Blue Sea Lake Birding

July 6, 2014

Today we joined Brenda McCrea and her husband Ed at their Blue Sea Lake cottage for some birding.  On the way over from Lac des Cèdres, we stopped at the creek and saw a mother Wood Duck with a bunch of babies, a Swamp Sparrow, and an Eastern Bluebird by the farm.

Just as we rolled into the McCrea drive, it started to drizzle, so we postponed the start of our birding for a half hour, while we watched a hummingbird come to the feeder.

Just a few metres from their cottage, we turned down Chemin Hutchison towards Grant Lake.  Bird Song was everywhere, and Brenda knew most of the perpetrators.  There was no traffic, so we hiked slowly along until we came to a junction.  The right fork was gated, but we went around anyway.  Brenda knew that the owners were not there, as they only use their property for hunting.

Soon we came to an area of scrubby bush that Brenda said was good habitat for Canada Warbler.  A little pishing soon got a response from the gorgeous male.  It went back and forth across the road, and even perched for a photo.  Brenda was sure that it's nest was nearby, so we moved quickly on.

We came  to a cottage under construction with nobody home.  It was on Grant Lake, but the waterfront was swampy and the lake shallow and weedy - good for birds, but not swimming.  We saw a couple of Common Loons with a newborn chick.

We retraced our steps and took the other fork down to the Hutchison place, where we met the whole clan.  They have a nice place, but the lake front on Grant Lake is not that desirable.

We returned to Brenda's, and she showed us their waterfront area across the road and bike trail (former rail bed).  We said goodbye and started for our own place.

On a whim, we turned up Chemin des Trois Collines to look at the house that was for sale.  Besides the house, we discovered a large area of lots for sale, that were high over the lake.  We could see Blue Sea and both Cedar Lakes from up there.  There were occasional trees, but it was mostly scrubby habitat.  We saw several Common Yellowthroats and Savannah Sparrows, and an Indigo Bunting in full sun.

Bird List

1. Eastern Bluebird
2. Wood Duck
3. Red-winged Blackbird
4. Swamp Sparrow
5. Ruby-throated Hummingbird
6. American Robin
7. Ovenbird
8. Black-throated Blue Warbler
9. Red-eyed Vireo
10. Canada Warbler
11. White-throated Sparrow
12. Hermit Thrush
13. Song Sparrow
14. Veery
15. American Redstart
16. Common Loon
17. Common Yellowthroat
18. Northern Flicker
19. Savannah Sparrow
20. Cedar Waxwing
21. Indigo Bunting