Brollybirding

Eastern Bluebird Sialia sialis

Eastern Bluebird Sialia sialis with Yellow-Rumped Warbler Setophaga coronata

Yellow-Rumped Warbler Setophaga coronata

Song Sparrow Melospiza melodia

(with nesting material)

White-throated Sparrow Zonotrichia albicollis

Chipping Sparrow Spizella passerina

Northern Flicker Colaptes auratus

Mallard Anas platyrhynchos

Eastern Grey Squirrel Sciurus carolinensis

The Rain Tree

Flower Moon

NDG, May 2, 2026

-Spring migration continues, as is tradition

-Steady rain in the early morn, 4 degrees then warming, cozygloomy

-21 species in 1hr 45min

-Birding with an umbrella is surprisingly easy, after some physical humour false starts – it’s all about balance

-A pair of Eastern Bluebirds was nice to see in the rain, my second (third?) record of this species at the site

-A respectable trickle of Yellow-rumped Warblers on the way in, high single digits

-Three dozen Chipping Sparrows, vocal and bold

-Song Sparrows building nests and acting territorial in several spots

-Several White-throated Sparrows and Dark-eyed Juncos about

-Ruby-crowned Kinglets on the edges

-A few Northern Flickers, but numbers are down

-Cooper’s Hawk and House Finch on the way out

NDG, May 5

-First-of-year Chimney Swift down by the tracks (last year's personal FOY CHSW was on May 6)

Reserve Faunique Marguerite-D’Youville, Île Sainte-Bernard, Châteauguay, April 25, 2026

Brown Thrasher Toxostoma rufum

Brown Thrasher Toxostoma rufum

Palm Warbler Setophaga palmarum

Palm Warbler Setophaga palmarum

Song Sparrow Melospiza melodia

American Robin Turdus migratorius

Rusty Blackbird Euphagus carolinus

Wood Duck Aix sponsa

-Sunny, but still cool, and breezy.

-First warbler of the year was a restless Palm Warbler near the entrance.

-Evelyn was thrilled to get her first ever Wood Duck – we had to work for it – constant scanning of the flooded woods.

-Several Rusty Blackbirds in those same woods, with a Brown-headed Cowbird heard nearby.

-Plentiful Tree Swallows were the only hirundines (Hirundines! Hirundines!)

-Bird of the day was on the way out – two Brown Thrashers, one showy, one not so much. Love a Brown Thrasher.

-Mourning Cloaks, Eastern Commas, and Cabbage Whites all out.

-32 species in 2.5 hours.

NDG, April 25

Hermit Thrush Catharus guttatus

-20 species in 90 minutes
-Sunny, gusty, 5 degrees…probably shoulda brought some gloves
-Have to remember to look up again, warbler season (but not today)
-Started slow…ended slower
-A pair of leaf blowers produced ridiculous levels of noise and dust
-3 Hermit Thrush
-A Common Raven on patrol
-The pair of Cooper’s Hawks are setting up their nest again in the same spot
-Ruby-crowned Kinglets still out and noisy
-Several White-throated Sparrows, along with double-digit Chipping Sparrow and Dark-eyed Junco
-The suet feeder is gone

Endeejee, April 18

Northern Flicker Colaptes auratus

Pine Siskin Carduelis pinus

Ruby-crowned Kinglet Regulus calendula

Golden-crowned Kinglet Regulus satrapa

Song Sparrow Melospiza melodia

Chipping Sparrow Spizella passerina

Eastern Phoebe Sayornis phoebe

Dark-eyed Junco Junco hyemalis

Cooper’s Hawk Accipiter cooperii

-11-15 degrees and sunny

-Didn’t spot any warblers, but it felt like they were watching me from afar

-40+ Dark-eyed Juncos

-A lone Red-breasted Nuthatch was notable, only my second for the site

-Several Pine Siskins moving through some woods

-Eastern Phoebes and Song Sparrows are back at the site, and quite vocal

-Decent numbers of American Robins and Northern Flickers working the dirt

-Several Brown Creepers out and about

-10 or so Ruby-crowned Kinglets, and 2 Golden-crowned

-Single White-throated and Chipping Sparrows

-24 species in 90ish minutes

Same April 11, different spot

Song Sparrow Melospiza melodia

Tufted Titmouse Baeolophus bicolour

Tufted Titmouse Baeolophus bicolour

Black-capped Chickadee Poecile atricapillus

Black-capped Chickadee Poecile atricapillus

Black-capped Chickadee Poecile atricapillus

Bohemian Waxwing Bombycilla garrulus

Bohemian Waxwing Bombycilla garrulus

American Tree Sparrow Spizella arborea

Greater Scaup Aythya marila

Great Egret Ardea alba

White-tailed Deer Odocoileus virginianus

Reserve Faunique Marguerite-D’Youville, Île Sainte-Bernard, Châteauguay, April 11, 2026

-Temps in the 3-5 degree range

-A blustery (especially on the west side) go-around at lovely Marguerite-D’Youville with Evelyn, who got a huge kick out of hand-feeding birds (Black-capped Chickadees, White-breasted Nuthatch and Tufted Titmouse…the Downy Woodpeckers were not feeling it)

-150+ Bohemian Waxwing

-1 American Tree Sparrow

-Local specials were out - Tufted Titmouse and Red-bellied Woodpecker

-Loads of Song Sparrows, as per usual

-3 Great Egrets

-5 Blue-winged Teals

-2 Common Goldeneye

-1 Northern Harrier

-Several vocal Pied-billed Grebes

-2 Greater Scaup

-1 Winter Wren

-35 species in 3 hours

-Martha Black, Coast Guard ice breaker, went past

-Nice to be back, been a while