This year's OFO outing to the Toronto Islands will take place this SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 3.
We will catch the 7:30am ferry to Ward's Island The ferry ride takes only about 10 minutes. The ferry prices are $6:50 for an adult and $4:00 for seniors and students. All fares are return fares. You will need these amounts in CHANGE, to obtain your ticket from a machine, 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 reliable place to get change. We will bird around Ward's Island and then gradually wend our way over to Hanlan's Point, from where we will take the ferry back to Toronto. We will hope to see a good cross-section of warblers and other migrants. This could take all day, if the birding is good, but anybody who wishes to leave at any time during the day can take return ferries from Ward's, Centre Island or Hanlan's Point. For a detailed ferry schedule check the following web site. (The SUMMER schedule will still be in effect). http://www.toronto.ca/parks/island/ferry-schedule.htm Directions: The Toronto Ferry Docks are located at the foot of Bay Street in Toronto. Bay Street is on the east side of Union Station and from there it takes Only about 10 minutes to walk south on Bay to the ferry docks. The entrance to the ferry docks is on the south side of Queen's Quay, just west of the Westin Harbour Castle Hotel. Parking ($15, I believe) is available 1 block north of the docks on the west side of Bay, at Lakeshore. or, 1 block west of Bay, on the north side of Queens Quay. or, 1 block east of Bay, on the south side of Queen's Quay, opposite the Toronto Star building and adjacent to Captain John's Restaurant. There are washrooms on the islands as well as at the city side at the ferry docks. There are water fountains throughout, should you want to refill your water bottles. The Kitchen Table store opens at 6am and sells coffee and food. It is located across from the ferry docks, on the north side of Queen's Quay, about 100 metres east of Bay. Food and beverages on The Islands are very expensive, e.g. soft drinks $3.00 and up, so I recommend that you bring beverages and food adequate for the time that you expect to stay on the Islands. After a couple of hours birding Ward's Island, we will take a short break at the picnic tables beside the Fire Station. Washrooms are available here. If you have any questions, you can reach me at home: 905-660-4533, or on my cell phone: 416-722-0433, or, of course, via email at [email protected] Ian Cannell, Trip Leader for this outing. _______________________________________________ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to [email protected] For information about ONTBIRDS visit http://www.ofo.ca/
