Ste Famille d'Aumond and Chemin de la Rivière Gatineau

June 17, 2020

We had decided to go home, but first we drove to Maniwaki and crossed the Gatineau River.  We turned left and drove all along the river and took Chemin Grondin to Lac Saint Joseph.  We were entertained by a mangy fox and deer in the same field, a Chipping Sparrow, a phoebe with a catch and a huge flock of juvenile starlings.

From there we drove to St. Famille and stopped for lunch at the picnic spot where there is an old mill.

After lunch, we went south on Hwy 107.  We stopped at Lac Lannigan where we saw some Cedar Waxwings, Bobolinks and Yellow Warblers.

We carried on to Déléage and went straight through south.  We took the road by the river and came upon a pond beside a farm with a lovely view of the river.  Two very young Hooded Merganser ducklings were swimming in the pond, with no sign of adults.  We also spotted a Killdeer by the shore and a painted turtle on a log.

A few metres down the road, we came to the twin branches Lac Bitobig where we saw a pair of Canada Geese, a Muskrat, another Yellow Warbler and Song Sparrow.

We crossed the river at Bouchette, and headed to Gracefield.   We stopped at La Maison Chaloin, the chocolaterie for some delicious gelato and some chocolates.  We were waiting for the traffic to pass when Bill spotted a bird on the wire across the road - Bluebird!

We continued on our way until near Venosta, when Barbara called out a Red-tailed Hawk overhead with a raven in pursuit.  The end to a fine day of birding.