MarkHows
Monday 28th July 2003, 11:28
Combining a business trip in Montreal with a bit of a holiday tour did not lend itself to a full on birding trip, particularly as the trip was too late for the migration, my target was 100 lifers.
Saturday 7th June
Having arrived the previous evening and early start was not on the cards and a touristy day was planned. First stop was the olympic stadium complex and its famous biodome. Cliff swallows were nesting on all structures and a field sparrow was with a small group of house sparrows easily distinguishable from them. The biodome was well worth a visit. American robins were everywhere on the walk to the botanical gardens which yielded lots of new species although common, baltimore oriole, chipping sparrow, american goldfinch, catbird, lots of waxwings, an american wigeon with the mallards on the lake but the best bird was a brewers blackbird. Also this is the best place to see chipmunks they are very tame.
Sunday 8th June
An early trip to Mont tremblant was the order of the day, the hour or so trip produced marmots and turkey vultures, the touristy things were done in the town and then some walking in the woods and up the mountain. This produced warbling vireo, veery, black capped chickadee, chat and the best bird of the day a lone lark sparrow out in the open on the mountain, the birding was hard due to the dense foliage and we retreated to the town for refreshments. After some lunch a trail which would loop through the woods and back via the lake was taken. It produced pileated woodpecker dive bombing us, downy woodpecker, a possible bobcat disappearing into the undergrowth and a cape may warbler was spotted . The lake only produced yellow warbler and, as we were leaving the water moved and an otter swam into view.
Monday 9th June
Unfortunately the entire day was taken working, took a short walk to the river and saw tree and bank swallows.
Tuesday 10th June
Managed a trip to l'bizard in the evening with a Birdpal member in search for a hummingbird, it is an excellent place for birding, Yellow warbler immediately in the car park, but nothing on the lake at all. The marsh was different however, wood duck and a whole family of hooded mergansers was spotted, while the pied billed grebe sat motionless on a nest and unnoticed until a fellow birder pointed it out. Belted kingfishers and eastern kingbirds dashed around. Least and Great crested flycatchers hawked for insects. further on by a beaver dam was prime woodpecker territory a downy woodpecker put in an appearance, followed by northern flicker and then the pileated incredibly close, and a yellow bellied sapsucker showed off. There were the usual starlings, blue jays etc around but we did pick up and I must admit not identifying it myself a rusty blackbird, I did spot the song sparrows however. The marsh wren site produced several calling birds but no sightings. A Scottish couple living locally now told us of a tree in which hummingbirds are commonly seen, we unfortunate did not see any and carried on to the last pond wood ducks, a hawk of some sort which we were unable to ID, then right in front of us a beaver surfaced and swam off to the dam. A quick stop on the way back produced a ruby throated hummingbird on the famous tree, then getting great views of a rough winged swallow sat in a tree.
Wednesday 11th June
Despite the rain I took an afternoon walk on il st helene, plenty of marmots were around, cormorants, black crowned night herons, ring billed gulls and a lone greater black backed gull were seen on the river. The rest of the site produced house finch and a grey cheeked thrush along with the usual fare.
Thursday 12th June
Managed some time in the afternoon after working to go the cemetery and up mount royal, the cemetery was by far the best, much quieter, it produced red tailed hawks, my first indigo buntings of the trip, there is a section with lots of nestboxes stuffed full of house wrens. I had excellent views of a hairy woodpecker returning every few minutes to its nest to feed young. A red eyed vireo and easten pewee were in the woods and several brown thrashers were around.
Friday 13th June
Despite the heavy rain, I made it Toronto for a non birdwatching day, the weather improved and most of the day was had sightseeing before driving north to the Lake Simcoe area.
Saturday 14th June
I set off at dawn to Tiny marsh, it was a little misty and there were large numbers of canada geese goslings and some wildlife photographers and a fisherman who had beaten me out. Osprey, blue winged teal and dozens of black terns entertained me on the marsh along with a pied billede grebe. There were some more ducks but they were far off and even with a scope to distant to identify. However the swamp sparrows kept me interested. The walk through the woodland / shrub / farmland alongside the marsh and river produced lots of birds, common yellowthroat, redstart, phoebe, alder flycatcher and a caspian tern flyover were the pick. On to Wye marsh (entrance fee) which is famous for its trumpter swan re introduction program and I was not disappointed about a dozen adults were on the marsh along with lots of turtles. The only other thing of note was a musk rat. My next stop was carden plain (get the excellent booklet from tourist info) I stopped at the canal lift first and then onto the main birding area. Eastern meadowlarks and savannah sparrows were easily spotted, all the bluebird nests were occupied by tree swallows but there were lots of bluebirds around. An upland sandpiper was clearly visible at the top of a bush. I carried on and a broad winged hawk was perched 3 feet away from me, I had to stop for the clay coloured sparrow in the road and had to back up to watch it is it approached. I left the plain and turned round for another pass where a purple finch on the top of a small tree, common nighthawks were abundant in the sky. Sedge wrens could be heard but not located and I had a tip off where the loggerhead shrikes were nesting but it was getting to dark and I could not spot them (I could have easily spent more time here allow 1 full day).
Sunday 15th June
Did the touristy thing at Niagara several American herring gulls were easily spotted amongst the ring billed gulls.
Monday 16th june
Visited Long point, the observatory had long since closed for the season I birded the area without seeing much out of the ordinary. I carried onto the point itself caspian terns were around along with several kildeers, the usual birds were around. I moved onto Big Creek marsh for sedge wrens and sandhill cranes, the marsh was closed so I had to find some other places, the day was not going well. I visited Rowanwood Sanctuary which turned up a co-operative magnolia warbler and a massive black snake and finally a bobolink, I visited a few ponds and marshes with nothing to note except a willow flycatcher.
Saturday 7th June
Having arrived the previous evening and early start was not on the cards and a touristy day was planned. First stop was the olympic stadium complex and its famous biodome. Cliff swallows were nesting on all structures and a field sparrow was with a small group of house sparrows easily distinguishable from them. The biodome was well worth a visit. American robins were everywhere on the walk to the botanical gardens which yielded lots of new species although common, baltimore oriole, chipping sparrow, american goldfinch, catbird, lots of waxwings, an american wigeon with the mallards on the lake but the best bird was a brewers blackbird. Also this is the best place to see chipmunks they are very tame.
Sunday 8th June
An early trip to Mont tremblant was the order of the day, the hour or so trip produced marmots and turkey vultures, the touristy things were done in the town and then some walking in the woods and up the mountain. This produced warbling vireo, veery, black capped chickadee, chat and the best bird of the day a lone lark sparrow out in the open on the mountain, the birding was hard due to the dense foliage and we retreated to the town for refreshments. After some lunch a trail which would loop through the woods and back via the lake was taken. It produced pileated woodpecker dive bombing us, downy woodpecker, a possible bobcat disappearing into the undergrowth and a cape may warbler was spotted . The lake only produced yellow warbler and, as we were leaving the water moved and an otter swam into view.
Monday 9th June
Unfortunately the entire day was taken working, took a short walk to the river and saw tree and bank swallows.
Tuesday 10th June
Managed a trip to l'bizard in the evening with a Birdpal member in search for a hummingbird, it is an excellent place for birding, Yellow warbler immediately in the car park, but nothing on the lake at all. The marsh was different however, wood duck and a whole family of hooded mergansers was spotted, while the pied billed grebe sat motionless on a nest and unnoticed until a fellow birder pointed it out. Belted kingfishers and eastern kingbirds dashed around. Least and Great crested flycatchers hawked for insects. further on by a beaver dam was prime woodpecker territory a downy woodpecker put in an appearance, followed by northern flicker and then the pileated incredibly close, and a yellow bellied sapsucker showed off. There were the usual starlings, blue jays etc around but we did pick up and I must admit not identifying it myself a rusty blackbird, I did spot the song sparrows however. The marsh wren site produced several calling birds but no sightings. A Scottish couple living locally now told us of a tree in which hummingbirds are commonly seen, we unfortunate did not see any and carried on to the last pond wood ducks, a hawk of some sort which we were unable to ID, then right in front of us a beaver surfaced and swam off to the dam. A quick stop on the way back produced a ruby throated hummingbird on the famous tree, then getting great views of a rough winged swallow sat in a tree.
Wednesday 11th June
Despite the rain I took an afternoon walk on il st helene, plenty of marmots were around, cormorants, black crowned night herons, ring billed gulls and a lone greater black backed gull were seen on the river. The rest of the site produced house finch and a grey cheeked thrush along with the usual fare.
Thursday 12th June
Managed some time in the afternoon after working to go the cemetery and up mount royal, the cemetery was by far the best, much quieter, it produced red tailed hawks, my first indigo buntings of the trip, there is a section with lots of nestboxes stuffed full of house wrens. I had excellent views of a hairy woodpecker returning every few minutes to its nest to feed young. A red eyed vireo and easten pewee were in the woods and several brown thrashers were around.
Friday 13th June
Despite the heavy rain, I made it Toronto for a non birdwatching day, the weather improved and most of the day was had sightseeing before driving north to the Lake Simcoe area.
Saturday 14th June
I set off at dawn to Tiny marsh, it was a little misty and there were large numbers of canada geese goslings and some wildlife photographers and a fisherman who had beaten me out. Osprey, blue winged teal and dozens of black terns entertained me on the marsh along with a pied billede grebe. There were some more ducks but they were far off and even with a scope to distant to identify. However the swamp sparrows kept me interested. The walk through the woodland / shrub / farmland alongside the marsh and river produced lots of birds, common yellowthroat, redstart, phoebe, alder flycatcher and a caspian tern flyover were the pick. On to Wye marsh (entrance fee) which is famous for its trumpter swan re introduction program and I was not disappointed about a dozen adults were on the marsh along with lots of turtles. The only other thing of note was a musk rat. My next stop was carden plain (get the excellent booklet from tourist info) I stopped at the canal lift first and then onto the main birding area. Eastern meadowlarks and savannah sparrows were easily spotted, all the bluebird nests were occupied by tree swallows but there were lots of bluebirds around. An upland sandpiper was clearly visible at the top of a bush. I carried on and a broad winged hawk was perched 3 feet away from me, I had to stop for the clay coloured sparrow in the road and had to back up to watch it is it approached. I left the plain and turned round for another pass where a purple finch on the top of a small tree, common nighthawks were abundant in the sky. Sedge wrens could be heard but not located and I had a tip off where the loggerhead shrikes were nesting but it was getting to dark and I could not spot them (I could have easily spent more time here allow 1 full day).
Sunday 15th June
Did the touristy thing at Niagara several American herring gulls were easily spotted amongst the ring billed gulls.
Monday 16th june
Visited Long point, the observatory had long since closed for the season I birded the area without seeing much out of the ordinary. I carried onto the point itself caspian terns were around along with several kildeers, the usual birds were around. I moved onto Big Creek marsh for sedge wrens and sandhill cranes, the marsh was closed so I had to find some other places, the day was not going well. I visited Rowanwood Sanctuary which turned up a co-operative magnolia warbler and a massive black snake and finally a bobolink, I visited a few ponds and marshes with nothing to note except a willow flycatcher.