Today I birded Col. Samuel Smith Park, Etobicoke and the Rhododendron Garden and Rattray Marsh Mississauga. The warblers were thinly distributed in small clusters and the breezy day didn't help located the birds. I ended up with 19 species of warblers: Tennessee (2); Nashville (2); Golden-winged (1); Yellow (8); Chestnut-sided (7); Magnolia (3); Cape May (2); Black-throated Blue (4); Black-throated Green (2); Yellow-rumped (47); Blackburnian (2); Pine (3); Palm (5); Bay-breasted (1) Black-and-White (3); American Redstart (5); Northern Waterthrush (2); Ovenbird (2); Common Yellowthroat (3). The Golden-winged Warbler (a singing male) was feeding in a Manitoba Maple about 200 feet nw of the bridge over the creek than runs along the east side of the Rhododendron Garden. I also had my first Grey-cheeked Thrush of the year at Rattray Marsh. My first Veery was at the 'bowl' of C.S.S.P. I also had close a dozen White-crowned Sparrows. I also had about 200+ Cedar Waxwings in 7 flocks over a period of 15 minutes, landing in large maples just the east of the Rhododendron garden, obviously having just migrated over the lake, pushed by the large weather system just south of the great lakes.
Directions: Col. Sam Smith Park is located south of lakeshore off the south end Kipling. The Rhododendron Garden is located south of Lakeshore and 6 blocks west of Mississauga Road. Go south down to the end Bexhill which runs south of Lakeshore about 5 long blocks east Erin Mills Parkway; park at the metal gate The marsh and knoll trail start at the bottom of hill from the parking area. This gets you into, more or less, the middle of main area of the marsh. Find a street map to orient yourself and/or follow the the trail map inside the park. For those who want to visit Rattray Marsh Conservation Area for the first time or simply want to know where all the trails area, Mississauga has a map of the marsh and surrounding trails on their web site: 'http://www.creditvalleycons.com/recandleisure/maps/rattray.pdf'. _______________________________________________ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to ONTBIRDS mailing list [email protected] For instructions to join or leave ONTBIRDS visit http://www.ofo.ca/information/ontbirdssetup.php ONTBIRDS Guidelines may be viewed at http://www.ofo.ca/information/ontbirdsguide.php
