Tuesday, May 1, 2007

Just for the record

27-28 April 2007

It poured for most of the weekend but, we still went out and managed to bolster the year list with a few nice birds. We stopped off at Victoriaville and the Reservoir Baudette (not sure of the spelling). What a great local patch that place must be. Of interest was the first Bonaparte’s Gull of the year, also a female Black Scoter and ten Oldsquaw. Yes I know the name is now Long-tailed Duck but Oldsquaw is infinitely better if slightly derogatory to the Injuns. We then went of to the Chaudiere Valley which is about 90km south of Quebec City. The valley is flooded in many places and we had some excellent birding despite the weather. Our main target was four Glossy Ibis which we quickly found. Next was a Common Teal, still only a variation of Green-winged Teal here for some unaccountable reason, remember that the next time North America claims to be two years in front of Europe and don’t even get me on the phone system! Anyway, I regard it as a good species and tick it. We found it fairly easily then birded the floods for several kilometers catching up with one of the Horned (Slavonian) Grebes. A little later we came across another Common Teal and, checking back at the first which was still in situ, added it to the self found in Quebec list.

Sunday contrived to be wetter still but the lure of a Wilson’s Phalarope saw me perusing the flooded fields of the Richeleau at St-Blaise. The phalarope was not present but the birding was nice despite the precipitation. Heading home I checked out St-Lazare sand pits just as the rain ended. It turned out to be a very serendipitous stop as Broad-winged Hawks suddenly decided to move. I sat and watched a total of 22 go north including a minor kettle of seven. Osprey, Red-shouldered Hawk, Sharp-shinned Hawk and Red-tails rounded off a nice hawk watch, a couple of Greater Scaup and a handful of my first Yellow-rumped Warblers for the year made it even better. The last addition for the month was a fine Palm Warbler at the pits followed by another near my home later, time to get out dawn and duck for the next seven weeks I think.
Below a few record shots, they are awful I know but it is a listing blog, I will explain your disappointment when making a pitch for a new camera!














The Chaudiere Valley, or at least part of it.
























The main reason we went there, one of the Glossy Ibis.




















Horned Grebe looking horned in a grebe like way.

















Ambition is a fine thing, so it a Hooded Merganser.

















Despite the rain, I still take (bad) pictures, Wilson's Snipe.

















The wet look is in for American Wigeon this year.


















As the blog post title promised a record shot, this is a Palm Warbler.


















The nearest of the Broad-winged Hawks to pass over.



















Back with a bang, Savannah Sparrows are everywhere.

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