Last modified on 2023-04-14. This page is dedicated to nature lovers and wildlife photographers who are looking to plan their visit to Belvédère Outremont, Montreal. Our aim is to provide you with comprehensive information about the park's wildlife and help you make the most out of your trip.
A viewpoint on the north-west side of Mont-Royal, adjacent to Montreal's cemetery with view on University and Northern Montreal up to Olympic Stadium.
You can get there by a short walk from metro station Edouard-Montpetit. Walk goes upwards rather steep through a deciduous forest. Look out for mushrooms and forest flowers. Once arrived on top, your efforts will be honoured by a beautiful view on a large part of Montreal and surroundings.
Based on © OpenStreetMap
Mainly a place for macro photography: Mushrooms, flowers and butterflies. Be aware though that in the forest there is low light and you may need flash for good results. Almost certainly, you will see Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura) soaring above you during spring, summer and autumn. Carry with you a 400mm lens if you are interested in taking photos of this interesting bird. There are many other bird species around but we haven't found consistent good conditions for photography.
The main attraction of this place is to watch Turkey Vultures soaring in the sky on search of food and the possibility to see and photograph butterflies on the West slope of the park. The forest on the East side gives opportunities to see forest flowers and different mushrooms.
Butterfly species and flowers change over the months. Early spring there are Mourning Cloak (Nymphalis antiopa) and Eastern Comma (Polygonia comma). In summer and autumn look out for European Common Blue (Polyommattus icarus), Monarch Butterfly (Danaus plexippus) and Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui) among other butterfly species.
| Spring | Summer | Fall | Winter | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| American Robin (Turdus migratorius) | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Birds-Foot Trefoil (Lotus corniculatus) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Bitter Wintercress (Barbara vulgaris) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus) | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Black-throated Green Warbler (Setophaga virens) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bohemian Waxwing (Bombycilla garrulus) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Brown creeper (Certhia americana) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cabbage White (Pieris rapae) | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Canada Goldenrod (Solidago canadensis) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Chipping Sparrow (Spizella passerina) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Coltsfoot (Tussilago farfara) | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Common Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Common Tansy (Tanacetum vulgare) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Eastern Grey Squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| European Common Blue (Polyommattus icarus) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Garlic Mustard (Alliaria petiolata) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Great Crested Flycatcher (Myiarchus crinitus) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Greater Celandine (Chelidonium majus) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Hairy Woodpecker (Picoides villosus) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Large White Trillium (Trillium grandiflorum) | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mourning Cloak (Nymphalis antiopa) | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| New England Aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Siberian Squill (Scilla siberica) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Swainsons Thrush (Catharus ustulatus) | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura) | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Woodland Sunflower (Helianthus divaricatus) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Yellow Trout Lily (Erythronium americanum) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Times a species has been spotted, identified and logged while visiting this park. A species is reported only once / park visit. Consult the page animal tracking about how we log observations in field. Only species shown which we have logged at least 5 times in the Montreal area.
Videos are hosted on Muuuh's YouTube Channel.
Taken on a cold day, slightly snowing, fortunately no wind but also without sunshine.
2023-02-25
NIKON Z6; NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8; Focal Length 24mm; Exposure 1/400; Aperture f8; Iso 125;
Path up in the forest on the North side of the park
2022-05-14
iPhone 11 Pro; iPhone 11 Pro back triple camera 4.25mm f/1.8; Focal Length 4.2mm; Exposure 1/728; Aperture f/1.8; Iso 32;
For high quality, free available photos visit our profile on Unsplash.
Written and regularly updated by Karl-Heinz Müller, Dipl. Natw. ETH, Biology. With 10 years of experience in wildlife photography, Karl-Heinz shares first-hand, on-site collected observations, photos and videos from his frequent visits to Belvédère Outremont, Montreal.
All photos, videos, and text on this page are protected by copyright and are the exclusive property of Karl-Heinz Müller. Reproduction, distribution, or use of any content without permission is strictly prohibited. © Karl-Heinz Müller.