Parc Île-de-la-Visitation
An urban park located along Prairies River which flows between Island of Montreal and Island of Laval. It is a popular park.
How to get to Parc Île-de-la-Visitation
The park is located north-west of Montreal downtown and accessible by public transportation. Use metro till station Henri-Bourassa (orange line) then continue by bus, line 69, till corner Henri-Bourassa / de Lille, about 10 minutes from metro station. Reach the upper entrance with a short walk of less than 5 minutes.
What to See Here
You have both, forest habitat and water habitat and with this variety an increased number of bird species to spot. Approaching animals for photography is challenging. The park is located conveniently and reachable by public transportation. Nevertheless, not our favorite park.
Photography Tips
Enjoy bird watching, the park is place of many bird species and bird feeders during the winter months. Nevertheless, the park isn't very popular for photography. Because of its location, you have the sun in front of you most of the time and approaching birds is difficult. We identified some spots of interest though.
Forest clearing and bridge: At the upper entrance north, the bridge allows you an overview of the area and watching birds flying by. The clearing shortly before the bridge provides opportunities for bird close up (bushes) and grazing geese.
Small Peninsula: Straight ahead from the entrance, you find a small peninsula where you can get to water surface level. We use this spot for waterfowl photography: Wood Duck (Aix sponsa), Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) and Snow Goose (Anser caerulescens)
Tip near lower entrance: Straight ahead of the lower entrance, once crossed the damn, there is a pond on the right (waterfowl) and a clearing.
West River Bank: Another place where you can get at water surface level providing opportunities to take photos from waterfowls: American Black Duck (Anas rubripes)
Observed Animals by Season
| Species | Spring | Summer | Autumn | Winter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Black Duck (Anas rubripes) | x | - | - | - |
| American Robin (Turdus migratorius) | x | - | - | - |
| American Yellow Warbler (Setophaga petechia) | x | - | - | - |
| Baltimore Oriole (Icterus galbula) | x | - | - | - |
| Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) | x | - | - | - |
| Double-crested Cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus) | x | - | - | - |
| Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) | x | - | - | - |
| Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) | x | - | - | - |
| Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis) | x | - | - | - |
"x" indicates the species was observed, while "-" indicates no observation. Lack of observation doesn't necessarily imply that the species is absent. Data is derived from our park visit journals.
Observed Flowering Plants by Season
| Species | Spring | Summer | Autumn | Winter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bitter Wintercress (Barbara vulgaris) | x | - | - | - |
| Garlic Mustard (Alliaria petiolata) | x | - | - | - |
| Greater Celandine (Chelidonium majus) | x | - | - | - |
| Woolly Blue Violet (Viola sororia) | x | - | - | - |
"x" indicates that the species was observed flowering, while "-" indicates no observation. The absence of observation doesn't necessarily imply that the species was not flowering. Data is derived from our park visit journals.
All content on this page — including photos, videos, and field audio recordings — was created by Karl-Heinz Müller, a Montréal-based wildlife filmmaker, sound recordist, and photographer. Founder of MUUUH and Québec Sauvage, he has spent over a decade documenting Canada’s natural habitats through immersive soundscapes and wildlife films. Learn more about Karl-Heinz
Last updated: 2025-10-23