Anyone passing near the border between the Eastern Townships and Center-du-Québec could treat themselves, during their migration, to a stop on the banks of Burbank Pond, in Danville. Birds of all hairs (and feathers), bucolic trails and charming viewpoints will be there.
A stone’s throw from Val-des-Sources (formerly Asbestos) nestles a veritable gold mine for lovers of ornithology, photography or relaxing landscapes: Burbank Pond, surrounded by nearly 4 kilometers of hiking trails, not only allows you to rub shoulders with birds galore, but also to immerse yourself in a wooded circuit that looks like a colorful swamp. Autumn turns out to be particularly crisp in this regard. In addition, footbridges take us to the heart of the body of water to better examine its avian tenants.
All year round, you can access it free of charge via two entrances, located on Rue Water, for a fitness walk on extra-flat terrain. Here and there, guests emerge from the decor, between chipmunks, “croaking” frogs and happy birds detectable by their squawking or their adornment.
Around a bush, you also happen to come across a strange species, lurking on the edges of the pond, ready to take a bite of its prey: it is Homo photographus piafophile, its eye frozen in its impressive objective, watching for one of the 220 species of birds recorded there throughout the seasons.
In autumn, migrants come here to sunbathe, notably geese and barnacles. Illustrative panels placed at the entrance give us an idea of the diversity of feathered guests, for example the numerous passing warblers (it’s a miss to see them this year, we’ll have to wait until they return from the South ). In addition, despite their a priori common status, ducks present a variety of species which is enough to nail the beak…
A resource worthy of note: visitors are invited to consult the ebird.org site (a QR code can be found on the maps displayed along the route), or to share their observations on the latest species seen in the area. Some users are very active! We learned that, at the end of October, hairy woodpeckers, turkey vultures and white-breasted nuthatches were seen. As an uninitiated person, do you feel like someone is singing Chinese to you? No problem, the website leads to a file with photos, recorded song, geographical distribution, protection status, etc.
Interpretation or observation pavilions, benches, picnic tables, as well as long wooden walkways have been set up to make the most of the area. Well, at most… certain sections of these infrastructures have been closed for repair work, sometimes causing the exasperation of some local regulars – one of them did not hesitate to leave messages of impatience on the barriers blocking the way.
The site, managed by a non-profit organization, also hosts activities, such as a migratory bird festival in October, guided tours by reservation in summer, or the possibility of going cross-country skiing or snowshoeing on the trails during the winter.
The flora is not to be outdone, composing very beautiful paintings from one season to the next, the route around the pond winding through plant corridors that are particularly poetic in autumn. A special mention for the beautiful larch trees, with yellowed needles, which echo the multicolored mountains in the background. So, there’s no reason not to go and immerse yourself in this avian microadventure.
