Biggar day

Eastern Towhee Pipilo erythrophthalmus

Gray Catbird Dumetella carolinensis

Rose-breasted Grosbeak Pheucticus ludovicianus

Swamp Sparrow Melospiza georgiana

Alder Flycatcher Empidonax alnorum

Golden-winged Warbler Vermivora chrysoptera

Yellow Warbler Setophaga petechia

male Common Yellowthroat Geothlypis trichas 

female Common Yellowthroat Geothlypis trichas 

female Bobolink Dolichonyx oryzivorous

male Bobolink Dolichonyx oryzivorous

Sedge Wren Cistothorus platensis

Sedge Wren Cistothorus platensis

American Bittern Botaurus lentiginosus 

Sandhill Crane Grus canadensis (adult with colt)

Snapping Turtle Chelydra serpentine

Montée Biggar

Sedge Wren habitat at Montée Gordon

Lac Saint-François

  An epic day down southwest, with a respectable 80 species logged in the sun. It was great as always to bird in the company of members of the McGill Students’ Birding Club. Our main stop was Montée Biggar in Godmanchester - essentially a long country road fringed with a lovely array of scrubby, agricultural, wet, and wooded habitat. It’s a super birdy patch, as evidenced by the dozens of birders/photogs patrolling early on a Sunday morning, in spite of the bugs.

  We then stopped at Montée Gordon for a gratifying look at the local whack-a-mole Sedge Wrens, before heading to Lac Saint-François. Massive Snapping Turtles, a confiding American Bittern, and Sandhill Cranes with fuzzy brown colts were all pleasant surprises there, although I (and likely most others) got a tad overheated by the end of it. The summer mug is here. As is tradition, Dan and I ended the trip with a stop at the greasiest little poutine shack ever. On the ride back, I could have sworn I saw an Opossum at the side of the road, which is apparently possible, range-wise.

Montée Biggar, Godmanchester, (Lac Saint-François), May 28, 2017
Pied-billed Grebe-(1)
Double-crested Cormorant-(2)
American Bittern-(1)
Great Blue Heron-(2)
Great Egret-(3)
Green Heron-(1)
Canada Goose-(9)
Turkey Vulture-4 (4)
Osprey-(2)
Cooper’s Hawk-1
Northern Harrier-1 (1)
Red-tailed Hawk-1
Red-shouldered Hawk-(1)
American Kestrel-1
Ruffed Grouse-1 heard drumming, (1 heard drumming)
Sandhill Crane-(5 adults with 2 colts visible)
Killdeer-(2)
Greater Yellowlegs-(1)
Spotted Sandpiper-(2)
Least Sandpiper-(1)
Wilson’s Snipe-1 (1)
Ring-billed Gull-(3)
Mourning Dove-1 (1)
Black-billed Cuckoo-1 heard (1 heard)
Chimney Swift-several en route
Ruby-throated Hummingbird-1
Downy Woodpecker-(1)
Northern Flicker-2
Pileated Woodpecker-1 heard
Eastern Wood-Pewee-2 (2)
Alder Flycatcher-4 (2)
Willow Flycatcher-(2)
Least Flycatcher-1 (1)
Great Crested Flycatcher-1 (2)
Eastern Kingbird-1 (4)
Warbling Vireo-1 (3)
Red-eyed Vireo-2
Blue Jay-2 (2)
American Crow-2 (1)
Common Raven-1 (1)
Barn Swallow-4 (4)
Bank Swallow-2 in Huntingdon
Tree Swallow-1 (6)
Purple Martin-(2)
Black-capped Chickadee-2 (3)
Sedge Wren-(3 at Montée Gordon, near Lac Saint-François)
Veery-2 heard (2 heard)
American Robin-4 (2)
Gray Catbird-3 (2)
Brown Thrasher-1 heard
Cedar Waxwing-(4+ heard)
European Starling-3
Tennessee Warbler-2
Nashville Warbler-2 heard
Golden-winged Warbler-1
[Brewster’s Warbler/Blue-winged x Golden-winged hybrid-1]
Yellow Warbler-6 (10+)
Chestnut-sided Warbler-4 (1)
Black-throated Green Warbler-1 heard
Blackpoll Warbler-(2+)
American Redstart-2 (1)

Common Yellowthroat-2 (6+)
Ovenbird-1 heard
Scarlet Tanager-1
Rose-breasted Grosbeak-2 (1)
Indigo Bunting-2 (2)
Northern Cardinal-1
Eastern Towhee-1
Chipping Sparrow-2
Clay-colored Sparrow-1 heard
Field Sparrow-1 heard
Savannah Sparrow-1
Song Sparrow-4 (3)
Swamp Sparrow-2 (6)
Baltimore Oriole-2 (1)
Bobolink-6
Red-winged Blackbird-5 (10+)
Common Grackle-5 (7)
Brown-headed Cowbird-2
American Goldfinch-6+ (6+)