Sunday, June 3, 2007

The last day of May

May 31st – June 2nd 2007.

With May running out I took the opportunity of another day off work to bird the Huntingdon/Dundee area of Quebec in the hope of one or two of its specialties.

Logging on to the bird news first thing is a habit and a fine picture of not one but two Wilson’s Phalaropes at Baie du Febvre almost made me change my plans and make the drive, however, my appetite for driving versus birding was on the wane and so I stuck with my original plan with just a few variances. I had intended to bird the Huntingdon area first, then move down to Dundee but the prospect of St-Timothee Marsh, almost on the way, tempted me there first. It turned out to be a good choice with Willow Flycatcher, Marsh Wren, Sora and a very showy Least Bittern added to the year list. Bolstered by success I went on to Maple Grove but no Caspian Terns were evident. Two big lumps out on dead trees in the minch turned out to be two Bald Eagles, not new for the year but a May tick.

Here I almost quavered and postulated the Baie de Febvre option again, instead I went to Ste-Martine which was predictably quiet except for a small flock of Chimney Swifts, I like swifts. I moved on and washed up on Carr Front, a small gravel track south of Huntingdon. Field Sparrows sang their bouncy song, largely from cover but a few distant birds showed. I tried several spots along the track trying to pick out the subtle warbler songs despite clatter of Ovenbirds. At the third stop a warbler crossed the track and perched up, it was my prime target, a male Golden-winged Warbler with no wing bars or funny plumage to suggest a family predilection for exotic liaisons with its blue-winged relatives. Further on a stop produced another Golden-winged Warbler, a singer but I couldn’t locate it, nearby a wheeze of towhees were nest building.

Usually such success signals the end of the day’s productive birding so I repaired to the IGA (a grocery shop) to stock up for lunch. I then opted to go east and bird the fly haven that is the Gowan Road. This road offers excellent birding but the flies made very audible noises as they bounced off the car. All of the tracks that branch off the gravel road have Privee declared in bold and, as many of the inhabitants of these parts are Good Old Boys, its probably best to stick to the main track although, to be fair, I could not hear any dueling banjos anywhere.

As it happened I did not need to venture off track and found a singing Yellow-throated Vireo about 300m after the creek going east for those who know it. The woods were alive with flycatchers who will never go hungry here. I relied on deet to keep me sane if fragrant and came away with Scarlet Tanager and Eastern Wood-Peewee added to the year list in addition to the vireo.

My last real target required a short hop over to the Lac St-Francois reserve at Dundee although my knowledge of both the species and its preferred habitat were sketchy. On arrival at the Ch de la Pointe-Fraser I noted a car of birders scanning a damp field. Ambling back from the reserve car park I was very grateful that one of them spoke excellent English although I had spent a good 15 minutes rehearsing a French phrase asking whether they were looking for Sedge Wren. They were and we heard three singing. I saw one fly briefly but wanted more so I went back for the scope as they left and scanned and waited. Eventually one came up into a small shrub and sang its heart out.

The wren was year list addition number nine and the end of an excellent days birding with 109 species seen and taking the May list to 190.

Saturday June 2nd was spent looking for the local Grasshopper Sparrows without luck, either they are not back yet or have been scared off by the recent loud horse thing in the next field. As an afterthought I dropped into St-Lazare sand pits and was greeted by a patch tick, two Red-necked Grebes.
Below are a few shots to enjoy. Despite there being many birds around, not too many wanted their picture taking this week.
















Suddenly Red-eyed Vireos are everywhere.


















Any patch of scrub seems to have a Brown Thrasher belting out its song, we even had one in the garden recently.

















Just a picture of an American Robin.

















One off the offspring of my local Red-shouldered Hawks after a damp morning.


















A Killdeer living up to it's scientific name, look it up, you'll understand my meaning then.































Record shots of the Red-necked Grebes from St-Lazare sand pits. The water is very high there and they could stay, I'll keep an eye on them if they do.

















































A couple of shots of Red Foxes. There were four in a field near Dundee. I'm not sure what the one in the first shot is watching but the second shot is a fine example of synchronised scratching. Oh and not as single rich person in a red coat trying to chase them.

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