Sunset is a great time to spot and hear some unusual birds. I have a few favourite spots where I go to watch the American Woodcock’s courtship display, which begins at 8:30 p.m. Right now, there are also loads of Yellow Warblers along the bike......

It was a warm spring day, with lots of opportunities to see birds before the leaves are out. We had some nice surprises this morning including some firsts of the season for me! The highlights were the yellow warbler, the rose breasted grosbeak and sheer......

Sign up for five outings to identify birds in Sutton this spring. The outings are about 3 hours each and are rain or shine. Bird identification walks with bilingual guide Jason Campbell Saturday May 3: 7am-10am: Sutton Curling Club parking (left)– 26 Rue Pleasant Saturday......

It was the final hike of this year’s spring series. The weather began misty with occasional sunny breaks. As our group of 11 participants gathered in the parking lot and introduced ourselves, we enjoyed listening to the distinct songs of the birds around us. We......

We had a dynamic group this morning with many regulars and a family of 4 that came for the first time (father, twin daughters and grandmother).  There was some confusion about binoculars and twins which resulted in me learning something new about the difference between......

It was the first group hike of the season for me. I was very excited to start this series of outings and was not disappointed. The birds were singing like crazy, many species at a time, and it was so fun picking out the different......

If you are looking for guided birding hikes this spring, I just added 2 more hikes that will take place in Frelighsburg.  These are free outings provided by the Fiducie foncière du mont Pinacle. Although they are free, you must sign up.  Here are the......

Nature is awakening. The birds are singing. It is spring. I get a little buzz of pleasure each time I recognize a bird song that I have not heard in months. To hear the individual birds singing within the wonderful sounds of spring requires familiarity......

Over the winter holidays I took a family vacation to our favourite spot, Samara Beach. It was our 4th time in Samara. It was an amazing trip with lots of time at the beach, birding and plenty of time to read and relax. I have......

Sign up for eight outings to identify birds in Sutton this spring. The outings are about 3 hours and are rain or shine. Bird identification walks with bilingual guide Jason Campbell Saturday May 4: 7am-10am: Sutton Curling Club parking – 26 Rue Pleasant Sunday May......

We had a pleasant hike this morning in the PENS trails on a very foggy morning. The fog made it more difficult to locate birds by sound, giving the impression that the sound was coming from all around! I want to thank everyone who participated......

It was a fine day at Huttopia.  A comfortable temperature with little wind and lots of birdsong.  As we approach summer it is harder to spot the birds that we hear.  I was pleased that we got a good view of the Blackburnian warbler which......

It was a rather cold morning. However we were four enthusiastic birders and we observed a total of 29 species in and around the Goyette-Hill park.  Canada Goose Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) Mourning Dove American Bittern Pileated Woodpecker Alder Flycatcher Eastern Phoebe Great Crested Flycatcher......

We had a pleasant Saturday morning hike rewarded with the idyllic, lake spruce. On the way up to the lake we learned mnemonics to the songs of the black-eyed blue warbler, the ovenbird, the red eyed vireo and the black-throated green warbler. As we approached......

Our outing on Sunday evening included 3 kids – it is great to get the young ones excited about birds. I chose to stay in the village, checking for birds between the curling club and the train tracks on rue Pleasant/215  and on the bike......

The magnolia warbler was the star of our activity this Sunday morning at the Mont Pinacle. Some of our group who were beginning birders might have been overwhelmed by the number of warblers species that were present, but it really was a treat for me......

Another pleasant morning at Huttopia –  this is one of my favourite places in the area to go birding.  There were so many birds singing at once it was hard to concentrate! Hearing the Scarlet tanager was a highlight for me and seeing the Chestnut-sided......

It was an exceptionally beautiful spring morning with the temperature about 15 degrees.  We were coming off a cold spell which made the nice weather even more appreciated both by us and the birds. The grade 1 class was curious and imaginative.  We did listening......

We had a beautiful morning listening to birdsong around Sutton school and on the Village-Mountain trail. I met Kelly and her class of about 24 students in the school yard at 8:30.  After a quick workshop on using binoculars we took a stroll around the......

It was the first group hike of the season and also the first sunny and warm day in about 1 week.  We were 7 birders. We started around the Boyce marsh, going up the 215 to the bike path then along the bike path into......

This is an excellent article about how observing birds helps maintain mental health. I wholeheartedly agree. Click here (french only). https://www.lecharlevoisien.com/2023/03/15/notre-sante-mentale-et-les-oiseaux/...

Sign up for nine outings to identify birds in Sutton this spring. The outings are about 3 hours and are rain or shine. Bird identification walks with bilingual guide Jason Campbell Saturday May 6: 7am-10am: Sutton Curling Club parking – 26 Rue Pleasant Sunday May 14:......

It was a great pleasure to participated in the Christmas Bird Count for the first time this year. I had heard about the Christmas Bird Count but honestly did not think I would see any interesting birds in the middle of winter.  I generally concentrate......

Early risers such as Sutton market merchants might have seen a group of six cold and wet birders roaming the streets of Sutton this morning.  We were a smiling group, peering into trees with interest, inching close to people’s yards and trudging through schoolyards.  We......

It was a beautiful, sunny Saturday morning for birding and I had the goal of reaching lac spruce. In the past 5 years I’ve never reached lac spruce in these hikes as 3 hours is just not long enough to get there and back with......

It was a beautiful sunny morning at the Huttopia campground. The birds were singing and the group was very friendly, and enthusiastic.  What more could we ask for! The highlight for me was hearing the Mourning warbler. I wish we could have seen it but......

The morning started out cool.  We circled the parking lot where several campers had set up for the night.  Here we heard the glorious song of the winter wren, who has a long and complicated story to tell. We got a good view of the......

A big thank you to Kelly, the kids and educators who participated in the birding activity this morning! It was great to see some of the kids take a big interest in pointing out birds, learning bird songs, making lists, using binoculars, hanging out with......

See more photos and list of species below. We had a lively burst of activity in the first section of the PENS trail with a black and white warbler, black-throated green warbler blue warbler, chickadees and other birds that we could hear.  After this generous......

I visited to Leamington this spring to be right in the action for the spring bird migration. I was only there for 4 days including 2 days of travel and the weather was cold a wet.  I did see some great birds and also met......

Our first organized evening hike was exceptional.  We had a chance to listen to the flute-like beautiful song of the hermit thrush for as long as we liked.  After a short hike up the trail we returned to the village near the park on the......

It was a very warm morning at Huttopia with a group of 18! The highlight was the Raven’s nest with 3 ravens in it.  No chicks yet but a little family gathering nonetheless. Also, we tried to find the Blackburnian warbler singing in the hemlock......

We had a large group of enthusiastic birders for our second hike of the season. Many also attended last week’s hike and others were new. Some of the highlights were the northern waterthrush at the start of the bike path on the 215. He was......

It was an impressive first day for the Saturday morning bird hikes. We were a full group with the maximum of 12 participants and many of which had not been on a guided bird activity before.  There were a few species that I think had......

See my article in the spring 2022 version of Le Tour. Hearing birds singing as they return to nest in spring is a thrill. Their voices suggest a lightness that contrasts with the cold, hardship of winter. Every spring I look forward to hearing the......

I am doing group outings to identify birds on Saturday mornings this spring. This is the fifth year of these outings. This year I am doing a Sunday evening walk as well. Please sign up to reserve your spot: info@parcsutton.com 450-538-4085 Bilingual Guide: Jason Campbell......

The Bird Day in Abercorn was a success. We learned about birds about each other and enjoyed a beautiful day in Abercorn.  Thanks again to the organizer François Cusson. We are planning on repeating the event next summer. Here is some feedback from participants to......

We walked the PENS trails for our last outing of the series of nine bird walks among the company of a group of eleven birders. We spent a short time in the parking lots and were rewarded with a good view of a cedar waxwing......

The weather was damp and drizzly. After 8 weekends in a row with hot dry weather we can’t complain!  7 of the 9 birders in our group had not been birding with me before. At first the birds were quieter than usual. As we moved......

Here is a photo of me recording bird songs.  They are hard to see in a dense forest but we sure do hear them!...

It was a warm day with a wind picking up at around 8am.  I camped the night at Hutopia and woke up to the sounds of a wood thrush and winter wren with far off raven calls. By the time we started our hike at......

Family activity for ALL AGES. Saturday, July 10, 2021 Location: Shepard Park in Abercorn Village Guided bird walk Birdhouse making Birdsong workshop Abercorn residents: Adults $25/ – Children free. non-residents: Adults $35 – Children $15 See details>>...

We had a pleasant walk around the village on a rather cool morning. It was about 8 degrees and the leaves are fully out, making it a bit harder to view the birds than earlier in the spring. I guess the spring honeymoon is over.......

I’m on vacation in La Malbaie. I took a 3-day road trip with my mom along the St-Laurence river. The landscape is playful with houses seeming to be dropped randomly on hills, fields, cliffs and beaches.  It is also majestic and mysterious with fog rolling......

Today was a warm spring morning that felt much more like summer.  It was 20 degrees at 7am!  At the base of the mountain the leaves are almost fully out, but as we hiked up the mountain the leaves were smaller, providing less cover and......

We had beautiful weather all weekend and the birds seemed to appreciate it on our walks at Hotel Horizon/Hutopia. A birding highlights of our Saturday group was a nest where we saw ravens and their young.  Another highlight was a broad winged hawk that circled......

Read the cover article about Nature Nerding in the May 11 edition of the Brome County News. Way to go Jessica and Rebecca! https://www.sherbrookerecord.com/brome-county-news-may-11-2021-edition/ Click the images below to enlarge:    ...

Photo: Warbling Vireo – Photo from e-bird: © Don Danko Wow!  All I can say is “wow”.  30 species in one morning? Including a warbling vireo – a species I have never seen before!  So a great morning for birding in what is probably the......

This morning I went birding with the students of grade 3 and 4 of Sutton Elementary school as well as with Kelly, Maude and Claire.  It was a great day for birding. Earlier this spring (April 8) we wend birding in the village. We checked......

See my article in the spring version of Le Tour: L’observation des oiseaux enchante de nombreuses personnes. Il peut sembler banal d’observer les oiseaux, mais une fois que l’on commence à les identifier sur le terrain, l’intérêt se transforme souvent en passion. Comment repérer et......

A great way to get into birding is to meet other people interested in birds. This spring each Saturday morning you can join a birding group from 7am to 10am at locations around Sutton. All are welcome! Fee is based on voluntary donations. A PENS......

This summer I helped organize and animate a kids ‘Birds Camp’ for the Sutton School of Art. I led the kids on bird walks to identify the different bird songs and birds that we observed around the school buildings which are in a magnificent location......

A nice day at Hutopia – the weather was cool and comfortable, and the campground seemed to be at capacity. We started our walk in the lower parking lot and along the road. Birdsong wafted in on the breeze from all around us. Then we......

It was a hot morning! We met in the curling club parking at 7am just as the market was setting up across the street. There were a lot of birds today despite the heat. We walked towards the park, throughout the park then along the......

Today was a great day for birding.  Our group of six met at the Hotel Horizon parking lot and spent about 1 hour  looking, and especially listening, to birds in the field across the street. Then we headed up the path towards the Hutopia central......

There were thunderstorms in the forecast and one couple cancelled, however, at 6am this morning it was clear, sunny and 15 degrees.  We were 7 in all and started out listening for birds in the parking lot before heading up the trail to lac Spruce.......

This morning I saw 30 species of birds in a 90 minute walk near my house! This is the best week of the year for birding because the warblers and other migratory birds are back and the leaves are not fully out so you can......

Here are some tips for birding around Sutton. If you want to see Brown thrashers and Chipping sparrows, as well as lots of crackles, song sparrow and robins head over to Domaine Gagné. For ruby-crowned kinglets and flickers head to Domaine Mont Louis.  For swamp......

After a week of cold wet weather, the forecast for today was warm and dry.  It actually reached about 15 degrees Celsius. But at 6am it was still around minus 10 degrees Celsius .  My hands and feet were cold but it was definitely worth......

I heard my first American Robin of the season in Sutton this morning on Pleasant street at about 9am.  It is only March 9th!  Other years it was much closer to April 1st!  Spring is coming!...

On the morning of January 9, 2020 it was the last day of my 25-day trip to Costa Rica. I went over Christmas with my family and did lots of birding! We visited Monteverde, Samara Beach and La Fortuna. This particular morning I woke up......

Join us from 7am to 10 am for a guided bird walk every Saturday morning in May and June 2020 Fee is based on voluntary donations Also a PENS membership or day pass will be required (I can arrange the day pass).   HIKE DATES......

June 1, Huttopia 8 degrees C. The leaves at Huttopia are out, so it was mostly birding by ear. We heard a lot of birds but did not see very many.  We had a pretty large group, 8 people  We walked up to the river......

PENS hiking trails. Group of 6 hikers. Started hike at 7am it was 8 degrees Celsius. By 10:30am it was 16 degrees Celsius. It was very foggy in the village this morning but was not foggy up on the mountain.  What started out chilly turned......

Huttopia May 18, 2019 8 degrees, 8 people Had an amazing hike at Huttopia this morning with a really nice group. We heard and saw a lot of birds on the walk up to the main “centre de vie” building.  Once in the woods the......

We were a group of seven. It was only 4 degrees, but a nice day with not much wind and sunny breaks.  When the sun shone, we noticed that the birds sang more. Since the leaves are not out it was easy to spot birds. ......

I took a little 4 day vacation with my mom in Cape May New Jersey.  It is near Wildwood, at the tip of the cape.  Many migrating birds land on the cape so it’s a birding hotspot.  We are very close to the beach, staying......

Huttopia/ Plein Air Sutton 21 species It was a damp, foggy morning.  The ground was muddy and my fingers were cold.  Despite this, I think that the birds were happy to have a break in the rain because they were all singing!  We had seen......

I woke up early this morning and could hear a robin singing through my closed window.  I decided to go for a walk to the Beauregard golf course and the loop of streets nearby. It was still minus 10C out at 6am!  But there were......

This was for spring 2019.  See dates for spring 2020. Join us from 7am to 10 am for a guided bird walk every Saturday morning in May and the first 2 Saturdays in June. Fee is based on voluntary donations Also a PENS membership or......

Check out this interview  for Brome Bird News with Tatsiana Thompson, Jessica Adams and myself (Jason Campbell) 2 years ago. Click here to watch:  https://vimeo.com/211371406  ...

Huttopia/Sutton Plein Air. 27 Species: It was a beautiful day on Saturday. Only 10 degrees at 7am but warmed up as the thousands of people who were on the mountain for the XMan race must have appreciated. The cars were streaming by going to the......

Huttopia/ Plein Air Sutton 26 species The migration is mostly done here now, the birds that we hear are likely the ones that are nesting. This is our fifth Saturday morning hike and because of the Xtrail race we did the hike at Hutopia rather......

PENS Chalet 840 Temperature 17 degrees Rainy, foggy day. The leaves at the base of the mountain are almost completely out, up at higher altitudes they are about half-way out. 14 species We started at 7am but it started raining at 7:15! I kept going......

PENS Val Sutton trail 7 degrees c. 13 species 4 hikers. The leaves are just starting to come out on the mountain so it still easy to spot birds, though in the village the leaves are almost fully out. We walked down the road to......

PENS: Saturday May 12th, 2018 7am-10am 3 degrees. Leaves are not out yet. Number in group: 19 Bird species: 18 Another cold start this morning. Frosted windshield and only 3 degrees. But it was sunny and warmed up quite a bit by 10am. This week......

2 Locations: PENS Val Sutton trail and the pond at Domain Gagné Saturday May 5th, 2018 7am-10am Number in group: 7 Bird species: 13 We did our first Bird hike of the season last Saturday. Friday night was very windy and knocked down trees in......