3rd Shrike Survey + Cedar Hill with JC Birding

 June 16, 2026

Birding Report by Jane Burgess

Barb C, Eleanor, Bill and I carpooled with Bill driving.  No Barbara B today, we missed her.  Driving to the first stop, Bill spotted a Brown Thrasher on the road and there was a Savannah Sparrow on the line. Once at the designated  stop, Bill set up his equipment and gave us his instructions, listening and watching for all birds on whatever side of the road he indicated. Eleanor and Barb took one way and I took the other.  But before we even started, we heard Wilson's Snipe, it sang the whole time we were there.  But we never did see it. We walked 200 feet each way for a 20 minute duration, coming back to the car, I reported what I saw to Eleanor.  They reported what they saw to me.  Bill was only interested in certain birds, while I was interested in keeping a trip list for all birds on both sides of the road.  Once done we moved on to the next sight and repeated the process.  Lots of singing Meadowlarks, who not only sang their happy song "spring of the year' but another one completely different.  Bobolinks were singing as well.

I did not hear any Brown Thrashers singing, I just saw them usually with a mouthful of food, so I guess tending to nestlings were their priority.  Walking back to the vehicle on the first spot, I yelled to Bill, high in the sky on the other side of the road -- Broadwing hawk carrying a stick, yes Bill got the shot.

On one of the sights I watched an Eastern Bluebird feed one of its young.  We had a few Field Sparrows, but not even close to the numbers we heard and saw the first time we were doing the survey - perhaps they were passing through.  At two spots we heard Grasshopper Sparrow, but did not see them.  As for Sparrows, we had  a decent number --Song, Savannah, Swamp, Field, Chipping, Grasshopper, Vesper and House.  

Between spots, we stopped at the Upland Sandpiper spot and Bill spotted one right away, we all got to see it despite the fact that the field had been sewn with corn, sometimes it was between rows running away from us, a fast moving little bird.  As we got to the next spot, I spotted a yellow bird high in the tree a good distance away -- Magnolia Warbler.  For me this was the best bird of the day, because it was totally unexpected, the rest of the group thought the Upland Sandpiper was, first seeing it this year for Eleanor.

At one of the spots Barb reported seeing a Bald Eagle, while walking back to the vehicle, I again called Bill, Great Blue Heron in the sky, yes he captured it.

Once we completed all the spots, we went down a road that we had previously seen Sandhill Crane and Vesper Sparrow.  No Sandhill Crane but Vesper Sparrow.  Now I got Eleanor's permission to tell you about the Vesper Sparrow.  It was time for a health break for some of us, and Eleanor said she was going to use the trail and to keep our eyes forward.  When she caught up to us, yeah she had heard the Vesper Sparrow, we bird all the time even during health breaks!!!  Very focused.

We had lunch at Blakeney Park, a pretty little park on the Mississippi, complete with walking trails and outhouse.  There we saw a beautiful butterfly - Baltimore Checkerspot and we had a Baltimore Oriole as well.

Off to Cedar Hill.  We heard a very loud Ovenbird, in fact we heard several.  Once parked we got out and looked for the Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers we always see there.  Nope none.  We walked the road, Eleanor played the mobbing tape, I saw a Yellow-throated Vireo very briefly but enough to identify the bird.  Then a Scarlet Tanager flew in, such a beauty. Then a Rose-breasted Grosbeak, another beauty.  We heard Eastern Wood-Pewee.  Walking further and playing the mobbing tape again, we had a Black & White Warbler come in.  We walked as far as a hunting camp, Bill walked over to the water  -- he had his tick clothes on, the ladies did not, so we stayed on the gravelled area.  Bill came back and said he had seen the Belted Kingfisher (we had heard it) and a Blue-headed Vireo briefly.  Eleanor heard a Pine Warbler.  We heard Veery, at first just part of the song, but after we played Veery, it answered with a complete song, but flew further away from us. 

Walking back we saw a very big dog and his owners.   We stopped to talk, and it turned out they owned 100 acres on either side of the road. Barb asked if the dog had his own room, no but he has his own chesterfield.  Eleanor asked about the shoe tree.  The lady told us it was a memorial for her brother who died of cancer 20 years ago, and she pointed to her brother's shoes.  She said in the winter, the shoes often get filled with empty beer bottles.  She pretty well knew who the shoes had belonged to.  We asked about the Yellow bellied Sapsuckers, no they did not return this year -- too bad.  She also said there was a very young deer still with 'polka dots' on him close to her house in the field of flowers.  When we left we slowed down and watched but did not see the fawn.

We stopped for ice cream -- delicious.  There were two older gents, enjoying their ice cream cones and when done, left on their very expensive motorcycles.  The five span bridge was closed so we took Richie Side road to Dwyerhill then to the 417 home.  Another good day of birding and Bill got his survey work done with 3 helpers.

Species Noted

1. European Starling
2. American Goldfinch
3. Song Sparrow
4. Red-winged Blackbird
5. Northern Yellow Warbler
6. American Robin
7. Mourning Dove
8. Savannah Sparrow
9. Brown Thrasher
10. Eastern Meadowlark
11. Eastern Kingbird
12. Baltimore Oriole 
13. Black-capped Chickadee
14. Common Grackle
15. Warbling Vireo
16. Northern House Wren
17. Wilson's Snipe
18. Gray Catbird
19. Red-eyed Vireo
20. Tree Swallow
21. Blue Jay
22. Great-crested Flycatcher
23. Eastern Bluebird
24. Brown-headed Cowbird
25. Canada Goose
26. Pileated Woodpecker
27. Alder Flycatcher
28. Swamp Sparrow
29. Field Sparrow
30. Eastern Phoebe
31. Chipping Sparrow
32. Rock Pigeon
33. Upland Sandpiper
34. Magnolia Warbler
35. Turkey Vulture
36. Common Raven
37. Great Blue Heron
38. Bald Eagle
39. White-breasted Nuthatch
40. Grasshopper Sparrow
41. Red-tailed Hawk
42. Northern Flicker
43. House Sparrow
44. Killdeer
45. Rose-breasted Grosbeak
46. Vesper Sparrow
47. Ovenbird
48. Eastern Wood-Pewee
49. American Redstart
50. Yellow-throated Vireo
51. Blue-headed Vireo
52. Pine Warbler
53. Belted Kingfisher
54. Veery
55. Black & White Warbler
56. Scarlet Tanager
57. Black-throated Blue Warbler
58. Black-throated Green Warbler
59. Northern Cardinal
60. Ring-billed Gull
61. Broad-wing Hawk
62. Wild Turkey

Critters Noted

1. White-tail Deer
2. Tree Frog
3. Groundhog

First Loon Count

 June 13, 2026

With our big boat ready at last, we made an early morning Loon Count.  We found 4 potential pairs and one solo for a total of 9.  This was a slight improvement from last year.  One was on the nest at Seagull Rocks. We also saw a flyover of an adult bald Eagle carrying food.  There were about 30 Commo Terns also vying for nest spots on Seagull Rocks.

A Common Merganser visited our dock.

We checked out the Jack-in-the-Pulpits that the boys had discovered last week by the creek.

Marais aux Grenouillettes etc with JC Birding

 June 11, 2026

Birding Report by Jane Burgess

We picked up Guy shortly after 7 and proceeded to  des Laiches E.  As we were driving down to the marsh  the fields on both sides of the road were alive with the sounds of Bobolink and we got to see some as well.  About half way down there were 4 Turkey Vultures perched on an old fence.  Tree Swallows were hawking for insects.  We parked and the first thing in order was to put on our rubber boots, it was quite damp.  The wet grass came up to my waist and yes our trousers got wet.

I think we saw 4 American Bitterns, at least that many Black-crowned Night-herons.  In fact we had a very cooperative Night-heron perch on a dead tree while we all took its photograph.   We heard Sandhill Cranes, I looked and looked through my scope, Bill looked and looked but we did not see them, But Bill and Barbara saw them fly by, Guy and I did not.  We saw a Pied-billed Grebe far away, they were singing but deep in the reeds.  We heard Common Gallinule as well, but I guess they were shy birds, they did not make an appearance. Guy and I walked quite a distance on the path, or what we will call a path. The 'path' is riddled with ruts and one had to watch where they walked and of course this interferes with birding.  Looking down at your feet, never gets you birds.  We heard a Belted Kingfisher and saw two Gray Catbirds.  Of course there were many, many Song Sparrows.  Of course I should not mention this, but it was Guy's turn to fall because of the ruts.  Walking back to the vehicle, we had a flyby of a Great Egret and a Double-crested Cormorant.

We spent about an hour and half there.  The weather wasn't too bad, overcast but not raining.

Next up was des Grenouilletres (I call it froggy marsh).  Driving down the road to the marsh, there were no Bobolinks to be heard, not far from the first place, but the habitat was a bit different.  Our rubber boots were definitely needed here.  Bill went to check the river, nothing.  Guy and I were a bit ahead and we saw a Ruby-throated Hummingbird.  About half way the path turned muddy and lots of puddles, very slippery, but this time no one fell.  Hand holding was necessary.  Finally got to the viewing place, oh our big find a Mallard, but after some looking we found two Common Gallinules.  We walked to the Ottawa River.  Bill and Guy saw two Painted Turtles.  What we all observed was the lack of frogs, yes we saw some Leopard Frogs, but when I first went there may be 15 or 20 years ago, there were so many frogs all over the place.  I of course goggled it - the frog decline seen at this marsh is the same reason driving the global amphibian crisis, habitat destruction, agricultural pollution, climate change and infectious diseases.  But pollution and pesticides could be a cause since amphibians have highly permeable skin, they readily absorb agricultural runoff, toxic chemicals, and industrial pollutants from the water.  As well there is a  deadly aquatic pathogen that is the  primary driver of the mass frog extinctions worldwide.  Enough said.  So sad.

Coming back to the vehicle I think we were several inches tall, given all the mud and guck on our boots.  We all took time to semi clean them off and we changed into our other shoes.

Next stop was the Water treatment plant at Masson.  Wow has that area changed, so much industrialization, we drove up to the lagoons, absolutely no birds.  The only thing there was a very pungent odour!!!!! 

As we were turning onto the highway, a Pileated Woodpecker flew by.

Onto Parc Plaisance.  Lunch was in order.  It was getting very hot and muggy.  The park office was closed so we all saved the $10.00 entrance fee.  Trust me we gave at least $10.00 worth of sweat coming back.  We walked the path, hearing warbling vireo and red eyed vireo. We did see a pair of White-breasted Nuthatches.  We very clearly heard a Baltimore Oriole, but finding it was, well we never did find it. We walked to the viewstand, up we went, to find Canada Geese with teenage babies, a single Great Blue Heron, who was obviously very hot (it held its wings in a very odd way) and a single very far away Wood Duck.

Walking back, I think we all felt like we were melting, the steps came slowly, the heat was draining.  We all heard an Alder Flycatcher - its song is free beer, I am sure some of us thought that a Free Beer was a good idea.  I tried calling the Alder in, yes two small birds came in right away, but they picked a tree that we could hardly see the little birdies.

Back at the car, I asked about where Barbara was .  She was off cleaning the mud off her shoes.  I decided to go help, wow there was lots and lots of mud in the sink and on her shoes.  We both worked at it and they were much cleaner (but not clean) when we stopped.  The sink was cleaned  (I learned in Girl Guides to leave the place the way we found it) and off we went home.  No ice cream today.

It was pretty hot -- 31 degrees and I don't know what it was with the humidex.  Birders are hardy souls, we had a wonderful day despite the heat.

Species List

1. Ring-billed Gull
2. European Starling
3. Northern Cardinal
4. American Crow
5. Rock Pigeon
6. Mallard
7. Bobolink
8. Turkey Vulture
9. tree Swallow
10. Red-winged Blackbird
11. Willow Flycatcher
12. Great Egret
13. Great Blue Heron
14. Black-crowned Night-heron
15. Eastern Kingbird
16. American Bittern
17. Pied-billed Grebe
18. Common Gallinule
19. Sandhill Crane
20. Red-eyed Vireo
21. Belted Kingfisher
22. Warbling Vireo
23. Indigo Bunting
24. Song Sparrow
25. Northern Yellow Warbler
26. Double-crested Cormorant
27. Gray Catbird
28. Wilson's Snipe (h)
29. American Goldfinch
30. American Robin
31. Common Yellowthroat
32. Wood Duck
33. Eastern Wood-Pewee
34. Swamp Sparrow
35. Cedar Waxwing
36. Barn Swallow
37. Pileated Woodpecker
38. Baltimore Oriole
39. Alder Flycatcher
40. White-breasted Nuthatch
41. Chipping Sparrow 

Critters Seen

1. Leopard Frog
2. Painted Turtle
3. Bullfrog
4. Muskrat