Beauharnois area, August 22, 2024

Caspian Tern Hydroprogne caspia

Caspian Tern Hydroprogne caspia

Red-necked Phalarope Phalaropus lobatus
Ring-billed Gull Larus delawarensis

Red-necked Phalarope Phalaropus lobatus
Ring-billed Gull Larus delawarensis

Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica

Hirundine IQ quiz...

Tree Swallow Tachycineta bicolor
(Mostly)

Cape May Warbler Setophaga tigrina

Yellow Warbler Setophaga petechia

Magnolia Warbler Setophaga magnolia

Pine Warbler Setophaga pinus

Belted Kingfisher Megaceryle alcyon

White-striped Black Moth Trichodezia albovittata

Common Blue Damselfly Enallagma cyathigerum

Parc de la Pointe-du-Buisson

Oaky warbler field

Ahhh, sewage

Popped southwest for an early autumnal birding session with George yesterday. We tallied about 70 species at Parc de la Pointe-du-Buisson in Beauharnois, a nearby sewage treatment plant, and points between.

At PDLPDB, a row of dead trees in a lovely wet meadow fringed by old oaks was super birdy - nine warbler species, and a good collection of migrating birds gave us acute cases of warbler neck.

A nearby sewage treatment plant held a hirundine IQ quiz, as well as a pair of spinning Red-necked Phalaropes. I love a good phalarope.

‘Quiet Place’ in NDG, August 18, 2024

American Redstart Setophaga ruticilla

Northern Cardinal Cardinalis cardinalis

Red-eyed Vireo Vireo olivaceus

Wild Turkey Meleagris gallopavo

Wild Turkey Meleagris gallopavo

Wild Turkey Meleagris gallopavo

Woodchuck/Groundhog/Siffleur Marmota monax

Common Green Darner Anax junius

Monarch Danaus plexippus

European Common Blue Polyommatus icarus

European Common Blue Polyommatus icarus

Giant Ichneumon Wasp Megarhyssa macrurus
(found dead at work last week)

Smog moon

-A Wild Turkey sighting confirms their presence at the site, after I found some feathers a few weeks ago

-Still an American Redstart in a small patch of dense, damp woods

-Another warbler sp. was heard faintly calling from high up in the treetops, unseen

-Very buggy out, especially black flies

-13 species in a 90-minute bimble

-Haven’t seen any Chimney Swifts for almost two weeks

-The air quality in Montréal has been crappy for the past week, due to forest fires out west

Laughing Gull is the best medicine

Laughing Gull Leucophaeus atricilla

Ring-billed Gull Larus delawarensis

Caspian Tern Hydroprogne caspia

Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres
(a hilarious digi-scope attempt)

Spotted Sandpiper Actitis macularius

Spotted Sandpiper Actitis macularius

Great Egret Ardea alba

Great Blue Heron Ardea herodias

Common Merganser Mergus merganser

American Wigeon Anas americana

George directing traffic

Mallard Anas platyrhynchos

Mallard Anas platyrhynchos

Yellow Warbler Setophaga petechia

Cedar Waxwing Bombycilla cedrorum

Eastern Kingbird Tyrannus tyrannus

American Goldfinch Spinus tristis

Eastern Forktail Ischnura verticalis

This damn thing couldn’t look more like a
Cooper’s Hawk from a distance if it tried…

Parc des Rapides/Parc de l'Honorable-George-O'Reilly, August 8, 2024

  George phoned yesterday and said “Laughing Gull at the rapids, can you be ready in ten minutes?” Twenty-five minutes later, as we pulled into the parking lot of Parc des Rapides, we saw the gull in question before the car stopped moving. Discovered that morning by Daniel Ouelette, the Laughing Gull (Canada first for me) was casually foraging in the grass next to a bike path, offering extremely close looks (“Peu farouche”).

Also notable:

-A Ruddy Turnstone (Turnstone is 'Tournepierre' in French), another personal Canada first

-Several Caspian Terns

-A Warbling Vireo

-Lots of scruffy young birds around (Cedar Waxwing, Yellow Warbler, Song Sparrow, Mallard)

-Ended up with a total of 38 species at several locations along the river