Take your pick: adrenaline packed or slow and contemplative?
Updated on Aug 30, 2022
Although several bird species have already made their way south, others prefer to linger a while longer in the Townships before they finally leave for the winter. This is the case for many anatids, a family grouping such waterfowl as our Canada geese and ducks. Where can you find them? Bernard Héraud, a guide for the Société de loisirs ornithologiques de l’Estrie, uncovers four special vantage points for us to discover in the region.
Last year, we counted more than 3500 snow geese in the Parc de l’Étang Burbank. This pond, located in Danville, is a true oasis for many bird species, in fact, 220 of them! Four kilometres of trails, a playground for your kids, a long, wooden footbridge, measuring almost 300 metres, and three observation towers will have you enjoy a few extraordinary hours. Psst! Either very early in the morning or just before sunset, listen carefully, as thousands of birds gather here. It’s simply amazing!
NB: On October 29-30, the Festival des oiseaux migrateurs will be held in Danville. Take advantage of this period to go see—and hear—all the birds. It’s worth the trip! Really! See a teaser right here!
150 Water St., Danville | 819 839-2771
A little hungry? The public market Mante du Carré, in Danville, is open every Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. all year long. You’ll surely find something to help you concoct a quick lunch! There’s also a little restaurant onsite where, they say, the sandwiches are very, very good!
The four kilometres of trails you’ll find on Île du Marais will allow you to truly appreciate its flourishing ecosystem. Besides all the mammals, reptiles and amphibians, some 190 bird species live on the island. Bald eagles, American bitterns, Canada geese, snow geese are but a few examples of these.
425 rue des Sapins, Sainte-Catherine-de-Hatley | info@iledumarais.org
A little hungry? Drop by the microbrewery La Memphré, in Magog. No matter what you choose—Caesar salad, a smoked meat poutine, a veggie burger, etc.—it will be a good choice. The same goes for your beer choices!
Many easy level trails run throughout this park, established in 1983, and offering a 90% coverage of mixed-wood and coniferous forests. The vast Réservoir Choinière also welcomes an abundant flora and wildlife. More than 230 bird species will stop here awhile at one time or another throughout the year. In autumn, snow geese and Canada geese offer admirers some very spectacular take-offs as they fly out from here!
1780 boul. David-Bouchard, Roxton Pond | 450 776-7182
A little hungry? A lunch salad, a burger, a smoked salmon bagel… To take out or to eat in, the menu of the Café de la Brûlerie will allow you to satisfy your cravings simply and deliciously.
Located in the M.R.C., of Coaticook, the town of Martinville offers a very popular pond for snow geese and Canada geese throughout September and October. Head out to the Vieux-Moulin park, bring along a thermos of delicious coffee or hot chocolate, and admire the show! A cool fact: Mr. Oscar Lessard was the last owner of the grain mill for whom the park was named. You can listen to parts of his story because he’s one of the characters presented on the Pioneer Trail.
At the Junction of Routes 208 and 251, Martinville
A little hungry? Take the direction of Compton, 15 minutes from here, and stop at the cheese factory of La Station. You’ll be able to taste their delicious cheeses, bit into a succulent grilled cheese and purchase, besides your favourite cheeses, a few local gourmet products.
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