Whenever I need to run away from home for 12 or 24 hours, Montreal is my destination of choice. My 24 hours in Montreal began with a visit to Morgan Arboretum, a property owned and maintained by McGill University. With guide in hand I hoped to see owls, white-winged crossbills and other species. The woods are gorgeous. The walk meditative. Occasionally, I encountered a skier. After coming up empty on the yellow trail I detoured onto the orange trail. Minutes later I heard and saw a Pileated Woodpecker.
I packed it in shortly afterwards for a spot of shopping on Rue St. Catherine and the underground malls.
The next morning after a hearty breakfast I headed, as planned, to the Biodôme, Insectarium and Planetarium. The attractions are in close proximity to La Tour du Parc Olympique (Olympic Park’s Tower). The Park’s website declares, “At 165 metres, the Olympic Park Tower is the tallest inclined tower in the world! Its 45-degree angle is awe-inspiring, especially when you consider that the Leaning Tower of Pisa’s tilt is only 5 degrees!”
La Tour du Parc Olympique
Biodôme de Montreal
The Biodôme is home to mammals, reptiles, aquatic life, primates, and 73 species of birds. This trip represented my third visit to the Biodôme. Here are some of the avian species I saw:
Common Murre
Black-legged kittiwake
Black Guillemot
Barrow’s Goldeneye
White-faced whistling duck
Spangled Cotinga
Whimbrel
Scarlet Macaws
Ruddy Turnstone
Roseate Spoonbill
Razorbill Auk
Lesser yellowlegs
King penguin
Northern rockhopper penguin
Male Common Eiders
King Eider
Male Harlequin Duck
Female Hooded Merganser
Female Common Eider
Insectarium de Montreal
The sheer number, beauty and variety of insects are incredibly fascinating. I could easily spend hours here. Unfortunately, I didn’t have my notebook to jot down the proper names of the insects I photographed.
Cicada
Beetle
Beetle collection
Insect
Insect
Moth
Insect
Planetarium Rio Tinto Alcan
At the Planetarium there are a multitude of interactive exhibits including the opportunity to touch and lift a meteorite fragment. You may recall this recent meteoric event:
Piece of the Chelyabinsk Meterorite
For more information about all three attractions along with a wealth of information on various subjects, please click here
Food
Whenever I am in Montreal I have to eat at either Reuben’s or Fiore Bistro. I decided to eat at Fiore Bistro. The food is hot, delicious and reasonably priced. Portion sizes are generous.
Fiore Restaurant
I had the salmon. So good, so tender, so filling. Je t’aime Montreal!
Salmon for lunch
* I bought a new camera about a week and a half ago. This was my first spin with the camera. Unfortunately, I didn’t realize the date stamp feature was activated.
Burlington Ontario Birder 