A Ruff weekend

5-6 May 2007

Following the discovery of a Ruff on the floods at St-Blaise, a return visit after last weekend’s dip was in order. I just realized that North American readers might not be familiar with the term ‘dip’ or ‘twitch’ or any of the other UK birder terms so:

Dip = to miss the bird you are twitching i.e. the bird you are looking for by making a purposeful trip. You can also ‘string’, which is a claim of a bird seen which is either not true or a self-delusion (either way not good). You can also ‘grip’ which is to tell others of a bird well seen but missed by them (a good example, Henslow’s Sparrow showing close to the road a la the most recent edition of North American Birds), that bird and the notorious ‘east Montreal’ Green-tailed Towhee can also be described as suppressed, that is to not reveal the bird’s presence for no good reason, but that is another topic entirely. In Quebec there is not quite the intensity associated with a suppressed bird as in the UK where, at best, the suppressors are ostracized from the birding scene for a while (or for life for serial offenders), at worst? Well some characters are not above administering the odd ‘slap’.

Back to reality. The Ruff showed nicely if distant and Northern Rough-winged Swallow along with Least Sandpiper were added to the year. We returned home via Montee Smellee (not a made up name) and while Sandra had a nap I enjoyed Field Sparrow, Eastern Towhee and a surprise Red-bellied Woodpecker.

Sunday was quieter and at some point domestics have to catch up but I did slip out around our local lake and managed to take a few photographs.

The fine weather means the mossies will not be far away and deet laden gloop will be required for woodland forays. With this in mind we visited a site in St-Lazare to watch American Woodcocks do their strange display. Nearby a whip-poor-will lived up to its name but refused to hawk the barely lit skyline. Still, I know where they are, even if the next trip after them might end up as a feast for the thousands.

The year list progresses to somewhere in the late 160s. A change in the weather later in the week should dump a few more warblers downtown in Summit Park, I suspect that my last vacation day until June 1st is about to be used.















The Chippers are back but they never stop eating.


















A Ruby-crowned Kinglet with just a hint of ruby.


















Barn Swallow, they are mainly rustier than this one underneath.


















Get orf my wire.



















Black-throated Green Warbler, a pleasure to see.

















Palm Warbler, the eastern breeding version
























More of a full frontal
























Head shot, a bit of movement though


















They may be common but Yellow-rumped Warblers in spring are very striking.