Good afternoon people. Just returned for one final bird outing (for this season) on the Toronto Islands. It started out as a beautiful day and stayed that way except that after about noon a strong northwest wind developed and kind quieted an already quiet birding day. I went down there today to hopefully find some migrant Flycatchers and in this I was successful with 6 species and after shaking the bushes I also came up with 11 Warbler species, not many of each but more than I expected.
The best Flycatcher was an Acadian Flycatcher in what we call "The Trap" and I also found Least, Willow and Great Crested Flycatchers as well as eastern Wood Pewees and Eastern Kingbirds. All of these Flycatchers were very co-operative and were calling, even the Kingbirds. I also found 2 Mourning Warblers and Blackpoll, Blackburnian and Wilson's Warblers as well as 2 Black-billed Cuckoos, one was behind the washroom directly south of the Wards Island ferry dock and one was on Snake Island (softly calling). A surprise find was 6 Canvasbacks in the trout pond on Gibralter Point. DIRECTIONS:- TORONTO ISLANDS (Wards Island to Hanlans Point - without side trips is 5 km) To get to the Toronto Islands from Queen and Yonge Streets on the TTC. If your on the subway southbound stay on it and get off at Union Station, walk south about 1 km to the ferry docks at the foot of Bay Street at Queens Quay and you are there. If in an auto on the Gardener Expressway or on Lakeshore Blvd, then exit at Bay Street and drive south to Queens Quay, there are lots of parking lots nearby (fee). There is a fee for using the island ferries ($6.00 adult / $3.50 for seniors & students) and to find out the sailing times you can phone (416) 392-8193. There are washrooms on the islands as well as the city side at the ferry docks and you can pick up a schedule at the docks or check on line. The 1st boat to Wards Island (my preferred starting point) is 6:35 am and the 2nd is 7:00 am Monday to Friday. The 1st is at 6:35 am and the 2nd boat is at 7:15 am on Saturday, Sunday and Holidays. The 1st boat to Hanlans Point is 8:00 am and the 2nd boat is at 8:30 am Monday to Friday. The 1st is at 8:15 am and the 2nd boat is at 9:15 am on Saturday, Sunday and Holidays. If arriving in early am you must obtain your ticket from a machine just inside the gate so be sure to have $1.00 and $2.00 and/or 25 cent coins before you arrive at the docks as there is no place to get change and the machine does not make change. (There is a change machine (up to a $10 bill) there if you want to chance it). There are coffee shops across from the ferry docks in the building on the northwest corner and they are open early. food and beverages on The Islands when open are very expensive i.e. soft drink around $2.50 ( now $3.00). If you are birding from Wards the soft drink machine beside the fire station sells juice, iced tea, etc. for $1.00. For a detailed ferry schedule check the following web site. http://www.toronto.ca/parks/island/springschedule.htm THE TRAP - This area is the area west of the bridge onto Snug Harbour just short of the old island church and the arial cars. - The bridge to Snug Harbour is the 3rd bridge from the Wards Island Ferry, Snake is the 2nd bridge. Norm Murr Richmond Hill, ON "Sils mordent, mords les" From [EMAIL PROTECTED] Mon May 28 17:03:06 2007 Return-Path: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Delivered-To: ontbirds@hwcn.org Received: from smtp-02.primus.ca (mail.tor.primus.ca [216.254.136.21]) by king.hwcn.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 35BDD6347D for <ontbirds@hwcn.org>; Mon, 28 May 2007 17:03:06 -0400 (EDT) Received: from ottawa-dial-206-191-1-46.d-ip.magma.ca ([206.191.1.46] helo=yourcffb94a462) by smtp-02.primus.ca with smtp (Exim 4.50) id 1HsmMq-00077k-6y for ontbirds@hwcn.org; Mon, 28 May 2007 17:03:06 -0400 Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> From: "Blyth & Hilary Robertson" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <ontbirds@hwcn.org> Date: Mon, 28 May 2007 17:02:49 -0400 MIME-Version: 1.0 X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 6.00.2900.3028 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2900.3028 X-Mailman-Approved-At: Mon, 28 May 2007 17:12:23 -0400 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable X-Content-Filtered-By: Mailman/MimeDel 2.1.1 Subject: [Ontbirds]Prothonotary warbler - Ottawa X-BeenThere: ontbirds@hwcn.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.1 Precedence: list X-List-Received-Date: Mon, 28 May 2007 21:03:06 -0000 A male prothonotary warbler was discovered by its song and then viewed for 7-8 minutes in a small wooded area at the southeast corner of the intersection of Island Park Drive and the Western Parkway, Ottawa, at noon, Monday, May 28. More specifically, the bird was in the low thickets immediately behind the gardens of homes on the north side of Clearview Avenue. It gradually moved further north into the low canopy, ceased singing, and was neither seen nor heard again over the next 20 minutes. An indigo bunting in the same area was more obliging over this period, singing continually from a visible, higher perch. Directions: From hwy 417 (The Queensway) follow Island Park Drive north approx 2km to Clearview (last street before the Parkway and Ottawa River). Turn right onto Clearview one short block, then left onto Patricia for parking and entrance to the wooded area's trail. Blyth Robertson From [EMAIL PROTECTED] Mon May 28 21:00:44 2007 Return-Path: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Delivered-To: ontbirds@hwcn.org Received: from fish2.hurontel.on.ca (fish2.hurontel.on.ca [216.46.129.163]) by king.hwcn.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 76AD563495 for <ontbirds@hwcn.org>; Mon, 28 May 2007 21:00:44 -0400 (EDT) Received: from johnarljoup0mk (unknown [10.107.99.233]) by fish2.hurontel.on.ca (Spam Firewall) with SMTP id DEC16331AC1 for <ontbirds@hwcn.org>; Mon, 28 May 2007 21:00:44 -0400 (EDT) Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> From: "Antony John" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <ontbirds@hwcn.org> Date: Mon, 28 May 2007 21:00:39 -0400 MIME-Version: 1.0 X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 6.00.2900.3028 x-mimeole: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2900.3028 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable X-Content-Filtered-By: Mailman/MimeDel 2.1.1 Subject: [Ontbirds]Lark Sparrows at Walsingham X-BeenThere: ontbirds@hwcn.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.1 Precedence: list X-List-Received-Date: Tue, 29 May 2007 01:00:45 -0000 I was at the Anderson-Barret tract north of Backus Woods today (May 28), and the lark sparrows are still in the field. They can be found on the power lines and in the weeds just south of the tract sign. Another male (third?) was singing from a large ash tree at the north end of the field, next to the first house on the west side of the road. Directions as per, and thanks to, Rob Dobos et al. Cheers, Antony John From [EMAIL PROTECTED] Mon May 28 21:20:54 2007 Return-Path: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Delivered-To: ontbirds@hwcn.org Received: from bay0-omc3-s22.bay0.hotmail.com (bay0-omc3-s22.bay0.hotmail.com [65.54.246.222]) by king.hwcn.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id C879D634B6 for <ontbirds@hwcn.org>; Mon, 28 May 2007 21:20:53 -0400 (EDT) Received: from BAYC1-PASMTP05.CEZ.ICE ([65.54.191.165]) by bay0-omc3-s22.bay0.hotmail.com with Microsoft SMTPSVC(6.0.3790.2668); Mon, 28 May 2007 18:20:54 -0700 X-Originating-IP: [70.49.3.189] X-Originating-Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Received: from user26e8f47460 ([70.49.3.189]) by BAYC1-PASMTP05.CEZ.ICE over TLS secured channel with Microsoft SMTPSVC(6.0.3790.2668); Mon, 28 May 2007 18:20:53 -0700 Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> From: "Karl Egressy" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "Ontbirds" <ontbirds@hwcn.org> Date: Mon, 28 May 2007 21:20:52 -0400 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/mixed; boundary="----=_NextPart_000_0023_01C7A16E.122E30C0" X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 6.00.2900.3028 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2900.3028 X-OriginalArrivalTime: 29 May 2007 01:20:53.0560 (UTC) FILETIME=[99C57B80:01C7A18F] X-Content-Filtered-By: Mailman/MimeDel 2.1.1 Subject: [Ontbirds]Lark Sparrow X-BeenThere: ontbirds@hwcn.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.1 Precedence: list X-List-Received-Date: Tue, 29 May 2007 01:20:54 -0000 This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_0023_01C7A16E.122E30C0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Hi Birders, Marienna and I managed to easily find the Lark Sparrows this late morning just before noon. Originally one was singing in a large tree then flew away when a Broad -winged Hawk flew by. A few minutes later we found TWO Lark Sparrows feeding in the field, very close to each other. I managed to take some pictures of the singing and feeding birds. Good luck: Karl and Marienna Egressy www.kegressy.com http://kegressy.com/index_May07.html Direction as per Rob Dobos: Take HW 24 S. from HW 203. Directions: Take Hwy 24 south of Simcoe and continue west to the Walsingham East Quarter Line which is one concession east of Hwy 59 which runs south to Long Point. ------=_NextPart_000_0023_01C7A16E.122E30C0--
