1907] Winter Birds in Montcalm County 181 



NOTES ON WINTER BIRDS IN MONTCALM COUNTY, 



QUEBEC. 



Bv L. McI. Terrill. 



During each December of the past two winters I have 

 spent a fortnight camping north of Lac Tremblante, Montcalm 

 County, Que. The weather from Dec. 8th-20th, 1906, was 

 excessively cold, with the exception of two or three days, the 

 thennometer dropping as low as 35 below zero, though the 

 average was about 12 below. This was probably the cause 

 of the appearance of large packs of wolves from the north, 

 which in turn drove the deer closer to civilization. 



This year, during the same period, we had rain or snow 

 for several days (so mild in fact that at least one bear, one 

 chipmunk and two specimens of a species of hibernating moth, 

 had been induced to leave their winter quarters). The wolves 

 had not put in an appearance, and the deer were more scattered. 

 In 1906 the ice on Lac Tremblante was a foot or more in thick- 

 ness on Dec. 9th, whilst this year it had not taken on the day 

 we left, Dec. 21st. 



Of the birds observed the woodpeckers outnumbered all 

 others, five species being noticed; namely, downy, hairy, Arctic 

 three-toed, American three-toed, and pileated woodpeckers. 

 I have named them in order of abundance, only a few specimens 

 of the pileated being observed each year. I did not record the 

 American three-toed woodpecker in 1906, bvit probably over- 

 looked it. 



When drilling for larvae the pileated woodpecker can be 

 heard at a much greater distance than any of the others. Then 

 in turn the three-toed woodpecker makes more noise than the 

 hairy and downy. If one had a fine perception of sound he 

 might in time almost name the different species by the sound 

 made in drilling. 



The American crossbill and pine grosbeak were noticed 

 daily, and both were feeding principally on the seeds of coni- 

 ferous trees. I heard a grosbeak singing on three or four occa- 

 sions. Pine siskins were noted abundantly, and less commonly 

 the redpoll, (.4. linaria) brown creeper, white and red-breasted 

 nuthatch, whilst the ever present black-capped chickadee was 

 everywhere. The difference in the abundance of the jays was 

 notable. I have no record for the blue jay in 1906, though there 

 may have been a few, while in 1907 they were numerous. Com- 

 pare this with an abundance of Canada jays in 1906, and a 

 scarcity in 1907 almost corresponding to that of the blue jay 



