George Montgomery Bird Sanctuary.
The George Montgomery Bird Sanctuary at Philipsburg is situated on the shore of Missisquoi Bay, south of Montreal, at a point where the foothills of the Green Mountains meet the plain of the St. Lawrence Valley. The Sanctuary includes samples of most ecosystems found in the region and most species of birds occurring in southern Quebec and northern New England have been seen here. The beaver pond supports Wood Ducks, Least Bitterns, Sora and Virginia Rails. Migration brings in Warblers, Vireos and Sparrows and birds to watch for include Golden-winged, Tennessee, Nashville, Chestnut-sided, Cape May, Magnolia, Bay-breasted and Cerulean Warblers, Yellow-throated, Blue-headed and Red-eyed Vireo, Eastern Towhee and Field, Chipping, Clay-colored and Grasshopper Sparrow. To get there take the Champlain Bridge from Montreal and Autoroute 10 east to Highway 35 south and Highway 133 south. Continue past the flashing light at Philipsburg and cross to the east side of the highway at the Motel de la Frontière. Note the small Bird Protection Quebec sign, enter the motel drive, and park in Bird Protection Quebec parking lot just south of the motel.
Île aux Perroquets.
Located at the northern tip of Quebec's Lower North Shore, 870 km east of Quebec, Île aux Perroquets is a group of four islands located in the western sector of the Mingan archipelago, approximately 4.5 km off the north shore of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, Québec. These islands are: Île aux Perroquets (2.7 ha), Île de la Maison (14.6 ha), and the northern (Caye Noire) and southern islands of Île du Wreck (37.8 ha). This is a good site to see Leach's Storm-Petrel, Great Cormorant, Common Murre, Razorbill, Black Guillemot, Atlantic Puffin and Common and Arctic Tern all of which breed here. Common Eider, Red-Breasted Merganser, Ring-billed, Herring and Great Black-backed Gull, should all be seen. During fall migration, flocks of up to a thousand “peep” sandpipers (likely Semipalmated, Least or White-rumped Sandpipers) can be found on the tidal flats surrounding Île du Wreck.To get to the island from Havre-Saint-Pierre, check out local boat companies, which, between June and September, run regular trips out to the island. It takes about 45 minutes to get there.
Ile Perrot, Montreal.
Located just off the western tip of the island of Montreal, the habitat on Ile Perrot includes fields, woodlots and open water. In early spring, the waters off Windmill Point are among the best in the Montreal area for waterfowl viewing. Large flocks of diving ducks and geese are common, and smaller numbers of loons and grebes are regular. In spring migrating shorebirds and passerines pass through. During both spring and fall migration it is a good site for watching raptors as they cross the St. Lawrence River. In winter both Lapland Longspur and Snow Bunting are common. To reach Ile Perrot, take the autoroute 20 from Montreal, cross the Gallipeau Bridge at St-Anne-de-Bellevue and then turn left at the second set of traffic lights after the bridge. This road takes you the full length of the island and ends at the park entrance.
Mont St-Bruno.
Located about 20km south of Montreal on the south shore, Mont St-Bruno is in the Parc National du Mont-Saint-Bruno, that has five lakes, an apple orchard, and dozens of kilometres of woodland trails. It is an important woodland habitat in the Greater Montréal urban environment and over 200 species of birds have been recorded here. The best time is in May during spring migration when good numbers of passerines pass through. To get there from Montreal take the 40 east to the 25 and head south to the tunnel, pick up the 20 on the south shore the follow the 30 west and watch for the signs.
Mont Tremblant Park
Mont Tremblant Park is the largest of the provincial parks in Quebec, situated on Autoroute 15, about an hour and half north of Montreal. The area is vast and the birding outstanding with a huge range of boreal species not easily found elsewhere in the region, including Black-backed Woodpecker, Boreal Chickadee, Gray Jay, Olive-sided, Yellow-bellied, and Alder Flycatchers, Philadelphia Vireo, Wilson’s and Palm Warblers, Fox and Lincolns Sparrows, White-winged Crossbill, Pine Siskin and Evening Grosbeak. Other notable birds seen here are Ruffed and Spruce Grouse, Red-headed, Three-toed and Pileated Woodpecker, Bicknell’s Thrush, 25 species of warbler including Golden-winged, Chestnut-sided, Magnolia, Cape May, Bay-breasted and Blackpoll Warblers, Lapland Longspur and Snow Bunting.
Morgan Arboretum, Montreal.
The Morgan Arboretum, a 245-ha preserve of woods and fields, provides consistently good year round birding. This is a good site to look for owls and Great Horned, Northern Saw-whet, Barred and Eastern Screech-Owl have bred here, while Great Gray and Boreal Owls have been found here in winter. Spring migration brings in many warbler species and 26 species have been recorded, of which a dozen species or more nest here. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Downy, Hairy, Three-toed, Black-backed, Pileated and Red-bellied Woodpeckers can be found and Olive-sided, Yellow-bellied, Alder, Willow, Least and Great Crested Flycatcher either nest or pass through. In the fall, the Arboretum offers one of the best sites in southern Quebec from which to observe the raptor migration. Sharp-shinned, Cooper’s, Red-shouldered, Broad-winged and Red-tailed Hawks, Golden Eagle, Merlin and Northern Harrier can all be seen. Check the feeders around the Conservation Centre in winter for Black-capped Chickadee, Red-breasted and White-breasted Nuthatch as well as possible Purple Finch, Pine Siskin, Evening Grosbeak and Rose-breasted Grosbeak. There are a number of trails that, given time, one should walk. The Morgan Arboretum is in the northern part of Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue at the extreme western tip of the island of Montreal. From Highway 40, take exit 41 for Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue and follow the signs for Chemin Ste-Marie. Turn left at the stop sign at the top of the hill on to Chemin des Pins and follow the signs for the Pines Office. The Arboretum is open every day of the year from 9 am to 4 pm.
The Cap Tourmente National Wildlife Area.
Located on the north shore of the St. Lawrence River, about 50 km east of Quebec City, this wildlife area offers a contrasting landscape at the junction of the St. Lawrence Lowlands and the Canadian Shield, the northern and coniferous boreal forests. The habitat consists of mixed-wood forests, ponds, fields and fresh and saltwater marshes. Recognized as a wetland of international importance (Ramsar site) in 1981 and renowned for the remarkable spectacle of tens of thousands of Greater Snow Geese in the spring and, especially, the fall, the wildlife area is home of more than 300 species of birds. It is on the Atlantic Flyway, and during the migration months gets large numbers of passerines passing through. There is an Interpretation Centre here which is worth visiting. From Québec, take route 138 towards Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré. At Beaupré, follow the Wildlife Area's tourist directional signs.
Westmount Summit, Montreal.
This small woodland to the west of Mount Royal Park is a migrant hotspot. The time to be here – if possible – is in May when impressive numbers of passerines arrive and rest for a while. Warbler fallouts can be as good as anywhere in the province. Other birds that could be seen are Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Pileated and Downy Woodpecker, Black-capped Chickadee, Olive-sided and Great Crested Flycatcher, Red-breasted and White-breasted Nuthatch, Brown Creeper, Swainson’s Thrush and Indigo Bunting. To get to Westmount Summit from Côte-des-Neiges Road, take Belvedere Road up Westmount Mountain, turn right onto Summit Road and drive to Summit Circle, which takes you to the park.