A Sora state of affairs

Sora Porzana carolina

Sora Porzana carolina

Sora Porzana carolina

Least Bittern Ixobrychus exilis

Least Bittern Ixobrychus exilis

Least Bittern Ixobrychus exilis

American Bittern Botaurus lentiginosus

American Bittern Botaurus lentiginosus

Great Egret Ardea alba

Green Heron Butorides virescens

Belted Kingfisher Megaceryle alcyon

Spotted Sandpiper Actitis macularius

Eastern Coyote Canis latrans var.

Snapping Turtle Chelydra serpentina

Eight-spotted Forester Alypia octomaculata (moth)

Swamp Sparrow in song

Marais de St-Timothée

Gorgeous, extensive reedbeds  

  One of my favourite little off-island spots, Marais de St-Timothée, did not disappoint on a sunny and breezy morning. It’s always sunny and breezy there, it seems.

  The session got off to an auspicious start with my first Eastern Coyote sighting – what an awesome creature, radiating an intense and wary intelligence. Along the bike path, Least Bitterns were out in force, first spotted far off, and then zipping across the path at eye level several times.
  The long-awaited Sora sighting came as a result of a lengthy stake-out (or was it a crake-out?) after hearing the bird’s characteristic downward-cascading whinny (very Ruddy Kingfisher-like). I’m convinced that Soras are actually some form of enchanted trickster imp of the reed-beds, as they’re skilled at teleporting and vanishing and the like.
  Two American Bitterns thrilled with dueling (nuptial dance?) jousts overhead, tumbling down towards the extensive reed-beds together. I got a great video of the behaviour, then promptly deleted it by hitting the wrong button. Fuckin’ buttons.

Marais de St-Timothée, (St-Louis-de-Gonzague) June 7, 2018
Pied-billed Grebe-1 heard
Double-crested Cormorant-2 (3)
American Bittern-3
Least Bittern-3 or 4
Great Blue Heron-3
Great Egret-1
Green Heron-1
Snow Goose-(4)
Canada Goose-6 (12+)
Mallard-2 (4+)
Gadwall-(1)
Ring-necked Duck-3
Turkey Vulture-3
Bald Eagle-1 shadowing a large ship on the canal
Peregrine Falcon-(1 at Halte des Pêcheurs)
Sora-2, including one seen with nesting materials
Common Gallinule/Moorhen-1
Spotted Sandpiper-2 (2)
Least Sandpiper-1
Ring-billed Gull-4 (5+)
Common Tern-1 (5+)
Rock Dove-(8)
Belted Kingfisher-1
Downy Woodpecker-(1)
Northern Flicker-3 from the road nearby
Willow Flycatcher-1
Least Flycatcher-1 (1)
Eastern Phoebe-1 from the road nearby
Great Crested Flycatcher-1
Eastern Kingbird-4 (2)
Warbling Vireo-2 (2)
Blue Jay-1
American Crow-4 (2)
Cliff Swallow-(10+)
Tree Swallow-12+ (12+)
Black-capped Chickadee-1
Marsh Wren-4+
Veery-(1 heard)
American Robin-6+ (3+)
Gray Catbird-1
Cedar Waxwing-6+ (12+)
European Starling-5+ (3)
Yellow Warbler-6+ (6+)
American Redstart-3 (3)
Common Yellowthroat-4 (1)
Song Sparrow-6+ (4+)
Swamp Sparrow-2
Baltimore Oriole-1 from the road nearby
Red-winged Blackbird-15+ (6+)
Common Grackle-15+ (8)
Brown-headed Cowbird-(1)
House Sparrow-2 from the road nearby
American Goldfinch-6 (2)

Bird the swamp! Bird the swamp!

male Blackpoll Warbler Setophaga striata

female Blackpoll Warbler Setophaga striata

Cedar Waxwing Bombycilla cedrorum

Cedar Waxwing a'swaying

Marsh Wren Cistothorus palustris

Cliff Swallow Petrochelidon pyrrhonota

Tree Swallow Tachycineta bicolor

Tree Swallow Tachycineta bicolor

Purple Martin Progne subis

Purple Martin Progne subis

Snow Goose Chen caerulescens

American Bittern Botaurus lentiginosus

Least Sandpiper Calidris minutilla

Least Sandpiper Calidris minutilla

Least Sandpiper Calidris minutilla

Least Sandpiper feeding

Marais me

  It’s starting to get “Dan passing out” hot out there. We got some fantastic looks at Blackpoll Warblers at the water’s edge at Halte des Pêcheurs in St-Louis-de-Gonzague. Oddly, I ticked my first Blackpolls at the exact same spot...on May 24, 2016. Neer-neer-neer-neer, neer-neer-neer-neer (Twilight Zone theme).
  We didn’t end up seeing any of the more coveted reed-skulking species at Marais St-Timothée, but it was great to see American Bitterns again, and, my birds of the day, Least Sandpipers. They displayed an interesting range in plumage coloration, and oh how they skittered. Dan thought the Marsh Wrens were goofy and hilarious.

Marais de St-Timothée, (St-Louis-de-Gonzague) May 24, 2018
Pied-billed Grebe-1
Double-crested Cormorant-3 (2)
American Bittern-1 in the ditch by the parking lot, 1 flushed when we went up the observation tower
Great Blue Heron-2 attending a nest
Great Egret-7
Snow Goose-(1)
Canada Goose-8 (5)
Mallard-25+ (2)
Blue-winged Teal-1
Turkey Vulture-3
Osprey-(1)
Northern Harrier-(1)
Wild Turkey-1 dead on the road nearby
Common Gallinule/Moorhen-1
Spotted Sandpiper-3
Least Sandpiper-6
Ring-billed Gull-3 (3)
Herring Gull-2
Great Black-backed Gull-1
Common Tern-1 (1)
Mourning Dove-1
Ruby-throated Hummingbird-1
Downy Woodpecker-1
Northern Flicker-1 (1)
Willow Flycatcher-2
Eastern Kingbird-4
Warbling Vireo-2 (2)
American Crow-2 (1)
Barn Swallow-1
Cliff Swallow-(12+)
Tree Swallow-10+ (6)
Purple Martin-4 in a random backyard behind the poutine place we ate at in Beauharnois
Marsh Wren-4
American Robin-5 (3)
Gray Catbird-4 (2)
Cedar Waxwing-(2)
European Starling-4
Yellow Warbler-10+ (9)
Yellow-rumped Warbler-(3)
Blackpoll Warbler-3 (6)
American Redstart-2 (1)
Common Yellowthroat-1 or 2
Song Sparrow-6 (8)
Lincoln’s Sparrow-(1)
Swamp Sparrow-1
Baltimore Oriole-1 (2)
Red-winged Blackbird-15 (9)
Common Grackle-10+ (6)
Brown-headed Cowbird-(2)
American Goldfinch-3 (1)

Small day southwest, April 23, 2017

Marais de St-Timothée

Bufflehead Bucephala albeola

Tree Swallow Tachycineta bicolor

Rusty Blackbird Euphagus carolinus

European Starling Sturnus vulgaris

American Tree Sparrow Spizella arborea

  Went for a late 'n' lazy jaunt down to the St-Louis-de-Gonzague area this afternoon with Dan. As per usual at this location (for some reason), Dan was sitting slumped on rocks fairly regularly - I'm going to get him a coffee I.V. on wheels for next time. No warblers, but quite a lot of icterids about - it was awesome to get decent looks at a Brown-headed Cowbird and a few Rusty Blackbirds. At Marais de St-Timothée, only one Great Blue Heron was spotted, but apparently not nesting - this time last year saw at least three occupied nests at the site.
  I may go look for warblers tomorrow, because life is short and boring.

Paint it Blackpoll Warbler

St-Louis-de-Gonzague

Marais de St-Timothée

Canada Goose Branta canadensis

Canada Goose Branta canadensis

Common Tern Sterna hirundo

Cliff Swallow Petrochelidon pyrrhonota

Warbling Vireo Vireo gilvus

Red-winged Blackbird Agelaius phoeniceus

Blackpoll Warbler Setophaga striata

  Turns out the Blackpoll Warblers were at St-Louis-de-Gonzague and Marais de St-Timothée! Finding a target bird is always fun, and a bit surreal in this case. Guess I'll have to try to find some of those rarer warblers now, heh heh. Dan and I headed southwest this morning, and it was birdy as all get-out. At SLDG we got out of the car to the sound of at least 80 Common Terns near the bridge, with over 20 Cliff Swallows wallowing overhead - they seem slow for swallows. Several Barn and Tree Swallows were also present.
  The mimids were also out in full force - we had a Brown Thrasher and Gray Catbird there as well, and even a Northern Mockingbird perched at the roadside near town. A male Baltimore Oriole was showing well nearby.
  At Marais St-Timothée, several more Gray Catbirds and Blackpoll Warblers, as well as two Spotted Sandpipers, and single examples of Eastern Kingbird, Least Flycatcher, Warbling Vireo, and Baltimore Oriole. The temperature maxed out at 30 today, so I'm a bit wiped out, I may add some more details later. Dan was crumpled in the bushes at one point because of the heat, poor fella.

St-Louis-de-Gonzague/Marais St-Timothée, April 16, 2016

Birding with the crowd

Spent the morning reeding

Marais de St-Timothée

Marais de St-Timothée

Gadwall Anas strepera

Eastern Phoebe Sayornis phoebe

Tree Swallow Tachycineta bicolor

  Bleary-eyed and disoriented like a newborn giraffe when Dan showed up at the ungodly hour of 8:30, I stumbled into Dan’s trusty Prius yesterday morning. We headed back to St-Louis-de-Gonzague to re-try our luck with the vaunted Pink-Footed Goose. Once again, the goose did not fail to disappoint, with not even a hint of the 3,000 Snow Geese it conspires with. Headed north perhaps. 

  We ran into a large group of birders from a Vaudreuil birding group there, and followed them to the nearby Marais de St-Timothée (marais = swamp). Swamps are such lovely places, I’m not sure why they get such a bad rap. We spent an agreeable couple of hours picking through the ducks hiding amongst the stumps, and enjoying the bounty of those cavorting metallic cigars, the Tree Swallows. The Vaudreuil birding gang were truly a cheerful and welcoming bunch of folks, hopefully our paths will cross again further down the road. I do still find it a bit surreal to be around so many other birders, after birding in Korea for so long, a land where each birder is issued their own province.

  On the way back to Montreal, Dan slammed on the brakes as a large flycatcher zipped across the road. I quick-deployed like a member of some tooled-up birding SWAT team, and ran back to follow the bird to the tree where it landed. I heard it first – Eastern Phoebe! It perched there pumping its tail like a shrike, and I managed to get a crappy record shot, as this was a lifer for me (I know, right?).

  The key problem with this otherwise-joyous situation was that the tree in which it was perched happened to be in the front yard of a farm house. This particular farm house featured a massive pick-up truck in the driveway, and a front yard littered with the toys of a young child. And here I am, some random scruffy guy dressed in green running up and lurking out front, aiming a big camera in the direction of the house. I saw movement behind the curtains then heard a door open, so I made a calm retreat back to the car. As I walked back I swear I heard the faint sound of a pissed-off Paul Bunyan-type racking a shotgun shell into the chamber. Or was it just the wind? I made a show of waving my field guide around to show Dan what I'd seen, hopefully the international gesture for harmless birder (as opposed to deranged highway peeping tom). A reminder to never break one of the unwritten rules of birding – never point optics at someone’s residence.

  In other news, I’m headed to Prévost tomorrow for a few days of music and birding – should be awesome! Hopefully some early migrants will be passing through.

Pied-billed Grebe – 1 heard

Great Blue Heron – 3 on their nests

Great Egret – 1

Canada Goose – 65+

Mallard – 5

Gadwall – 1 pair

Northern Shoveler – 1 pair

Redhead – 1 pair

Ring-necked Duck – 3

Hooded Merganser – 1 pair

Common Merganser – 6

Turkey Vulture – 3

Northern Harrier (‘Busard Saint-Martin'?!) – 1

Red-tailed Hawk – 1

Killdeer – 1 heard

Ring-billed Gull – 10+

Rock Dove – 4

Mourning Dove – 1

Belted Kingfisher – 1

Hairy Woodpecker – 1

Eastern Phoebe – 1

Blue Jay – 1

American Crow – 3

Tree Swallow – 35+

Black-capped Chickadee – 1

American Robin – 4

Cedar Waxwing – 3

European Starling – 10+

American Tree Sparrow – 3

Song Sparrow – 12+

Dark-eyed Junco – 6

Red-winged Blackbird – 20+

Rusty Blackbird – 3

Common Grackle – 12+

Brown-headed Cowbird – 1