Lister in the sun

Monarch Danaus plexippus

Black Swallowtail Papilio polyxenes

Common Yellowthroat Geothlypis trichas

Eastern Phoebe Sayornis phoebe

Double-crested Cormorant Phalacrocorax auritus

Pickerel Frog Lithobates palustris

Northern Leopard Frog Lithobates pipiens

  Still recovering from a 10am-4:30pm session on lovely Reserve Faunique Marguerite-D’Youville, in silly sauna heat (41°C with humidex). Didn’t feel super birdy for most of the day, but fall is definitely underway, and I did log over 50 species, which was unexpected.
  Heaps of frogs were underfoot, including gorgeous Pickerel Frogs, whose spots gleamed like hand-painted copper leaf in the sun. Apparently they’re the only poisonous frog native to Canada. I dunno about that, I licked one like a dozen times and I feel fine. A lot of Monarchs were also flying, more than I’ve ever seen. Cool.
  The walk started with a frustrating encounter with a highly interesting warbler spotted in eye-level scrub in a mixed clearing near the main feeders. With the initial glances at the bright-enough yellow belly and vent, coupled with a strong white eye-ring on a greyish head, I took it for a Nashville Warbler, but something about the bird bothered me. It moved with a sluggish pace when compared to an acrobatic little Nashville, and the overall size was off, as was the relatively heavy bill — not the pointy little daggerbeak of a Nashville. Then I noticed the brownish-grey hood that carried the head colour half-way down the breast, with a stark demarcation line.
  If not a Nashville, then what the —? There were some confusion species to rule out, but the list was short after asking an important question — who has a yellow breast-->undertail coverts, a dusky hood, and bold white eye-rings? We’re talking a serious, thick eye-ring. First-year Yellow Warbler? Possible I guess, but doesn’t quite fit with what I saw (well). Mourning Warbler with a strong eye-ring? Also possible.
  The bird vanished as I was putting all the pieces together in my sun-fevered head. I had a eureka moment that was equal parts thrilling and disconcerting. Connecticut Warbler! What else could it be? Matt, did you get a picture? No. Have you ever seen one before? No. Is that a common sort of bird you’d expect to see? No. But is it possible at this time of year? Yes. But you got no picture? Correct. Right-o, it’s going onto the list as “Warbler sp.” But...but...but...fine. Sigh. That’s birding, innit. Hey, maybe someone will find one there tomorrow.

Reserve Faunique Marguerite-D’Youville, Île Sainte-Bernard, Châteauguay, September 5, 2018
Double-crested Cormorant-3
Great Blue Heron-2
Great Egret-2
Canada Goose-1
Wood Duck-4
Mallard-3
Turkey Vulture-1
Ring-billed Gull-40+
Herring Gull-2
Great Black-backed Gull-1
Mourning Dove-1
Ruby-throated Hummingbird-1 chasing what looked like a Song Sparrow across Grande Digue
Belted Kingfisher-1
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker-5
Downy Woodpecker-6
Hairy Woodpecker-4
Northern Flicker-2
Pileated Woodpecker-1
Eastern Wood Pewee-2
Alder Flycatcher-1
Eastern Phoebe-5
Great Crested Flycatcher-1
Warbling Vireo-4
Philadelphia Vireo-1
Red-eyed Vireo-3
Blue Jay-4+
Common Raven-1
Black-capped Chickadee-35+
Brown Creeper-2
White-breasted Nuthatch-10+
Red-breasted Nuthatch-3
House Wren-2
Veery-2
Gray Catbird-3
Cedar Waxwing-8+
Tennessee Warbler-1
Yellow Warbler-1
Magnolia Warbler-4
Black-throated Blue Warbler-1 female-type
Yellow-rumped Warbler-1 first-year bird
Blackpoll Warbler-1
Black-and-white Warbler-1
American Redstart-1 female
Common Yellowthroat-2 or 3
Warbler sp.-1 (see above)
Northern Cardinal-6+
Song Sparrow-20+
Swamp Sparrow-1
Baltimore Oriole-1
Red-winged Blackbird-1
Common Grackle-2
American Goldfinch-15+