Driscoll-Naylor Bird Sanctuary

Hudson, Quebec

This is a small three-acre property (more accurately 12,297.3 square metres), forming a sanctuary of marsh and woodland nestled in a residential part of the town of Hudson, north-west of the western tip of the island of Montreal. It is located between Upper McNaughten Street to the north and Brookside and Olympic Streets to the south, in the area east of Cote St-Charles, close to Mount Pleasant Elementary School.

The land was donated to Bird Protection Quebec in 1989 in return for a tax receipt. The sanctuary is an extension of an adjacent city park, accessible to the public.

The property consists of a mix of marshy and forested areas, surrounded by residential homes and properties. A wood duck box has been installed and has succeeded in attracting nesting Wood Ducks. Bird feeders were maintained in the past, but there are currently none on the property. Various ducks, two species of herons, a number of passerine species, as well as turtles are found in the sanctuary. The town of Hudson has officially zoned the property as “residential” but it is currently classified as a “green space”.

The sanctuary is an eBird hotspot. To see the complete list of species which have been reported, go to https://ebird.org/hotspot/L7148555

The approximate boundaries of the property are outlined in red on the map below. Access to this property is very limited. Much of the property is marshland with some limited defined trails. The preferred access is from Olympic Street. There is a trail beside civic address 414 Olympic Street that enters a municipal park and nature trail. This trail leads to the most southern boundary of the BPQ property.