The SONG SPARROW Bird Protection Quebec - Protection des oiseaux du Québec October 2016

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The SONG SPARROW Bird Protection Quebec - Protection des oiseaux du Québec October 2016
The            SONG SPARROW
Bird Protection Quebec - Protection des oiseaux du Québec       October 2016

                                                                For the Birds since 1917
                                                            Pour les oiseaux depuis 1917
The SONG SPARROW Bird Protection Quebec - Protection des oiseaux du Québec October 2016
Bird Protection Quebec is a registered charity:                                          Cover Photo
Donations are tax deductible.
                                                                 Osprey / Balbuzard pêcheur © Chuck Kling
Charity Registration #: 11925 2161 RR0001.

Principal Officers

President: Barbara MacDuff
                                                                 President’s Note 1
Vice-President: Jane Cormack
                                                                 Hawkwatching Around Montreal 2
Treasurer: Phyllis Holtz
                                                                 Birding in Manitoba: North with the Spring 5
Secretary: Helen Meredith
                                                                 Bird Views 9
Membership Secretary: Gayle McDougall Gruner
                                                                 Bird Protection Quebec’s Centenary Is Just Three Months
                   Contact: Bird Protection Quebec               Away! 12
                     C.P. 358 succ. Saint-Charles                Bird Protection Quebec Fall 2016 Monday Night Lectures 14
                      Kirkland, Quebec H9H 0A4
                                                                 Special Meeting to Discuss Changes to the Letters Patent 17
                            Tel.: 514-637-2141
                E-mail: birdprotectionquebec@gmail.com           Past Field Trips 21

                Website: www.birdprotectionquebec.org            Report on the 13th Annual Summer Series of Birding 222
                       Online discussion group:
                                                                 Upcoming Field Trips 23
              http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Songsparrow

The Song Sparrow: ISSN 1710-3371
Legal Deposit: National Library and Archives of Canada

Publication Mail No.: 40044323
Newsletter Editor & Layout: Jane Cormack cormackjane@gmail.com
Cover Design: Richard Gregson sparroworks@gmail.com

Bird Views: Pierre Bannon pbannon@videotron.ca

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The SONG SPARROW Bird Protection Quebec - Protection des oiseaux du Québec October 2016
President’s Note
by Barbara MacDuff, BPQ President

How sad to see that the Committee on the
Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada
(COSEWIC), the organization responsible
for identifying wildlife species at risk, is
looking at Barn Swallows, Hirondelles
Rustique. Twenty years ago they were
common around barns and other man-
made structures and their song, “a long
musical twitter” (R.T. Peterson), was a
pleasure to hear every spring and
summer.

Scientists are not entirely sure why their
numbers are declining but their diet of
flying insects is a factor, as is the change
to modern farming techniques that has
led to the loss of many open barns.

Loss of habitat plays a role in the decline
of birds too. Many of us were
disappointed this past summer by the           I think many of us feel helpless and          Overhunting and egg collecting were
threat of destruction to a hidden gem of       wonder what we can do. Perhaps we can         problems for the birds and as a result the
bird habitat in the centre of the city.        sensitize others to our natural world by      Province of Quebec Society for the
Meetings, field trips and press                taking them birding or just for a walk in     Protection of Birds Inc. (PQSPB), as BPQ
conferences were held in this oasis but        the woods. We can also join and support       was known then, was born.
the future does not look bright for the        other conservation groups.
birds that nest and rest here. We can only
hope that the presence of the Least                                                             A nest of Barn Swallows at the
                                               On a happier note, Bird Protection               University of Montreal paking
Bittern will lead to at least part of the      Quebec (BPQ) will be celebrating its 100th
marsh being conserved.                                                                          garage © Jane Cormack 2016
                                               birthday in January 2017. It is interesting
                                               to note that the birds were under threat at
                                               that time too but for different reasons.

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The SONG SPARROW Bird Protection Quebec - Protection des oiseaux du Québec October 2016
Hawkwatching
Around Montreal
by Bob Barnhurst and Mabel McIntosh

It was 10:00 a.m. on a warm, sunny, day
as we crossed the Laroche seaway bridge
at Valleyfield. What we were about to see
was to change our lives. Just 200m from
the western end of the bridge, and barely
50m high, was a mixed kettle of Broad-
winged and Red-tailed Hawks, not large
as kettles go, but still containing over
100 birds. With them was a Golden Eagle,
a real rarity in southern Quebec at the
time. We looked at each other and
realized that here was a potential location
for a future spring hawk site. That was
April 18, 1976. Now, it is 40 years on, and
we are still hawkwatching.

We developed a passion for
hawkwatching after visiting Texas in          frustrating, forms of birdwatching you
1977 and 1981 and marvelling at the           can undertake. More about that later, but
                                                                                            The fall hawksite from the McGill
number and variety of hawks flying by         first, a description of our spring site, to
                                                                                            University seed farm looking south,
near Corpus Christi and over the Rio          be followed by a description of our fall
                                                                                            showing the farm buildings to the right.
Grande. We were hooked. Mabel had             site, which we, happily, settled on
                                                                                            The MDA satellite research and
attended the first conference devoted to      quickly.
                                                                                            production facility on Chemin Ste. Marie
hawkwatching, held at Syracuse, New
                                                                                            is directly ahead. A migrant Short-eared
York in 1975. Since that time we had been     Our spring site is near St. Stanislas-de-
                                                                                            Owl (lowest bird) is being mobbed by
looking for our own spring site in            Kostka. Actually, it is not one site but a
                                                                                            crows
Quebec. It had not been an easy search        series of sites, up to 2 km apart. Centred
and we had visited many potential places.     on the Valleyfield Airport, on any one day
So, here we were, at last, about to set out   we can be found to the south beyond St.       and to the west alongside Lac St.
on one of the most rewarding, yet             Stanislas, to the east along the seaway       François. The exact position depends on

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The SONG SPARROW Bird Protection Quebec - Protection des oiseaux du Québec October 2016
the wind and whether the hawks are            for over 35 years also makes the Montreal    million kilometres, to reach the
dispersed over a wide front. The              hawkwatch dataset even more important.       hawksites.
landscape consists primarily of farmers'      The prime reason for conducting such a
fields which are mainly planted in corn. In   hawkwatch is to quantify trends in the       Hawks may fly all day, but often a major
the spring, before the corn has grown, we     number of migrating hawks and, thereby,      flight movement (i.e. a hawk "front"), can
have uninterrupted views in all directions,   provide an accurate measure of the long-     be concentrated in two to three hours on
with the Adirondack Mountains easily          term population dynamics of each             any one day. On many days we see few
visible across the border in New York         species. Such trends are the basis for       hawks or even none. Most move after the
state. The presence of Lac St. François       enabling conservation measures.              passage of a warm front in the spring or
benefits us by concentrating hawks                                                         a cold front in the fall. Hawkwatching can
heading north-east along its shore.           We man the spring site between early         be very tiring, especially when
Hawks do not like to cross wide bodies of     March and the end of May and the fall site   undertaken day after day. You have to
water.                                        between late August and the end of           scan the entire sky, almost continuously,
                                              November. The sites are manned on all        for six to eight hours straight. Lunch is
Our fall site lies at the western end of      days that it does not rain or snow,          eaten on the fly (or should that be hawk).
Montreal Island, near Ste. Anne-de-           averaging 56 days in the spring, and 78      Failure to scan effectively invariably
Bellevue, centred on the McGill University    days in the fall. We watch from early-to-    results in missed hawks, even eagles, as
seed farm. Depending on the wind, we          mid morning until mid-late afternoon.        big as they are. While field marks are
can be found as far west as the new           Since 1980, when full coverage began, we     useful, you must also learn to identify
Belvedere cemetery grounds (once the          have logged 1,975 days (11,580 hours) of     hawks at a distance, sometimes a
Domtar Research Centre), as far east as       hawkwatching in the spring and 2,790         considerable one, where field marks are
St. Charles Boulevard, as far north as        days (14,674 hours) in the fall, for a       often not clearly visible. The light is
l’Anse-à-l'Orme and Parc-nature du            grand total, to date, of 4,765 days          frequently far from optimal. Cloudless
Cap-St-Jacques, or as far south as the        (26,254 hours). This is fully one third of   skies make high hawks even more
McGill campus of Macdonald College and        the last 37 years, doing nothing else but    difficult to spot because of reduced
the St. Lawrence River. The location is       hawkwatching. (Note that this does not       contrast. In hawkwatcher parlance, this is
favoured by migrating hawks due to the        even include an average of one and a half    known as the "blue sky of death." A
funnelling effects of the Lake of Two         hours of commuting each day in the           telescope helps but sometimes the pace
Mountains and Lac St. Louis. The              spring and one hour in the fall, to the      of a flight prevents us from using this tool
landscape varies from fields to urban         respective sites. Many times during the      effectively. Thus, serious hawkwatchers
roads to waterfront.                          1980s and ‘90s Mabel travelled two and a     eventually have to learn the flight
                                              half hours each way by bus or motor          characteristics (i.e. the "jizz") of each
Having the two sites on a SW-NE line          scooter to the spring site). During that     species so that identification can be made
provides a unique opportunity to              time we have counted over a quarter-of-      as quickly as possible. Time is of the
compare spring and fall data, something       a-million hawks, or an average of ten        essence. For example, with practice, we
only a few NE hawkwatches can boast.          hawks per hour! By 2020, we will have far    can tell a far distant immature Bald Eagle
Having consistent year-to-year coverage       exceeded 5,000 daily trips, and half-a-      from a Golden Eagle simply by its flight

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The SONG SPARROW Bird Protection Quebec - Protection des oiseaux du Québec October 2016
pattern, saving us precious minutes. This     us coming back for more, even when we
                                         also brings our identification accuracy       are faced with days of few or no hawks,
                                         close to 99%. If you can stand for long       and/or cold, windy days (or, conversely,
                                         periods of time, scan the sky                 hot, humid days) and just want to stay
                                         continuously without getting dizzy and        home and sleep.
                                         identify dots, then you too can become a
                                         hawkwatcher. Dedication and                   Editor’s Note: Bob and Mabel’s series of
                                         concentration are paramount, as is            hawkwatching articles will appear in
                                         patience, followed by experience and          every issue of The Song Sparrow from
                                         more patience. It also helps to have a        now to the end of 2017. Next time:
                                         good sense of humour!                         Species by species accounts.

                                         We use a daily report sheet to record the
                                         hawks, broken down by hourly periods.
                                         Besides the hawk numbers and flight
                                         height, we also record the weather
                                         (temperature, wind velocity, cloud cover,
                                         visibility, humidity and air pressure) at
                                         the start of each hour. The data we collect
                                         are entered into the Hawk Migration
                                         Association of North America's (HMANA)
                                         HawkCount database. It is used by
                                         government and university researchers,
                                         as well as companies specializing in
                                         environmental impact studies, amongst
                                         others. Much has been published over the
                                         years, including in Hawk Migration
                                         Studies, the official publication of
                                         HMANA, and BPQ’s annual report,
                                         Tchébec. Our work has received some
Bob and Mabel at the end of a long day   much appreciated support from
of hawkwatching. Note the glazed over    Quebec's Ministère des Forêts, de la
eyes. (Author’s words.)                  Faune et des Parcs, and from Bird
                                         Protection Quebec (BPQ).

                                         The thrill we get when we sight a kettle of
                                         hawks, or a flight of eagles, is what keeps

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The SONG SPARROW Bird Protection Quebec - Protection des oiseaux du Québec October 2016
Birding in
Manitoba: North
with the Spring
May 27 to June 7, 2016
by Zofia Laubitz

Ten years ago, I visited Churchill in the
fall to see the polar bears. After that trip,
I vowed that I would return in the spring
sometime to see the birds. This year, I
finally did, travelling with Eagle Eye
Tours. In addition to Churchill, the tour
involved birding in southern and central
Manitoba.

The trip took place in prime birding
season, late May and early June. On the
first evening, I met leader Ken de Smet
and fellow participants Ann, Barb, Bonnie,      and Delta Beach on Lake Manitoba, we
and Sharon. The other four participants         saw more Franklin’s Gulls than you could
                                                                                                   Pelicans with Franklin’s Gull
were all from the West Coast, which             shake a stick at. And that wasn’t all: gulls,
                                                                                                   © 2016 Zofia Laubitz
meant that they and I were seeking              terns, swallows, martins, and nighthawks
completely different birds—they wanted          swarmed overhead, while pelicans,
eastern species whereas I was in search of      cormorants, and grebes covered the lake.        goshawk nest (and found the male
westerners!                                     The reason was obvious: every surface           goshawk keeping a sharp eye on us) to a
                                                was covered with “fish flies,” while clouds     yard in Brandon for Eastern Screech-Owl.
Our first full day of birding took us           of these midges filled the air.                 We also had our first encounters with the
toward the Southwest Corner, where                                                              scourge of the trip: wood ticks. At first,
Manitoba touches Saskatchewan and               Our travels that day took us from a             only a couple of group members seemed
North Dakota, looking for birds of the          garbage dump where we looked for rare           to attract the ticks, but eventually we all
grasslands and potholes. At St. Ambroise        gulls to a forest where we checked out a        got ours. After every walk, the group

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The SONG SPARROW Bird Protection Quebec - Protection des oiseaux du Québec October 2016
lifers (Sedge Wren—a long-time nemesis
                                                                                        bird for me—Chestnut-collared
                                                                                        Longspur, Baird’s Sparrow, and Sprague’s
                                                                                        Pipit) within less than an hour. In fact, we
                                                                                        got the longspur, the Baird’s, and
                                                                                        Grasshopper Sparrow in the same field in
                                                                                        ten minutes! We nabbed Sprague’s Pipit
                                                                                        shortly afterward, and I revelled in
                                                                                        watching this tiny dot in the sky pour
                                                                                        forth song, then plunge earthward,
                                                                                        bouncing around like a ping-pong ball
                                                                                        after it reached the ground. After my
                                                                                        four-lifer hour, Ann laughingly decreed
                                                                                        that my turn was up. Birds weren’t the
                                                                                        only special creatures seen that morning.
                                                                                        As we stood by the van, scanning our
                                                                                        surroundings, a badger came trundling
                                                                                        down the road toward us (another lifer!).
                                                                                        We thought it would take off right away,
                                                                                        but apparently it either didn’t notice us or
                                                                                        couldn’t figure out what we were, as it got
                                                                                        astonishingly close before it started,
                                                                                        turned tail, and vanished.

fizzed with agitation as someone found a                                                After the grasslands, we headed for
tick or noticed one roaming about the                                                   Riding Mountain National Park and
van. Ken seemed to derive immense               Cranetracks © 2016 Zofia Laubitz        environs, spending three nights in the
amusement from our frenzy; he kept                                                      park’s townsite, Wasagaming. Our stay
telling us that, unlike deer ticks, wood     species of grebes, and waders and          there was somewhat dampened by rainy
ticks don’t carry disease, but this was of   shorebirds of every description. For me,   weather, which made our birding walks
little comfort.                              though, the highlight was undoubtedly      squelchy and meant that some of the
                                             the grasslands themselves. Our backroad    areas where Ken had wanted to take us
In the following days, we explored more      travels garnered us some fantastic         were closed due to flooding. In fact, our
habitats. The gorgeous Souris Bend           sightings: Upland Sandpipers on            first morning there culminated in the van
Wildlife Management Area abounded in         fenceposts, lekking Sharp-tailed Grouse,   getting stuck in the mud on a back road
songbirds and raptors. Whitewater Lake       Ferruginous Hawk on a nest. Peak ecstasy   in the surrounding farmland; Ken had to
produced a wealth of waterfowl, six          occurred on the morning when I got four    walk for ages in the rain to find a farmer

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The SONG SPARROW Bird Protection Quebec - Protection des oiseaux du Québec October 2016
with a tractor to tow us out! That              They don’t call until dusk and dusk           and Ken knew a place where they could be
afternoon, Barb and I took some time off        comes late in Riding Mountain in June.        found. He offered to drive out there; she
to visit the townsite, while the rest of the    But lots of other birds were calling:         accepted even though it was now after
group went in quest of Great Gray Owls, a       Virginia Rails, Soras, American Bitterns,     11:00. The rest of us opted for hot
much-desired lifer for some. Their efforts      assorted waterfowl, and Nelson’s              showers and hot drinks instead. Bonnie
were successful: they got not only an           Sparrow (great looks!). And the sunset        didn’t get her woodcock that night but, as
adult Great Gray but a rather soggy owlet.      was beautiful. Still, we were getting cold    she reported, they had an almost surreal
                                                and starting to worry about walking back      drive. The park road swarmed with
The next day, the weather cleared up,           to the road in the dark. Ann and Barb gave    wildlife: elk, moose, even a least weasel.
setting the scene for one of the great          up and headed back. I decided to give it      It was worth the late night!
adventures of this trip. Ken decided that       five more minutes. But then things
conditions were right that evening to go        started happening. Ken had been               The next day, our last in southern
in quest of the number one species on           roaming around with the iPod, hoping to       Manitoba, we drove to the east side of the
everyone’s wish list: Yellow Rail. He           catch the attention of some rail              park. Because the park highway was
therefore took us to a marsh outside the        somewhere. Suddenly, Sharon heard             closed, we had to circle outside the park.
park where he had heard Yellow Rails on         something that didn’t seem to come from       This proved lucky for Barb and me as we
a scouting trip. Problem number one:            the tape. Then Bonnie and I saw               saw a Great Gray Owl on the way. The
most of us hadn’t brought rainboots.            something fly up. It could have been a        area we visited is not much frequented.
Resourceful Barb suggested that we buy          Sora or… My feet were frozen but I had        Possibly for that reason, we suffered our
some garbage bags and tape and                  tasted blood—I would not give up now!         worst tick attack of the trip. Famished
improvise waterproof foot coverings. So         As discreetly as we could in our plastic      ticks hurled themselves onto us from
the Great Rail Hunt started with everyone       bags, we moved toward the site of the         every bush and stem, and we were
(except Ken and Sharon, who had boots)          action. Ken put down the iPod. We all         constantly brushing, picking, and
hauling two or three garbage bags over          fixed our gaze on it. And the Yellow Rail     yipping. Still, there were compensations.
each foot and taping them closed. I can         appeared! It flew back and forth, then        The area was rich in flycatchers and
now tell you that this doesn’t work for         walked through the clearing, eyeing the       songbirds; at one point, a beautiful
very long when you’re in calf-deep water!       iPod. We all got good looks. Jubilation! It   Golden-winged Warbler shared a branch
As we slogged into the marsh, some of us        was now close to 10:30 and we trudged         with a singing Eastern Towhee. On the
started losing bags right away, while           back to the road in semi-darkness. I was      way back to Winnipeg, we stopped at a
others managed to stay dry-shod for             shaking with cold and excitement. We          property belonging to a friend of Ken’s
maybe fifteen minutes. Ken then set out         waited a few minutes to give Barb and         and were rewarded with an adorable baby
his bait: an iPod playing rail calls in the     Ann a shot at hearing a rail that they        Saw-whet Owl. Then we had a night in
midst of a small trampled area in the           could be sure wasn’t Ken, and then back       Winnipeg to prepare for our trip to
marsh. The idea is that the rail will hear      to the lodge.                                 Churchill. For most of us, this involved
the calls and venture into the clearing to                                                    checking our clothes for tagalong ticks; I
check out his rival. Problem number two:        But the night wasn’t over for everyone!       found one of the persistent little beggars
it was too early in the day for Yellow Rails.   Bonnie wanted an American Woodcock            in the depths of a pocket. We hoped the

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The SONG SPARROW Bird Protection Quebec - Protection des oiseaux du Québec October 2016
There are relatively few roads around
                                                                                            Churchill and we drove most of them
                                                                                            several times. Since we’d done so well at
                                                                                            first, we soon fixated on two particular
                                                                                            species: Ann and Bonnie needed Spruce
                                                                                            Grouse while I became obsessed by
                                                                                            Smith’s Longspur. We scoured forest
                                                                                            trails, sometimes in cold rain, looking for
                                                                                            grouse. Our efforts produced other good
                                                                                            birds, such as Willow Ptarmigan in their
                                                                                            half-and-half spring plumage. Finally, on
                                                                                            the second-to-last day, Bonnie found a
                                                                                            Spruce Grouse—always great to find your
                                                                                            own lifer! That same afternoon, she also
                                                                                            saw her first fox. My Smith’s Longspur
                                                                                            quest didn’t end so happily. On our first
                                                                                            day in Churchill, the group saw a small
                                                                                            flock of Smith’s, but I didn’t get the lifer
                                                                                            looks I needed. When we returned
                                                                                            triumphant from our Spruce Grouse
                                                                                            expedition, Barb, who had stayed in town,
                                                                                            reported that she’d seen a Smith’s
                                                                                            Longspur with a flock of Laplands at the
                                                                                            grain elevators! Ken and I jumped into the
frigid conditions in the airplane luggage                                                   van. Over the next hour or so, and in
compartment would kill off any last                                                         another search after dinner, I must have
stowaways.                                         Tundra Swans over river © 2016           scrutinized every Lapland Longspur in the
                                                   Zofia Laubitz                            hemisphere. But no luck—no Smith’s!
Our 7 a.m. flight to Churchill arrived early
enough for almost a full day of birding.        the many ponds, Parasitic Jaegers ganged    On our last day, after unsuccessful forays
We started seeing good birds on our drive       up on Arctic Terns, and Sandhill Cranes     for Boreal Owl and beluga, we visited
from the airport, including my first lifer of   stalked along the traintracks in the port   museums or did some shopping before
the Churchill leg of the trip, Pacific Loon.    area, stepping over Ruddy Turnstones,       taking the evening flight back to
In fact, we did very well that first day,       Lapland Longspurs, and Snow Buntings        Winnipeg. We were exhausted but
getting birds Ken had thought we might          as they gleaned fallen grains.              happy—and birded out!
have to struggle for (Sabine’s Gull, Little
Gull). Waterfowl and shorebirds crowded

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June-July 2016                                                         Mars-mai 2016
Mute Swan: a group of 5 birds first found at Sainte-Angèle-de-         Cygne tuberculé : un groupe de 5 indiv d’abord trouvé à Sainte-
Laval 19 June (J. Brunelle, J. Gélinas), reappeared at Yamachiche      Angèle-de-Laval 19 juin (J. Brunelle, J. Gélinas), est réapparu à
30 June (J. Gélinas, M. Bourassa) and then at Neuville 3 July+ (S.     Yamachiche 30 juin (J. Gélinas, M. Bourassa), puis à Neuville 3
Gosselin). This flock could be the same that was seen on Lake          juil+ (S. Gosselin). Ce groupe pourrait être celui présent au Lac
Aylmer in late May. Tundra Swan: one summered at Salaberry-            Aylmer à la fin mai. Cygne siffleur : un a estivé à Salaberry-de-
de-Valleyfield 7 June+ (D. Collins, m.ob.). American White             Valleyfield 7 juin+ (D. Collins, pl.ob.). Pélican d’Amérique : des
Pelican: singles at Yamachiche 19 June (M. Bourassa) and Cap-          indiv à Yamachiche 19 juin (M. Bourassa) et Cap-Chat 3-4 juil
Chat 3-4 July (JP. Soucy), 2 at Métabetchouan 4-10 July (JM.           (JP. Soucy), 2 à Métabetchouan 4-10 juil (JM. Besserve, R.
Besserve, R. Harvey), 8 at Dickerson Is. 13 June (C. Brunet, J.        Harvey), 8 à l’Ile Dickerson 13 juin (C. Brunet, J. Bouvier) et 25 à
Bouvier) and 25 at Black Bear Point (James Bay) 28 July (A.            Black Bear Point (Baie James) 28 juil (A. Bourbeau-Lemieux, HM.
Bourbeau-Lemieux, HM. Johansen).                                       Johansen).

Snowy Egret: one at Cacouna 2 June-22 July (M. Lafleur, JP.            Aigrette neigeuse : une à Cacouna 2 juin-22 juil (M. Lafleur, JP.
Ouellet, m.ob.). Little Blue Heron: a first-summer bird at Saint-      Ouellet, pl.ob.). Aigrette bleue : un imm à Saint-Blaise 26 juil-4
Blaise 26 July-4 Aug (G. et R. Boulet, m.ob.). Black Vulture:          août (G. et R. Boulet, pl.ob.). Urubu noir : des indiv à Lévis 1er
singles at Lévis 1June (L. Langlois) and at Bougainville 26 July (K.   juin (L. Langlois) et à Bougainville 26 juil (K. Touzel).
Touzel).
                                                                       Râle jaune : un oiseau chanteur 4-30 juil à Sept-Îles, une
Yellow Rail: a bird was singing 4-30 July at Sept-Îles, a new          nouvelle localité pour cette espèce rare (B. Duchesnes, C.
location for this rare species (B. Duchesnes, C. Couture). Sandhill    Couture). Grue du Canada : nidification confirmée à Villeroy 5
Crane: breeding was confirmed at Villeroy 5 June (C. Roy) and at       juin (C. Roy) et à Yamaska 19 juil (Y. Dugré). Avocette

                                                                                                                                         9
Yamaska 19 July (Y. Dugré). American Avocet: 2 continued at           d’Amérique : 2 sont restées à Barachois jusqu’au 5 juin (P.
Barachois until 5 June (P. Fradette, A. Gagnon). Wilson’s             Fradette, A. Gagnon). Phalarope de Wilson : quelques-uns
Phalarope: a few were observed at the beginning of June but           aperçus au début juin mais aucune nidification confirmée.
again no breeding records were reported. Lesser Black-backed          Goéland brun : un total de 100 indiv à Saint-Irénée 11 juil
Gull: a count of 100 indiv was made at Saint-Irénée 11 July (P.       semble constituer un décompte record pour le Canada (P.
Bannon, S. Labbé). This appears to represent a Canadian record        Bannon, S. Labbé). Labbe à longue queue : difficile à imaginer
high count. Long-tailed Jaeger: hard to believe, an ad spent 9        pour un oiseau de mer, mais un ad a séjourné 9 jours (10-18
days (10-18 June) feeding on ground insects in a corn field at        Juin) dans un champ de maïs à Baie-du-Febvre où il se
Baie-du-Febvre (JP. Ouellet, M. Lafleur, m. ob.). Eurasian            nourrissait d’insectes au sol (JP. Ouellet, M. Lafleur, pl. ob.).
Collared-Dove: one at Saint-Édouard 19 June-22 July (M.               Tourterelle turque : une à Saint-Édouard 19 juin-22 juil (M.
Lafleur, JP. Ouellet). White-winged Dove: one at Port-Cartier 1       Lafleur, JP. Ouellet). Tourterelle à ailes blanches : une à Port-
July (R. Lapierre). Amethyst-throated Hummingbird: a bird that        Cartier 1juil (R. Lapierre). Colibri à gorge améthyste : un oiseau
no one would have predicted for North America north of Mexico         dont personne n’aurait pu prévoir la présence en Amérique du
was found and nicely photographed at Saint-Félix d’Otis 30-31         Nord au nord du Mexique a été trouvé et superbement
July (Annie Lavoie, M. Bélanger et al.). A more detailed account      photographié à Saint-Félix d’Otis 30-31 juil (Annie Lavoie, M.
will be published elsewhere.                                          Bélanger et al.). Plus de détails seront publiés ailleurs
                                                                      éventuellement.
Red-headed Woodpecker: an ad at Howick 20 July-6 August
(L. Pringle et al.). Red-bellied Woodpecker: a juv was found in       Pic à tête rouge : un ad à Howick 20 juil-6 août (L. Pringle et al.).
the Saint-Laurent Techno-Park (Montréal) 25 Jul, a new breeding       Pic à ventre roux : un juv a été trouvé dans le Technoparc de
location for this species (J. Coutu). Acadian Flycatcher: a singing   Saint-Laurent (Montréal) 25 juil, un nouveau site de nidification
bird was present at Notre-Dame-du-Nord (Témiscamingue)                (J. Coutu). Moucherolle vert : un mâle chanteur présent à Notre-
3 June-20 July for a 6th consecutive summer (J. Fréchette,            Dame-du-Nord (Témiscamingue) 3 juin-20 juil pour un 6ième
m.ob.). Blue-gray Gnatcatcher: nesting occurred at                    été consécutif (J. Fréchette, pl.ob.). Gobemoucheron gris-bleu :
Godmanchester in June (D. Collins) and at Laval in July (M.           nidification à Godmanchester en juin (D. Collins) et à Laval en juil
Bouchard, A. Robert). Bohemian Waxwing: 15 at Bécancour 3             (M. Bouchard, A. Robert). Jaseur boréal : 15 indiv à Bécancour 3
June were unusual so far south (R. Barbeau).                          juin, présence inhabituelle en juin aussi au sud (R. Barbeau).

Blue-winged Warbler: besides Godmanchester where birds have           Paruline à ailes bleues : outre à Godmanchester où des oiseaux
been nesting for a few years, singles were also found at Bromont      nichent depuis quelques années, des indiv furent trouvés à
4 June (C. Dufresne et al.) and at Laval 10 June (M. Boisvert).       Bromont 4 juin (C. Dufresne et al.) et à Laval 10 juin (M. Boisvert).
Prothonotary Warbler: the continuing male at Nicolet was last         Paruline orangée : le mâle présent à Nicolet fut aperçu jusqu’au
reported 4 July (V. Létourneau). Yellow-breasted Chat: singles at     4 juil (V. Létourneau). Paruline polyglotte : des indiv à Rimouski
Rimouski 1 June (G. Gendron, D. Ruest) and at Anse-au-Griffon         1er juin (G. Gendron, D. Ruest) et à l’Anse-au-Griffon 2-13 juil
2-13 July (D. Jalbert, A. Gagnon). Spotted Towhee: a singing          (D. Jalbert, A. Gagnon). Tohi tacheté : un mâle chanteur à
male turned up at Wemindji, east of James Bay 28 June (M.             Wemindji, à l’est de la Baie James 28 juin (M. Carbonneau, H.
Carbonneau, H. Brunoni, ph.). Eastern Towhee: a singing               Brunoni, ph.). Tohi à flancs roux : un mâle chanteur à Chisasibi,

                                                                                                                                       10
à l’est de la Baie James 16 juin (H. Brunoni). Bruant de Le Conte :
                                                                      un mâle chanteur à Les Bergeronnes, à l’est de son aire, 23 juin-
                                                                      16 juil (D. Turgeon, C. Émond). Bruant de Nelson : 9 mâles
                                                                      trouvés lors d’un inventaire commandé par Conservation de la
                                                                      Nature Canada à l’Ile aux Cerfeuils, Repentigny 15 juin (P.
                                                                      Fradette et al); 3 autres furent trouvés à Yamaska 19 juin (P.
                                                                      Fradette, D, Jauvin). Carouge à tête jaune : un mâle à Anticosti 7
                                                                      juin (H. Tanguay) et une femelle aux Îles de la Madeleine 8-9 juin
                                                                      (DG. Gaudet). Sturnelle de l’Ouest : la présence d’un individu
                                                                      dans une petite aire de stationnement du Parc des Grands
                                                                      Jardins au coeur de la forêt boréale 12 juil était totalement
                                                                      inattendue (P. Bannon, S. Labbé, ph.). Oriole des vergers : le
                                                                      couple signalé à Stanstead à la fin de mai a produit 4 jeunes à la
                                                                      fin de juin (S. Kohl).

         Western Meadowlark / Sturnelle de l’Ouest                    Veuillez communiquer vos observations intéressantes à : Pierre
         © 2016 Charlie Nims                                          Bannon, 1517 Leprohon, Montréal, Qc H4E 1P1. Tél : 514-766-
                                                                      8767 en soirée. Courriel : pbannon@videotron.ca
male at Chisasibi, east of James Bay 16 June (H. Brunoni). Le
Conte’s Sparrow: a singing bird at Les Bergeronnes, east of its
breeding range, 23 June-16 July (D. Turgeon, C. Émond).
Nelson’s Sparrow: 9 males were found in the course of a survey
done for Nature Conservancy Canada on Ile aux Cerfeuils,
Repentigny 15 June (P. Fradette et al); 3 more birds were found
at Yamaska 19 June (P. Fradette, D, Jauvin). Yellow-headed
Blackbird: a male at Anticosti 7 June (H. Tanguay) and a female
in the Magdalen Is. 8-9 June (DG. Gaudet). Western Meadowlark:
very surprising was the occurrence of a bird in a small parking
lot of the Parc des Grands Jardins in the middle of the boreal
forest 12 July (P. Bannon, S. Labbé, ph.). Orchard Oriole: the pair
reported at Stanstead in late May produced 4 young in late June
(S. Kohl).

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: pbannon@videotron.ca

                                                                                                                                     11
Bird Protection Quebec’s                                           webmaster, Connie: 1000 tidbits by the 100th day. Visit our
                                                                   Facebook page or our website and become a bird expert the easy
Centenary Is Just Three                                            way.

Months Away!                                                       You can access the Blog via the BPQ Facebook page (links
                                                                   updated daily and no, you don’t have to have a Facebook
                                                                   account) or go to the website and select “Blog" from the main
Can you believe it? One hundred years went by so fast. Since
                                                                   menu. Or just click to read the latest entry right now! To start
the founding of Canada’s oldest conservation charity, we have
                                                                   at the beginning with 10 Outrageous Facts about Conservation
added to our roster of sanctuaries, developed excellent speakers
                                                                   History, click here.
and field trip programs, published a history of the Society, and
“bilingualized” all our communications.
                                                                   Easy Christmas Shopping: BPQ’s
The founding members of BPQ/POQ would gasp in delight at the
wonderful quality of photography that our talented members         2017 Calendar!
share on our website and be amazed at the modern
communication technology we now use. Would they cry upon           Our stunning 2017 Centenary calendar is already on sale. Each
discovering that places they used to love have been lost to        month features a winner in our Photography Challenge. Order
urbanization, and that it is now uncommon to hear a nighthawk      your calendar through BPQ’s website. If you order it before
above our city streets or see a Bobolink clinging to a stalk of    November 5, you can pick it up at the monthly meeting on
grass? I bet our founders would agree that more than ever Bird     November 7.
Protection Quebec has a pertinent role to play in the
conservation of Quebec’s birds.

Most of all, if our founders were here, they would be mighty
proud of what BPQ has accomplished. I’d like to imagine that
they are with us in spirit as we enjoy the program prepared by
the Centenary Committee for the coming year. I’m counting on
all of you to help celebrate their memory by joining us in some
or all of the activities described here!

Have you seen our new DAILY blog? Yes, daily….every single
day...until January 4!

We are counting down the days to the 100th Anniversary on the
BPQ Blog (renamed the Early Birder) with a 100-day blogging
spree. Each day features a new list of 10 fun birdy facts by our

Bird Protection Quebec                                                                                                         12
Feather Fest - Saturday, September
                                                                  23, 2017
                                                                  Get ready for a day of outdoor bird-related fun! Feather Fest will
                                                                  feature a variety of educational activities and exhibits for all
                                                                  ages. This event is for everyone so bring your friends, family and
                                                                  neighbours! More details available soon.

                                                                  Birders Competitive? Really?
                                                                  Canada Goes Birding! There will be appropriate recognition for
                                                                  the best birders in the categories of a Green Big Day, a Big Foot
                                                                  Hour, and My Birding Year. Birders from across the country are
                                                                  invited to participate in the spirit of helping us celebrate our
                                                                  centenary. Please check BPQ’s website for information. You are
                                                                  invited to register an early interest so as to be kept informed of
To mark the founding of BPQ in 1917, we’ll kick off the year on   updates.
JANUARY 9, 2017 with a party and a cake in the company of a
very special birdy guest. Be there!
                                                                  Win! Win! Win!
Throughout 2017 BPQ will, of course, be hosting its great
Saturday field trips and monthly meetings. Why not invite a
                                                                  What would a centenary year be without a raffle? We have some
friend to one of these free events and introduce them to North
                                                                  dazzling prizes including a trip to a great birding locale of your
America’s fastest growing pastime?
                                                                  choice and superb optical equipment.

What Do Birders Like Most?                                        And To Wrap Up The Year In Style
Going birding, of course! A full week of field trips is planned
                                                                  We are planning a lovely dinner with a great speaker and
from June 4 – 10. Check our Facebook page and website for
                                                                  conservationist, Boreal Songbird Initiative Senior Scientist Jeff
details. Our usual expert leaders are looking forward to having
                                                                  Wells, Ph.D. Jeff is also the author of the Birder’s Conservation
you join them.
                                                                  Handbook: 100 North American Birds at Risk. Mark your
                                                                  calendar for Saturday November 4, 2017.

Bird Protection Quebec                                                                                                          13
Bird Protection Quebec                                                     Isabelle-Anne has over 20 years of experience as
                                                                           a scientific consultant, coordinator and manager

Fall 2016 Monday Night                                                     of science and conservation projects globally.
                                                                           She has led projects for the United States’

Lectures                                                                   Department of Defense and headed a program in
                                                                           Uganda for a United States Agency for
                                                                           International Development initiative. She
All lectures are free of charge and are open to all.                       completed a B.Sc. and M.Sc. in Science at McGill
                                                                           University in Montreal and a Ph.D. at York
                                                                           University in Toronto. She went on to conduct

What Effect Do Human                                                       post-doctoral research at the Smithsonian
                                                                           Environmental Research Center and at Princeton

Activities and Disturbances                                                University. In 2014, she co-founded and is now
                                                                           solely running a firm that offers expert services

Have on Small, Free-Living                                                 in corporate sustainability. Her current mandate
                                                                           is with Makivik Corporation where she works

Birds?                                                                     with northern communities and the challenges
                                                                           they face with ongoing development. She is
                                                                           fluent in French, English and Spanish.
Monday, November 7, 7:30 p.m.
Kensington Presbyterian Church                                             Visit her website at http://
6225 Godfrey Ave., NDG                                                     www.terrahumanasolutions.com
A Presentation by Isabelle-Anne Bisson

Wild animals are increasingly threatened by human encroachment,
human disturbance, and human-caused loss of habitat. What’s more,
suitable habitat often exists in areas where intensive forms of human
disturbances may be present, such as military installations. How do
human activities affect the energy expenditure of breeding birds in
their natural habitats? Isabelle-Anne Bisson will discuss the results of
her studies on a breeding population of the endangered Black-capped
Vireo and the common White-eyed Vireo.

Bird Protection Quebec                                                                                                  14
Birding From Colorado to                               Monday, December 5, 7:30 p.m.
                                                       Kensington Presbyterian Church
Arizona                                                6225 Godfrey Ave, NDG

A Presentation by Frédéric Hareau and Charlie Nims

                                                                 Black-throated Sparrow © 2016 Charlie Nims

                                                       Two of our BPQ members, Frédéric Hareau and Charlie Nims, took a
                                                       birding trip this past April to the western part of the USA, birding from
          White-tailed Ptarmigan © 2016 Charlie Nims   Colorado to Arizona while covering diverse terrain from prairie to
                                                       snow-covered mountain passes to the Sonoran Desert and canyons of
                                                       Southeast Arizona. The birds they found ranged from White-tailed
                                                       Ptarmigan to Red-faced Warbler, from winter species to breeders to the
                                                       exotic.

                                                       Charlie and Frédéric will give a slide presentation sharing their
                                                       adventure through the terrain they covered and the birds they found.
                                                       Highlights include seeing all three Rosy-Finches, five grouse species
                                                       on leks, numerous flycatchers along with vagrants such as Flame-
                                                       throated Tanager and Tufted Flycatcher as well as the Elegant
                                                       Trogon among the 250+ species they recorded. While the
                                                       presentation will be mostly in English, Frédéric will be more than happy
                                                       to answer questions asked in French.

Bird Protection Quebec                                                                                                      15
Frédéric Hareau © 2016 Charlie Nims
                      Charlie Nims © 2016
                                                                           Frédéric Hareau is Director of Programs at Equitas, the International
Charlie Nims is an experienced birder living in northern New               Centre for Human Rights Education, where he oversees projects in
Hampshire with strong Quebec connections including graduating from         Asia, Africa, Middle East, Caribbean and Latin America. He has travelled
McGill University. His partner, Sheila McCarthy, lives in Montreal and     throughout the world for his work which has also allowed him to do
they have actively birded in Quebec in the past four years from Val d’Or   birdwatching on four continents. At BPQ, he is an active member of the
to Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine. He was active with the Massachusetts          Conservation Committee, a popular field trip leader, and Director. He
Audubon Society both as a seven-year member of its Advisory Council        coordinated the SOS-POP project with BPQ in 2010 and 2016 and the
and as co-leader of several destination trips including to Colorado.       Marsh Monitoring Program. He conducts censuses for the MBO and the
He also has participated in both Massachusetts and Colorado Breeding       Breeding Bird Atlas, and Breeding Bird Survey and is kept busy with
Bird Atlas projects and currently is doing Olive-sided Flycatcher survey   translation for The Song Sparrow and the website. He has also done
work for New Hampshire Audubon. Charlie birds regularly throughout         extensive work in conservation for the Club d’ornithologie d’Ahuntsic
the USA and Canada. In addition to his birding, he is an avid skier and    (COA), leads field trips for COA and Club d’ornithologie de Longueuil
hiker having summited the 48 New Hampshire high peaks.                     (COL), and volunteers at McGill Bird Observatory.

Bird Protection Quebec                                                                                                                         16
Special Meeting                              office of the director he or she so
                                             replaces.                                   New Members
to Discuss                                 • By-Laws- To keep the by-laws con-           A warm welcome to new members: Morris
                                             sistent with articles in the Letters Pat-
Changes to the                               ent, it was moved by Barbara MacDuff,
                                                                                         Avrashi, Katherine Collin, Anna Jarolim,
                                                                                         Sarah Pfeiffer and Martha Rudolf.
Letters Patent                               seconded by Fred Hareau and carried
                                             that:                                       We look forward to celebrating our 100th
November 7, 2016 at 7:15 p.m.              • The property and business of the            Anniversary Year with you.
Immediately preceding the Monday             Society shall be managed by a Board
                                             of nine (9) to nineteen (19) directors
                                                                                         Nouveaux
night lecture
                                             of whom a majority shall constitute a
                                             quorum.
In order to update Bird Protection
Quebec’s, (PQSPB)’s, Letters Patent,       • These changes to the Letters Patent         membres
several changes have been discussed by       and By-Laws will be recommended to
the board. It was moved by Nick Acheson,     the membership by the Board at the          Nous accueillons chaleureusement nos
seconded by Barbara MacDuff and carried      special meeting of the members to be        nouveaux membres: Morris Avrashi,
that:                                        held November 7, 2016 at 7:15 p.m.,         Katherine Collin, Anna Jarolim, Sara
                                             preceding the November lecture.             Pfeiffer et Martha Rudolf.
• The property and business of the
  Society shall be managed by a board                                                    Nous aimerions célébrer notre 100ième
  of nine (9) to nineteen (19) directors                                                 anniversaire avec vous.
  of whom a majority shall constitute a
  quorum;
• The corporation may hold immovable
  property up to a value of $5 million;
• Any director may be removed from
  office upon the vote of a majority of
  the members at a meeting duly called
  for such purpose and may be replaced
  at the same meeting which so
  removes him or her but the director so
  replacing him or her shall hold office
  only for the remainder of the term of

Bird Protection Quebec                                                                                                       17
Membership                                    Protection des oiseaux du Québec
                                              CP 358 succ Saint-Charles                             Eileen Meillon
Renewals                                      Kirkland, QC H9H 0A4
                                                                                                    1944 – 2016
                                              Nous remercions tous nos loyaux
It’s membership renewal time!                 membres qui ont déjà payé leur                        by Gail Desnoyers
                                              renouvellement.
You may pay online at                                                                               Members of Bird Protection Quebec were
                                                                                                    saddened to learn of the death of Eileen
                                                                                                    Meillon
http://pqspb.org/bpqpoq/product/bpq-
membership/;                                  Réseau électrique
or send a letter with your cheque payable     métroplitain                                          Eileen was a long-time member of Bird
                                                                                                    Protection Quebec who died suddenly in
to Bird Protection Quebec to
                                              (REM)                                                 August while vacationing in France. She
                                                                                                    was a former librarian at the David
Bird Protection Quebec                                                                              Stewart Museum and was a great help to
PO Box 358 stn Saint-Charles                  The reports submitted to the BAPE regarding the       Bird Protection Quebec when we had a
Kirkland, QC H9H 0A4                          REM are now on line. Click on the following link to   library at the Nature Adventure Centre.
                                              read the report submitted by Bird Protection          Eileen enjoyed birding in the Laurentians,
We appreciate and thank our many loyal        Quebec (BPQ)                                          where she lived, as well as in France,
members who have already sent in their                                                              Cuba and Turkey. She lived near the Alf
dues.                                         Les mémoires du REM sont maintenant en ligne.         Kelly Reserve in Piedmont and
                                              Voici le lien internet de notre mémoire :             volunteered there regularly.

Renouvellement                                http://www.bape.gouv.qc.ca/sections/mandats/
                                              Reseau_electrique_m%C3%A9tropolitain/
                                                                                                    Our condolences to her family.

                                              documents/DM86.pdf
C’est le temps de renouveler votre carte
de membre, vous pouvez le faire
facilement et rapidement en ligne à :
http://pqspb.org/bpqpoq/fr/produit/devenez-
membre-de-poq/

Ou remplir et envoyer le formulaire
d’abonnement en ligne à l’adresse
suivante :

Bird Protection Quebec                                                                                                                    18
BPQ’s 2016 Christmas Bird Counts (CBC)
The 81st Annual Montreal CBC – Saturday, December 17
and the 76th Annual Hudson CBC – Tuesday, December 27

Two of Bird Protection Quebec’s (BPQ)         Teams of birders are assigned designated        Following the Montreal count, an informal
most popular annual events, the Montreal      sections of territory within the Montreal       social will be held at the Montreal West
Christmas Bird Count and the Hudson           and Hudson circles. It’s a fun day of           Curling Club, 17 Ainslie Road in Montreal
Christmas Bird Count will take place on       birding, all for a valuable and important       West, at 4:00 p.m. All participants are
Saturday, December 17, 2016 and               purpose. The key thing to remember on a         invited to attend for a bite to eat and to
Tuesday, December 27, 2016                    Christmas Bird Count is that every single       submit their findings of the day. Food will
respectively. The annual bird counts play     bird you see is important, regardless of        be provided and there will be a cash bar.
a vital role in tracking local and national   whether it’s a common or rare species.          The results of the day’s count will be
birding trends and are very important         Seeing some “good birds” is always an           tabulated and everyone is encouraged to
events on the citizen science calendar. We    added bonus, but the goal of the day is to      share their birding experiences of the
are once again counting on your               count each and every bird of each and           day.
participation. Jean Demers, Clémence          every species. If you live anywhere within
Soulard, and Sheldon Harvey make up the       the count circles and have feeders              Following the Hudson count, an informal
BPQ Christmas Count Committee.                installed, but are unable to join one of our    social will be held at the St-Hubert
Sheldon will be responsible for the           field teams, you can still assist us without    Barbecue restaurant, 601 avenue St-
Montreal Count, with Jean and Clémence        leaving the comfort of your home. Our           Charles, in Vaudreuil; Exit 35 from
looking after the Hudson Count.               website explains how to participate as a        Highway 40. Various finger foods will be
                                              FeederWatcher. All previous participants        provided (onion rings, chicken wings,
We hope that many of you who                  will be receiving an e-mail from us             Nachos, mini-brochettes, mini-spring
participated in previous years will return    inquiring about your possible                   rolls etc.) The room will be available from
again this year, but we encourage those       participation again this year, covering the     4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
of you who have not previously                same territory. If you would like to move
participated to get involved. We still have   to a different territory, we will do our best   Full details of both BPQ Christmas Bird
space and territory available to add more     to accommodate.                                 Counts can be found on the following BPQ
people. We have a long-standing                                                               website
tradition to uphold and, with everyone’s      If you are new to the Christmas counts
support and cooperation, we aim to carry      and are interested in becoming a field          http://pqspb.org/bpq2/?page_id=139
it on.                                        participant, please contact us and we will
                                              assign you to a sector on a team with
                                              some experienced Christmas counters.

Bird Protection Quebec                                                                                                               19
We look forward to your participation again
this year. If you have any questions, please
contact us.

For the Montreal Christmas Bird Count,
please contact Sheldon Harvey, e-mail:
ve2shw@yahoo.com or telephone: 450-462-
1459.

For the Hudson Christmas Bird Count, please
contact Jean Demers, e-mail:
cbchudson2@gmail.com or telephone: 514-
694-8240.

Watch the Songsparrow e-mail forum and
the BPQ Facebook page for further
information as the events approach.

                                               Brown Creeper © 2016 Chuck Kling

Bird Protection Quebec                                                            20
Past Field Trips
06/08/16 – Summer Series Trip #6 -
Ste-Martine, Howick and Mercier

Guide: Sheldon Harvey

Sunny and mild – 15 birders; 54 species
Bird of the Day: Red-headed Woodpecker
Other Birds of Note: Northern Shoveler,
Green-winged Teal, Black-crowned Night
Heron, Osprey, Sharp-shinned Hawk,
Cooper's Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk,
Semipalmated Plover, Killdeer, Spotted
Sandpiper, Solitary Sandpiper, Lesser
Yellowlegs, Least Sandpiper, Pectoral
Sandpiper, Semi- palmated Sandpiper, Short-
billed Dowitcher, Merlin, Peregrine Falcon,
Purple Martin, Bank Swallow, Nashville
Warbler, Common Yellow-throat, Yellow
Warbler, Yellow-rumped Warbler

13/08/16 – Summer Series Trip #7 –
Eastern Ontario Sewage Lagoons
                                                                                        Bird of the Day: Black-billed Cuckoo
Guide: Sheldon Harvey                                                                   Other Birds of Note: Sharp-shinned Hawk,
                                                  Nashville Warbler © 2015              Spotted Sandpiper, Ruby-throated
                                                                                        Hummingbird, Bay-breasted Warbler,
Rain, heavy at times – 6 birders; 37 species      Brano Kovacevic
                                                                                        Blackburnian Warbler, Blackpoll Warbler
Bird of the Day: American Coot
Other Birds of Note: Northern Harrier, Red-
tailed Hawk, Common Gallinule,
                                               24/08/16 – Parc-nature de l'Île-de-la-   27/08/16 – St-Lazare Sandpits, St-
Semipalmated Plover, Spotted Sandpiper,        Visitation, Montreal                     Lazare
Lesser Yellowlegs, Least Sandpiper, Pectoral
Sandpiper, Semipalmated Sandpiper,             Guide: Joël Coutu                        Guides: Jean Demers & Clémence Soulard
Chimney Swift, Purple Martin, Bank Swallow,
Cliff Swallow                                  20°C, Sunny with southern winds – 5      Sunny and warm – 14 birders; 32 species
                                               birders; 39 species                      Bird of the Day: Eastern Bluebird

Bird Protection Quebec                                                                                                            21
Other Birds of Note: Red-shouldered Hawk,         Windy – 4 birders; 21 species                    île-Bizard, Ste-Martine/Howick/Mercier,
Broad-winged Hawk, Semipalmated Plover,           Bird of the Day: Turkey Vulture                  and ending with the annual Eastern
Least Sandpiper, Spotted Sandpiper, Greater       Other Birds of Note: Green-winged Teal, Great    Ontario sewage lagoon tour.
Yellowlegs, Philadelphia Vireo                    Egret, Cooper's Hawk, Spotted Sandpiper,
                                                  Gray Catbird.                                    For the first time in 13 years we were
03/09/16 – Lac St-François Reserve,                                                                hampered by weather on two occasions.
Dundee                                            24/09/16 – Parc national d’Oka, Oka              The first trip to Yamachiche and the
                                                                                                   Eastern Ontario Sewage Lagoon tour were
                                                  Guide: Wayne Grubert                             both cut short due to heavy rains.
Guides: Wayne Grubert & Sheldon Harvey

Sunny & mild – 15 birders; 48 species             Cool & sunny – 26 birders; 51 species            The seven combined trips produced a
Bird of the Day: Osprey                           Bird of the Day: Peregrine Falcon                total of 98 species. Our most productive
Other Birds of Note: American Bittern, Bald       Other Birds of Note: Pied-billed Grebe, Great    trip, species-wise, this summer was the
                                                  Egret, Bald Eagle, Cooper's hawk, Red-tailed
Eagle, Northern Harrier, Cooper's Hawk,                                                            Ste-Martine/Howick/Mercier trip
Nashville Warbler, Common Yellowthroat,           Hawk, Black-bellied Plover, Semipalmated
                                                                                                   producing 54 species. We averaged 40
                                                  Plover, Greater Yellowlegs, Lesser Yellowlegs,
Cape May Warbler, Magnolia Warbler, Yellow-                                                        species and 12 birders per trip for the
                                                  Sanderling, Dunlin, Least Sandpiper,
rumped Warbler, Wilson's Warbler, Bobolink                                                         summer.
                                                  Semipalmated Sandpiper, Caspian Tern,
                                                  American Kestrel, Golden-crowned Kinglet,
10/09/16 – Parc de la Visitation,                 Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Swainson's Thrush          Three new species were added to our
Montreal                                                                                           Summer Series master species list which
                                                                                                   now stands at 189 for the 13 years
Guide: Joël Coutu
                                                  Report on the                                    combined. The new species this year were
                                                                                                   a Whimbrel at Pointe de Yamachiche, a
Sunny and warm – 28 birders; 50 species
Bird of the Day: Cape May Warbler plus 10         13th Annual                                      Short-billed Dowitcher at Ste-Martine
                                                                                                   and a Red-headed Woodpecker at
other warbler species: Tennessee, Northern
Parula, Magnolia, Blackburnian, Chestnut-sided,   Summer Series of                                 Howick.
Black-throated Green, Black-throated Blue,
Blackpoll, Bay-breasted, Common Yellowthroat.     Birding                                          I thank everyone who participated in this
                                                                                                   year’s Summer Series. I look forward to
Other Birds of Note: Black-billed Cuckoo,
Blue-headed Vireo, Philadelphia Vireo, Red-       by Sheldon Harvey                                another great summer series in 2017 as a
breasted Nuthatch                                                                                  part of our BPQ 100th anniversary year.
                                                  Our 13th consecutive year of summer
17/09/16 - George H. Montgomery                   field trips wrapped up on August 13,
Sanctuary, Philipsburg                            2016. This year we conducted seven field
                                                  trips, visiting Parc Marcel-Laurin in St-
Guide: Sandy Montgomery                           Laurent, St-Timothée/St-Etienne/Ste-
                                                  Martine, Pointe de Yamachiche (twice),

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Upcoming Field Trips                                                        Prévoir pour les sorties : Jumelles, guide, téléscope, chapeau, gants,
                                                                            souliers de marche, bas de rechange, crème solaire, vêtements pour
                                                                            temps froid, bouteille d’eau, et collations.

Trip Advice                                                                 Saturday, October 29 - samedi 29 octobre
                                                                            Centre d'interprétation de la nature du lac Boivin
Updates: We send an update of our upcoming events every week by e-          (CINLB), Granby
mail. This serves as a reminder and keeps you informed of any
changes. It also provides additional information about trip conditions,     http://cinlb.org/
when required. If you are not receiving this e-mail, contact us at
birdprotectionquebec@gmail.com. You can unsubscribe at any time.            Guide: Sheldon Harvey ve2shw@yahoo.com
                                                                            450-462-1459 /Cell # on Saturday morning 514-637-2141
Online calendar: Consult the website as well.
                                                                            8:00 a.m. Meet in the CINLB parking lot, 700 rue Drummond, Granby,
Questions: Contact the trip Guide or post a message on the                  Quebec
Songsparrow e-mail group.                                                   https://goo.gl/maps/iS88JxucxAs
Cancellations: Trips are rarely cancelled, but check the BPQ website,       Driving Instructions: From the Champlain Bridge, follow the Eastern
just in case. Contact the trip Guide when the weather is extreme.           Townships Autoroute (Hwy 10) to Exit 68. Turn right off the exit on to
                                                                            boul. Daniel Bouchard (Hwy 139). Follow boul. Daniel Bouchard into
Nice to have: Binoculars, field guide, scope, hat, gloves, walking shoes,   Granby, crossing Hwy 112 and continuing past Granby Zoo. Continue
extra socks, sun screen, layers for cold weather, water, and snacks.        on boul. Daniel Bouchard to the intersection with rue Drummond. Turn
                                                                            right onto rue Drummond. The free parking for the CINLB will be on
                                                                            your left. This site is approximately 75 minutes from the South Shore
De rigueur pour les excursions                                              side of Champlain Bridge.

Mise à jour: Nous envoyons par courriel des mises à jour                    This is a walking trip, with extensive trails throughout the park and an
hebdomadaires sur les évènements à venir. Ils servent de rappel pour        observation tower overlooking Lac Boivin. The park offers a variety of
vous garder informés de tout changement. Ils fournissent des                habitats including the lake itself, wooded trails and areas of open fields
informations supplémentaires sur les particularités reliées aux             and brushy areas. There should be a good selection of species,
excursions au besoin. Si vous ne recevez pas ces courriels, contactez-      including migrating songbirds, ducks, geese and, hopefully, a few
nous à : birdprotectionquebec@gmail.com. Vous pouvez annuler votre          surprises. Bring along some bird seed as the chickadees, white-
participation en tout temps.                                                breasted and red-breasted nuthatches are very friendly here and
                                                                            always looking to feed from the hands of the visitors. Half day.
Questions/informations: Téléphonez au responsable ou contacter le
groupe courriel Songsparrow.                                                8 h 00. Rendez-vous dans le stationnement du CINLB, 700 rue
                                                                            Drummond, Granby, Québec
Annulations: En cas d'intempérie, vérifier la possibilité d'une
annulation avec le responsable.                                             Centre d'Interprétation de la Nature du Lac Boivin page: http://cinlb.org/

Bird Protection Quebec                                                                                                                            23
Directions: A partir du pont Champlain, suivez l'autoroute des Cantons       continuer sur une distance de 2 km jusqu'au chalet d'accueil du parc.
de l'Est (autoroute 10) jusqu'à la sortie 68. Tournez à droite après la      Frais de stationnement : 9,00 $. Demi-journée.
sortie sur le boulevard Daniel Bouchard (route 139). Suivez le
boulevard Daniel Bouchard dans Granby, en traversant la route 112 et         Saturday, November 12 - samedi 12 novembre
continuez jusqu'à dépasser le Zoo de Granby. Continuez sur le boul.          Centennial Park/Parc du Centenaire
Daniel Bouchard jusqu'à l'intersection avec la rue Drummond. Tournez
                                                                             https://goo.gl/maps/qEiD8EpTnzj
à droite sur la rue Drummond. Le parking gratuit pour le CINLB sera sur
votre gauche. Ce site est situé à 75 minutes de la rive sud du pont          Guides: Jean Demers and Clémence Soulard
Champlain.                                                                   514-694-8240
                                                                             jd030824@gmail.com
Il s'agit d'une excursion à pied, sur les sentiers qui sillonnent le vaste
parc et à destination d'une tour d'observation surplombant le lac            8:00 a.m. Meet in the parking lot for Centennial Park. From Highway 40
Boivin. Le parc offre une variété d'habitats, y compris le lac lui-même,     take the exit for Sources Boulevard and go north. Continue past
des sentiers boisés et des zones de champs ouverts et des zones              Salaberry and take a left on Churchill and drive where you will see a
broussailleuses. On devrait y trouver une bonne sélection d'espèces, y       light right curve to Lake, and continue until you reach the parking lot
compris les oiseaux chanteurs migrateurs, canards, oies et, espérons-        which faces Manuel street. Half Day.
le, quelques surprises. Apportez quelques graines pour les oiseaux qui
comme les mésanges, les sitelles à poitrine blanche et à poitrine rousse     8 h 00 Rendez-vous dans le stationnement pour Parc du Centenaire.
sont très peu farouches et cherchent toujours à se nourrir dans les          De l'Autoroute 40 prenez la sortie pour Boulevard des Sources et
mains des visiteurs! Demi-journée.                                           prenez la direction nord. Continuez passé Salaberry et prenez Churchill
                                                                             à gauche et continuez jusqu’à la courbe vers la droite sur Lake et
Saturday, November 5 - samedi 5 novembre                                     continuez jusqu'au stationnement qui est en face de la Rue Manuel.
Parc-nature du Cap-Saint-Jacques                                             Demi-journée

https://goo.gl/maps/TLEH1                                                    Saturday, November 19 - samedi 19 novembre
                                                                             Fort Chambly and the Richelieu River – Fort Chambly
Guide: Wayne Grubert                                                         et Rivière du Richelieu
450-458-5498
514-774-0811(Cell – Morning of trip only) wgrubert@hotmail.com               http://goo.gl/maps/hz9cT

8:00 a.m. Take Highway 40 West. Exit Chemin Ste-Marie. Turn left to          Guide: Sheldon Harvey ve2shw@yahoo.com
Anse-à-l'Orme Road. Turn right and continue to the end. Turn right on        450-462-1459 or/ou 514-637-2141 (Morning of the trip after 6:00 a.m..-
Senneville Road (Gouin Blvd.). Continue for two km to the chalet             Matinée de la sortie après 6h 00)
d’accueil of the park. Parking: $9.00. Half day.

8 h 00. Prendre l'autoroute 40 ouest. Prendre la sortie pour le chemin
Ste-Marie et tourner à gauche sur celui-ci. Continuer jusqu'au chemin
de l'Anse-à-l'Orme. Tourner à droite sur celui-ci et continuer jusqu’au
bout. Tourner à droite sur le chemin Senneville (boul. Gouin) et

Bird Protection Quebec                                                                                                                                24
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