Loon Chicks and Cottage Birding

July 9/10

We decided to bird in the opposite direction to our usual jaunts.  We headed up towards Forêt de l'Aigle, stopping at the turn to Lac Cayamant.  There was a lot of bird song, so we got out and played the tape briefly.  There were many Common Yellowthroats that responded along with a single Chestnut-sided Warbler and an Eastern Chipmunk.  An adult Yellow-bellied Sapsucker came in, and I also noticed a juvenile sitting high up on a branch.

Our friend Terry had told us about an interesting gated road, just past the creek, so we decided to investigate.  As he reported, it led down to a clearing with a couple of trailers at a point where the creek tumbles into a lovely pool.  This is where I saw an Ebony Jewelwing damselfly.

Then we checked out the other side of the road, hiking down old trails on each side of the pond, which was made by beavers.  It looked like one could launch a canoe in there.  Here I saw a River Jewelwing damselfly and Barbara got on a young Song Sparrow.

Back at the lake, it was time for our July Loon Count.  This time we saw 17 adult Common Loons including one on the nest at Seagull Rocks and a pair with two very young downy chicks.  We also saw a whole bunch of Common Mergansers lines up on a rock.  They were almost fully grown, so it was hard to tell which one was the mother.