QUEBEC 
ports of Eurasian Wigeon included one at Ca- 
couna 7 Sep (G. Gendron), 2 at Lachenaie 14 
Oct (G. Cyr et al.), 2 at Plaisance 19-27 Oct 
(R. Schryer et al), and one at lie des ScEurs 29 
Oct (S. Duval). A female Northern Pintail ac- 
companied by 3 young at Deception Bay in 
late summer would represent the northern- 
most breeding record in the Region OFP)- The 
only Canvasback of the season was at Yamas- 
ka Park 13 Nov (M. Berlinguette, M. Maheu). 
Normally undetected in early fall, King Eiders 
were widely reported in e. Quebec, including 
7-8 on the lower North Shore between Aug 
and Oct (fide OB, SD) and one on the Gaspe 
Peninsula. The 10,000 Common Mergansers 
estimated at Philipsburg 27 Nov (JGP) repre- 
sented by far the species’ largest concentration 
in fall, in fact five times higher than the previ- 
ous count of 2000 at the same place 26 Nov 
2005 (A. Lacasse, E. Samson). A flock of 9 
Wild Turkeys at Saint-Martin 30 Nov contin- 
ued a recent trend in the Beauce region (N. 
Nolin, P. Rodrigue). 
Northern Fulmars were regular on the 
North Shore, as far w. as Tadoussac from early 
Aug through Oct; one even strayed farther w. 
to Riviere-Ouelle along the s. shore 6 Aug 
(JFR). A Sooty Shearwater at Tadoussac 19 Sep 
was very unusual so far upriver (SD, OB, SBe). 
Single Manx Shearwaters were located in the 
Tadoussac area 30 Aug-5 Sep (RP, MM, m.ob.), 
at Saint- Vallier 14 Sep (G. Lord), and at Trois- 
Pistoles 20 Sep (JP. Rebel et al). Out-of-range 
Northern Gannets included 2 at Trois-Rivieres 
7 Aug (fide RBa), one at Sainte-Anne-de-Belle- 
vue 7 Sep (G. Gruner, M. Gahbauer), and an 
imm. at Chambly 4 Nov (L. d’Amours). The 
only American White Pelican turned up at 
Plaisance 22-26 Aug QE Houle, ME. Lessard). 
Up to 4 Great Egrets strayed to the Gaspe 
Pen. in Aug (fide PP), and one stopped at 
Longue-Rive 5 Oct (YR). Two Snotvy Egrets 
showed up at Becancour 1 Sep (B. & R. Mar- 
tin), and one was at Nicolet 15 Sep (L. 
Jacques). An imm. Little Blue Heron was 
identified at Masson 20 Oct (BC et al). Single 
Cattle Egrets were late at Port-Daniel 6-12 
Nov (YC, AC) and at Grande-Riviere 12 Nov 
Q. Quesnel). An ad. Yellow-crovraed Night- 
Heron at Deschenes 5 Aug was a good find 
(RL. Dubois). Single Plegadis ibis at L. Leton- 
dal near Parent 1 Aug (S. Lasalle), Saint- 
Georges-de-Beauce 21 Aug (A. Gilbert, Jide L. 
Legare), and Neuville 14 Oct (A. Couture, B. 
Bare) were most probably Glossies. A Black 
Vulture was photographed at Gaspe 26-27 
Nov (J. Roberts). The 199 Bald Eagles record- 
ed at Tadoussac established a new record- 
high fall flight (SBe, SD). Less encouraging, 
the 801 American Kestrels represented about 
half of that species’ average flight. 
Rare in Abitibi, a Yellow Rail was calling at 
LaMotte 1 Aug (N. Tanguay). A group of 300- 
400 American Golden-Plovers at Baie-du- 
Febvre 26 Oct was the most reported in the 
Region in the past decade (RBa, J. Brunelle). 
An American Avocet at Cap Tourmente 28 
Sep-19 Oct delighted many observers (ph. J. 
Normandeau, C. Vachon, N. Caron). Single 
Willets appeared at Yamachiche 26 Aug-14 
Sep (J. Gdinas, m.ob.), at Rimouski 28 Aug 
(YG et al.), and at Carleton 9 Sep (C. 
Lamarre). A Marbled Godwit was detected at 
LaBaie 30 Aug, a first fall report for Sague- 
nay-Lac-Saint-Jean (M. Tremblay, S. Trem- 
blay). Only 6 Buff-breasted Sandpipers were 
reported, lower than average for fall. The 
same was true of Long-billed Dowitcher, with 
only three reports: an ad. at Saint-Simeon 17 
Aug (AC et al.), one at lie Nue de Mingan 22- 
25 Aug (CB, YR), and a juv. at Montmagny 
19-27 Oct (M. Lavoie). 
GULLS THROUGH CUCKOOS 
There was an unexpected late summer irrup- 
tion of Black-legged Kittiwakes inland, with 
single birds appearing at various sewage la- 
goons in early Aug, notably 2 at the Piedmont 
sewage lagoon 9 Aug (Y. Payette), and up to 10 
birds at the Beauharnois dam for several weeks 
(R. Fortin, m.ob.). It is quite possible that the 
red algae infestation in the St. Lawrence estu- 
ary triggered orientation problems among 
some of these birds and caused them to dis- 
perse inland. Finally, one at Saint-Hubert 18 
Nov was not totally unexpected (RBe). For the 
2nd consecutive year, there was a major irrup- 
tion of Sabine’s Gulls in the Tadoussac area, 
where the species was noted frequently, and a 
maximum count of 9 birds was set 4 Sep (RP 
et al.). Most were juvs., but a few ads. were 
also found. Single birds were also spotted at a 
few other locations. The latest sighting at Ta- 
doussac came 28 Oct (RP). A concentration of 
2000 Bonaparte’s Gulls at Philipsburg 11 Nov 
represented a local high count QGP). Black- 
headed Gulls included 3 in the Gaspe Pen. 
(fide PP) and one or 2 at Tadoussac 4 Oct-7 
Nov (RP et al). The only Laughing Gull visit- 
ed Victoriaville 20 Sep (CR). Franklin’s Gulls 
included singles at Rimouski 5 Aug OP- Ouel- 
let), Longue-Rive 30 Aug (SD, SBe), 
Metabetchouan 17 Oct (SBo), Victoriaville 19- 
24 Oct (CR et al), and Saint-Charles-de-Belle- 
chasse 24 Oct (G. Lemelin). Lesser Black- 
backed Gull was reported from several loca- 
tions, including an ad. at Val d’Or 6 Sep-10 
Oct (ph., C. Siano, R. Ladurantaye et al). 
A Forster’s Tern was a prize find at Tadous- 
sac 26 Sep (SD, OB, SBe). A molting ad. Sand- 
wich Tern was convincingly described at 
Cap-du-Bon-Desir 22 Aug (SBe). Most proba- 
bly, the same bird was well seen and sketched 
out at nearby Les Escoumins 1 Sep (D. Gag- 
ne, Y. Hamel). Finally, this bird was rediscov- 
ered by many and photographed at Tadoussac 
26 Sep (RP et al.). It was seen again 3 & 8 Oct 
at Tadoussac (RP). This provided the 2nd 
record for the Region and the first confirmed 
with a photograph. A dark-morph juv. Long- 
tailed Jaeger was rather far upstream at Riv- 
iere-Ouelie 25 Aug QFR) A few Dovekies ap- 
peared at Tadoussac in Oct, but there was no 
sign of a major irruption (RP et al). A Thick- 
billed Murre was at Bergeronnes 10 Aug (RP, 
MM). The same or another was seen 4 Oct 
(OB). An Atlantic Puffin at Riviere-Ouelle 21 
Sep-11 Oct was out of range (CA, CG). 
A Eurasian Collared-Dove reappeared 21 
Aug at Saint-Anselme, where one spent last 
winter (S. Audet, R. Labadie). A nest of Yel- 
low-billed Cuckoo containing young was 
found between Granby and Farnham 4 Aug 
(ph. G. Landry), and the same observer locat- 
ed a single bird between Iberville and Farn- 
ham in mid-Aug. Finally, singles were at near- 
by Saint-Athanase 13 Sep (P. Laporte, S. 
Matthieu) and at Boucherville 16-18 Sep (Y. 
Drouin et al). One was very late at Perce 30 
Oct-1 Nov (M. Chapdeleine). 
OWLS THROUGH CHICKADEES 
An unusually large movement of Snowy Owls 
was noted along the St. Lawrence R. corridor, 
with a surprisingly early start in the 3rd week 
of Oct. Over 40 birds had already been noted 
by the end of the month, including high 
counts of 12 at the Mingan Archipelago 19 
Oct (CB, YR) and 10 at Anticosti 1. 22 Oct (G. 
Laprise). A stunning count of 14 came from 
Baie-Sainte-Catherine 9 Nov at high tide 
(SD). Many of the owls observed were hatch- 
year birds, and several of these were found in 
an emaciated condition and did not survive. 
Northern Hawk Owls started showing up s. of 
the boreal forest by early Nov, with a total of 
at least 40 individuals by the end of the peri- 
od. Diurnal migration of single birds was not- 
ed on a few occasions at Tadoussac in Nov 
(SD, SBe) and once at Saint-Gedeon 12 Nov 
(SBo). Boreal Owls staged an expected irrup- 
tion, keeping the four-year cycle first detected 
at the Observatoire d’Oiseaux de Tadoussac 
(OOT), with 178 banded at the latter loca- 
tion, with a majority of these being second- 
year birds (A. Benard, M. Tremblay). A new 
project of the OOT aimed at counting migrant 
Common Nighthawks yielded a total of 1907 
birds 22 Jul-22 Aug between count sites at 
Bergeronnes and Sacre-Coeur. An excellent 
description of a Green Violet-ear visiting a 
Saint-Hyacinthe garden 1 1 Oct was accompa- 
nied by a poor but diagnostic photograph, es- 
VOLUME 63 (2009) • NUMBER 1 
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