Sightings for Sunday February 17th

St-Rock de l'Achigan, behind 710 ruisseau St-Jean: Snowy owl (Harfang des neiges) - Gilles Cyr

Montreal,
Mount-Royal Cemetary: Eastern screech owl (Petit-duc maculé) - Louise Ladouceur-Côté
Montreal Botanical Gardens, at the feeders by the First Nations Garden: Carolina wren (Troglodyte de Caroline), also seen Hoary and many Common redpolls (Sizerin blanchâtre et plusieurs Sizerins flammés), Cedar waxwings (Jaseurs d'Amérique) - Lucette d'Amours

Richelieu river (rivière Richelieu) between Chambly & Noyan winter Duck survey: Canada geese (Bernache du Canada) 2, Mallard (Canard colvert) 1071, Black duck (Canard noir) 175, Mallard X Black hybrid (Hybride colvert X noir) 3, Northern pintail (Canard pilet) 1, Ring-necked duck (Fuligule à collier) 1, Common goldeneye (Garrot à œil d'or) 125, Common merganser (Grand Harle) 541, Hooded merganser (Harle couronné) 26

Noyan region: Bald eagle (Pygargue à tête blanche) (adult), Eastern srceech owl (Petit-duc maculé), Tufted titmouse (Mésange bicolore), 6 Wild turkeys (Dindons sauvages) - Pierre Bannon & Sébastien Rioux

Cap-d'Espoir: King Eider (Eider À tête grise) - A. Couture

Sightings for Saturday February 16th

St-Clet & Ste-Justine area: 3 Snowy owls (Harfang des neiges), 2 Rough-legged hawks (buse pattue) – D. Belleisle - photos

Mirabel: 3 Snowy owls (Harfang des neiges) - rang Ste-Marie, rang St-Dominique, autoroute 50 near rang Ste-Marie.
rang Ste-Marie: Many Snow buntings (bruants des neiges) sear a grain silo - Roger Rousselles

Bedford-Philipsburg area,
Du rang St-Joseph: 2 Rough-legged hawks (Buses pattues)
route St-Charles & rang St-Henri intersection: Tufted titmouse (Mésange bicolore)
rang Larochelle: 6 Ravens (Grands corbeaux)
Also seen were: 11 Pine siskins (Tarins des pins) & 5 more Tufted titmouse (Mésanges bicolores)

St-Pierre-de-Véronne: Red-tailed hawk (Buse à queue rousse)

Verdun: 2 Ravens (Grands corbeaux) - Diane Demers

Sightings for Friday February 15th

Verdun, sitting on the ice in front of the Douglas Hospital: Snowy owl (Harfang des neiges) perché sur la glace en face de l'hôpital Douglas. - Pierre Bannon

Bird Protection Quebec's Field Trip Report – February 16th

Hudson: Eight birders braved -22 temperatures and saw 16 species of birds this morning in snowy Hudson. Fortunately the sun shone and there was no wind so birding was fairly comfortable. We spent the morning walking and at one point a furry German Shepherd took over leading but was eventually chased home. It wasn't until late morning that we finally saw the two birds of the day - Bohemian waxwings and Pine grosbeaks. Both species were hungry so everyone got greatlooks at these winter visitors feeding on Buckthorn and cranberries. Thanks to everyone who came out and to Wayne for his help. click photo to enlarge

Barbara MacDuff

The following is the complete list: Great-blacked backed gull 3, Mourning dove 12, Downy woodpecker 2, Hairy woodpecker 3, Blue jay 10, American crow 12, Black-capped chickadee 20, Red-breasted nuthatch 1, White-breasted nuthatch 6, American robin 1. Bohemian waxwing 10, Northern cardinal 6, Pine grosbeak 7, Common redpoll 40, American goldfinch 2, House sparrow 2

Sightings for Thursday February 14th

Laval, Boisé Papineau. Great Horned owl (Grand-duc d'Amérique) - Monique Rouleau & Gilles Ethier

Saint-Hyacinthe, autoroute 20 on a lamp post just after the sign Saint-Hyacinthe nest 4 exits: Snowy owl (Harfang des neiges) - Lucie Laperle

Sightings for Wednesday February 13th

Montreal, Botanical Gardens: Carolina Wren (Troglodyte De Caroline) at the First Nations Gardens - J.-S. Guénette

Sightings for Tuesday February 12th

Saint-Pierre-de-Joliette, 680 chemin du village Saint-Pierre Nord: Northern hawk owl (Chouette épervière) also in the area Common redpolls (Sizerins flammé), 1 Hoary redpolls (Sizerin blanchâtre)

Terrebonne, chemin des Milles Îles between the bridges for rtes 25 & 125 (ponts de la 25 et de la route 125): 100+ Great black-backed gulls (Goélands marin), 100+ Herring gulls (Goélands argenté), xx Ring-billed gulls (Goélands à bec cerclé), 12 Glaucous gulls (Goélands bourgmestre), 1 Lesser black-backed gull (Goéland brun), 1 Iceland gull (Goéland arctique) - Gilles Ethier, Doreen Hugues

Châteauguay, rue Higgins: 5 species of woodpeckers (espèces de pics)- Downy, Hairy, Flicker, Red-bellied & Pileated (mineur, chevelu, flamboyant, à ventre roux et Grand Pic) - Pierre Bannon - photos

Sightings for Sunday February 10th

Châteauguay, rue Higgins: Tufted titmouse (Mésange bicolore), Northern flicker (Pic flamboyant), Song sparrow (Bruant chanteur), Pileated woodpecker (Grand Pic), Common redpolls (Sizerin flammé), Northern shrike (Pie-grièche grise) - Régis Fortin

St-Lazare,
chemin Cité-des-jeunes Northern goshawk (Autour des palombes), Rough-legged hawk (Buse pattue), 2 Red-tailed hawks (Buses à queue rousse)
montée Poirier: Pileated woodpecker (Grand Pic)

Ste-Marthe,
chemin Ste-Marie: Snowy owl (Harfang de neiges), American kestrel (Crécerelle d'Amérique)
Ste-chemin St-Guillaume: 1 Red-winged blackbird (Carouge à épaulettes) at a manure pile

Ste-Clet,
chemin Ste-Julie: Snowy owl (Harfang de neiges)
chemin Cité-des-Jeunes near montée Lanthier: Northern shrike (Pie-grièche grise)

also seen: 50 Snow buntings (Bruants des neiges), 8 Horned larks (Alouettes hausse-col) - Don-Jean Léandri

Sightings for Saturday February 9th

Mirabel,

Rang Ste-Marie: Snowy owl (Harfang des neiges), 100+ Snow buntings (Bruants des neiges), 6 Gray partridge (Perdrix grises)

Rang St-Dominique : Snowy owl (Harfang des neiges) - Chuck Kling - photos

St-Barthélemy, Montée Ouest: 2 Snowy owls (Harfang des neiges) - Richard Prévost - Photo

Châteauguay, rue Higgins: Tufted titmouse (Mésange bicolore), Northern flicker (Pic flamboyant), Song sparrow (Bruant chanteur) - Régis Fortin - click photo to

enlarge

Montreal, Botanical Gardens: Common redpoll (Sizerin flammé), Black-capped chickadees (Mésanges à tête noire), American goldfinch (Chardonneret jaune), Downy woodpeckers (Pics mineurs), American crows (Corneilles d'Amérique) - Ligia Paquin

Bird Protection Quebec's Field Trip Report - January 19th, 2008

Varennes, Vercheres and Boucherville

13 birders participated in today's cloudy and somewhat chillier than anticipated field trip. This was predominantly a driving trip taking us through the towns of Varennes, Vercheres and Boucherville.

There were several highlights throughout the day, including a dark morph Rough-legged Hawk on Montée du Lac in Varennes and a Red-tailed Hawk hanging out with a flock of Rock Pigeons on a Hydro tower on Chemin des Sucreries, seemingly getting along together just fine! A Glaucous Gull was seen by two of our birders along the waterfront in Vercheres.

A stop at Parc de la Frayere in Boucherville offered up a spectacular flock of 10 Pine Grosbeaks, a lifer for two members of the group. A final stop on rue de la Broquerie in Boucherville produced ananticipated European Goldfinch as well as a large flock of CommonRedpolls.

It was difficult to choose a single Bird of the Day, so the tie goes to the Pine Grosbeaks and the European Goldfinch, with honourable mention to the Glaucous Gull and Rough-legged Hawk.

We finished the day with a total of 28 species, slightly better than a two species to one birder ratio; very nice for a winter trip: Mallard, Common Goldeneye, Common Merganser, Cooper's Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk, Rough-legged Hawk, American Kestrel, Ring-billed Gull, Herring Gull, Glaucous Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Rock Pigeon, Mourning Dove, Downy Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker, Blue Jay, American Crow, Black-capped Chickadee, White-breasted Nuthatch, American Robin, European Starling, Dark-eyed Junco, Snow Bunting, Northern Cardinal, Pine Grosbeak, Common Redpoll, House Sparrow, European Goldfinch.

Thanks to all who turned out for a great day.

Sheldon

Sightings for Friday February 8th

Pointe de Yamachiche, Tranchée Pelletier: Northern hawk owl (Chouette épervière) - Serge St-Louis - click photo to enlarge

Verdun, across from the Douglas Hospital between 4 & 5pm: 10 Canada geese (Bernache du Canada), 45 Gadwall (Canard chipeau), 20 Black duck (Canard noir), 100 Mallards (Canard colvert), 1000 Common goldeneye (Garrot à œil d'or), 3 Barrow’s goldeneye (Garrot d'Islande), 7 Hooded mergansers (Harle couronné), 500 Common merganser (Grand Harle) - Pierre Bannon - Photos http://pbase.com/pbannon

Sightings for Wednesday February 6th

Cap-d'Espoir: King Eider (Eider À tête grise) - A. Couture

Sightings for Tuesday February 5th

Boucherville, 26 Jean-Cadieux at feeders: European Goldfinch (Chardonneret Élégant) - P. Casavant

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

Sightings for Monday February 4th

Boucherville, 26 Jean-Cadieux at feeders: European Goldfinch (Chardonneret Élégant) - P. Casavant

Bird Cinema

Here is a link to videos of birds from all over the world http://www.birdcinema.com/index.php

Sightings for Sunday February 3rd

Châteauguay, rue Higgins: Red-bellied woodpecker (Pic à ventre roux)

Verdun, across form the Douglas Hospital: 1 Bald eagle (juv) (Pyguargue à tête blanche), 1 Barrows goldeneye (Garrot d'Islande), 300+ Common goldeneye (Garrot à oeil d'or), 12 Common mergansers (Grands harle), xx Mallards & Black ducks (Canards colvert et noir), xx Great black-backed & Herring gulls (Goélands marin, argenté) - Gilles Ethier

Verchères: Snowy owl (Harfang des neiges) autoroute 30 east exit Calixa-Lavallée

Varennes, Montée de la Butte aux Renards: Snow buntings (Bruants des neiges), 3 Lapland longspurs (Bruants Lapon), Horned lark (Alouette Hausse-Col)
also seen in the area Sharp-shinned hawk (Épervier brun), Red-tailed hawk (Buse à queue rousse), Rough-legged hawk (Buse pattue), American kestrel (Crécerelle d'Amérique) 19 species (espèces) - Doreen Hughes

Bird Protection Quebec "2007 Big Year of Birding Contest"

The Big Year of Birding 2007 final results can be seen at this link

Click on photo to see all photos submitted to the contest

Sightings for Friday February 1st

Chateauguay,
rue Flanagan: Cooper’s hawk (Épervier de Cooper) – T. Long
rue Higgins: Carolina wren (Troglodyte de Caroline), Northern flicker (Pic flamboyant) - Gilles Ethier

Bird Protection Quebec field trip cancelled

Regretfully........ for the first time in over twenty years, I have decided to CANCEL the field trip to the Mount Royal Cemetery for tomorrow......... Feb. 2nd. We will be hit with th 3rd major snow storm of the winter, predicted to leave upto 30 cm of precipitation. Parking would be very difficult in the area of the cemetery and knowing the efficiency of Outremont's workers.... there could be the possibilty of having to dig out your cars, at the end of our trip. In addition......... any plowing in the cemetery grounds, will just be starting, leaving us to slog along much of the route that I usually take. So enjoy your morning coffee and paper... ...and see you all soon ! - C. Kling

Sightings for Friday February 1st

Montreal: Red-tailed hawk (Buses à queue rousse) flying just about 6 stories high on St.Laurent Boul, right at the corner of Milton street. Beautiful markings underneath...the snow isn't grounding the bird! – A. Francis