Just a bit of the bike trail

Fromagerie with the best frozen yogurt and sundaes!

After checking the weather today I was determined to get out this evening. I went out birding since this would be the last nice day I spend in Trois-Pistoles. As I think to myself 'Where is close?' - because I have plans with friends in an hour -I remember a small dirt road near the gas station (the one across from the fromagerie) that goes down a hill.  I  bike to this and then walk. The trail to my disappointment ends very quickly. I am not ready to turn back yet so I start walking through the bushes towards the train tracks.

I hear many birds calling from my nice view and the lighting is great so I walk down the tracks for a bit and get sparrows, robins, crows goldfinches and common yellowthroats.

Common yellowthroat (4 seen, 6 heard)
American tree sparrow (2)
American crows (8)
American goldfinch (5)
American robin
Red-winged blackbird
Black capped chickadee

 The sun setting reminds me I'm already late and I turn back before my light runs out. It was short but very satisfying to get outside and see some wildlife on my last evening here.

Sentier National

After a relaxing morning a group a friends and I went for a walk along the Sentier National (national trail). With beers and lunches packed we biked the five minutes to the closest entrance of the trail which was beside Riviere de Trois- Pistoles and hiked up along the river.

Within a few minutes we were seeing picturesque scenery's with rapids and small waterfalls. We stopped to have lunch and a beer nearby a small waterfall.

Further up the trail we found the large waterfall that we were actually looking for. It looked beautiful but we had been cautioned to not swim there because 13 people have died in the past. We found a shallower calm area to swim in lower down the river.

In the hills a lot of collected water had formed vernal pools.... Yes my mind went to herps as soon as I saw these beauties. You just know somethings gotta be living around this area.

As I was drying off from the swim I was joined by a really pretty metallic wasp.

 

 

Sentier National is one of my favorite places in Trois-Pistole. I would go there every day if I could. 

Beach and Waterfalls

Again to celebrate Friday we went for a picnic on the beach nearby the waterfall. Again the tide was very low when we got there at 12 but this would be a great place to kiteboard. We watched as the tide came in VERY quickly and were pretty glad we hadn't tried to walk to the islands.

Students relaxing and checking out the tide pools

The tide pools had shrimp, fish and sea worms in them that would scatter away from you as you glared into the waters.

Tide pools

A friend and I stayed after the others had all left and a few more people met up with us later during the day. We swam and hung out by the falls until the black flies were unbearable to most.

First Herp in Trois-Pistoles!

It had been raining for the past few days and overnight. The dew still clung to the grass and puddles were slowly evaporating in the days sun. I excitedly rushed out of class and walked towards the house where I eat lunch wondering what would be in store for us that day.  Wait what was that... on the sidewalk?! Someone on their bike almost hits me as I stop dead in my tracks. This little two-lined salamander was lucky today. It was stepped on but luckily not squished. A piece of his tail was stuck to the pavement and he was drying out in the sun. He was still alive and after I carefully separated him from the sidewalk and dumped some water on him he got more active.

Northern two-lined Salamander (Eurycea bislineata)

I found a small creek near the school and left the salamander in this quiet place in the hopes that he would be alright.

Trois-Pistoles: Some local exploring

After class today I escaped to the beach nearby a water treatment plant. There was a lot of birds out and the weather was amazing.

 Great black-backed gulls

Great black-backed gulls

Ring billed gulls
American Tree Sparrow

Tree swallows
Duck sp.

Where a small river met the big river there were a lot of  well camouflaged wading birds running around. At first I saw one lesser yellowlegs. I followed this for a few minutes and realized so many rocks were moving! Wait those are just a ton more birds.
Killdeer (1)

Killdeer

Greater yellowlegs (9)
Lesser yellowlegs (1)

Black- capped chickadee


There was a feeding frenzy of gulls and ducks that were too far away for me to identify. I bet there was a lot of species in there I would have enjoyed seeing but I didn't have a scope.

Picnic dans Trois-Pistoles

On this beautiful day it was hard not to stare out the windows during my first class. Luckily I made a good choice for my afternoon workshop (l'ecologie)! Today we got outside to enjoy the weather by having a picnic.

American Goldfinch

 After a few minute bike ride up the hill on Jean-Rioux we cut left and went up a small grass/dirt path towards the large cross on the hill. This path crossed over a field where I saw a few birds. It continued winding through woods and up the hill. The view of Trois-Pistoles was gorgeous.

View from the top of the hill

I could hear birds singing in the woods. Wildflowers and bushes were blooming.

Flowering bushes littered the hills

 

Another Bird By the Sea

Today I took my friends Beka, Brooke and Karmen to the docks before dinner. It wasn't very warm out and the girls were tired but Brooke and I took a short walk along the beach when the tide was lower. I saw a fair number of gulls and other birds but none new. The most interesting birds were Great black backed gulls and a Spotted sandpiper. There were also small fish and shrimp like creatures in

Spotted sandpiper

On highway 138 west towards Riviere du Loop the fields were turned white. Snow geese in such large numbers really do make fields look like they are covered in snow! There were 100s of them!

Photo Credit: Brooke Boyd

Snow geese

Strugles with languages

This a very challenging and frustrating to be in a place where I can't communicate with other people easily. I needed an escape. During our 20 minute break this morning I went into the bush east of the school looking for birds. I saw a savannah sparrow, grackles, American robins and a red admiral butterfly.  An American woodcock scared the crap out of me when I flushed it out of the bushes. I followed it a bit but it would always fly off way before I'd even see it.

Red admiral

Savannah sparrow

For my ecology class (en fracais) we went down to the docks (quai) and had to answer a few questions. It was about a 5 minute bike ride from the school. I love being so close to the water and I'll definitely be back when I have more time. At the docks I saw :

Surf scooter

Surf scooter

Gulls
Black bird in the water> unknown Cormorant

Common grackle
American crow
American robin


Later that night we went to the sugar shack for a tour, to eat a whole lot of maple syrup candy and dance. At the sugar shack I saw:

Yellow-rumped warbler
Chickadees
American robins
Grackles
Chipmunk
Red trillium

Fiddle head ferns

A large bumble bee

Other warblers were calling but none were identified

Trois-Pistoles

After a very exciting road trip from Ottawa to Trois-Pistoles where we (Brooke, Beka, Karmen and I)  got lost in Montreal due to our exit being closed (they cover the street names so we had no idea we had passed it even), small car problems (the protective sheet metal dragging on the ground as we drive through downtown Montreal) which were solved with a smile at Canadian Tire. Being so late due to all this mess in Montreal meant that I wasn't able to stop and take pictures on our drive up. There was a lot of beautiful scenery along Hwy 20 after Montreal. Gulls were flocking in the 100's and flying in intricate spirals.

I met my host family and we are staying in a basement apartment of a very nice house with an older couple. The house is about 20 minute bike away from Trois-Pistoles. The host family has a cottage nearby and I am excited to go birding there soon. There are a lot of bird around here. I heard them calling this morning when I went for a short walk.

I wish I had come early. The urge to explore is killing me. This is ironic because the name of the program I am in is explore. The truth is I am a bit worried about them having everything planned for us and not having enough free time to see the area well.

As I struggle to learn this overwhelming language I will try to get out and see the wildlife that this area has to offer.