Fauna Flora Photography

Parc Angrignon, Montreal

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.

Google Map

Map Location of Parc Angrignon

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.

SpeciesSpringSummerFallWinter
American Black Duck (Anas rubripes) x - - -
American Bullfrog (Rana Catesbeiana) x x - -
American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) x x x x
American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis) - x - -
American Robin (Turdus migratorius) x x x x
American Wigeon (Anas americana) x - - -
American Yellow Warbler (Setophaga petechia) x x - -
Anne's Lace Herb - x - -
Baltimore Oriole (Icterus galbula) - x - -
Beewed - x - -
Belted Kingfisher (Megaceryle alcyon) - x - -
Birds-Foot Trefoil (Lotus corniculatus) - x - -
Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus) x - x x
Black-crowned Night Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax) - x - -
Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis) x - - -
Brown Creeper (Certhia americana) x - - -
Bufflehead (Bucephala albeola) x - - -
Canada Goldenrod (Solidago canadensis) - x - -
Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) x x x -
Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum) - x - -
Chipping Sparrow (Spizella passerina) - x - -
Coltsfoot (Tussilago farfara) x - - -
Common Buttercup (Ranunculus acris) - x - -
Common Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) x x - -
Common Garter Snake (Thamnophis sirtalis) x - - -
Common Grackle (Quiscalus quiscula) x x - -
Common Snapping Turtle (Chelydra serpentina) x - - -
Common Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) x x - -
Common Tern (Sterna hirundo) x x - -
Coopers Hawk (Accipiter striatus) x - - -
Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis) x - - x
Dense Flower aster - x - -
Double-Crested Cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus) x x x -
Downy Woodpecker (Picoides pubescens) x - x x
Eastern Comma (Polygonia comma) x - - -
Eastern Grey Squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) x x x x
Eastern Kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus) - x - -
Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe) x - - -
Eastern Screech-Owl (Megascops asio) x x - x
European Common Blue (Polyommattus icarus) - x - -
Golden-crowned Kinglet (Regulus satrapa) x - - -
Great Black-backed Gull (Larus marinus) x - - -
Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) x x x -
Great Egret (Ardea alba) - x - -
Green Frog (Lithobates clamitans) x x - -
Groundhog (Marmota monax) x x - -
Hairy Woodpecker (Picoides villosus) x x - x
Hermit Thrush (Catharus guttatus) x - - -
Herring Gull (Larus argentatus) x - - -
House Finch (Haemorhous mexicanus) x - - -
Large White Trillium (Trillium grandiflorum) x - - -
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) x x x x
Mourning Cloak (Nymphalis antiopa) x - - -
Muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus) x - - -
New England Aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae) - x - -
Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) x x - x
Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus) x x - -
Northern Map Turtle (Graptemys geographica) x - - -
Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) - x - -
Painted Turtle (Chrysemys picta) x x - -
Philadelphia Vireo (Vireo philadelphicus) - x - -
Pied-billed Grebe (Podilymbus podiceps) - x x -
Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus) x - - x
Raccoon (Procyon lotor) x - - -
Red Clover (Trifolium pratense) - x - -
Red Trillium (Trillium erectum) x - - -
Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus) x - - -
Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) x x - -
Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis) x x x x
Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia) x x x -
Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor) x x - -
Tufted Vetch (Vicia cracca) - x - -
Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura) x x - -
White Clover (Trifolium repens) - x - -
White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis) x x x x
White-throated Sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis) x - - -
Wood Duck (Aix sponsa) x x - -
Woolly Blue Violet (Viola sororia) x - - -
Yellow Trout Lily (Erythronium americanum) x - - -
Zig-zag Goldenrod - x - -

When specific species have been observed, identified, and recorded in this park.

Videos Recorded in Parc Angrignon

Photos of Parc Angrignon

Parc Angrignon - Parc Angrignon - 2023-03-18
Parc Angrignon - Parc Angrignon - 2019-10-27
Parc Angrignon - Parc Angrignon - 2019-02-16
Parc Angrignon - Parc Angrignon - 2018-03-10
Parc Angrignon - Parc Angrignon - 2017-09-09
Parc Angrignon - Parc Angrignon - 2016-11-19
Parc Angrignon - Parc Angrignon - 2016-10-30
Parc Angrignon - Parc Angrignon - 2016-01-17

Last updated on 2023-12-12. 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 parks in the Montreal area.