Muuuh Nature & Wildlife

Welcome to our Guide to Parc Angrignon, Montreal

Last modified on 2023-07-13. This page is dedicated to nature lovers and wildlife photographers who are looking to plan their visit to Parc Angrignon. Our aim is to provide you with comprehensive information about the park's wildlife and help you make the most out of your trip.

Park Angrignon is an extensive urban park consisting of natural areas, a deciduous forest, in spring partially flooded, a large pond, two smaller ponds and an urban park area. What makes this park so attractive for Nature and Wildlife photographer is the convenient accessibility and the unique combination of urban park areas vs. relatively natural kept areas such as the forest along the larger pond.

How to Get Here

The park is located at the end station of green metro line, Angrignon. Leave the station on the opposite site of the bus terminals and cross the large parking lot to get to the entrance near the large pond. In winter you can cross the large pond to get to the forest.

Map Location of Parc Angrignon, Montreal

Based on © OpenStreetMap

Photography Tips

If you are out to take photos of birds, you will need definitively a long lens, 400mm, as birds of prey and waterfowl will be on distance. You are able to get down to water surface level at both ponds. The park also has spots for landscape photography along the large pond.

If you are interested in finding the Eastern Screech-Owl (Megascops asio), I recommend connecting with fellow photographers in the area. They often set up tripods and cameras nearby, as these owls can be challenging to spot due to their excellent camouflage. There are several spots in the forest located to the south of the large pond where you may have a chance to locate them.

The upper portion of the large pond offers an excellent vantage point for observing and photographing the Belted Kingfisher (Megaceryle alcyon) as it hunts. To ensure successful results, I recommend using a lens of at least 400mm and a fast focus.

What to See Here

The park is extensive with different type of habitats and thanks to this characteristics, there are opportunities to see a variety of different species during the different seasons of the year.

Small pond left of metro station and bus terminal: The usual shorebirds and waterfowl species like Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos), Canada Goose (Branta canadensis), Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis). Occasionally, Pied-billed Grebe (Podilymbus podiceps), Double-Crested Cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus), Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias)

Large pond: Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias), rarely Great Egret (Ardea alba); Muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus), Painted Turtle (Chrysemys picta), rarely Common Snapping Turtle (Chelydra serpentina)

Extended forest area adjacent to ponds. Popular place among birdwatchers to see Eastern Screech-Owl (Megascops asio) in winter. Both Coopers Hawk (Accipiter striatus) and Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus) are nesting in this park.

Recent Photos of Species

White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis)
Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus)
Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias)
Painted Turtle (Chrysemys picta)
Painted Turtle (Chrysemys picta)
Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis)
Raccoon (Procyon lotor)
Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo)
Double-crested Cormorant
Red Trillium (Trillium erectum)

Species and Seasonality

SpringSummerFallWinter
American Black Duck (Anas rubripes) 1 0 0 0
American Bullfrog (Rana Catesbeiana) 2 1 0 0
American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) 8 1 1 4
American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis) 0 2 0 0
American Robin (Turdus migratorius) 16 2 1 2
American Wigeon (Anas americana) 3 0 0 0
American Yellow Warbler (Setophaga petechia) 3 1 0 0
Baltimore Oriole (Icterus galbula) 1 1 0 0
Belted Kingfisher (Megaceryle alcyon) 0 3 1 0
Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus) 12 0 2 8
Black-crowned Night Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax) 0 1 0 0
Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis) 6 0 0 0
Brown Creeper (Certhia americana) 2 0 0 0
Bufflehead (Bucephala albeola) 1 0 0 0
Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) 12 5 2 0
Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum) 0 1 0 0
Coltsfoot (Tussilago farfara) 6 0 0 0
Common Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) 3 0 0 0
Common Garter Snake (Thamnophis sirtalis) 2 0 0 0
Common Grackle (Quiscalus quiscula) 4 1 0 0
Common Snapping Turtle (Chelydra serpentina) 3 0 0 0
Common Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) 5 2 0 0
Common Tern (Sterna hirundo) 1 3 0 0
Coopers Hawk (Accipiter striatus) 2 0 0 0
Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis) 3 0 0 1
Double-Crested Cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus) 3 3 2 0
Downy Woodpecker (Picoides pubescens) 6 0 1 5
Downy Yellow Violet (Viola pubescens) 1 0 0 0
Eastern Comma (Polygonia comma) 2 0 0 0
Eastern Grey Squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) 15 5 2 8
Eastern Kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus) 0 2 0 0
Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe) 1 0 0 0
Eastern Screech-Owl (Megascops asio) 5 1 0 7
Garlic Mustard (Alliaria petiolata) 1 0 0 0
Golden-crowned Kinglet (Regulus satrapa) 1 0 0 0
Great Black-backed Gull (Larus marinus) 1 0 0 0
Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) 4 3 2 0
Great Egret (Ardea alba) 0 2 0 0
Green Frog (Lithobates clamitans) 1 1 0 0
Ground Ivy (Glechoma hederacea) 1 0 0 0
Groundhog (Marmota monax) 4 1 0 0
Hairy Woodpecker (Picoides villosus) 1 1 0 2
Hermit Thrush (Catharus guttatus) 1 0 0 0
Herring Gull (Larus argentatus) 1 0 0 0
Hooded Merganser (Lophodytes cucullatus) 0 0 1 0
House Finch (Haemorhous mexicanus) 1 0 0 0
Large White Trillium (Trillium grandiflorum) 5 0 0 0
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) 16 6 2 2
Meadow Vole (Microtus pennsylvanicus) 1 0 0 0
Mourning Cloak (Nymphalis antiopa) 4 0 0 0
Muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus) 2 0 1 0
Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) 15 4 0 3
Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus) 4 1 0 0
Northern Map Turtle (Graptemys geographica) 1 0 0 0
Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) 0 1 0 0
Painted Turtle (Chrysemys picta) 7 2 1 0
Philadelphia Vireo (Vireo philadelphicus) 0 3 0 0
Pied-billed Grebe (Podilymbus podiceps) 1 1 2 0
Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus) 3 0 0 3
Raccoon (Procyon lotor) 1 0 0 0
Red Trillium (Trillium erectum) 3 0 0 0
Red-breasted merganser (Mergus serrator) 2 0 0 0
Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus) 1 0 0 0
Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) 13 4 0 0
Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis) 15 4 3 1
Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia) 8 2 1 0
Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor) 2 1 0 0
Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura) 3 1 0 0
Virginia Strawberry (Fragaria virginiana) 1 0 0 0
Warbling Vireo (Vireo gilvus) 1 0 0 0
White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis) 9 0 3 7
White-throated Sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis) 2 0 0 0
Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) 0 0 0 1
Wood Duck (Aix sponsa) 6 3 0 0
Woolly Blue Violet (Viola sororia) 2 0 0 0
Yellow Trout Lily (Erythronium americanum) 5 0 0 0

Number of times a species has been observed, identified and recorded while visiting this park. A species is reported only once per visit to a park. Visit the page Park Visit Journals and learn how we record observations in the field.

Videos Recorded in Parc Angrignon

Videos are hosted on Muuuh's YouTube Channel.

Landscape Photos Taken in Parc Angrignon

Frozen large pond of Parc Angrignon

Taken on a sunny day close to the end of winter

2023-03-18

NIKON Z6; NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8; Focal Length 70mm; Exposure 1/640; Aperture f11; Iso 125;

Large Pond Parc Angrignon

Large Pond of Parc Angrignon during a stormy autumn day

2019-10-27

NIKON Z 6; 50mm f/1.4; Focal Length 50mm; Exposure 1/8; Aperture f/16; Iso 50;

Winter Sunset Park Angrignon

2019-02-16

NIKON D500; 50mm f/1.4; Focal Length 50mm; Exposure 1/1250; Aperture f14.0; Iso 2200;

Snowy Day Park Angrignon

2018-03-10

iPhone 7; iPhone 7 back camera 3.99mm f/1.8; Focal Length 4mm; Exposure 1/2740; Aperture f1.8; Iso 20;

Park Angrignon

Lake of Park Angrignon at a cloudy day reflecting the tree lines and sky.

2017-09-09

iPhone 7; iPhone 7 back camera 3.99mm f/1.8; Focal Length 4mm; Exposure 1/1520; Aperture f1.8; Iso 20;

Tree at Sunset

Park Angrignon, Montreal

2016-11-19

NIKON D7100; 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6; Focal Length 200mm; Exposure 1/640; Aperture f5.3; Iso 200;

Park Angrignon, Montreal

Autumn

2016-10-30

NIKON D7100; 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6; Focal Length 122mm; Exposure 1/400; Aperture f4.8; Iso 200;

Frozen Lake

Lake and Forest Park Angrignon in Winter

2016-01-17

NIKON D7100; 18-140mm f/3.5-5.6; Focal Length 60mm; Exposure 1/800; Aperture f7.1; Iso 200;

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 Parc Angrignon.

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.