Deborah Powell
Sixteen members of the Club des ornithologues de l’Outaouais (COO) headed west from Gatineau, November 4, for the annual “Midwest Adventure”. There were some good hawk sightings as they birded their way up to Quyon, where they were joined by local Pontiac birders. On the water at Quyon, there were Canada Goose, Green-winged Teal, Common Goldeneye and Mallard. There was also a bird of prey that was glimpsed too briefly for positive identification! Group guide Daniel Toussaint stopped near Bristol Mine to talk about the Bank Swallow, a threatened species that nests in the area. While the Bank Swallow is now in its winter home in South America, participants were treated to a flyover of 55 Snow Bunting tha have travelled almost as far, coming down from the Arctic to winter in our area or on their way a bit further south. Birds were scarce and distant at the Norway Bay wharf (pictured above) with just Canada Goose, one Bufflehead and a couple of Mergansers.
