-journée.

Sightings for Tuesday September 9

Beauharnois:  The 2 juvenile Sabine Gulls are still at Beauharnois

Les 2 mouettes de sabine sont toujours à Beauharnois: - Pierre Bannon

Sightings for Monday September 8

Beauharnois: Around the middle of afternoon, with André Crépeau, his partner, and

Monique Groulx, I was able to observe really well 2 juvenile Sabine Gulls simultaneously at the end of  chemin cahoteux on the west side of the Beauharnois dam. There were also a couple of Bonaparte's Gull and 2 dozen Common Terns.

Also today, a juvenile Northern goshawk at the Sainte-Martine dam face to face with a Merlin.

Finally, a Caspian Tern at the end of rue MacDonald in Maple Grove.

Vers le milieu de l'après-midi, en compagnie d'André Crépeau, sa compagne et Monique Groulx, j'ai pu très bien observer simultanément 2 Mouettes de Sabine juvéniles au bout du chemin cahoteux du côté ouest du barrage de Beauharnois. Il y avait aussi une quinzaine de Mouette de Bonaparte et 2 douzaines de Sternes pierregarin.

Aussi aujourd'hui, un Autour des palombes juvénile au barrage de Sainte-Martine face à face avec un Faucon émerillon.

Finalement, une Sterne caspienne au bout de la rue MacDonald à Maple Grove. - Pierre Bannon

Bird Protection Quebec "Field Trip Report" September 6

Upper Canada Migratory Bird Sanctuary

We have a very respectable average of 14 participants for our first two field trips of the fall season. 28 participants last week and one this week. I should resurrect my dissertation from several years ago on the benefits of being the leader and sole participant on a bird outing.

In all seriousness when one combines the distance to this particular destination with an extremely 'iffy" weather forecast it was not surprising that no participants made the trek to the far side of Cornwall. In fact the weather was probably worse than predicted. The raincoat was on and off more times than a Kardashian sisters' wedding ring.

Cloudy, intermittent showers (at times heavy), breezy and humid conditions were the order of the day. Temperatures peaked at about 23C. But since I was the designated idiot for the week, and I was already there, I decided to take a tour. For those familiar with the area I walked the bicycle trail running east from the UCMBS parking lot as far as Farran Park Campground, a one way distance of about three kilometers. I also walked the Maple Trail in the sanctuary itself. Unfortunately a combination of age/neglect and some very industrious beavers has caused the closure of several of the better trails in the sanctuary. A group called the "Friends of the Sanctuary" is trying to raise funds to restore some badly decaying boardwalks that are not usable.

 

Highlights of the day included a large group of 600+ Red-winged Blackbirds at very close range in the cattails that kept rising up and settling in beautiful waves of sight and sound for several minutes. They seemed in no rush to leave their roost to go pillage the local corn fields. Two Bald Eagles were seen along the Long Sault Parkway to the east of the sanctuary. They are quite regular there now. One was chasing an Osprey. An immature Cooper's Hawk was being harassed by a group of crows when all it seemed to want to do was sit and dry out its wing and tail feathers. Pockets of passerines were few in number.

 

Four white-tailed deer, one snowshoe (varying) hare and a fair size garter snake were the non-avian highlights.

Here is my full list of 50 species which includes a few birds seen while driving the Long Sault Parkway. Most of the large groups of ducks were on the St Lawrence River near Farran park.

Thanks to all who came out in spirit,- Wayne

 Canada Goose - 100, Wood Duck - 4, Gadwall - 4, American Wigeon - 4, American Black Duck - 2, Mallard - 80, Blue-winged Teal - 40, Green-winged Teal - 70, Wild Turkey - 7, Double-crested Cormorant - 20, Great Blue Heron - 6, Great Egret - 10, Osprey - 3, Bald Eagle - 2, Cooper's hawk - 1, Red-shouldered Hawk - 1, Killdeer - 2, Greater Yellowlegs - 14, Ring-billed Gull - 30, Herring Gull - 1, Great Black-backed Gull - 2, Caspian Tern - 2, Belted Kingfisher - 2, Downy Woodpecker - 3, Hairy Woodpecker - 1, Northern Flicker - 6, Eastern Wood-pewee - 3 ( 1seen, two heard), Eastern Phoebe - 1, Red-eyed Vireo - 4, Blue Jay - 15, American Crow - 35, Black-capped Chickadee - 20, Red-breasted Nuthatch - 3, White-breasted - 6, Brown Creeper - 2 (1 seen, one heard), American Robin - 8, Gray Catbird - 5, Cedar Waxwing 6, Yellow Warbler - 2, Magnolia Warbler - 3, Yellow-rumped Warbler - 1, Black-throated Green Warbler - 4, Common Yellowthroat - 5, Wilson's Warbler - 2, Song Sparrow - 8, Swamp Sparrow - 3, Red-winged Blackbird - 600+, Common Grackle - 15, Baltimore Oriole - 1 (heard), American Goldfinch - 6

 

Bernache du Canada - 100, Canard branchu - 4, Canard chipeau - 4, Canard d'Amérique - 4, Canard noir - 2, Canard colvert - 80, Sarcelle à ailes bleues - 40, Sarcelle d'hiver - 70, Dindon sauvage - 7, Cormoran à aigrettes - 20, Grand héron - 6, Grande Aigrette - 10, Balbuzard pêcheur- 3, Pygargue à tête blanche - 2, épervier de Cooper - 1, Buse à épaulettes - 1, Pluvier kildir - 2, Grand Chevalier - 14, Goéland à bec cerclé - 30, Goéland argenté - 1, Goéland marin - 2, Sterne caspienne - 2, Martin-pêcheur - 2, Pic mineur - 3, Pic chevelu - 1, Pic flamboyant - 6, Piou de l'Est - 3 (1 vu, deux entendu), Moucherelle phébi- 1, Viréo aux yeux rouges - 4, Geai bleu - 15, Corneille d'Amérique - 35, Mésange à tête noire - 20, Sittelle à poitrine rousse - 3, Sittelle à poitrine blanche - 6, Grimpereau brun - 2 (1 vu, on entendait), Merle d'Amérique - 8, Moqueur chat - 5, Jaseur d'Amérique -6, Paruline jaune - 2, Paruline à tête cendrée- 3, Paruline à croupion jaune - 1, Paruline à gorge noire - 4, Paruline masquée - 5, Paruline à calotte noire - 2, Bruant chanteur - 8, Bruant des marais - 3, Carouge à épaulettes - plus de 600, Quiscale bronzé - 15, Oriole de Baltimore - 1 (entendu), Chardonneret jaune - 6

Cedar Waxwings \ Jaseurs d'Amérique

eating berries from a mountain ash in my garden in Ahuntsic

Peggy Killeen - click photo to enlarge

Bird Protection Quebec "Field Trip"

Saturday, September 6 – samedi 6 Septembre
ONTARIO Upper Canada Migratory Bird Sanctuary  - eBird Hotspot
Leader: Wayne Grubert 450-458-5498  e-mail

NOTE: The turning to take off Highway 2 to the sanctuary is at 44.972415,-75.044244 … enter this map reference into Google Maps to get a personalised route from where you live

8:00 a.m. Take Highway 401 west to exit 770 (Ingleside). Proceed south to Highway 2. Take Highway 2 west for several kilometres. Watch for signs on left for “Upper Canada Migratory Bird Sanctuary”. Turn left and follow road for 2 km to main parking lot. Allow 1.5 hrs driving time from Montreal. Looking for waterfowl, passerines and possibly shorebirds on a good network of trails through varying habitat. Half day.

8 h 00. Prendre l’autoroute 401 ouest. Vingt km dépassé Cornwall, Prendre la sortie 770 (Ingleside). Rouler en direction sud jusqu’à l’autoroute 2 pendant plusieurs kilomètres. À gauche, chercher la pancarte du “Upper Canada Migratory Bird Sanctuary”. Tourner à gauche et prendre ce chemin pendant 2 km jusqu’au stationnement. Prévoir 1.5 heures de route de Montréal. Demi?journée.

Bird Protection Quebec "Field Trip Report" August 30

 Sablière, St-Lazare Sandpit - eBird Hotspot

The first field trip of the fall season and the response was overwhelming 28 participants a big group for a small wooded area that we visited first. Things improved a little when we went into the sandpit. The wooded area was very quiet to say the least, most of the birds we saw were behind a house where we had more open view. After the sandpit we walked in the Base de plein air de St-Lazare, although it's a beautiful forest, the birds where totally absent.

We ended the day with a surprising 48 species.

50 Mallard, 12 Green-winged Teal, 1 American Bittern, 3 Great-blue Heron, 2 Great Egret, 2 Green Heron, 3 Turkey Vulture, 1 Buteo sp, 2 Kildeer, 2 Greater Yellowlegs, 2 Lesser Yellowlegs, 1 Spotted Sandpiper, 1 Least Sandpiper, 6 Ring-billed Gull, 6 Rock Pigeon, 2 Mourning Dove, 2 Ruby-throated Hummingbird, 1 Downy Woodpecker, 6 Northern Flicker, 1 Pileated Woodpecker, 6 Eastern Phobe, 1 Warbling vireo, 3 Red-eyed Vireo, 12 Blue Jay, 6 American Crow, 14 Black-capped Chickadee, 3 White-breasted Nuthatch, 1 Hermit Thrush, 8 American Robin, 6 European Starling, 6 Tennessee Warbler, 1 Magnolia Warbler, 1 Black-throated Blue, Warbler (Richard), 6 Yellow-rumped Warbler, 1 Black-throated Green Warbler, 1 Pine Warbler (Richard), 6 Bay-breasted Warbler, 1 Black and white Warbler, 2 Ovenbird, 2 Song Sparrow, 1 Northern Cardinal, 1 Rose-breasted Grosbeak, 6 Red-winged Blackbird, 6 Common Grackle, 3 Baltimore Oriole. 6 American Goldfinch,  (2 Brown Thrashers, 1 Scarlet Tanager - Jean De Marre, Jean Bacon)



50 Canard colvert, 12 Sarcelles d'hiver, 1 Butor d'Amérique, 3 Grande héron, 2 Grande aigrette, Héron vert 2, 3 Urubu à tête rouge, 1 Buteo sp, 2 Pluvier kildir, 2 Grand Chevalier, 2 Petit Chevalier, 1 Chevalier grivelé, 1 Bécasseau minuscule, 6 Goéland à bec cerclé, 6 Pigeon biset, 2 Tourterelle triste, 2 Colibri à gorge rubis, 1 Pic mineur, 6 Pic flamboyant, 1 Grand Pic, 6 Moucherelle phébe, 1 Viréo mélodieux, 3 Viréo aux yeux rouges, 12 Geai bleu, 6 Corneille d'Amérique, 14 Mésange à tête noire, 3 Sittelle à poitrine blanche, 1 Grive solitaire, 8 Merle d'Amérique, 6 Étourneau sansonnet, 6 Paruline obscure, Paruline à tête cendrée, 1 Paruline Bleue (Richard) , 6 Paruline à croupion jaune, 1 Paruline à gorge noire, , 1 Paruline des pins (Richard), 6 Paruline à poitrine baie, 1 Paruline noir et blanc Paruline, 2 Paruline couronnée, 2 Bruant chanteur, 1 Cardinal rouge, 1 Cardinal à poitrine rose, 6 Carouge à épaulettes, 6 Quiscale bronzé, 3 Oriole de Baltimore. 6 Chardonneret jaune, (2 Moqueur roux 1, Tangara écarlate - Jean De Marre, Jean Bacon)

Thanks to a great group for this nice morning. - Clémence and Jean

Bird Protection Quebec "Field Trip"

Saturday, August 30 – samedi 30 août
St-Lazare Sand Pits and Area
Leaders: Jean Demers and Clémence Soulard
514-694-8240  e-mail

Link to Sablière, St-Lazare Sand Pits eBird Hotspot where you can check out whats been seen recently. You can also set it to see what been seen in just a particular year, or choose a month, to see whats been seen in that month over the years.

7:30 a.m. From Highway 40 west towards Ottawa take Exit 26. Turn left on Chemin Daoûst (which becomes Avenue Bédard) and proceed 4 km to Chemin Ste-Angelique. Turn right and after 1.4 km turn left on Montée St-Robert. Continue for 2.6 km to Parc St-Robert on the left and meet in the parking lot. Looking for shorebirds, waterfowl and early fall migrants. $2.00 charge (exact change). Half day.

7 h 30. Depuis l’autoroute 40 ouest vers Ottawa, prendre la sortie 26. Tourner à gauche sur le Chemin Daoust (qui devient l’avenue Bédard) et continuer 4 km jusqu’au Chemin Ste-Angélique. Tourner à droite puis après 1,4 km, tourner à gauche sur la Montée St-Robert. Continuer 2.6 km jusqu’au Parc St-Robert sur la gauche. Le lieu de rencontre est situé dans le stationnement. Nous rechercherons les oiseaux de rivage, la sauvagine et les oiseaux migrateurs hâtifs. 2,00 $ pour l’entrée (monnaie exacte). Demi-journée.

Sightings for Tuesday August 18

Châteauguay, Refuge Faunique Marguerite-D’Youville, Île Saint-Bernard eBird Hotspot latest sightings

Looks like things are starting to pick up. Today I counted 47 species, compared to the 30 or so that has been seen recently: Canada Goose 20, Wood Duck 14, Mallard 8, Double-crested Cormorant 6, Great Blue Heron 1, Great Egret 4, Green Heron 2, Black-crowned Night-Heron 3, Osprey 1, Northern Goshawk 1, Red-tailed Hawk 1, Spotted Sandpiper 1, Ring-billed Gull 11, Caspian Tern 1, Belted Kingfisher 1, Downy Woodpecker 3, Hairy Woodpecker 2, Northern Flicker 5, Pileated Woodpecker 1, Eastern Wood-Pewee 4, Great Crested Flycatcher 2, Warbling Vireo 1, Red-eyed Vireo 3, Blue Jay 2, American Crow 4, Tree Swallow 4, Black-capped Chickadee 27, Tufted Titmouse 1, Red-breasted Nuthatch 2, White-breasted Nuthatch 6, House Wren 2, American Robin 7, Gray Catbird 6, Cedar Waxwing 10, Nashville Warbler 1, Common Yellowthroat 1, American Redstart 1, Northern Parula 1, Blackburnian Warbler 1, Yellow Warbler 4, Song Sparrow 55, Swamp Sparrow 1, Northern Cardinal 2, Red-winged Blackbird 4, Common Grackle 4, Baltimore Oriole 2, American Goldfinch 10

Bernache du Canada 20, Canard branchu 14, Canard colvert 8, Cormoran à aigrettes 6, Grand héron 1, Grande Aigrette 4, Héron vert 2, Bihoreau gris 3, Balbuzard pêcheur 1, Autour des palombes 1, Buse à queue rousse 1, Spotted Chevalier 1, Goéland à bec cerclé 11, Sterne caspienne 1, Martin-pêcheur d'Amérique 1, Pic mineur 3, Pic chevelu 2, Pic flamboyant 5, Grand pic 1, Pioui de l'Est 4, Tyran huppé 2, Viréo mélodieux 1, Viréo aux yeux rouges 3, Geai bleu 2, Corneille d'Amérique 4, Hirondelle bicolore 4, Mésange à tête noire 27, Mésange bicolore 1, Sittelle à poitrine rousse 2, Sittelle à poitrine blanche 6, Troglodyte familier 2, Merle d'Amérique 7, Moqueur chat 6, Jaseur d'Amérique 10, Paruline à joues grises 1, Paruline masquée 1, Paruline flamboyante 1, Paruline à collier 1, Paruline à gorge orangée 1, Paruline jaune 4, Bruant chanteur 55, Bruant des marais 1, Cardinal rouge 2, Carouge à épaulettes 4, Quiscale bronzé 4, Oriole de Baltimore 2, Chardonneret jaune 10 - Tom Long

Bird Protection Quebec, Summer Series 2014 - Field trip #6 Report

8 people participated in the final field trip of this year's Summer Series. We headed out to visit 4 different sewage lagoons (water filtration ponds) in St, Albert, Embrun, Casselman and St-Isidore, Ontario. It was mostly a cloudy and cool day, which was actually a nice break on this annual trip. Generally it has been very hot and humid and the lagoons offer no cover or shade from the hot sun. Fortunately we wrapped up the day's birding just prior to a major rainfall in St-Isidore.

I have always mentioned that this particular trip involves a lot of walking but, until this year, we never really knew just how much walking. On Saturday's trip one of our participants wore a pedometer. By the end of the day we had walked 7.2 kilometers.

We always hope for shorebirds on this trip each year and we were not disappointed. Our list of 56 species included several shorebird species. The Birds of the Day were the Solitary Sandpiper and the White-rumped Sandpiper.

So here is the list from Saturday. Canada Goose 20, Wood Duck 10, American Black Duck 2, Mallard 75, Blue-winged Teal 40, Northern Shoveler 6, Green-winged Teal 24, Hooded Merganser 20, Ruddy Duck 6, Pied-billed Grebe 12, American Bittern 2, Great Blue Heron 2, Northern Harrier 1, Broad-winged Hawk 1, Red-tailed Hawk 2, American Kestrel 1, Merlin 4, Common Moorhen 35 Semipalmated Plover 7, Killdeer 30, Greater Yellowlegs 3, Lesser Yellowlegs 30, Solitary Sandpiper 1, Spotted Sandpiper 10, Semipalmated Sandpiper 12, Least Sandpiper 10, White-rumped Sandpiper 1, Pectoral Sandpiper 2, Wilson's Snipe 1, Ring-billed Gull 6, Rock Pigeon 8, Mourning Dove 24, Chimney Swift 4, Belted Kingfisher 1, Downy Woodpecker , 2Northern Flicker 5, Eastern Phoebe 1, Blue Jay 10, American Crow 10, Purple Martin 6, Tree Swallow 1,000+, Bank Swallow 6, Cliff Swallow 12, Barn Swallow 3, Black-capped Chickadee 4, American Robin 2, Gray Catbird 1, European Starling 20, Common Yellowthroat 1, Savannah Sparrow 4, Song Sparrow 6, Bobolink 1, Red-winged Blackbird 12, Common Grackle 3, American Goldfinch 15, House Sparrow 6

Bernache du Canada 20, Canard branchu 10, Canard noir 2, Canard colvert 75, Sarcelle à ailes bleues 40, Canard souchet 6, Sarcelle d'hiver 24, Harle couronné 20, Érismature rousse 6, Grèbe à bec bigarré 12, Butor d'Amérique 2, Grand Héron 2, Busard Saint-Martin 1, Petite Buse 1, Buse à queue rousse 2, Crécerelle d'Amérique 1, Faucon émerillon 4, Gallinule poule d'eau 35, Pluvier semipalmé 7, Pluvier kildir 30, Grand Chevalier 3, Petit Chevalier 30, Chevalier solitaire 1, Chevalier grivelé 10, Bécasseau semipalmé 12, Bécasseau minuscule 10, Bécasseau à croupion blanc 1, Bécasseau à poitrine cendrée 2, Bécassine de Wilson 1, Goéland à bec cerclé 6, Pigeon biset 8, Tourterelle triste 24, Martinet ramoneur 4, Martin-pêcheur 1, Pic mineur 2, Pic flaboyant 5, Moucherelle Phébi 1, Geai bleu 10, Corneille d'Amérique 10, Hirondelle moire 6, Hirondelle bicolore 1000 +, Hirondelle de rivage 6, Hirondelle à front blanc 12, Hirondelle rustique 3, Mésange à tête noire 4, Merle d'Amérique 2, Moqueur chat 1, Étourneau sansonnet 20, Paruline masquée 1, Bruant des prés 4, Bruant chanteur 6, Goglu des prés 1, Carouge à épaulettes 12, Quiscale bronzé 3, Chardonneret jaune 15, Moineau domestique 6

Thanks to everyone who participated in this year's Summer Series, our 11th season. Of course this doesn't mean that the summer is over. We still have some great weather ahead of us and some great trips coming up in the weeks ahead leading into the fall. - Sheldon.

Sightings for Sunday August 17

Ste-Martine: Marbled Godwit (Barge marbrée)   J.-S. Guénette

Sightings for Saturday August 16

Ste-Martine: Marbled Godwit, Stilt Sandpiper (Barge marbrée, Bécasseau à échasses) - Sylvain Mathieu

Sightings for Friday August 15

Ste-Martine: Marbled Godwit , Stilt Sandpiper, Lesser Yellowlegs, Semipalmated Sandpiper (Barge marbrée, Bécasseau à échasses, Petit Chevalier, Chevalier semipalmé) - Mark Dennis

Sightings for Thursday August 14

St-Martine: There was a Marbled Godwit at St-Martine this morning along with: Mallard 80, Double-crested Cormorant 2, Great Blue Heron 1, Great Egret 1, Spotted Sandpiper 4, Greater Yellowlegs 3, Lesser Yellowlegs 19, Marbled Godwit 1, Ring-billed Gull 40, Common Tern 2, Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) 2, Chimney Swift 2, Northern Flicker 1, Eastern Wood-Pewee 1, Warbling Vireo 1, Tree Swallow X, Barn Swallow 2, Cliff Swallow X, Yellow Warbler 1, Song Sparrow 2

Une Barge marbrée à St-Martine ce matin avec: Canard colvert 80, Cormoran à aigrettes 2, Grand héron 1, Grande Aigrette 1, Chevalier grivelé 4, Grand Chevalier 3, Petit Chevalier 19, Barge marbrée 1, Goéland à bec cerclé 40, Sterne pierregarin 2, Pigeon biset 2, le Martinet ramoneur 2, Pic flamboyant 1, Pioui de l'Est 1, Viréo mélodieux 1, Hirondelle bicolore X, Hirondelle rustique 2, Cliff Hirondelle X, Paruline jaune 1, Bruant chanteur 2 - Tom Long

Summer Series of Birding - Trip #6 - Saturday, August 16

This Saturday's trip will wrap up our 2014 Summer Series of Birding. We will be making our annual visit to 4 eastern Ontario sewage lagoons. This has become one of our most popular and productive trips each summer. On last year’s trip we had a total of 78 species.We’ll repeat last year’s route, starting at the St-Albert Lagoons, then on to Embrun. We'll take a lunch break at the Tim Horton rest stop in Casselman and then move on to the Casselman Lagoons and finally the St-Isidore Lagoons.

DATE: Saturday, August 16
TIME: 7:00 AM – Full day; combination driving/walking trip.
MEETING PLACE: The Hudson Inn parking lot in Hudson, Quebec - Exit 17 off of Highway 40. Please arrive early to be ready to depart at 7 AM sharp. We have a 90 km. drive from Hudson to our first stop in St-Albert, thus the need for the early start.

DRIVING INSTRUCTIONS: The detailed route for the day is available in a file in the "Files" section of the Songsparrow Yahoo group. The document includes links to the individual sewage lagoon information pages. Click on "Files" on the menu bar of the group page. Look for the 2nd file “BPQ Driving Instructions”. Click on it and the document E. Ontario Sewage Lagoon trip details.doc is there. If possible, please print out a copy to bring with you.

ITINERARY: We will visit 4 different sewage lagoons; St-Albert, Embrun, Casselman and St-Isidore. We'll be looking for shorebirds and marsh-dwellers, as well as songbirds, raptors, etc. that show up throughout the day.St-Albert and Embrun will easily fill the morning. We'll break for lunch at Tim Horton's in Casselman prior to heading on to the Casselman and St-Isidore stops. Bring your lunch or pick up something at a number of restaurants located at the Cassleman stop. Picnic tables, washrooms and gasoline are all available here.

There is a lot of walking at each site, particularly at St. Albert, the largest of the four sites. The lagoons are located in wide open, exposed areas, away from any facilities. They provide no shade or shelter from the sun or rain. So dress accordingly and bring along fluids and/or snacks. The grass can be quite wet, particularly early in the morning. Be equipped with suitable footwear. A couple of the lagoon sites have substantial amounts of ragweed present which may cause problems for people with allergy issues, so be forewarned.Spotting scopes will be very useful. Also, if you have portable two-way radios, please bring them along. They are excellent tools on road trips to stay in communication with others in the convoy. Car-pooling is recommended, if possible, as parking at a couple of the lagoons is limited. Cars may be left at the Hudson Inn parking lot if you are able to double up with someone

If you have any question, please contact me by e-mail, or by telephone at 450-462-1459. If you are delayed on Saturday morning, please call me on the BPQ cellphone at 514-637-2141. We will leave Hudson at 7 am sharp. Should you arrive late, you will have time to catch up to us at our first stop in St-Albert.This is a full day of birding. We usually do not get back to the Montreal area until quite late in the afternoon. Should you choose to leave the group at any point during the day, there is easy access back to Highway 417 from any of the sewage lagoon locations.We look forward to a great day of birding on Saturday. Sheldon

Sightings for Saturday August 9

Yamachiche: The American White Pelican was still there (at Pointe Yamachiche) at 7:00 this Saturday morning.  MAP

I also saw 6 Great Egrets, 5 eagles (3 imm. 2 and adults), 2 Caspian terns and the other regulars to this site.

 I do not know if I was at high tide, but there was very little room for waders on the river accessible on the point. Like the species I saw: Solitary sandpiper (1), Greater yellowlegs (1) Lesser yellowlegs (3), Black-bellied plover (1), Killdeer (1) Semipalmated sandpiper (1) Least sandpipers (11), Semipalmated sandpiper (1)

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Pélican d'Amérique était encore là (à la Pointe Yamachiche) à 7h00 ce samedi matin.  CARTE

J'y ai aussi observé 6 Grandes Aigrettes, 5 pygargues (3 imm. et 2 adultes), 2 Sternes caspiennes et d'autres réguliers à ce site.

Je ne sais pas si j'étais à marée haute, mais il n'y avait que très peu de place pour les limicoles sur la rive accessible de la pointe. Comme espèces, j'ai vu: Chevalier solitaire (1), Grand Chevalier (1), Petit Chevalier (3), Pluvier argenté (1), Pluvier kildir (1), Pluvier semipalmé (1) Bécasseaux minuscules (11), Bécasseau semipalmé (1) - Jean Marc Béliveau

Sightings for Friday August 8

Pointe d'Yamachiche: We observed the American White Pelican this morning. He was at the mouth of the Petite Rivière Yamachiche

Nous avons observé le Pélican d'Amérique cet avant-midi à la Pointe d'Yamachiche.
Il était à l'embouchure de la Petite Rivière Yamachiche. - Michel Bourassa, Gelinas Jacques
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Escoumins: Black Skimmer was behind the fish market from about 4:00 p.m. to 5:15 p.m.  

Bec-en-ciseaux aux Escoumins, en derrière de la poissonnerie, entre environ 16h00 et 17h15. - André Cyr, Frédéric Bergeron.

Sightings for Saturday August 3

Victoriaville, réservoir Beaudet: 1 Franklins gull (Mouette de Franklin) - Claude Roy

Bird Protection Quebec, Summer Series 2014 - Field trip #5 Report

A warm and hazy day greeted 14 birders on today's Summer Series field trip to Parc Nature Pointe des Cascades. Everyone remarked that it's surprising that we don't hear much in the birding world about this park. It has a great mix of habitats; marsh, waterfront, rapids, wooded trails, all nicely laid out in an easy-to-follow route throughout the park. This looks like a spot that should be explored in the early spring and particularly during migration period.

It is also a nice historic site, situated at the mouth of the Soulanges Canal. There is an excellent trail to follow along the top of the canal itself where you can get a good look at the old stone walls and the old wood and steel gates to the locks that have long been out of service. There is also a very old lighthouse at the entrance to the canal which cliff swallows have adopted as a nesting area.

Unfortunately a few areas in the park are being used by fishermen as well as party-animal types who have left behind burnt-out campfire sites and large amounts of garbage. However the majority of the park is very well maintained and a few spots offer very scenic views of the surrounding waterways.

So, on to our field trip results. We finished the morning with a total of 43 species. There was evidence of breeding birds using the park as many young birds, particularly large numbers of cedar waxwings and yellow warblers, were seen in many locations. Here is today's list. Thanks to all the participants who turned out today. It was a fun morning. - Sheldon Harvey

Canada Goose 5, Mallard 6, Double Crested-Cormorant 8, Great Blue Heron 2, Green Heron 1, Osprey 1, Merlin 1, Spotted Sandpiper 4, Ring-billed Gull 25, Herring Gull 1, Caspian Tern 1, Common Tern 24, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 2, Downy Woodpecker 2, Hairy Woodpecker 1, Northern Flicker 6, Pileated Woodpecker 1, Flycatcher Species 5 (in a group), Eastern Kingbird 6, Warbling Vireo 2, Red-eyed Vireo 2, Blue Jay 2, American Crow 2, Tree Swallow 8, Cliff Swallow 3, Barn Swallow 12, Black-capped Chickadee 8, White-breasted Nuthatch 2, American Robin 36, Gray Catbird 6, European Starling 30, Cedar Waxwing 50, Nashville Warbler 1, Yellow Warbler 45, Yellow-rumped Warbler 1, Song Sparrow 25, Swamp Sparrow 1, Northern Cardinal 2, Red-winged Blackbird 12, Common Grackle 10, Baltimore Oriole 2, American Goldfinch 15, House Sparrow 1

Bernache du Canada 5, Canard colvert 6, Cormoran à aigrettes 8, Grand Héron 2, Héron vert 1, Balbuzard pêcheur 1, Faucon émerillon 1, Chevalier grivelé 4, Goéland à bec cerclé 25, Goéland argenté 1, Sterne caspienne 1, Sterne pierregarin 24, Pic maculé 2, Pic mineur 2, Pic chevelu 1, Pic flamboyant 6, Grand Pic 1, Moucherolle espèces 5 (dans un groupe), Tyran tritri 6, Viréo mélodieux 2, Viréo aux yeux rouges 2, Geai bleu 2, Corneille d'Amérique 2, Hirondelle bicolore 8, Hirondelle à front blanc 3, Hirondelle rustique 12, Mésange à tête noire 8, Sittelle à poitrine blanche 2, Merle d'Amérique 36, Moqueur chat 6, Étourneau sansonnet 30, Jaseur d'Amérique 50, Paruline à joues grises 1, Paruline jaune 45 , Paruline à croupion jaune 1, Bruant chanteur 25, Bruant des marais 1, Cardinal rouge 2, Carouge à épaulettes 12, Quiscale bronzé 10, Oriole de Baltimore 2, Chardonneret jaune 15, Moineau domestique 1

NOTE RE: tomorrow's field trip to Parc Nature Pointe des Cascades:

Regarding tomorrow's field trip to Pointe des Cascades, a few people contacted me to let me know that there is generally a charge, perhaps as much as $10 per person, to enter the park. I had heard about this recently, but prior to choosing the destination I called the town of Pointe des Cascades to confirm whether or not there was a fee to enter the park.

I told them that we were a group from Bird Protection Quebec who wanted to visit the park on Saturday to look at the birds. The lady from the town told me that there would not have to pay a fee to enter the park. I don't know if this is exceptional; it seems like it might be though. If it is, then you can benefit by joining us tomorrow morning on the field trip! Let's hope the message from the town is communicated to whoever may be in charge at the park on Saturday morning. - Sheldon Harvey

Summer Series of Birding - Trip #5 - Saturday, August 2

This week we will head to a destination that we last visited in July 2011; Parc Nature Pointe des Cascades, south of Highway 20 in Pointe des Cascades, QC, adjacent to the entrance to the Soulanges Canal.

Pointe des Cascades offers a variety of habitats: wooded areas, sandy & marshy waterfront and open water. The area is made up of a peninsula and two islands, Ile Joubert & Ile des Cascades, located at the point where the Riviere des Outaouais meets the St. Lawrence River. There are several walking paths through wooded areas leading up to the shoreline, offering excellent views out on to the water.

DESTINATION: Parc Nature Pointe des Cascades, Pointe des Cascades, QC
TIME: 8 am
MEETING PLACE: Parking lot of Au Vieux Duluth Restaurant, 250 Harwood Blvd (Highway 20) at the corner of Highway 338 (ch. De Lotbiniere) in Vaudreuil-Dorion.

SEE GOOGLE MAP: http://goo.gl/maps/94zdi

DURATION: Half-day trip

Driving Instructions: Take Highway 20 West to Vaudreuil-Dorion. At the intersection of Highway 20 (Harwood) and Highway 338 (ch. Lotbiniere), you will see the Au Vieux Duluth restaurant at 250 Harwood, on the south-west corner of the intersection.

Itinerary: From the meeting point in Vaudreuil-Dorion, we will drive to the parking lot of the Parc Nature Pointe des Cascades. Note: There is no charge for entry to the park or for parking. This will be predominantly a walking trip through the park. Time permitting, we may explore some marshy areas west of Pointe des Cascades, driving west along chemin du Fleuve.

For further information, please contact Sheldon at 450-462-1459, or on Saturday morning at 514-637-2141.









Sheldon Harvey

Bird Protection Quebec, Summer Series 2014 - Field trip #4 Report

13 people participated in Saturday's field trip to Ste-Martine, St-Etienne-de-Beauharnois and St-Timothee. The weather was very pleasant with a mix of sun and cloud, and mild with low humidity. All three locations produced a good selection of birds. The water level at Ste-Martine has dropped considerably, exposing a lot of rocks and vegetation; nice habitat for some shorebirds, ducks, terns, gulls and a very active Osprey. We took a long stroll along the bicycle path leading to one of the large ponds at St-Etienne. The fields leading to the pond produced large numbers of swallows, plus sparrows, bobolinks and even a few horned larks. In fact, for those who have commented on the low number of swallows this year, a visit to St-Etienne would help to comfort your concerns. Our last stop at St-Timothee provided one of the highlights of the day; brief sightings of no less than 3 Least Bitterns. However, St-Timothee also produced some of the puzzles of the day as we discovered a number of ducklings. Unfortunately we were confused as to exactly which species of ducklings we were observing. We weren't sure which duckings belonged to which parent birds! Very confusing.

All in all though, a nice mild summer day of birding with a nice collection of 56 species. A little depressing to see several very large flocks of red-winged blackbirds and starlings beginning their pre-fall migration activities...and it's not even August yet! Here is the list. Numbers, in many cases, are rough estimates. - Sheldon Harvey

Canada Goose 12 Wood Duck 4 American Wigeon 3 Mallard 80 Redhead 8 Ring-necked Duck 6 Hooded Merganser 3 Pied-billed Grebe 12 Double-crested Cormorant 4 Least Bittern 3
Great Blue Heron 24 Great Egret 4 Black-crowned Night Heron 2 Turkey Vulture 2 Osprey 1 Northern Harrier 1 Common Moorhen 3 Killdeer 8 Greater Yellowlegs 1 Lesser Yellowlegs 12 Spotted Sandpiper 14 Semipalmated Sandpiper 1 Least Sandpiper 1 Ring-billed Gull 80
Caspian Tern 1 Common Tern 30 Black Tern 12 Rock Pigeon 20 Mourning Dove 12 Chimney Swift 12 Ruby-throated Hummingbird 1 Belted Kingfisher 3 Downy Woodpecker 3 Hairy Woodpecker 1 Eastern Kingbird 4 Warbling Vireo 1 American Crow 24 Horned Lark 8
Tree Swallow 300+ Bank Swallow 6 Barn Swallow 24 Marsh Wren 1 American Robin 25
Gray Catbird 1 European Starling 200+ Cedar Waxwing 10 Yellow Warbler 1 Common Yellowthroat 6 Chipping Sparrow 6 Savannah Sparrow 10 Song Sparrow 12 Bobolink 20
Red-winged Blackbird 300+ Common Grackle 12 American Goldfinch 15 House Sparrow 4

Bernache du Canada 12 Canard branchu 4 Canard d'Amérique 3 Canard colvert 80 Fuligule à tete rouge  8 Fuligule à collier 6 Harle couronné 3 Grèbe à bec bigarré 12 Cormoran à aigrettes 4 Petit Blongios 3 Grand héron 24 Grande aigrette 4 Bihoreau gris 2 Urubu à tête rouge 2 Balbuzard pêcheur 1 Busard Saint-Martin 1 Gallinule poule d'eau 3 Pluvier kildir 8 Grand Chevalier 1 Petit Chevalier 12 Chevalier grivelé 14 Bécasseau semipalmé 1 Bécasseau minuscule 1 Goéland à bec cerclé 80 Sterne caspienne 1 Sterne pierregarin 30 Guifette noire 12 Pigeon biset 20 Tourterelle triste 12 Martinet ramoneur 12 Colibri à gorge rubis 1 Martin-pêcheur 3 Pic mineur 3 Pic chevelu 1 Tyran tritri 4 Viréo mélodieux 1 Corneille d'Amérique 24 Alouette hausse-col 8 Hirondelle bicolore 300 + Hirondelle de rivage 6 Hirondelle rustique 24 Troglodyte des marais 1 Merle d'Amérique 25 Moqueur chat 1 Étourneau sansonnet 200 + Jaseur d'Amérique 10 Paruline jaune 1 Paruline masquée 6 Bruant familier 6 Bruant des prés 10 Bruant chanteur 12 Goglu des prés 20 Carouge à épaulettes 300 + Quiscale bronzé 12 Chardonneret jaune 15 Moineau domestique 4

Sightings for Monday July 28

Ste-Pétronille: A Whimbrel flew by in front me of  the end of rue Horatio Walker. I lost sight of it, in the direction of the bridge. It is possible that he stopped there ...

There were also 14 Semipalmated Sandpipers and 5 Bonaparte gulls at the end of the rocks.

Un Courlis corlieu vient de passer devant moi en vol au bout de la rue Horatio Walker à Ste-Pétronille. Je l'ai perdu de vue en direction du pont. Il est possible qu'il se soit arrêté là...

Il y a aussi 14 Bécasseaux semipalmés et 5 Mouettes de Bonaparte posés au bout des roches. - Gérard Cyr

Summer Series of Birding - Field Trip #4 - Saturday, July 26

This Saturday we will do a visit to some old favourite spots in Sainte-Martine, St-Etienne de Beauharnois and St-Timothee, on the south shore. This will be a combination of a driving and walking trip.

Date: Saturday, July 26, 2014
Time: 8 am
Meeting spot: The new observation platform at the dam located at rue du Pont and St-Jean-Baptiste (Highway 138) in Sainte-Martine, Quebec - see Google map http://goo.gl/maps/kbi4O
Duration: Half-day, combination driving/walking trip
NOTES: Spotting scopes will be very helpful on this trip.

Directions to meeting spot: There are two main routes that can be used.

1) Using Mercier Bridge: Cross Mercier Bridge from Montreal. Stay right off the bridge and take Highway 138 through Kahnawake, Chateauguay, Mercier and in to Sainte-Martine. In the town of Sainte-Martine, look for a Subway restaurant on the right. This is just before arriving at rue du Pont. Turn right on rue du Pont, cross the narrow bridge over the Chateauguay River and there will be a new welcome centre and a row of parking spots on the right. This is the meeting spot.
2) Using Highway 30: coming from either direction on Highway 30 take Exit 26 for Ste-Martine-ch. de la Beauce (Highway 205). Take Highway 205 south towards Sainte-Martine. Follow Highway 205 into Sainte-Martine and turn right on to Highway 138 (rue St-Jospeh). Follow Highway 138 to rue du Pont. Turn right on rue du Pont, cross the narrow bridge over the Chateauguay River and there will be a new welcome centre and a row of parking spots on the right. This is the meeting spot.

ITINERARY: We will start at the new observation platform overlooking the Chateauguay River in Sainte-Martine, looking for waterfowl, early shorebirds, songbirds, etc.
From Sainte-Martine we will follow country backroads to St-Etienne-de-Beauharnois. Here we will park at the entrance to a new stretch of bike path and walk over to the ponds. This is a fairly new access point to the ponds at St-Etienne, not the old access point from the farm at the end of St-Joseph which some of you may be familiar with. Here we will be looking for waterfowl, marsh birds, grassland species and songbirds.
From St-Etienne we will drive to the marshes at St-Timothee. Here we will be using the bike path to cross the marsh down towards the edge of the Beauharnois Canal. There is also an observation tower on this path. Here we will again be looking for waterfowl, marsh birds, songbirds, etc.
Along the route between locations, we may stop from time to time at interesting spots in the farmland areas where grassland birds may be present.

Should you need to reach me on the morning of the field trip, please call 514-637-2141. For any questions regarding the trip, please contact me by phone at 450-462-1459 or by e-mail.

Sheldon Harvey

Sightings for Wednesday July 23

Québec: 9am this morning, Wednesday, when passing along the St. Charles River, a Black skimmer stood with some gulls. 

It was virtually almost in the center of the wide part of the river, a small earthen platform that formed the rather low river.

To locate the spot: from the parking lot of the Roche-Bobois and Galerie du Meuble, rue de Marie-de-l'Incarnation, follow the path to right (with a few stairs down), about 50 meters after the metal railing.

Bec-en-ciseau 09h ce matin, mercredi, lorsqu'en passant le long de la rivière Saint-Charles, un bec-en-ciseau se tenait avec quelques goélands.

Il était pour ainsi dire presque au centre de la largeur de la rivière, sur une petite plateforme terreuse que forma la rivière plutôt basse.

Pour vous situer le lieu: à partir du stationnement de la Roche-Bobois et Galerie du Meuble, rue de Marie-de-l'Incarnation, suivre le sentier à droite (avec quelques escaliers à descendre), comptez 50 mètres environ après la fin du garde-fou métallique. - David Wexteen,

Le Nichoir Open House July 19, 2014

Bird Protection Quebec participated yesterday in the annual Open House event at Le Nichoir, the bird rehabilitation facility in Hudson, Quebec. It was a beautiful day with a great turn-out. The highlight of the day for many was the visit to the new aviary installed recently at Le Nichoir. There were tours throughout the day of Le Nichoir's facilities as well as numerous kiosks from a number of different groups and organizations including Nature Conservancy Canada and BPQ.

Chris Cloutier conducted a number of bird walks on the grounds of Le Nichoir providing many visitors a chance to see some of the bird life in the area, including the most popular birds of the day, several Indigo Buntings.

The BPQ booth was a popular spot throughout the day with many of the visitors stopping by to learn more about our organization. We distributed many BPQ pamphlets and answered numerous questions about our activities, our field trips and our conservation efforts. A number of people provided us with their names and e-mail addresses. Each will be receiving a sample copy of our Song Sparrow newsletter, plus some additional information about BPQ. We hope to attract some new members as a result of our efforts. We were also able to sell a couple of copies of our BPQ history books as well as collect a number of donations from appreciative supporters.

I would like to thank Jean Demers, Clemence Soulard, Wayne Grubert and Mary Ellen Graham for volunteering to spend their day with me behind the BPQ table to promote BPQ. Your effort and assistance were greatly appreciated. - Sheldon Harvey

Sightings for Sunday July 20

Hemmingford: This morning, a Clay-colored Sparrow sang on top of a spruce behind 577 James Fisher, in exactly the same spot where I had seen it 2 years ago

Ce matin, un Bruant des plaines chantait au sommet d'une épinette derrière le 577 James-Fisher à Hemmingford, exactement au même endroit où je l'avais observé il y a 2 ans. - Pierre Bannon

Sightings for Saturday July 19

Rivière-Ouelle, chemin de la Pointe: Black skimmer moved along the river where we watched at approximately 7:30 to 8:00. At that time, he left, flying to the camping area. Many observers are there headed also, but without us. Twenty Red-throated loons and Razorbills later at the Rivière-Ouelle dock.


Bec-en-ciseaux noir s'est déplacé ensuite le long de la rivière où nous l'avons observé de 7:30 à 8:00 environ. À ce moment, il venait de repartir en vol vers le secteur du camping. Plusieurs observateurs s'y sont dirigés eux aussi, mais sans nous. Une vingtaine de Plongeons catmarin et de Petits pingouins par la suite au quai de Rivière-Ouelle. - Anne Déry

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Ville Lasalle: A Bald eagle! Observation at  parc des Rapides aound île aux hérons (Heron Island)

Un pygargue à tête blanche! Observation du parc des Rapides vers l'île aux hérons. Photo - Jean-Marc Lacoste

2014 Summer Series of Birding - Saturday, July 19 - Open House at Le Nichoir

Rather than schedule a regular BPQ Summer Field Trip this coming Saturday, we will instead be participating in Le Nichoir's Open House event at 637 Main Street in Hudson. BPQ will have an information booth set up at Le Nichoir for the day from 10 am to 2 pm informing visitors to the event of BPQ and its activities. We are encouraging everyone to drop in at the open house to learn more about Le Nichoir and the work they do for our feathered friends. There will be guided tours of the facility, free birdwatching walks, activities for the children and much more

Full details of the event can be found on the following webpage
http://lenichoir.org/en/2014/07/open-house-2014/

If you are a BPQ member and you are planning on attending the event, we are looking for a few people to help staff the BPQ information booth at the event. If you are interested in helping out by talking to visitors about BPQ please drop me a note e-mail. We look forward to meeting everyone in attendance at the open house. - Sheldon Harvey

Bird Protection Quebec, Summer Series 2014 - Field trip #2 Report

Ten birders made the trek to Cooper Marsh near Lancaster, Ontario yesterday and were welcomed with partly cloudy skies and seasonable temperatures ranging from 18°C to 27°C. Very light breezes made for a very pleasant morning with the biting insect population being "tolerable".

For those familiar with the area the main compound containing the marsh with boardwalks is still in a state of water level drawdown and vegetation is thick with very little open water. As a result the birds that one would normally associate with a marshy area were few and far between (ducks, rails...etc...). The highlights of this area were two pairs of Northern Harriers who were hunting over different sections of the compound and put on a continual show of catching prey and then participating in numerous mid-air transfers of "breakfast" before disappearing briefly into the high vegetation. No doubt they were feeding young hidden from our view. Their continuous acrobatics were a delight and earned them honours as one of our two "birds of the day."

The second of our "birds of the day" were Black-billed Cuckoos first heard near the parking lot and later seen near the start of the boardwalk at the visitor centre. The birds lived up to their reputation as being skulkers in the thick vegetation offering only brief partial views but good enough to be ticked as "lifers" for several of our participants.

Honourable mentions go to families of Great-crested Flycatchers and Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers.

Although our species and overall numbers counts were both low it was an extremely enjoyable morning with nice company, a few good laughs and some excellent sightings.

Thanks to everyone who came out.

Our complete list of 43 species is below. A report will be forwarded to ebird. - Wayne Grubert

Wood Duck - 4, Mallard - 1, Double-crested Cormorant - 2, American bittern - 1, Great Blue Herons - 2, Green Heron - 3, Osprey - 2, Northern Harrier - 4, Merlin - 2, Ring-billed Gull - 20, Mourning Dove - 6, Black-billed Cuckoo - 2, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker - 4, Downy Woodpecker - 3, Northern Flicker - 4, Eastern Wood-Pewee - 1 (heard), Alder/Willow (Traill's) Flycatcher - 1, Eastern Phoebe - 2, Great Crested Flycatcher - 5, Warbling Vireo - 3, Red-eyed Vireo - 5, Blue Jay - 2, American Crow - 6, Purple martin - 2, Tree Swallow - 10, Barn Swallow - 6, Black-capped Chickadee - 4, White-breasted Nuthatch - 1, Veery - 2 (heard), American Robin - 10, Gray Catbird - 6, European Starling - 6, Cedar Waxwing - 12, Yellow Warbler - 10, Common Yellowthroat - 10, Chipping Sparrow - 3, Song Sparrow - 10, Swamp Sparrow - 10, Rose-breasted Grosbeak - 1, Red-winged Blackbird - 20, Common Grackle - 6, Baltimore Oriole - 1 (heard), American Goldfinch - 6

Canard branchu - 4, Canard colvert - 1, Cormoran à aigrettes - 2, butor d'Amérique - 1,  Grands Hérons - 2, Héron vert - 3, Balbuzard pêcheur - 2, Busard Saint-Martin - 4, Falcon émerillon - 2, Goéland à bec cerclé - 20, Tourterelle triste - 2, Pic maculé - 4, Pic mineur - 3, Pic flamboyant - 4, Pioui de l'Est - 6, Coulicou à bec noir 1 (entendu), Moucherolle des aulnes / saules (de Traill) - 1, Moucherolle phébi - 2, Tyran huppé - 5, Viréo mélodieux - 3, Viréo aux yeux rouges - 5, Geai bleu - 2, Corneille d'Amérique - 6, Hirondelle noire - 2, Hirondelle bicolore - 10, Hirondelle rustique - 6, Mésange à tête noir - 4, Sittelle à poitrine blanche - 1, Grive fauve - 2 (entendu), Merle d'Amérique - 10, Moqueur chat - 6, Étourneau sansonnet - 6, Jaseur d'Amérique - 12, Paruline jaune - 10, Paruline masquée - 10, Bruant familier - 3, Bruant chanteur - 10, Bruant des marais - 10, Cardinal à poitrine rose - 1, Carouge à épaulettes - 20, Quiscale bronzé - 6, Oriole de Baltimore - 1 (entendu), Chardonneret jaune - 6

2014 Summer Series of Birding - Trip #2 - Saturday, July 12

Samedi 12 juillet – Saturday July 12

Cooper marsh Lancaster, Ontario
Wayne Grubert 450-458-5498 e-mail 
Cell (PLEASE use only on morning of trip) 514-774-0811

7:30 AM Take Highway 20 (Ontario Highway 401) and exit at Lancaster, Ontario (exit 814). Follow Highway 2 west, and follow signs to Cooper Marsh. Allow 1 to 1-1/2 hours travel time. A walking trip. Half day. 

7h30 À partir de l'autoroute 20 (Ontario 401), prendre la sortie pour Lancaster, Ontario (sortie 814). Prendre l'autoroute 2 ouest et suivre les indications pour le marais Cooper. Prévoir entre 1h et 1h30 de voyagement. Excursion à pied. Demi-journée.
 
Note that if you need a pit stop before reaching the marsh there are plenty of fast food places as you get off the 401. 
 
Hope to see you Saturday. Remember gas is cheaper in Ontario so plan on arriving without a full tank! - Wayne

Sightings for Sunday June 29

Franklin: This morning around 6:00 with Nicole Guenette, Bernard Lemaire and Claude Fréchette we observed and photographed Blue Grosbeak, it moved from orchard field along Montée Clinton. The American dickcissel was also present on the wire along Route 202

Ce matin vers 6h00 en compagnie de Nicole Guénette, Bernard Fréchette et Claude Lemaire nous observé et photographié le Guiraca bleu, ce dernier se déplaçait du champ au verger le long de la Montée Clinton. Le DIckcissel d'Amérique était également présent sur le fil le long de la route 202. Bonne journée. Lucien Lemay

Bird Protection Quebec, Summer Series 2014 - Field trip #1 Report

The first field trip of the 2014 Summer Series of Birding attracted 24 birders for a walk through Parc des Rapides in Ville Lasalle. The weather was great but started to heat up quickly as the morning wore on. This year's crop of mayflies, or shad flies, (not sure which is which) emerged by the thousands throughout the park. As a result, the bird life was extremely active, with many birds not even having to move from their perches to chase down the insects. They would just sit and pick them out of the air. New life was present in many spots today with many, many parent birds busily feeding their young, making for some interesting observations.

Our total species count for the morning was 31. Here is the list. Thanks to everyone who came out to enjoy the morning. - Sheldon Harvey

Canada Goose 30 Wood Duck 1 Gadwall 1 American Wigeon 2 American Black Duck 1 Mallard 25 Double-crested Cormorant 40 Great Blue Heron 20 Great Egret 10 Green Heron 1 Black-crowned Night Heron 6 Ring-billed Gull 50 Great Black-backed Gull 3 Common Tern 25 Chimney Swift 5 Downy Woodpecker 3 Eastern Kingbird 4 Warbling Vireo 3 Red-eyed Vireo 1 American Crow 2 Tree Swallow 15 Black-capped Chickadee 1 American Robin 5 European Starling 35 Cedar Waxwing 2 Yellow Warbler 20 Song Sparrow 25 Red-winged Blackbird 200+ Common Grackle 6 Baltimore Oriole 5 House Sparrow 2

Bernache du Canada 30 Canard branchu 1 Canard chipeau 1 Canard d'Amérique 2 Canard noir 1 Canard colvert 25 Cormoran à aigrettes 40 Grand héron 20 Grande aigrette 10 Héron vert 1 Bihoreau Héron 6 Goéland à bec cerclé 50 Goéland marin 3 Sterne pierregarin 25 Martinet ramoneur 5 Pic mineur 3 Tyran tritri 4 Viréo mélodieux 3 Viréo aux yeux rouges 1 Corneille d'Amérique 2 Hirondelle bicolore 15 Mésange à tête noire 1 Merle d'Amérique 5 Étourneau sansonnet 35 Jaseur d'Amérique 2 Paruline jaune 20 Bruant chanteur 25 Carouge à épaulettes 200 + Quiscale bronzé 6 Oriole de Baltimore 5 Moineau domestique 2

Sightings for Friday June 27

Franklin: 2 rare species (Blue grosbeak and American dickcissel) in Quebec are at the same time in the same field at the corner of Route 202 and montée Clinton in Franklin. I saw them this morning in the company of a dozen very respectful observers.

We can not emphasize enough, it is important that observers and photographers are on the road. First, respect for Private property and respect for the habitat of these birds and other species using the field, not forgetting that good behavior increases the opportunities of other observers who move will in turn see these two species. I noticed the start of a trail in the vegetation of the field near a pole on Clinton and that is why I insist on the respect for property and housing.

As usual for 3 weeks, the Dickcissel sung almost constantly on the telephone wire. As for the Blue grosbeak he sang also, but less often than the Dickcissel. When he sings, he perches in the vegetation and singing is not always easy to detect. his song very similar to that of a Purple Finch, but more guttural.

2 espèces rares au Québec (Guiraca bleu et Dickcissel d'Amérique) se retrouvent au même moment dans le même champ, au coin de la route 202 et de la montée Clinton à Franklin. J'ai pu les voir ce matin en compagnie d'une dizaine d'observateurs très respectueux.

On ne le répétera jamais assez, il est important que les observateurs et les photographes restent sur la route. D'abord par respect pour la propriété privée, puis par respect pour l'habitat de ces oiseaux et les autres espèces qui utilisent le champ, sans oublier qu'une bonne conduite augmente les chances que les autres observateurs qui se déplaceront pourront à leur tour observer ces 2 espèces. J'ai remarqué un début de sentier dans la végétation du champ près d'un poteau sur Clinton et c'est pourquoi j'insiste sur le respect de la propriété et de l'habitat.

Comme d'habitude depuis 3 semaines, le Dickcissel chantait presque constamment sur son fil de téléphone. Quant au Guiraca, il chantait aussi mais moins souvent que le Dickcissel. Quand il chante, il se perche dans la végétation du chant et n'est pas toujours facile à détecter. Son chant ressemble beaucoup à celui d'un Roselin pourpré, mais plus grasseyant. - Pierre Bannon

2014 Summer Series of Birding - Trip #1 - Saturday, June 28

The spring field trips have ended and it's time to kick off the 11th annual Summer Series of Birding. For those of you not familiar with the Summer Series, we choose the destination of the field trip each week just a few days prior to the trip itself. The destination will be posted here, as well as on the BPQ Facebook group page as soon as it is chosen. Throughout the summer, I'll try to come up with a few spots that we haven't visited before, or that we haven't been to in a long time. Also if any rare birds show up in our region throughout the summer, we'll do our best to arrange outings to try to track them down.

To kick things off this summer, seeing as our most recent spring outings were driving trips a good distance from Montreal, we'll keep it local giving everyone an opportunity to come to an easy-to-get-to destination. We will be heading to the always interesting Parc des Rapides in Ville LaSalle. Here are the details:

DATE: Saturday, June 28
Start Time: 8:00 a.m. - Half-day walking trip
Meet in the parking lot at Parc des Rapides, corner of LaSalle Blvd. and 6th Avenue in Ville LaSalle (just east of Bishop Power Blvd.). Free Parking

Driving Instructions: Take Hwy 20 to the Blvd. de la Vérendrye exit. Heading west on de la Vérendrye, follow it to Bishop Power Blvd/Shevchenko. Turn left on Bishop Power Blvd and follow to the waterfront on LaSalle Blvd. Turn left on LaSalle Blvd. and follow it to the parking lot at the corner of 6th Avenue.
From the West Island another option is Highway 20 to the Angrignon Blvd. exit. Follow Angrignon Blvd which changes name to des Trinitaires at Newman Blvd. Continue on des Trinitaires to de la Verendrye Blvd. Turn right on de la Verendrye and follow it to Bishop Power Blvd/Shevchenko. Turn left on to Bishop Power and follow the instructions above.
Public transportation is available from the Angrignon Metro station. Check metro and bus routes for full details.

We will explore the park as well as the LaSalle/Verdun waterfront looking for songbirds, marsh birds, water fowl, gulls, terns, raptors, and whatever else we can find!.
If you have questions, please contact me at 450-462-1459, or on the BPQ phone line on the day of the trip at 514-637-2141, or by e-mail.

We look forward to another great summer of birding.

Sheldon Harvey

Bird Protection Quebec "Field Trip Report" Saturday June 21

Twelve early risers set their alarms and managed to make it down to Ormstown for the 5:30 a.m. official start of our Summer Solstice Trip. (Well two were a little late!). It was a bonus that this year's trip actually fell on the exact solstice date and we were birding at the official time of 6:51 a.m. The  weather was partly cloudy with cool morning temperatures of 10C warming up nicely to 22C by morning's end. Light breezes. 

Our day started on Rang 3/Gore Road where we had good views of Eastern Meadowlarks and Bobolinks. Three Upland Sandpipers at the Graham Farm were welcome additions. We then deviated slightly from our usual route in order to view the Dickcissel at the corner of Clinton and Highway 202. He did not disappoint and put on quite a show being very aggressive while chasing anything in feathers out of his territory.

Our route then took us along Massey Road and Gowan Road. The feeder on the corner of these two roads provided goods views of 4 different Rose-breated Grosbeaks and 4 Purple Finches. A quick pit stop in Huntingdon was followed by a walk along Biggar Road which proved to be a little disappointing considering the good birds which have been seen there recently. It may very well be that we arrived a little late in the morning. One Golden-winged Warbler was heard singing very briefly and several Eastern Towhees were calling with one providing a quick view. Two Willow Flycathers were also calling near the more southerly section of the road and several Brown Thrashers performed flybys. We made a few stops on Black-Ridge Road and finished our trip at the Droulers archeological site. A quick after-lunch scan of the local area failed to produce the Clay-coloured Sparrow that had been reported but a Black-billed Cuckoo gave several participants a flyover.
Many thanks to all who came out for a very enjoyable morning.

Thanks to Sheldon for navigating and providing the Walkie-Talkies that allowed us to keep in touch. We won't even mention the promises our new president made about thrashers walking at our feet and Golden-winged's dripping from the trees which failed to materialize. Ah, politicians and broken promises! Never thought it would happen in BPQ. Thanks for being a good sport about the abuse over lunch, Sheldon.

Our complete list of 78 species includes: Wood Duck - 4 Ruffed Grouse - 1 American Bittern - 1 Great Blue Heron - 3 Green Heron - 2 Turkey Vulture - 7 Red-shouldered Hawk - 1 Broad-winged Hawk - 1 Killdeer - 1 Upland Sandpiper - 3 Ring-billed Gull - 8 Rock Pigeon - 12  Mourning Dove - 12 Black-billed Cuckoo - 2 (one seen, 1 heard) Chimney Swift - 10 Ruby-throated Hummingbird - 1 Yellow-bellied Sapsucker - 5 Downy Woodpecker - 4 Hairy Woodpecker - 3 Northern Flicker - 4 Pileated Woodpecker - 1 Eastern Wood-Pewee - 6 Alder Flycatcher - 4 Willow Flycatcher - 2 Least Flycatcher - 6 Eastern Phoebe - 6 (includes 3 young on nest) Great Crested Flycatcher - 4 Eastern Kingbird - 7 Warbling Vireo - 1 Red-eyed Vireo - 10 Blue Jay - 36 American Crow - 12 Tree Swallow - 20 Cliff Swallow -4  Barn Swallow - 20 Black-capped Chickadee - 6 White-breasted Nuthatch - 5 Brown Creeper - 1 (heard) House Wren - 2 Eastern Bluebird - 3 Veery - 12 Hermit Thrush - 1 (heard) Wood Thrush - 3 (heard) American Robin - 40 Gray Catbird - 6 Brown Thrasher - 3 European Starling - 36 Cedar Waxwing - 40 Golden-winged warbler - 1 (heard) Yellow Warbler - 15 Chestnut-sided Warbler - 6 Black-throated Green Warbler - 2 (heard) Black-and-white Warbler - 4 (heard) American Redstart - 3 Ovenbird - 12 (heard) Northern Waterthrush - 2 (heard) Common Yellowthroat - 8 Scarlet Tanager - 3 (heard) Eastern Towhee - 3 (heard with brief glimpse of 1) Chipping Sparrow - 10 Field Sparrow - 1 (heard) Savannah Sparrow - 5 Song Sparrow - 12 White-throated Sparrow - 4 Northern Cardinal - 2 Rose-breasted grosbeak - 8 including 4 at feeder on Gowan Road) Indigo bunting - 3 Dickcissel - 1 Bobolink - 12 Red-winged Blackbird - 30 Eastern Meadowlark - 3 Common Grackle - 24 Brown-headed Cowbird - 2 Baltimore Oriole - 6 Purple Finch - 8 House Finch - 1 American Goldfinch - 45 House Sparrow - 8

Canard branchu - 4 Gélinotte huppée - 1 Butor d'Amérique - 1 Grand Héron - 3 Héron vert - 2 Urubu à tête rouge - 7 Buse à épaulettes - 1 Petite Buse - 1 Pluvier kildir - 1 Maubèche des champs - 3 Goéland à bec cerclé - 8 Pigeon biset - 12 Tourterelle triste - 12 Coulicou à bec noir - 2 (un vu, entendu 1) Martinet ramoneur - 10 Colibri à gorge rubis - 1 Pic maculé - 5 Pic mineur - 4 Pic chevelu - 3 Pic flamboyant - 4 Grand Pic - 1 Pioui de l'Est - 6 Moucherolle des aulnes - 4 Moucherolle des saules - 2 Moucherolle tchébec - 6 Moucherolle Phébi - 6 (3 jeunes sur le nid) Tyran huppé - 4 Tyran tritri - 7 Viréo - 1 Viréo aux yeux rouges - 10 Geai bleu - 36 Corneille d'Amérique - 12 Hirondelle bicolore - 20 Hirondelle à front blanc -4 Hirondelle rustique - 20 Mésange à tête noire - 6 Sittelle à poitrine blanche - 5 Grimpereau brun - 1 (entendu) Troglodyte familier - 2 Merlebleu de l'Est - 3 Grive fauve - 12 Grive solitaire - 1 (entendu) Grive des bois - 3 (entendu) Merle d'Amérique - 40 Moqueur chat - 6 Moqueur roux - 3 Étourneau sansonnet - 36 Jaseur d'Amérique - 40 Paruline à ailes dorées - 1 (entendu) Paruline jaune - 15 Paruline à flancs marron - 6 Paruline à gorge noire - 2 (entendu) Paruline Noir et blanc  - 4 (entendu) Paruline flamboyante - 3 Paruline couronnée - 12 (entendu) Paruline des ruisseaux - 2 (entendu) Paruline masquée - 8 Tangara écarlate - 3 (entendu) Tohi à flancs roux - 3 (entendue avec bref aperçu de 1) Bruant familier - 10 Bruant des champs - 1 (entendu) Bruant des prés - 5 Bruant chanteur - 12 Bruant à gorge blanche - 4 Cardinal rouge - 2 Cardinal à poitrine rose - 8 Passerine indigo - 3 Dickcissel d'Amérique - 1 Goglu des prés - 12 Carouge à épaulettes - 30 Sturnelle des prés - 3 Quiscale bronzé - 24 Vacher à tête brune - 2 Oriole de Baltimore - 6 Roselin pourpré - 8 Roselin familier - 1 Chardonneret jaune - 45 Moineau domestique - 8

Sightings for Friday June 20

Chateauguay, Ile Saint-Bernard: 40 species - Canada Goose 48, Wood Duck 3, American Black Duck 1, Mallard 17, Great Blue Heron 3, Great Egret 9,Black-crowned Night-Heron 7, Osprey 1, Ring-billed Gull 8, Caspian Tern 1, Common Tern 3, Rock Pigeon 1, Mourning Dove 1, Downy Woodpecker 2, Northern Flicker 2, Pileated Woodpecker 1, Willow Flycatcher 2, Great Crested Flycatcher 1, Red-eyed Vireo 3, Tree Swallow 18, Cliff Swallow 11, Black-capped Chickadee 4, White-breasted Nuthatch 2, House Wren 5, Marsh Wren 7, Veery 3, American Robin 20, Gray Catbird 5, European Starling 7, Cedar Waxwing 3, Common Yellowthroat 4, American Redstart 11, Yellow Warbler 45, Song Sparrow 25, Northern Cardinal 3, Rose-breasted Grosbeak 2, Red-winged Blackbird 50, Common Grackle 10, Baltimore Oriole 6, House Sparrow 2

Bernache du Canada 48, Canard branchu 3, Canard noir 1, Canard colvert 17, Grand héron 3, Grande Aigrette 9, Bihoreau gris 7, balbuzard pêcheur 1, Goéland à bec cerclé 8, Sterne caspienne 1, Sterne pierregarin 3, Pigeon biset 1, Tourterelle triste 1, Pic mineur 2, Pic flamboyant 2, Grand pic 1, Moucherolle des saules 2, Tyran huppé 1, Viréo aux yeux rouges 3, Hirondelle bicolore 18, Hirondelle à front blanc 1, Mésange à tête noire 4, Sittelle à poitrine blanche 2, Troglodyte familier 5, Troglodyte des marais 7, Grive fauve 3, Merle d'Amérique 20, Moqueur chat 5, Étourneau sansonnet 7, Jaseur d'Amérique 3, Paruline masquée 4, Paruline flamboyante 11, Paruline jaune 45, Bruant chanteur 25, Cardinal rouge 3, Cardinal à poitrine rose 2, Carouge à épaulettes 50, Quiscale bronzé 10, Oriole de Baltimore 6, Moineau domestique 2