Date: 09/27/2009

Number: 1

Canadians have some additional signs of fall. Many of our bird species leave Canada, but fly only to locations in the United States, not international destinations. These are not remarked on by your Journey South program.

Among the birds that fly south from Canada are many warbler and sparrow species, loons, ducks, and geese, snow geese as well as Canadian. Yes, there still are Canadian geese which live according to the old ways, and fly north in the spring and south in the winter. And one of the most delightful experiences of fall (and spring)is to hear the cacaphony of flying geese approaching (and they are unbelievably noisy...you can hear them a mile away!)and then to spot the flock, flying in its curved or V formation overhead, on its way to the general assembly on the Ottawa river for the return south.

I've several stories about geese, one about a flock landing on a still-frozen lake in the spring and actually melting the thin film of ice with their body heat, and another about seeing endless flocks of south-bound snow geese, spirally down like snowflakes to land in a field in the Beauce area of Quebec...a spectacular sight.

I'd like to hear from Americans who also see these flocks, and I'd like to know where they make their winter homes.

As of this weekend, the loons are still on the lake. Hummers have long departed. Merganzer ducks seem to have departed. Saw the great blue heron fly by, so he's still around.
Squirrels and chipmunks are very busy under the feeders (I always throw out handfuls of seed to keep them off the feeders!)

Last flowers are struggling...much of their foliage is shrivelling. We are waiting for the first "killing frost" to put the end to them, and then the leaves als

Morin Heights, QC

Latitude: 45.9 Longitude: -74.3

Observed by: sandy
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