The Song Sparrow

THE SONG SPARROW

A somewhat surprised owl alertly checks out the banders at the MBO.

Read about the MBO’s fascinating Nocturnal Owl Migration Monitoring Program in this issue. Bird Protection Quebec

Simon Duval

How BPQ Supports Important Bird Research

Richard Gregson, Chair: BPQ Research Committee

Every year, BPQ gives financial support to longer-term investigations such as the multi-year individuals and groups carrying out research into studies of bird migration conducted at many under-investigated aspects of Quebec birdlife. establishments such as the OOT, the Migration The article that follows, written for us by Pascal Research Foundation and the McGill Bird Côté, the director of the bird banding station Observatory. It is remarkable what is still not known (OOT) at Tadoussac, describes one such project that and what is yet to be learned. has been enabled by support from BPQ. Please read his report – it is truly fascinating. Our work in these fields is little known outside the scientific arena and so we hope that Pascal’s The scientists who carry out these important article, describing just one such project, will The Song Sparrow studies often find it hard to obtain funding for their demonstrate to all our members and partners that work. There are many reasons for this, as you can the work of BPQ is of considerable importance in The Newsletter of Bird imagine in these days of stringent budgetary extending our knowledge of birds and their Protection Quebec restrictions, and so it all the more essential that behaviour. We are proud and fortunate to be able to charities such as ours are here to offer what we can facilitate studies such as these – all thanks to your Editor: Jane Cormack and make sure suitable studies can go ahead. Often support and your valued donations. Vol: 53-3 the projects we are involved in are performed by December 2010 PhD students at one of the Quebec universities but Follow Pascal’s article on Page 3: more and more we find ourselves working with Layout: Richard Gregson Content Highlights Proofreading: 2 President’s message 12 Bicknell’s Thrush Jean Bacon, Averill 3 Banding at Tadoussac 15 Meeting Reviews Craig, Réjean Duval, 4 Nocturnal Owl Monitoring 18 Field Trip Reports Alain Goulet, Fréderic 8 Equipment review 20 Forthcoming Field Trips Hareau, Jean Harwood 9 Bird Views/Parlons oiseaux Gregson, Zofia Laubitz 1 The President’s Column

Winter is fast approaching. I must admit that it is not my favourite time of year. After all it is more difﬁcult to get around and birdlife is considerably scarcer than in any other season. That said I greatly look forward to two events on my late fall and early winter calendar: the annual Bluebird box cleaning at Mount Royal Cemetery and the Montreal and Hudson Christmas Bird Counts.

Mount Royal Bluebird Box Program

Bluebird boxes have been part of the landscape at the cemetery for many years. Perhaps the initial placement was the result of the discovery that the Mount Murray area in the cemetery attracted nesting bluebirds. To my knowledge the Mount Royal

BIRD PROTECTION QUEBEC Park complex, including the cemetery, is the only place in downtown Montreal where they breed.

A few years ago, Helen Meredith took on the responsibility to manage the approximately 70 boxes there. Under Helen's capable management we now have a small group of dedicated helpers who have mapped all the boxes, check them annually to record nests, and clean them to prepare for the next breeding season. Our knowledge of nesting success has been greatly assisted by Chuck Kling who visits the cemetery regularly to photograph and observe nesting. This year, thanks to a donation from Mark Brenchley of Brentech (514-489-9578), we now have small plastic number plates which we have afﬁxed to all the boxes. This will make it easier to identify the boxes and record any nesting activity taking place.

This year our annual cleanout took place on November 6th. About a dozen people in four groups identiﬁed the nests of four species: Eastern Bluebird, House Wren, Black-capped Chickadee and Tree Swallow.

We are now fairly comfortable with our program. With four years’ data to work with we hope next year to move some unproductive boxes to new locations where Chuck has observed bluebirds. If you are interested in getting involved with our bluebird box program please contact Helen evenings at 514-369-2778. Eastern Bluebird nest found in box #26. Mount Royal Cemetery November 6, 2010. Montreal and Hudson Christmas Bird Counts (A second unhatched egg was discovered on the ground when the egg was removed. It I like Christmas Bird counts because they offer a really good reason to seems certain that the same pair raised four spend the whole day in the ﬁeld with lots of other people, whatever the young in box #29 a little later in the season.) weather. My participation goes back to the early 1970s in Ottawa. I have Photo by Chuck Kling. been participating annually ever since in Ontario, Newfoundland, and now in Quebec.

What started off one hundred years ago as an alternative to the annual Christmas bird “shoot” has captured the imagination of successive generations of North American birders. The annual Christmas bird counts now provide an important long-term data source on early winter bird populations. They also provide an interesting snapshot on the ups and downs of various resident and migratory species and record the northern expansion of the populations of southern species which in our area include Carolina Wren, Tufted Titmouse, Northern Cardinal and House Finch.

This year the Montreal count takes place on Saturday, December 18th. The Hudson count, managed by Alison Bentley, will take place on Sunday January 2nd, 2011. This year will be Alison's last as compiler as she will be moving to the Laurentians to take over the management of Camp Tamaracouta. We owe her a great debt for many years of service and wish her well!

If you have not been a participant in our counts please consider getting involved. We conclude the Montreal count with a social and compilation in the welcoming atmosphere of the Montreal West Curling Club. You can get more details from me. The Hudson count ﬁnishes with a compilation and get-together at the Bentley’s. For more information, please contact Alison at 450-458-4428.

Jeff Harrison Tel: 514-486-4943 email: [email protected] 2 Suivi migratoire printanier à Tadoussac : des résultats surprenants! par Pascal Côté, directeur de l’OOT En ornithologie, le printemps est toujours synonyme d’excitation. Des millions d’oiseaux provenant des États-Unis, d’Amérique centrale ou du Sud arrivent progressivement sur leurs territoires de nidiﬁcation, laissant sur leur passage des ornithologues émerveillés. Quel beau sentiment que celui de partir en randonnée par une journée du mois de mai et de découvrir des dizaines d’espèces de parulines, viréos, grives et moucherolles s’alimentant dans les bosquets et les arbres d’un boisé du sud du Québec. Pour l’observateur contemplatif, ce spectacle est savoureux; pour le chercheur, il s’accompagne néanmoins d’un

BIRD PROTECTION QUEBEC pincement au cœur.

En effet, ces passereaux néotropicaux migrent de nuit, ce qui rend les suivis migratoires classiques (baguage et relevés visuels) peu efficaces pour établir des tendances précises sur l’état des populations. En fait, bien que ce groupe d’espèces ait fait l’objet d’un nombre grandissant d’études, aucun suivi à long terme n’a encore été entrepris à une échelle suffisante pour évaluer avec précision l’état des populations. Ceci est particulièrement vrai dans le cas de 80 espèces d’oiseaux terrestres dont l’aire de nidification se situe largement au nord du réseau routier et se trouve par conséquent peu accessible pour y effectuer des inventaires. Parmi ces espèces, on retrouve entre autres la Paruline rayée, la Paruline tigrée, la Paruline à calotte noire et la Paruline obscure.

Il existe bel et bien des outils qui permettent d’étudier les migrations nocturnes, et notamment les systèmes bio-acoustiques et les radars météorologiques, mais ces derniers ont leurs limites. Ces systèmes offrent en fait deux alternatives : obtenir une bonne approximation du nombre de migrateurs sur un périmètre pouvant atteindre plusieurs kilomètres, mais sans pouvoir identifier les espèces détectées (radar), ou identifier les espèces migratrices, mais uniquement sur un périmètre très limité (système bio- acoustique). De plus, pour le moment, il n’existe aucun programme informatique permettant d’analyser rapidement et avec précision les cris en vol enregistrés par les systèmes bio-acoustiques, rendant donc cette technique peu efficace.

Idéalement, pour assurer un suivi migratoire adéquat, il serait nécessaire de réunir des conditions permettant d’identifier les espèces de migrateurs nocturnes tout en les dénombrant. L’Observatoire d’oiseaux de Tadoussac (OOT) semblait offrir un site réunissant de telles conditions. Depuis quelques décennies, plusieurs observations faisaient état de mouvements migratoires diurnes de passereaux néotropicaux pendant la migration printanière en Haute-Côte-Nord. Selon les rapports d’observation, certains mouvements massifs comptaient des milliers de migrateurs. Afin de mieux comprendre ce phénomène, l’OOT a entrepris au printemps 2009 un projet pilote entièrement bénévole d’une durée de 12 jours (du 11 au 22 mai). Ce projet comprenait une station de baguage ainsi que des relevés visuels. Les résultats obtenus ont dépassé les attentes. L’OOT a pu confirmer que la

Volunteers gently extracting birds from the mist nets at the Tadoussac Bird Observatory (OOT) for banding

3 migration printanière des passereaux dans la région de Tadoussac s’effectuait du nord-est vers le sud-ouest et pouvait parfois être caractérisée par des mouvements massifs de courte durée (de 4 à 5 heures) de plus d’une trentaine d’espèces. À l’échelle du Québec, ce phénomène spectaculaire n’a été observé que sur la rive nord du Saint-Laurent. Des déplacements matinaux (morning ﬂight) de migrateurs nocturnes similaires à ceux observés à Tadoussac ont cependant été notés à plusieurs endroits en Amérique du Nord, principalement le long des côtes de l’Atlantique et dans certaines zones montagneuses des Appalaches.

En termes quantitatifs, le projet-pilote de mai 2009 a permis de dénombrer 21 048 passereaux, dont 10 883 Parulines à croupion jaune, 1 086 Parulines à tête cendrée, 401 Parulines à joues grises et 305 Parulines tigrées! La journée du 14 mai a été marquée par le plus important mouvement matinal enregistré avec le passage de 5 412 parulines de 10 espèces différentes! Plus que satisfaite de ces résultats, l’équipe de l’OOT a alors décidé d’entreprendre en 2010 un projet de plus grande envergure, s’étalant sur une durée d’un mois (4 mai au 5 juin), aﬁn de mieux couvrir la migration de l’ensemble des passereaux néotropicaux (migrateurs hâtifs et tardifs). Les objectifs poursuivis étaient d’analyser la possibilité de mettre en œuvre un programme de suivi

BIRD PROTECTION QUEBEC printanier permanent aux dunes de Tadoussac, et de mieux comprendre la ou les causes des déplacements matinaux provenant du nord-ouest. Sur ce dernier point, l’équipe de l’OOT demeurait perplexe. En effet, il était très surprenant de constater que les migrateurs arrivaient du nord-est (de la Côte-Nord) plutôt que du sud-ouest (de Charlevoix). L’OOT décidait de tenter de résoudre cette intrigue durant le printemps 2010.

Pour ce faire, l’Observatoire a eu la chance de pouvoir compter sur le support ﬁnancier de quelques partenaires d’importance dont Protection des oiseaux du Québec. Fort de cet appui, tout était mis en place pour un mois de mai bien particulier : recenseur de qualité, station de baguage et même un radar maritime mobile qui permettait de suivre les migrations nocturnes. Tout était en place, sauf … les oiseaux! Ceux-ci ont cruellement manqué à l’appel! Ainsi, en un mois de recensement, seuls 9 110 passereaux ont été recensés, soit moins de la moitié de ceux comptabilisés en seulement 12 jours l’année précédente.

Que s’est-il passé au printemps 2010?

La réponse est simple : les conditions favorables aux déplacements matinaux ont été pratiquement absentes au mois de mai dernier. En analysant les données météorologiques, l’OOT a découvert que les migrateurs nocturnes semblaient profiter du passage d’un front froid (zone de précipitations) au-dessus de l’Abitibi et du Lac-Saint-Jean pendant la nuit pour migrer vers le nord-est (en profitant des vents favorables du sud-ouest). Ces mêmes migrateurs corrigeraient ensuite leur trajectoire de migration en volant à basse altitude vers le sud-ouest au lever du soleil. Une telle correction pourrait, entre autres, s’expliquer par le changement de direction des vents survenant suite au passage d’un front froid au nord de Tadoussac : les forts vents de faible altitude passant du sud-ouest au nord-est. En somme, les oiseaux provenant du sud du Québec, transportés par des vents favorables pouvant parfois atteindre 100 km/h, traverseraient le Saint-Laurent à l’est de Tadoussac et corrigeraient ensuite leur trajectoire de migration, profitant du changement de direction des vents.

Or le mois de mai 2010 a été marqué par le beau temps et des vents du sud, sud-ouest presque constants. Les images radar ont indiqué que les oiseaux ﬁlaient directement vers leurs aires de reproduction durant la nuit, sans avoir besoin d’effectuer une quelconque correction migratoire. En fait, des déplacements matinaux notables n’ont été observés qu’à seulement deux occasions, d’où le nombre limité d’oiseaux comptabilisés. Le printemps 2010 aura donc permis de mieux comprendre les migrations des passereaux néotropicaux sur la Côte-Nord, tout en constatant que le potentiel pour effectuer un suivi diurne de migrateurs nocturnes reste limité. Il n’en demeure pas moins qu’en dépit de leur rareté, les migrations matinales massives représentent un phénomène spectaculaire tout simplement éblouissant!

Pascal Côté est directeur de l'Observatoire d'oiseaux de Tadoussac (O.O.T.) depuis 2009. Auparavant il a été respectivement stagiaire au baguage et coordonnateur des programmes de ce même observatoire. Avant de migrer vers la Côte-Nord, Pascal a grandi dans la région de Montréal, où il a commencé à s'intéresser aux oiseaux en bas âge. Il a complété un baccalauréat en biologie et une maîtrise en écologie forestière à l'UQAM.

Editor’s note : You can view Radio-Canada’s documentary on this story at : http://www.radio-canada.ca/emissions/ decouverte/2010-2011/Reportage.asp?idDoc=124086

4 Bird Protection Quebec is the operational Reminders: Mark your calendars! name of The Province of Quebec Society for the Christmas Bird Counts Protection of Birds. - Established January 4, 1917. Montreal December 18th: Contact Jeff Harrison by phone at: Bird Protection Quebec/ 514-486-4943 or e-mail at [email protected] PQSPB is a registered charity. All donations are tax Hudson January 2nd (Note the change of date). Contact Alison deductible. Bentley at: 450-458-4428

Charity Registration # 11925 2161 RR0001. Ongoing FeederWatch programs: (November 13 to April 8) To participate in the Feederwatch programme of Les amis de la BIRD PROTECTION QUEBEC Montagne on Mount Royal Principal Officers Call 514-843-8240 ext. 242 or e-mail [email protected]

President - Jeff Harrison Vice-Presidents - Richard Gregson & BPQ’s 2011 Winter Lecture Series Marie-Hélène Gauthier Winter need not mean the “doldrums” for birders - in fact, it is the Treasurer - Jean Harwood Gregson perfect time to prepare yourself for spring. The BPQ Membership Secretary - Jean Bacon Services Committee is very pleased to announce that (once again) we have been able to call upon the services of a terriﬁc slate of experts to help you improve your birding skills and knowledge. Come to all or some of our winter bird course lectures, to be held on alternate Newsletter Contacts Wednesdays in February and March 2011. Mark these dates in your agenda! Newsletter Editor: Jane Cormack [email protected] February 9 “Taking a look at how we look at birds” Layout: Richard Gregson A workshop on optics and other birding equipment - with Alain Goulet Birdviews: Pierre Bannon [email protected] February 23 514-766-8767 after 7:00 PM “The ABC’s of birdwatching” Birding basics, with ID tips more experienced Contact BPQ: birders can use too - with Joël Coutu [email protected] March 9 Bird Protection Quebec “You are what you eat!” P.O. Box 43, Station B The incredible role of food in the lives of birds - Montreal QC H3B 3J5 with Barbara Frei Tel: 514-637-2141 March 23 Website and Membership “Seeing the forest for the trees” www.birdprotectionquebec.org A workshop on birdﬁnding by habitat - with Betsy McFarlane Email discussion group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Songsparrow Lectures are at Knox Crescent Kensington & First Presbyterian Church, 6225 Godfrey Avenue, NDG. Time: 7:30 pm Cost: $15 per lecture for BPQ members and $20 for non-members

Further details and registration forms will be available at monthly The Song Sparrow ISSN 1710-3371 meetings, and on the website: www.birdprotectionquebec.org . For Legal Deposit: National Library and Archives more information please contact Averill Craig at 514-484-6575, of Canada - Publication Mail No. 40044323 [email protected] , or Audrey Speck 514-487-4032, [email protected] ..

5 Nocturnal Owl Migration Monitoring by Gay Gruner and Simon Duval

The goal of MBO’s Nocturnal Owl Migration Monitoring Program is to document the timing and volume of migration of Northern Saw-whet Owls (NSWO). To this end, MBO captures and bands Northern Saw-whet Owls in the fall. This year McGill Bird Observatory (MBO) began owl monitoring on September 26th and continued to November 14th with banding occurring on 35 evenings.

Starting at dusk, either Kristen Keyes or Simon Duval (banders-in-charge), Bob Barnhurst (owl bander-in-training) and a crew of volunteers arrive at MBO to settle in for a minimum of four hours of owl monitoring. Donning their headlamps, they

BIRD PROTECTION QUEBEC trek to a stand of conifers to raise the nets and set the audio lure. MBO uses two 30-mm and ﬁve 60-mm mesh nets placed in a rough rectangle around and through a grove of conifers. The audio lure is placed in the middle of the rectangle and the call of the NSWO plays non-stop until the nets are closed.

When an owl is captured, it is extracted from the net and carried back to the banding station in a cloth bird bag. Each owl is examined for overall health and any interesting features; standard data including age, sex, unﬂattened wing chord, weight, fat score, date and time are also recorded. A UV light is sometimes used to assess the age of the feathers by holding it over the open wing; new feathers contain porphyrin pigments and tend to ﬂuoresce pink under UV light. (For information on ageing strategies of NSWOs, please visit http://www.migrationresearch.org/mbo/id/nswo.html .) Once these measurements are recorded, the owl is taken outside, held for ten minutes so that its eyes readjust to the nighttime darkness and then released.

The 2010 season has been our most successful to date, with a total of 122 NSWOs banded and two Eastern Screech-Owls (see Table 1). Whether this reﬂects a greater movement of NSWOs or our increased effort we cannot say, but suspect it is a combination of both factors. Thanks to a grant from Bird Protection Quebec we were able to operate more nights than in previous years.

Table 1. Overview of the results of the owl migration monitoring programs at MBO since 2004.

NSWO Monitoring Program 2004 2005 2007 2009 2010 Total # birds (and species) banded 18 (2) 17 (1) 15 (1) 78 (2) 124 (2) 252 (2) # birds (and species) repeat - - - 5 (1) 5 (1) 10 (1) # birds (and species) foreign 1 (1) - - 2 (1) 2 (1) 5 (1) # net hours 208.8 224.7 293.6 698.0 1323.6 2748.7 # birds banded / 100 net hours 8.6 7.6 5.1 11.2 9.4 9.1

There was a good array of age and sex combinations (see Table 2).

Table 2. Age and Sex of Northern Saw-whet Owls caught at MBO in 2010.

Hatch year After hatch Second year After second After third year year year Female 55 2 21 6 1 Male 9 1 1 - - Unknown 22 1 4 - -

We had two foreign recaptures: one from Massachusetts banded in 2009; and one from northern Ontario that was banded this year. Interestingly, on October 31st we recaptured an owl that we had banded on October 2nd. Where it spent its days remains a mystery despite huge efforts by MBO staff and volunteers to locate a Saw-whet during the day. Also of note - one of the Saw-whets we banded in the 2009 season was recaptured this year in Pennsylvania on October 20th.

Long-eared Owls were heard most evenings. One young Long-eared caused consternation among the banders by making a whistle-call like a Black-bellied Plover. Another Long-eared gave a bark-like call. Rising to these ID challenges, Marcel Gahbauer

6 walked the trail on both east and west sides of Stoneycroft Pond in near pitch-black conditions until he located the favoured perches of the Long-eared Owls and identiﬁed the two calls as long-ears.

Net-rounds are never taken for granted – on September 29th, Kristen Keyes banded an Eastern Screech-Owl, on November 1st at 11:30 PM (!) Simon Duval banded a Dark-eyed Junco; and on our ﬁnal night of banding, Simon banded a very large (217.5g) Eastern Screech-Owl - a very exciting end to a successful season.

Gay Gruner is the Director of the McGill Bird Observatory (MBO) after having begun volunteering at the station in 2004 (the year of its inception). When she's not out running the MBO or birding with friends, she's in the ﬁeld with BPQ's Education Committee teaching children to identify and appreciate birds and critters alike. She is also Chair of the BPQ Communications Committee and a long-standing member of the Board. BIRD PROTECTION QUEBEC Simon Duval has overseen the MBO Owl Migration Monitoring Program for the last two years. He is Coordinator of the MBO and passionate about all birds, but has a particular love for raptors. In 2010 Simon led a program to band Peregrine Falcons in the Montreal area. This coming winter he will be conducting owl and hawk banding in various sectors of the Montreal region.

Eastern Screech Owl at the MBO

photo: Simon Duval

New Nature Reserve north of Montreal We are proud to announce that with the aid of a signiﬁcant donation from BPQ and contributions from the Quebec and Federal governments, the Nature Conservancy of Canada has secured an extensive and bird-ﬁlled area in the hills between Piedmont and Prévost. This wonderful area will be known as the Alfred Kelly Nature Reserve in honour of a great benefactor of our charity who lived in the area.

Bird Protection Quebec is a major partner in the development of this fabulous reserve and will be working closely with the NCC and a local conservation group (Comité régional pour la protection des falaises) in coming years to develop and look after the reserve. It is hoped that in the spring of 2011 we will be organizing an extensive ﬁeld trip into the hills and hope that as many BPQ people as possible will be able to come and enjoy the birds that live there.

Some material produced by the NCC explaining this purchase can be downloaded from http://www.pqspb.org/downloads/sanctuaries/CNC_panneau_V4.pdf

More information about this will be presented in the next edition of The Song Sparrow.

7 Electronic Field Notes – Automate your Sightings and Locate that Bird-Holding Tree by LBJ A new “app” is now available for the iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad that could just transform your note-taking in the ﬁeld. Available under the name of “Birdwatcher’s Diary” for the ridiculously low price of $9.99, it enables you to ditch that scruffy notebook and pencil once and for all. Nothing wrong with notebook and pencil but this app goes

BIRD PROTECTION QUEBEC beyond traditional methods. It automatically records the GPS coordinates for every bird seen and then creates maps (using GoogleEarth) that show not just that you found Robins on Île Bizard but which tree they were in … extremely useful for telling others where those rarities were lurking.

It is preconfigured with U.S., U.K. and Mexican bird lists but can be easily loaded with any custom list. A simple tap marks the bird as seen; if you are counting birds, further taps increment the count; sightings can be marked as visual or "heard only". Additional features include a built-in, user-configurable "phrase list" ― makes adding notes to your sightings ("Breeding plumage", "Juvenile", etc.) a simple matter of tapping and not typing ― you can recall earlier sightings, or merge them into "life lists", restricted (if you choose) by date, country, state, county, birding location, or any word or phrase in either your trip notes or sighting notes and lastly you are able to output data via ftp, email, clipboard, or iTunes file sharing using standard fixed formats (eBird, Google Maps) or totally custom formats including any information in any order.

At the end of the day you can archive your sightings on your device, upload them directly to eBird or enter them into the listings software you usually use on your home computer.

I’ve been experimenting with this nifty piece of software on your behalf, ﬁnding it nice, albeit probably not at all essential, to be able to record sightings with a tap of the ﬁnger instead of a damp scrawl, but rapidly realizing that the killer feature is the mapping of the individual tree in which the Great Auk was sitting that makes the Birdwatcher’s Diary so desirable. If you have an iPhone or iPod anyway this is so cheap that it is worth getting for this feature alone. Nothing in this birding world is perfect, but this is very, very useful addition to our armamentarium.

LBJ is rather an elusive character. According to inside sources "a shy and retiring type" habitually seen in drab plumage and shady habitat, prepared to admit only to being birder of a certain (difﬁcult to ascertain) age who is uncomfortable in crowds and has a proclivity for hiding in bushes with a large 'scope ready to pounce on any passing lifer that happens his (or is it her) way. More could be revealed in another issue. Stay tuned.

2011 Parking Permit for Montreal Nature Parks If you go birding in Montreal’s network of nature parks, you probably know that the daily parking rate is currently $7. An annual parking permit allows unlimited parking in any of the following parks: Anse-à-l’Orme, Cap-Saint-Jacques, Bois-de-l’Île- Bizard, Bois-de-Liesse, Île-de-la-Visitation, and Pointe-aux-Prairies. The price is $40 for the ﬁrst vehicle, $30 for each additional vehicle registered at the same address. The 2011 permit is available now, so people buying in December will beneﬁt. For more information contact: Philippe Murphy, Préposé à la perception des revenus, Ville de Montréal, Gestion des grand parcs, 801 rue Brennan - pavillon Duke, Bureau 4146, Montréal, QC, H3C 0G4. To pay by credit card, telephone him at: 514-280-6766.

8 BIRDVIEWS A summary of interesting bird sightings in Montréal and around the province By Pierre Bannon

August-mid-November 2010

Pink-footed Goose: a bird photographed at Saint-François-Xavier-de-Brompton 18 Oct (E & F. Langlois et al.). Mute Swan: singles at Île Saint-Eugène, Pointe-du-Lac 1-25 Aug (G. Dussault, K-A Do) and at Boucherville 2-7 Aug (R. Calderoni, m.ob.). Black Swan: 2 birds at Gore 28 Aug-5 Sept (J. Anderson, C. Lapointe). Trumpeter Swan: one continued in La

BIRD PROTECTION QUEBEC Mauricie National Park until at least 24 Oct (S. Bouchard et al.). A pair successfully nested at Joutel, Abitibi, a first provincial breeding record. The ads were first seen 22 Apr and two dark young were photographed accompanying the ads 14 Sept (JF. Doyon). Tundra Swan: one at Mandeville 18 Oct (R. Piché, G. Cyr). Canvasback: only one bird reported, at Chambly 18 Oct-3 Nov (R. Chartier, m.ob.). Harlequin Duck: single inland birds were at Saint-Stanislas-de-Kostka 16 Oct (R. Fortin), at Sainte-Catherine 17 Oct (R. Belhumeur) and at Philipsburg 4 Nov (N. Bourdon). Pacific Loon: one at Île aux Basques 9-16 Oct (I. Lechasseur, O. Barden).

Northern Gannet: 2 ﬂying over Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue 14 Nov (B. Barnhurst). American White Pelican: one was at Lac Boivin, Granby, for over 2 months, 10 Sept-15 Nov, establishing a record late date (B. Hamel, m.ob.). Great Egret: some post-breeding gatherings involved 30 at Deschênes 21 Aug (R. Dubois et al.), 22 at Saint-Barthélemy 7 Sept (L. Jacques) and 25 at Longueuil 7 Sept (Y. Gauthier). Snowy Egret: one at Maple Grove 12 Aug (R. Belhumeur) and 6 Sept (D-J. Léandri). Cattle Egret: an important post-breeding dispersal took place between 19 Oct and 15 Nov with a total of 21 birds in 15 localities. Turkey Vulture: 89 at Mont-Laurier 27 Aug (R. Lebrun). Broad-winged Hawk: 2413 indiv (1532 in one hour) at the Montreal west end hawkwatch 10 Sept was considered one of the highest one-day totals of recent times (B. Barnhurst, M. McIntosh). Swainson’s Hawk: one at Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue 31 Oct (B. Barnhurst). Purple Gallinule: a weakening bird found at Fermont in late Oct ﬁnally died 1 Nov (B. Jolicoeur, ph).

Marbled Godwit: singles at Montmagny 7 Sept (Y. Bernier, C. Lamontagne) and at Port-Cartier 8 Sept (JF. Poulin, J. Malouin). Buff-breasted Sandpiper: the best ﬂight in years for this species. Peaks of 18 at Res. Baskatong 1 Sept (MA. Montpetit, A. Crépeau), 5 at Lorraine 3 Sept (D-J. Léandri), 9 at Moisie 6 Sept (JF. Laporte) and 5 at Val d’Or 7 Sept (R. Ladurantaye) were noteworthy. Ruff: one juv at Gatineau 6 Sept (R. Bisson, J. Savard).

Sabine’s Gull: regular on outings off the North Shore between 6 Aug and early Oct; elsewhere singles where reported inland at Sainte-Pétronille, Victoriaville and Gatineau. Black-headed Gull: up to 2 birds were near Les Escoumins for most of fall (m. ob.), an imm at Sainte-Pétronille 16 Oct (G. Cyr), and one at Saint-Vallier 31 Oct (L. Messely). Laughing Gull: 8 birds were reported singly in the days following the passage of Hurricane Earl in the Maritimes. Franklin’s Gull: single ads found at Trois-Rivières 28 Sept-5 Oct (S. Hamel) and in the Saguenay fjord 7 Oct (R. Pintiaux, C. St-Hilaire). Forster’s Tern: singles off Tadoussac 22 Sept (R. Pintiaux), at Gatineau 22 Sept (R. Dubois), off Trois-Pistoles 3 Oct (F. & R. Dion) and at Les Bergeronnes 5 Oct (R. Pintiaux).

White-winged Dove: singles at Les Bergeronnes 3-4 Aug (H. Johansen) and at Sainte-Catherine 16 Oct-16 Nov (E. Robichaud, É. Lepage). Yellow-billed Cuckoo: 6 birds reported. Ruby-throated Hummingbird: 2 hatch-year male Archilochus hummingbirds were photographed at record late dates. These birds were identified as Red-throated by hummingbird expert, Nancy Newfield. The first was at Magog 23-24 Oct (A. Arbour), the second was at Saint-Lazare 6-14 Nov (L. Rondeau). Anna’s Hummingbird: an ad male already present since late Oct at Val-d’Espoir was identified and seen by many 7-15 Nov (L. Dallaire, P. Poulin et al., ph. A. Couture). Red-headed Woodpecker: one at Sainte-Foy 1 Sept (R. A. Jones). Red-bellied Woodpecker: on the basis of photographs of a juvenile taken at Châteauguay 29 Aug, it appears that

the species has nested there for the third time since 2006 (L. Lemay, M. Amyot).

Western Kingbird: one at Saint-Joachim, near Cap Tourmente 23 Sept (P. Côté, M. Girard). Scissor-tailed Flycatcher: one at Cap-des-Rosiers 19-25 Oct (M. Lincourt, S. Allard, ph.). Fork-tailed Flycatcher: singles at Étang-du-Nord, Magdalen Is, 22 Aug (G. Forest, B. Vigneault, ﬁde G. Éthier) and at Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue 30 Oct (B. Barnhurst, M.

9 McIntosh). Gray Jay: a small flight took place in extreme s. Québec where about a dozen birds were reported in Oct. Purple Martin: one near Ville-Marie 27 Aug apparently provided a first for the Témiscamingue region (J. Fréchette). Tree Swallow: one late bird still at Havre Saint-Pierre 21 Oct (F. Gallant). Cliff Swallow: surprisingly, about 30 birds were seen in the Tadoussac area throughout Oct, involving a one-day count of 11 on 18 Oct (S. Belleau) and a very late bird 2 Nov (A. Anctil, S. Denault). Cave Swallow: one at Saint-Vallier 28-30 Oct (O. Barden, JP. Ouellet, M. Lafleur), 2 at Ville-Marie 29 Oct (J. Fréchette) and one at Tadoussac 1 Nov (H. Johansen et al.). Carolina Wren: at least 2 dozens indiv reported during the period. Northern Wheatear: singles at Cap-Tourmente 6 Sept (P. Lane), Sept-Îles 11-12 Sept (F. Gallant et al.) and at Moisie 24 Oct (JF. Laporte). Townsend’s Solitaire: singles at Saint-Stanislas-de-Kostka 13-17 Oct (ph. D. Collins, m.ob.), at Terrebonne 18 Oct (C. Bélanger) and at Tadoussac 31 Oct (R. Pintiaux). White Wagtail: a very good description was obtained for a bird in winter plumage seen at Île aux Coudres 12 Oct (C. & R. Fortin, fide C. Gagnon). A second provincial record.

Yellow-throated Warbler: singles at Jonquières 4 Oct-14 Nov (ph. G. Allard), Pabos 12-15 Nov (J. Blais) and Longueuil 14-16 BIRD PROTECTION QUEBEC Nov (D. Ouellette). Prairie Warbler: a ﬁrst year male at Cap Tourmente 30 Aug (S. Rioux, O. Barden). Hooded Warbler: a male at Cap Tourmente 27-30 Aug (F. & R. Dion) followed by a female at the same place 16 Sept (R. Lepage). Summer Tanager: singles were photographed at Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu 8 Sept (M. Gauthier, LE. Brochu-Maillé), at Normandin 30 Oct (C. Bellemare et al.) and at Dorion 8-11 Nov (L. Castonguay, ﬁde A. Hogues).

Spotted Towhee: one was accompanying an Eastern Towhee at Ïle aux Basques 11 Oct (B. Gariépy). Lark Sparrow: singles at Sept-Îles 11 Oct (JF. Laporte) and Québec City 10-11 Nov (ﬁde G. Cyr). Grasshopper Sparrow: one at I. Charron 26 Sept represented a very rare fall sighting (ph. Y. Gauthier). Northern Cardinal: 3 birds were noticed in the Tadoussac area in early Nov (S. Denault, S. Belleau). Blue Grosbeak: a juv at Percé 24-26 Oct (F. de Caen et al., ph. A. Couture) followed by an ad male at Ville-Marie 29 Oct (J. Fréchette). Yellow-headed Blackbird: the best ﬂight in several years with singles at Dundee 24 Aug (J. Bacon, J. De Marre) and at Palmarolle 27 Aug (S. Gagnon), 2 at Montmagny 16-17 Sept (G. Cyr et al.) and 5 at Saint-

Timothée 17 Sept (S. Deshaie). Orchard Oriole: a female was at Tadoussac 17 Oct (ph. S. Denault), a third record for the North Shore and a ﬁfth provincial fall record.

Please report your interesting bird observations to: Pierre Bannon, 1517 Leprohon, Montréal, Qc H4E 1P1. Tel: 514-766-8767 after 7:00 p.m. or by E-mail at [email protected] PARLONS D’OISEAUX Un bilan des observations intéressantes à Montréal et à travers la province par Pierre Bannon

Août-mi-novembre 2010

Oie à bec court: un oiseau photographié à Saint-François-Xavier-de-Brompton 18 oct (E & F. Langlois et al.). Cygne tuberculé: des oiseaux à l’île Saint-Eugène, Pointe-du-Lac 1-25 août (G. Dussault, K-A Do) et à Boucherville 2-7 août (R. Calderoni, pl.ob.). Cygne noir: 2 oiseaux à Gore 28 août-5 sept (J. Anderson, C. Lapointe). Cygne trompette: un encore présent au Parc National de la Mauricie au moins jusqu’au 24 oct (S. Bouchard et al.). Un couple a niché avec succès à Joutel, Abitibi, une première nidification au Québec. Les adultes furent d’abord apercus le 22 avr et 2 jeunes oiseaux furent photographiés avec les ad le 14 sept (JF. Doyon). Cygne siffleur: un à Mandeville 18 oct (R. Piché, G. Cyr). Fuligule à dos blanc: un seul oiseau signalé, à Chambly 18 oct-3 nov (R. Chartier, pl.ob.). Arlequin plongeur: des oiseaux furent signalés dans le sud du Québec à Saint-Stanislas-de-Kostka 16 oct (R. Fortin), à Sainte-Catherine 17 oct (R. Belhumeur) et à Philipsburg 4 nov (N. Bourdon). Plongeon du Pacifique: un à l’île aux Basques 9-16 oct (I. Lechasseur, O. Barden).

Fou de Bassin: 2 en vol à Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue 14 nov (B. Barnhurst). Pélican d’Amérique: un au Lac Boivin, Granby, pour plus de 2 mois, 10 sept-15 nov, une nouvelle date record (B. Hamel, pl.ob.). Grande Aigrette: 30 à Deschênes 21 août (R. Dubois et al.), 22 à Saint-Barthélemy 7 sept (L. Jacques), et 25 à Longueuil 7 sept (Y. Gauthier) représentaient des regroupements post-nuptiaux importants. Aigrette neigeuse: une à Maple Grove 12 août (R. Belhumeur) et 6 sept (D-J. Léandri). Héron garde-boeufs: une importante dispersion post-nuptiale s’est produite entre le 19 oct et le 15 nov avec un total de 21 indiv dans 15 localités. Urubu à tête rouge: 89 à Mont-Laurier 27 août (R. Lebrun). Petite Buse: 2413 indiv (1532 en une heure) à l’ouest de Montréal 10 sept représentaient l’un des décomptes les plus importants des dernières années pour une seule journée (B.

10 Barnhurst, M. McIntosh). Buse de Swainson: une à Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue 31 oct (B. Barnhurst). Talève violacée: un oiseau recueilli affaibli à Fermont à la ﬁn d’oct a été trouvé mort le 1er nov (B. Jolicoeur, ph).

Barge marbrée: des oiseaux à Montmagny 7 sept (Y. Bernier, C. Lamontagne) et à Port-Cartier 8 sept (JF. Poulin, J. Malouin). st Bécasseau roussâtre: les meilleurs décomptes depuis des années pour cette espèce. Des maxima de 18 au Rés. Baskatong 1 sept (MA. Montpetit, A. Crépeau), 5 à Lorraine 3 sept (D-J. Léandri), 9 à Moisie 6 sept (JF. Laporte) et 5 à Val d’Or 7 sept (R. Ladurantaye) étaient dignes de mention. Combattant varié: un juv à Gatineau 6 sept (R. Bisson, J. Savard). Mouette de Sabine: vue régulièrement au large sur la Côte Nord entre le 6 août et le début d’oct; plus au sud, des oiseaux signalés à Sainte-Pétronille, Victoriaville et Gatineau. Mouette rieuse: jusqu’à 2 oiseaux tout l’automne près des Escoumins (pl. ob.), un imm à Sainte-Pétronille 16 oct (G. Cyr), et une à Saint-Vallier 31 oct (L. Messely). Mouette atricille: 8 oiseaux signalés dans les jours suivant le passage de l’ouragan Earl dans les Maritimes. Mouette de Franklin: des ad trouvés à Trois-Rivières 28 BIRD PROTECTION QUEBEC sept-5 oct (S. Hamel) et dans le fjord du Saguenay 7 oct (R. Pintiaux, C. St-Hilaire). Sterne de Forster: des oiseaux à Tadoussac 22 sept (R. Pintiaux), à Gatineau 22 sept (R. Dubois), au large de Trois-Pistoles 3 oct (F. & R. Dion), et à Les Bergeronnes 5 oct (R. Pintiaux).

Tourterelle à ailes blanches: des oiseaux à Les Bergeronnes 3-4 août (H. Johansen) et à Sainte-Catherine 16 oct-16 nov (E. Robichaud, É. Lepage). Coulicou à bec jaune: 6 oiseaux signalés. Colibri à gorge rubis: 2 jeunes mâles du genre Archilochus photographiés à des dates records. Ces oiseaux furent identifiés comme étant des Colibris à gorge rubis par la spécialiste, Nancy Newfield. Le premier était à Magog 23-24 oct (A. Arbour), le second àt Saint-Lazare 6-14 nov (L. Rondeau). Colibri d’Anna: un mâle ad présent depuis la fin d’oct fut identifié et revu à Val-d’Espoir 7-15 nov (L. Dallaire, P. Poulin et al., ph. A. Couture). Pic à tête rouge: un à Sainte-Foy 1 sept (R. A. Jones). Pic à ventre roux: un juv photographié à Châteauguay 29 août confirme la nidification dans cette localité pour la 3ième fois depuis 2006 (L. Lemay, M. Amyot).

Tyran de l’Ouest: un à Saint-Joachim, près de Cap Tourmente 23 sept (P. Côté, M. Girard). Tyran à longue queue: un à Cap-des-Rosiers 19-25 oct (M. Lincourt, S. Allard, ph.). Tyran des savanes: des oiseaux à Étang-du-Nord, IDLM, 22 août (G. Forest, B. Vigneault, fide G. Éthier) et à Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue 30 oct (B. Barnhurst, M. McIntosh). Mésangeai du Canada: une douzaine d’oiseaux sont apparus dans le sud de la province en oct. Hirondelle noire: une près de Ville-Marie 27 août fournissait une première pour la région du Témiscamingue (J. Fréchette). Hirondelle bicolore: une très tardive à Havre Saint- Pierre 21 oct (F. Gallant). Hirondelle à front blanc: étonnamment, une trentaine d’oiseaux dénombrés dans la région de Tadoussac en oct, dont 11 indiv le 18 oct (S. Belleau), et un oiseau très tardif le 2 nov (A. Anctil, S. Denault). Hirondelle à front brun: une à Saint-Vallier 28-30 oct (O. Barden, JP. Ouellet, M. Lafleur), 2 à Ville-Marie 29 oct (J. Fréchette), et une à st Tadoussac 1 nov (H. Johansen et al.). Troglodyte de Caroline: au moins 2 douzaines signalées durant la période. Traquet motteux: des oiseaux à Cap-Tourmente 6 sept (P. Lane), Sept-Îles 11-12 sept (F. Gallant et al.), et à Moisie 24 oct (JF. Laporte). Solitaire de Townsend: des oiseaux à Saint-Stanislas-de-Kostka 13-17 oct (ph. D. Collins, m.ob.), à Terrebonne 18 oct (C. Bélanger) et à Tadoussac 31 oct (R. Pintiaux). Bergeronnette grise: une excellente description d’un oiseau en plumage d’hiver a été obtenue pour l’île aux Coudres 12 oct (C. & R. Fortin, fide C. Gagnon). Une deuxième mention provinciale.

Paruline à gorge jaune: des oiseaux à Jonquières 4 oct-14 nov (ph. G. Allard), Pabos 12-15 nov (J. Blais), et Longueuil 14-16 nov (D. Ouellette). Paruline des prés: un mâle de 1er cycle à Cap Tourmente 30 août (S. Rioux, O. Barden). Paruline à capuchon: un mâle à Cap Tourmente 27-30 août (F. & R. Dion) suivi d’une femelle au même endroit 16 sept (R. Lepage). Piranga vermillon: des oiseaux photographiés à Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu 8 sept (M. Gauthier, LE. Brochu-Maillé), à Normandin 30 oct (C. Bellemare et al.), ainsi qu’à Dorion 8-11 nov (L. Castonguay, ﬁde A. Hogues).

Tohi tacheté: un accompagnant un Tohi à ﬂancs roux à l’île aux Basques 11 oct (B. Gariépy). Bruant à joues marron: des oiseaux à Sept-Îles 11 oct (JF. Laporte) et à Québec 10-11 nov (ﬁde G. Cyr). Bruant sauterelle: un à l’île Charron 26 sept, une rare mention d’automne (ph. Y. Gauthier). Cardinal rouge: 3 oiseaux à Tadoussac au début de nov, inusité (S. Denault, S. Belleau). Guiraca bleu: un juv à Percé 24-26 oct (F. de Caen et al., ph. A. Couture) suivi d’un mâle ad à Ville-Marie 29 oct (J. Fréchette). Carouge à tête jaune: présences remarquées avec des oiseaux à Dundee 24 août (J. Bacon, J. De Marre) et Palmarolle 27 août (S. Gagnon), 2 à Montmagny 16-17 sept (G. Cyr et al.) et 5 à Saint-Timothée 17 sept (S. Deshaie). Oriole des vergers: une femelle à Tadoussac 17 oct (ph. S. Denault), une 3ième mention pour la Côte Nord et une 5ième mention d’automne pour la province.

Please report your interesting bird observations to: Pierre Bannon, 1517 Leprohon, Montréal, Qc H4E 1P1. Tel: 514-766-8767 after 7:00 p.m. or by E-mail at [email protected] 11 Protecting the Bicknell’s Thrush Earlier this fall, BPQ sent a letter in support of an initiative by RésEAU des Montagnes and Nature Québec to set up a protected area within Parc régional Massif du Sud. The park, located in the Chaudière-Appalaches region of Québec, provides prime habitat for a number of boreal bird species. In particular, its highest peaks on Mont du Midi and Mont Magloire support a signiﬁcant population of Bicknell’s Thrush, a bird considered vulnerable with a recommendation to change its status to threatened. Many BPQ members signed a petition in support of this initiative . The petition is now available on line. For those who haven’t already signed, a link is provided in the following article.

Interest in this Bicknell’s Thrush and its conservation were initiated in 1993 at the time when Dr Henri Ouellet, published a study in the Wilson Bulletin: http://elibrary.unm.edu/sora/Wilson/v105n04/p0545-p0572.pdf Henri Ouellet was a curator at the National Museum of Canada, and before that at McGill’s Redpath Museum. Throughout his career, he supported many BIRD PROTECTION QUEBEC conservation and birding organizations, was a long-standing BPQ member and served on its Board of Directors from 1968-70. In this study, he recommended that the Bicknell’s Thrush be considered a separate species. The bird was discovered in 1881 by Eugene P. Bicknell, but until recently it was considered a sub-species of the Gray-cheeked Thrush.

Many BPQ members remember Dr. Oeullet’s talk on the Bicknell’s Thrush on December 1st 1997. It was shortly after this, the AOU (American Ornithologist Union) added this new species to the Checklist of North American Birds.

Sadly Oeullet passed away in January 1999. However, interest in this bird and its conservation continues and are perhaps more pressing than ever. This is evident in the following article recounting the discovery of the Bicknell’s Thrush in Massif du Sud. Il était une fois le Massif du Sud…. par Mario Labrie

Pour vous situer, le Parc régional du Massif du Sud se retrouve au cœur du compté de Bellechasse à environ une heure de Québec, de Saint-Georges de Beauce et de Montmagny, les trois villes les plus près du parc. Ce parc est, plus précisément, à cheval sur les 4 municipalités de Saint-Philémon, Notre-Dame-Auxiliatrice-de-Buckland, Saint-Luc et Saint Magloire. Le parc possède une superﬁcie de 120 KM. carrés avec 22 sommets dont plusieurs dépassent les 700m, 800m et même les 900 mètres tel le Mont du midi et le Mont Saint Magloire.

Il n’y a pas très longtemps encore, cet endroit était quasi inconnu des ornithologues. Quelques visites avaient permis de constater la présence du Tétras du Canada qui y abonde et de quelques espèces communes en haute altitude telles que la Paruline rayée, le Moucherolle à ventre jaune, le Pic à dos noir, etc.

Puis en juin 2005 après avoir longuement considéré les ressemblances du milieu avec entre autres les Monts-Gosford, il était temps d’éclaircir une question qui tracassait souvent les gens dont moi le premier; Les Massifs du sud pouvaient-ils abriter la Grive de Bicknell?

Après avoir entendues quelques cris de Grives de Bicknell lors de mes deux premières sorties sur les lieux au début juin, nous avons ﬁnalement entendu chanter deux individus (n’étant pas familier avec l’espèce à l’époque j’avais besoin de plus que le simple cri pour conﬁrmer la présence de l’espèce)! Quelques autres espèces d’oiseaux s’ajouteront à la liste des oiseaux nicheurs pour le Parc dont beaucoup d’oiseaux de la forêt boréale comme le Mésangeai du Canada, la Mésange à tête brune, le Durbec des sapins, les deux espèces de bec-croisés, le Bruant fauve, le Quiscale rouilleux et j’en passe.

Été 2006; Le service canadien de la faune s’intéresse à ce nouveau site et les biologistes du SCF reviendront faire des inventaires plus exhaustifs en 2007. Il s’avérera que le potentiel du Parc est ﬁnalement comparable aux principaux sites québécois abritant la Grive de Bicknell. Par contre en 2006 une autre découverte vient assombrir le portrait du Parc. Onze mâts de mesure de vent sont installés ici et là sur les sommets, là même où la Grive de Bicknell habite.

Une longue saga débute alors où chacun à sa façon tentera de faire comprendre aux élus de la région que le site est vraiment mal choisi pour y installer un méga parc éolien qui comprendra 75 éoliennes dans sa phase 1, et on ne sait pas combien il y en aura si la phase 2 vient qu’à suivre, ce qui ne serait pas surprenant du tout. Le gouvernement s’est donné un mandat; on doit semer l’éolien à tout vent! Gare à ceux qui voudront s’y opposer.

12 Des sorties sont organisées chaque année par les clubs ornithologiques de la région. Le site se fait tranquillement un nom. D’autant plus qu’il y a déjà des infrastructures présentes pour la randonnée pédestre (120 km de sentiers), en vélo ou voir à cheval. Le Parc régional du Massif du Sud n’a donc rien à envier aux autres parcs du Québec si ce n’est qu’il ne possède aucun statut de protection ou de conservation. Le groupe FloraQuébec a effectué une sortie en juin

BIRD PROTECTION QUEBEC dernier et y a découvert une plante rare de catégorie S1 (Pseudotaxiphyllum distichaceum) et deux de catégorie S2 (dont Bazzania denudata). Le potentiel botanique des lieux est donc encore tout à découvrir…

À l’été 2009 germe, un peu tard malheureusement, l’idée de faire des ces 120 km carrés une aire protégée, ce qui contribuerait à tendre vers un A Bicknell’s Thrush - whose habitat is potentially endangered in the Parc régional pourcentage de territoire protégé qui du Massif du Sud - is ﬁtted with a geolocator tag in a CWS project, June 2009 serait légèrement plus près des objectifs visés par notre gouvernement. Le RésEAU des montagnes qui est à l’origine de l’idée et Nature Québec qui voient dans le Parc régional du Massif du Sud un endroit exceptionnel à protéger, rallieront rapidement plusieurs organismes environnementaux dont le Club des ornithologues de Québec et le Groupe des ornithologues de Beauce Etchemin dans un premier temps puis le R.Q.O. qui lui aussi emboitera le pas rapidement.

Automne 2009

Surprise!! La Grive de Bicknell acquiert le statut d’espèce vulnérable sur le plan provincial. Le gouvernement s’étant engagé à protéger les espèces vulnérables, sera-t-il à la hauteur de ses engagements??? Il s’avère aujourd’hui qu’à date, le potentiel pécunier du projet surpasse de loin le sentiment de devoir tenir ces engagements. Bien des manigances et du chantage de toute sorte ont contribué et continuent de faire en sorte que la plupart des élus et voir des organismes locaux ressent énormément de pression qu’ils n’ont plus le choix. Ils doivent donc donner leur aval au projet éolien sinon…

C’est pourquoi je vous invite à signer la pétition que vous trouverez sur le site du résEAU des montagnes : .... https:// www.assnat.qc.ca/fr/exprimez-votre-opinion/petition/Petition-1099/index.html. Par ce geste vous contribuerez à faire valoir l’importance de protéger des habitats fragiles et à maintenir ces lieux accessibles pour les générations futures.

Depuis son jeune âge, Mario Labrie s’intéresse aux animaux et la nature en général. Les activités de plein-air sont au cœur de sa vie. En 1990, après avoir manqué le traversier il a fait une rencontre imprévue avec des gens du Club des ornithologues de Québec (C.O.Q.) à l’Isle-Aux-Coudres. Cette rencontre s’avèrera pour lui une révélation car il changera dorénavant sa canne à pêche et sa carabine pour des jumelles et une lunette de repérage.

Après quelques années à faire les excursions du C.O.Q., Mario commencera tranquillement à vouloir découvrir et parfaire ses connaissances de sa région (Etchemin). C’est dans cet esprit qu’en 2005 il fréquentera les montagnes du Parc régional du Massif du Sud en vue de peut-être y trouver la Grive de Bicknell. Ses recherches s’avèreront fructueuses. Bénévole au sein du Service Canadien de la Faune depuis 2007 et membre des clubs d’ornithologie locaux le Club des ornithologues de Québec (C.O.Q.) et Groupe des Ornithologues de Beauce-Etchemin (G.O.B.E.), Mario continuera à découvrir ces montagnes en les parcourant régulièrement, tout en partageant, avec tous ceux qui le voudront bien cette passion à faire connaître le Parc Régional du Massif du Sud ainsi que ses oiseaux.

13 New Members Warm greetings to new and returning members Clément Cardin, Piedmont; Ronald Chase, Montreal; Simon Duval, Le Gardeur; Jean-Sébastien Guénette, Montréal; Irene Lepine, Montreal; Howard Kay, Montreal; Lucille Messier, St-Jean-sur- Richelieu; Jane Sorensen, Montreal; Robert Tittler, Montreal. We look forward to seeing you on our ﬁeld trips and at our monthly meetings. Good Birding! Conserving Summit Woods

On November 6th, the newly-formed Summit Woods Advisory Committee (SWAC) together with Friends of the Summit Woods led a walk around the Westmount summit to draw attention to the need to preserve this valuable urban forest. They

BIRD PROTECTION QUEBEC pointed out that much of the current deterioration could easily be reversed through proper management, citing the success of Les amis de la Montagne in restoring areas of nearby Mount Royal park as an example.

An important stopover area for migrating birds, particularly warblers, these small woods ― known in the past as Westmount Mountain and Summit Park ― have long attracted the attention of BPQ who began leading annual Warbler Walks there back in the 1970s. BPQ has had an active interest in conserving the summit which dates back 93 years. In November 1917, 10 months after it was founded, PQSPB (as it was then known) managed to have Westmount Mountain, together with Mount Royal and the two cemeteries declared sanctuaries.

More on the Summit Woods and the annual spring Warbler Walks will be presented in the April issue of The Song Sparrow. Birds of Canada An unexpected blizzard caused an unprecedented low turnout for our December meeting and so we are postponing the draw for Lone Pine’s Birds of Canada to January, although our duck-specialist speaker, arrived on bike. Written by Tyler L. Hoar, Ken de Smet, R.Wayne Campbell and George Kennedy, with contributions from Krista Kagume, this very attractive guide celebrates the 451 birds commonly seen across Canada. It includes an appendix with 50 more birds that occur occasionally or are of special note.

Each of the “regularly-occurring” birds is presented on a separate page with a full-colour illustration and high-quality photograph. Descriptive paragraphs are well-written and provide interesting and useful information for all levels of birders. However, as their intent is to “bring the bird to life” and thereby make it easier to remember, these descriptions are probably most useful for the novice and intermediate birder. The usual identiﬁcation keys, such as information on size, habitat, nesting, feeding and similar species are presented at the bottom of each page, making them easy to ﬁnd. Navigation is further facilitated by a colour-coding system. Birds are organized into groups and each group is assigned a colour which is printed across the top of the pages where the birds in the group are described.

Other nice-to-have features include a thumbnail sketch of each bird at the beginning of the guide which can serve a quick reference in bird identification. A glossary of bird terms and a checklist for keeping a life list of Canadian birds are included. The introduction provides useful information on birding in Canada with tips and techniques on where to find birds, including lists of birding hotspots by province and territory, and how to find birds, such as by ear and by habitat.

I find this book more useful as a secondary reference. It is somewhat larger than other field guides. The illustrations and photographs are often taken from the same point of view and don’t always provide enough detail for identification in the field. Nevertheless, I would recommend this book to anyone interested in Canadian birds. The descriptions are well-written and the quality of the presentation and photographs make it a pleasure to look at.

Price: $39.95 - ISBN-13: 978-1-55105-603-6 ISBN-10: 1-55105-603-8 - Page Count: 528 - © 2010 The Ottawa Valley: Newly Protected Areas in Quebec At the October meeting, starting off the fall season, Joël Bonin led us on a virtual exploration of Breckenridge, a 250 ha property jointly owned by BPQ and Nature Conservancy Canada (NCC), and of several protected sites acquired by the NCC along the Ottawa River. These include the Kettle Island swamp forest, the alvar open ﬂat rock habitat in Aylmer, the Quyon and Brystol shorelines, as well as the forest stands at Grand Marais.

14 Joël Bonin is well-known to BPQ members. He served as a Director from 2007 to 2009 and continues to participate in various activities including Christmas Bird Counts. Most recently, he and his son Rémi joined us once again for the annual Bluebird nest box cleaning in Mont Royal Cemetery. Joël studied biology at University of Montreal and has an MA from McGill in herpetology (salamanders). He has published numerous papers in reptile and amphibian research. He has been a Director of Conservation at the NCC for the past three years, and has been active in developing property along the Ottawa River. The land around the Ottawa River supports a number of rich and diverse habitats, shoreline, pasture, marsh, forest, rock cliff and exposed limestone. It supports a ﬂora not seen in Montreal, that includes the Red Cedar, White Oak and prairie grasses. These are rare in Quebec. It is an important conservation area for Quebec, even though the land has been farmed.

Avian species include Red-headed Woodpeckers and many grassland birds, such as the Grasshopper Sparrow. The Loggerhead Shrike Recovery program was undertaken at Breckenridge, with partners at McGill University, and representatives from the Metro Toronto Zoo, Bird Studies Canada, the World Wildlife Fund in Canada and the Canadian Wildlife Service. This bird once

BIRD PROTECTION QUEBEC thrived in Quebec but now there are believed to be none. With its pasture and hawthorn, this property provided an ideal habitat for the Loggerhead Shrike, a bird nicknamed the Thorn Bird or Butcher Bird for its habit of impaling prey on a thorn or piece of barbed wire before consuming it.

A regular network of volunteers tracked and monitored these birds which had some success. Unfortunately, the program was cancelled in Quebec. However, Joël stressed the importance of volunteers in providing a sense and recovery of birds. Joël’s passion for the diverse ﬂora and fauna species in the area and for preserving the land was evident. Many in the audience were inspired to get permission to make a physical trip to the area.

The Great Diversity of Birds in the Neotropics Review by Sylvia Wees

Tropical bird keeper at the Biodôme de Montréal, Jean-Philippe Gagnon took us into the warm humid world of the stunning birds of the Neotropics at the November meeting. He guided us through the many levelled ecological zones of the South and Central American Neotropics and pointed us toward those likely to produce particular species.

Illustrating his talk with images of brilliant Neotropical birds, Jean-Philippe Gagnon told us how to distinguish them by their feeding habits, many of these singularly specialized. A Snail Kite has a deeply curved bill that is uniquely adapted to scoop water snails from their shells, so it hunts for them in a zone of muddy oxbow lakes. In contrast, glamorous Trogons are found in diverse forested areas where they sit motionless, then suddenly ﬂit butterﬂy-like to snatch one of their favorite small fruits from the end of a loaded branch.

In the fruit-rich rainforest, frugivorous birds are numerous, often ﬂocking around a tree loaded with their favorites. Among them, parrots are singular in using their strong, hooked bills as a “third foot” to help them climb upon fruit trees, then crushing the nuts and seeds to eat. The dissimilar spectacular and protruding bills of the Toucans are used to snip fruit from the branch; since Toucans do not digest the seeds, they become useful dispersers of fruit seeds and nuts.

Tropical rainforests are rich in flowers and an excellent place to look for the prodigious diversity of nectar feeders, in particular those perennial favorites, the hummingbirds. Their bills – straight, slightly or deeply curved – are uniquely adapted to whatever flower whose nectar they seek. But some hummers, called “flower piercers,” skip the probing of the flower trumpet and go straight through the flower wall to the nectar well.

Other species, such as tanagers, are “generalist” feeders, taking fruit, insects, and small lizards. Insectivorous birds are also common, including ﬂycatchers. But unless you happen upon a dramatic march of army ants, driving up a cloud of small insects to be picked off by a hugely diverse ﬂock of following birds, you are likely to miss the Ant-shrikes, Ant-wrens, and other ant birds among them. Jean-Philippe also described some of the more bizarre mating dances and calls to be found, especially in the Peruvian forests where he has led tours.

Sylvia Wees is a long-standing member of Bird Protection Quebec. She is the former Membership Secretary and continues to be responsible for correspondence with Life Members. Her work on bird censuses includes leading the Bois de Liesse sector of the Christmas Bird Count, and compiling the data for last spring’s Mt. Tremlant census. In recognition of her endeavors, BPQ presented Sylvia with a 2009 long-term service award.

15 Adopt-an-Owl This year MBO launched an Adopt-an-owl program. MBO will issue a personalized 8.5" x 11" certiﬁcate including your name (or if you prefer to make the adoption a gift, you can specify a different name), and a photo of "your" owl, plus details such as its age, sex, and weight, and the date and

BIRD PROTECTION QUEBEC time of its capture. Additionally, MBO will provide any updates that we receive if the owl is subsequently reported elsewhere.

If you would like to adopt an owl please download a form from http:// www.migrationresearch.org/mbo/ adoptanowl.html .

Forthcoming Speakers:

Nocturnal Specialists: Owls

10 January 2011: Our presentation on ‘Nocturnal Specialists: Owls’―a treat not only for the eyes but for the ears as well―is sure to be unforgettable! Led by one of the dynamic zoologists from the Ecomuseum, this hour-long presentation promises to reveal interesting facts and information through pictures, props and, of course, up-close encounters with the owls themselves! Participants will learn a variety of things--from myths and misconceptions, to the hunting strategies and many adaptations that make these night-time dwellers such formidable creatures. Be sure to bring a camera, for your chance to see these charismatic and majestic creatures up close, is a rare treat indeed!

The Ecomuseum Zoo’s Educational team consists of two experienced and dynamic zoologists: Hélène Caron (coordinator) and Jennifer Cyr-Devine (educator). As zoologists, each have a Bachelors degree in ‘Applied Zoology’ from McGill University and an avid love of animals and the environment. As part of the Education Program, and in accordance with the Ecomuseum’s mission, Hélène and Jennifer have had unique opportunities in working with a variety of animal species (indigenous to the St. Lawrence Valley System), as well as in bringing their knowledge and passion for animals into classrooms across Quebec.

Meadowbrook, an Example of the Need to Conserve and Rehabilitate Urban Bird Habitat Presented by Patrick Asch 7 February 2011: Since its foundation in 1917, Bird Protection Quebec has worked to protect birds. This unique mandate, not tackled by the majority of Quebec’s birding groups, still continues 93 years later, whether through its own initiatives or the support of projects led by other organizations. Among the latter, the BPQ board of directors pronounced itself with two letters

16 this year in regard to two threatened sites of interest to bird populations. One letter was aimed at supporting the efforts by the RésEAU des montagnes and Nature Québec to create a protected area within the ‘Parc régional du Massif du Sud’, a site considered for a wind turbine project in an area frequented by many birds, including over 20% of the Quebec population of Bicknell’s Thrush. The other was aimed at a more urban site: Meadowbrook golf course, located in large part in Montreal’s borough of Lachine. Why would BPQ support efforts to protect Meadowbrook golf course? What are the potentials of Meadowbrook for birds, bird habitat and birding that make it important enough for Bird Protection Quebec to BIRD PROTECTION QUEBEC recommend its protection? Patrick Asch, wildlife biologist, director of Héritage Laurentien and a member of BPQ’S board, has been volunteering with Friends of Meadowbrook to help protect this site for three years now. Best known for his naturalization efforts initiated at LaSalle’s ‘Parc des Rapides’, Patrick is a dynamic animator and educator who has presented various well-appreciated lectures to BPQ over the past 15 years. He will present a fascinating perspective of Meadowbrooks' potential importance to birds, birding and biodiversity. A unique occasion to discover this little known gem!

Field trip reports: 04/09/10 – Parc Pointe aux Prairies, Montreal, QC – Leaders: Jean Demers & Clémence Soulard Cool, mix of sun & cloud. 18 birders; 40 species Bird of the Day: Merlin Other Birds of Note: Great Egret, Black-crowned Night-Heron, Northern Harrier, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Cooper's Hawk, Broad-winged Hawk, Eastern Wood-Pewee, House Wren, American Redstart, Rose-breasted Grosbeak

11/09/10 – Cooper Marsh, S. Lancaster, ON – Leader: Martin Bowman 10 to 20 degrees, sunny, no wind. 12 birders; 46 species Bird of the Day: Osprey Other Birds of Note: Northern Harrier, Red-tailed Hawk, Merlin, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Blue-headed Vireo, Northern Parula, Magnolia Warbler, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Bay-breasted Warbler, Blackpoll Warbler, American Redstart, Common Yellowthroat, Canada Warbler, Purple Finch

18/09/11 – Ile St-Bernard, Chateauguay, QC – Leader: Tom Long Cool with clear conditions. 20 birders; 53 species Bird of the Day: Tufted Titmouse Other Birds of Note: Green-winged Teal, Broad-winged Hawk, Pileated Woodpecker, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Cedar Waxwing, Black-throated Green Warbler

25/09/10 – Philipsburg, QC – Leader: Sandy Montgomery Cloudy & windy. 15 birders; 58 species Birds of the Day: Bald Eagle & Lincoln’s Sparrow Other Birds of Note: Blue-winged Teal, Pileated Woodpecker, Tufted Titmouse, Brown Creeper, Winter Wren, Eastern Bluebird, Pine Warbler

02/10/10 – Sewage Lagoons & Bog at Alfred, ON – Leader: Jacques Bouvier 6 to 11 degrees, cloudy. 20 birders; 55 species Bird of the Day: Bald Eagle Other Birds of Note: Snow Goose, Redhead, Ruddy Duck, Ruffed Grouse, Wild Turkey, Common Loon, American Coot, Horned Lark, American Pipit, Palm Warbler, Rusty Blackbird

17 09/10/10 – Parc nature du Bois de l’Île-Bizard, Île-Bizard, QC – Leader: Felix Hilton Cool, sunny. 11 birders; 40 species Bird of the Day: Red-shouldered Hawk Other Birds of Note: Wood Duck, Hooded Merganser, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Pileated Woodpecker, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Magnolia Warbler, Palm Warbler

16/10/10 – Parc national de Plaisance, Plaisance, QC – Leader: Sheldon Harvey Cool, windy, sunny breaks. 7 birders; 31 species Bird of the Day: Common Raven Other Birds of Note: American Wigeon, Ring-necked Duck, American Tree Sparrow, White-throated Sparrow, White- crowned Sparrow

BIRD PROTECTION QUEBEC 23/10/10 – Hudson, QC – Leader: Barbara MacDuff Cold, sunny. 12 birders; 38 species Bird of the Day: Cooper’s Hawk Other Birds of Note: Broad-winged Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk, Bonaparte's Gull, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Hermit Thrush, White-crowned Sparrow

30/10/10 – Parc national d’Oka, Oka, QC – Leader: Wayne Grubert Cool, cloudy & breezy. 18 birders; 45 species Bird of the Day: Red-breasted Merganser Other Birds of Note: American Wigeon, Northern Shoveler, Northern Pintail, Green-winged Teal, Ring-necked Duck, Bufﬂehead, Barrow’s Goldeneye. Cooper’s Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk, American Coot, Hermit Thrush

06/11/10 – Morgan Arboretum & the McGill Bird Observatory, Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC Leader: Betsy McFarlane Mostly clear, cool.14 birders; 34 species Birds of the Day: White-crowned Sparrow, Fox Sparrow Other Birds of Note: Common Raven, Brown Creeper, Purple Finch, White-winged Crossbill, Common Redpoll, Pine Siskin, Evening Grosbeak

13/11/10 – Reservoir Beaudet, Victoriaville & Etang Burbank, Danville, QC – Leader: Sheldon Harvey Mostly cloudy, mild. 23 birders; 24 species Birds of the Day: Cackling Goose, Ross’s Goose Other Birds of Note: 100,000+ Snow Geese, Gadwall, American Wigeon, Hooded Merganser, Ruddy Duck, American Coot, American Tree Sparrow, Fox Sparrow

Pileated Woodpecker in Summit Park woods, Westmount

Photo: Chuck Kling

18 Field Trips for January, early February 2011 Saturday 15 January - samedi 15 janvier PARC-NATURE DU BOIS-DE-LIESSE

Leader: Wayne Grubert - 450-458-5498 - [email protected] 8:30 AM Meet at the south entrance at the end of rue Douglas-B-Floreani. Parking: $7.00. Half day. Coffee and light snacks are available at the park centres, along with heated washrooms. Looking for winter ﬁnches, owls, Pileated Woodpecker. On last winter’s ﬁeld trip birds of note included Great Horned Owl, American Black Duck, American Robin, Dark-eyed Junco, and House Finch.

BIRD PROTECTION QUEBEC 8h30 Rassemblement à l'entrée sud, au bout de la rue Douglas-B-Floreani. Stationnement : 7,00$ Demi-journée. Des installations sont prévues pour vous réchauffer en prenant un café chaud, un repas léger. Espèces recherchées : oiseaux d’hiver, chouette, hibou et Grand pic. Lors de notre sortie l’hiver dernier, nous avions observer les oiseaux suivants : Grand-duc d'Amérique, Canard Noir, Merle d'Amérique, Junco ardoisé et Roselin familier.

Saturday 22 January – samedi 22 janvier WINTER WONDERLAND FIELD TRIP - LOCATION TO BE DETERMINED

Leader: Sheldon Harvey - 450-462-1459 - [email protected] In the winter months it is difﬁcult to know in advance the best places to go birding. As a result, the destination of this trip will be determined mere days before the actual outing. It will be chosen based on a number of factors including weather conditions, bird activity and any special or rare bird sightings reported in the days leading up to the trip. Complete details of the ﬁeld trip, including the destination, the start time, the meeting spot, and the duration, will be posted on the BPQ webpage and on The Song Sparrow Yahoo Group two or three days in advance of the Saturday outing.

Durant les mois d'hiver il est difﬁcile de connaître à l'avance les meilleurs endroits pour observer les oiseaux. Par conséquent, la destination de cette excursion sera déterminée quelques jours seulement avant la sortie. Elle sera choisie en fonction de certains facteurs dont les conditions météorologiques, l'activité des oiseaux et toutes observations d'oiseaux rares ou spéciaux signalés dans les jours précédents. Deux ou trois jours avant la sortie du samedi, surveillez notre page web sur les sorties ornithologiques et le «Song Sparrow Yahoo Group» pour y trouver les détails complets de l'excursion, sa destination, l'heure, le lieu du rassemblement et la durée.

Saturday 29 January - samedi 29 janvier MONTREAL BOTANICAL GARDEN - JARDIN BOTANIQUE DE MONTRÉAL

Leader: David Mulholland - 514-630-6082 - [email protected] 8:00 AM: Meet in front of the restaurant, near the entrance on Sherbrooke St. East. There is a charge for parking inside the gates. Coffee, light meals, edible insects and heated facilities are available. Half day. Looking for winter finches. Highlights from last winter’s field trip include Rusty Blackbird, Cooper’s Hawk, American Robin, Cedar Waxwing, House Finch, and American Goldfinch.

8h00 Rassemblement devant le restaurant, près de l'entrée principale du jardin sur la rue Sherbrooke Est. Prévoir des frais de stationnement. Des installations sont prévues pour vous réchauffer en prenant un café chaud, un repas léger et/ou des insectes comestibles. Demi-journée. Espèces recherchées : oiseaux d'hiver. … Lors de la sortie de l’an dernier, voici les oiseaux observés : Quiscale rouilleux, Épervier de Cooper, Merle d'Amérique, Jaseur d'Amérique, Roselin familier et Chardonneret jaune.

New destination! Nouvelle destination ! Saturday 5 February -samedi 5 février CHATEAUGUAY, RUE HIGGINS & SAINTE-CATHERINE RÉCRÉ-O-PARC

Leader: Tom Long - 450-692-1590 - [email protected] 8:00 AM: Meet at rue Higgins in Chateauguay. The birds to look for, at Higgins, will be Red-bellied Woodpecker and Tufted Titmouse. But you never know what will show up. One Christmas Bird Count, 22 species were counted there in just over an hour including a Carolina Wren and an Eastern Towhee. After checking out Higgins area, we will go to the récré-o-parc in Sainte-Catherine where it will be mostly winter ducks and whatever else we can ﬁnd. There are no facilities at the récré-o-parc. Half day.

19 From Montreal, take Hwy 138 and cross the Mercier Bridge. Stay right coming off the bridge and take Hwy 138 through Kahnawake into Châteauguay. As you enter Châteauguay, turn right onto Boul. St-Francis. Follow St. Francis all the way to the end where it meets the Châteauguay River at Blvd. Salaberry Nord. Turn right on to Salaberry Nord and continue till rue Higgins and turn right. There is a small parking area on the left next to the cell-phone tower.

8h00 Rendez-vous à la rue Higgins. Sur la rue Higgins à Châteauguay les espèces recherchées sont le Pic à ventre roux et la Mésange bicolore. Mais nous ne pouvons prévoir qui sera au rendez-vous. Lors d’un décompte de Noël, 22 espèces ont été dénombrées dans un peu plus d'une heure comprenant un Troglodyte de Caroline ainsi qu’un Tohi à ﬂancs roux. Après avoir fait le tour de la zone Higgins, nous irons à la Récré-O-Parc à Sainte-Catherine. A la récré-o-parc, nous y verrons presqu’exclusivement des canards d’hiver et peut-être autres surprises. Le Récré-O-Parc n’offre aucune installation sanitaire ni de restauration. Demi-journée.

BIRD PROTECTION QUEBEC De Montréal, prendre la route 138 et traverser le pont Mercier. Rester à droite en venant du pont et prenez l'autoroute 138 à Kahnawake dans Châteauguay. Lorsque vous entrez dans Châteauguay, tourner à droite sur le boul. St-François. Suivez St. François jusqu'au bout à la rencontre de la rivière Châteauguay au boul. Salaberry Nord. Tourner à droite sur Salaberry Nord et continuer jusqu'à la rue Higgins et tourner à droite. Il y a un petit parking sur la gauche à côté de la tour de téléphonie cellulaire..

Saturday 12 February - samedi 12 février STE-MARTHE, ST-CLET, STE-JUSTINE

Leader: Wayne Grubert - 450-458-5498 - [email protected] 8:00 AM Meet at Hudson Inn, exit 17 off Highway 40. Allow an hour's drive from Montreal. Bring warm clothes for standing around or taking short walks (or in case weather conditions dictate a complete change of itinerary). We will try to keep the number of cars to a minimum; therefore, car-pooling arranged ahead of time and/or at our rendezvous would be greatly appreciated. Half day. Looking for Snowy Owls, Rough-legged Hawks, Snow Buntings and other open-country winter birds. On last winter’s ﬁeld trip, we were lucky enough to observe Snowy Owl, Snow Bunting along with Horned Lark and Sharp-shinned Hawk.

8h00 Rassemblement au Hudson Inn, sortie 17 de l'autoroute 40. De Montréal, prendre l'autoroute 40 ouest, en direction d'Ottawa. Prévoir une heure à partir de Montréal. Apporter des vêtements sufﬁsamment chauds pour de courtes marches et permettant de passer du temps à l'extérieur; prévoir également d'éventuels changements de plans, dus à la météo. Nous vous encourageons à faire du covoiturage en vue de limiter le nombre de voitures. Demi-journée Espèces recherchées : Harfang des neiges, Buse pattue, Bruant des neiges et autres oiseaux d'hiver. L’hiver dernier, la chance nous a permis d’observer : le Harfang des neiges et le Bruant des neiges ansi que l’Alouette hausse-col et l’Épervier brun

Saturday 19 February – samedi 19 février Another WINTER WONDERLAND FIELD TRIP - LOCATION TO BE DETERMINED Leader: Sheldon Harvey - 450-462-1459 - [email protected] In the winter months it is difﬁcult to know in advance the best places to go birding. As a result, the destination of this trip will be determined mere days before the actual outing. It will be chosen based on a number of factors including weather conditions, bird activity and any special or rare bird sightings reported in the days leading up to the trip. Complete details of the ﬁeld trip, including the destination, the start time, the meeting spot, and the duration, will be posted on the BPQ webpage and on The Song Sparrow Yahoo Group two or three days in advance of the Saturday outing.