A day in Moonbeam

The weather forecast called for rain all weekend, except for a day of nice weather in Moonbeam on Friday, so that's where we went.  We went to René Brunelle Provincial Park and Moonbeam Sewage Lagoons, Moonbeam's two best spots to see birds in May.

René Brunelle Provincial Park was quiet, not a lot of campers were there yet because it's still early in the season.  This made it a perfect day to look for birds. We spent over 4 1/2 hours there.  The warblers were very active and singing non-stop everywhere. 

Magnolia Warbler / Paruline à tête cendrée
René Brunelle Provincial Park (27 May 2016)

Bay-breasted Warbler / Paruline à poitrine baie
René Brunelle Provincial Park (27 May 2016)

Snowshoe Hare / Lièvre d'Amérique
René Brunelle Provincial Park (27 May 2016)

Moonbeam Sewage Lagoons was our second stop.  The first pond of the lagoons had been emptied that week, so the bottom was mostly all mud.  This usually attracts a number of migrating shorebirds.

Semipalmated Plover / Pluvier semipalmé
Moonbeam Sewage Lagoons (27 May 2016)

There were 6 Semipalmated Plovers, 3 Dunlins, 1 Least Sandpiper and 6 Semipalmated Sandpipers.  I wish I was there this coming week to see what else might show up! For the last 2 years, we've had Wilson's Phalaropes at the Lagoons in May 2014 and 2015.  I was hoping to see some, but no luck.

Dunlins / Bécasseau variable
Moonbeam Sewage Lagoons (27 May 2016)

We saw a total of 6 American Coots.  That was the biggest number I had ever witnessed at this spot.  We usually see 1 or 2.

American Coot / Foulque d'Amérique
Moonbeam Sewage Lagoons (27 May 2016)

In the trees surrounding the lagoons, we observed this Blackpoll Warbler.  Unlike the other warblers that we see here, this one doesn't breed in our region, it is migrating north for the summer.

Blackpoll Warbler / Paruline rayée
Moonbeam Sewage Lagoons (27 May 2016)