[Ontbirds] HSR: Holiday Beach Conservation Area (04 Oct 2013) 153 Raptors
Holiday Beach Conservation Area Amherstburg, Ontario, Canada Daily Raptor Counts: Oct 04, 2013 --- SpeciesDay's CountMonth Total Season Total -- --- -- -- Turkey Vulture 27168 3780 Osprey 4 5 62 Bald Eagle 1 3226 Northern Harrier 3 11230 Sharp-shinned Hawk 80221 4732 Cooper's Hawk 17 45297 Northern Goshawk 0 0 0 Red-shouldered Hawk 0 0 18 Broad-winged Hawk0 2 48628 Red-tailed Hawk 0 6373 Rough-legged Hawk0 0 0 Golden Eagle 0 0 2 American Kestrel14 65955 Merlin 4 6 66 Peregrine Falcon 2 6 26 Unknown Accipiter0 0 0 Unknown Buteo0 0 6 Unknown Eagle0 0 0 Unknown Falcon 0 0 0 Unknown Raptor 0 0 1 Gyrfalcon1 1 1 Mississippi Kite 0 0 1 Swainson's Hawk 0 0 7 Total: 153539 59411 -- Observation start time: 07:00:00 Observation end time: 15:00:00 Total observation time: 8 hours Official Counter:Todd Pepper Observers:Jim McCoy, Paul Pratt Visitors: No visitors today. Weather: It was a mostly cloudy day with intermittant rain for most of the morning. The winds started strong at up to 19 km/hr out of the SW, but it shifted to the south and slowed down almost immediately and did not get much over 5 km/hr for the rest of the day. It was another hot one with the temperature ranging from 20 - 25C. Raptor Observations: The raptors flew in fits and starts today. Three or four birds would pass over then it would be 20 minutes or so before the next clump or 3 or 4 flew over. In the end the tally was 153 raptors of 9 species. The best bird of the day, and I did not believe it myself for some time given the time of year, was a dark-phase Gyrfalcon at 1:05 p.m. I was not convinced until later when a presumed female Peregrine flew right towards our faces and veered up and over the tower at the last nano-second. A female Peregrine is big, the "falcon" in the previous hour was even bigger, and it never flapped a wing from the time it passed the tower until it went out of sight over the tree line at the extreme west end of the marsh. Non-raptor Observations: It was a fairly slow non-raptor day, but there were a couple of good birds including: Solitary Sandpiper - 1; and White-rumped Sandpiper - 2 (1 being chased by a Kestrel). The run of Cedar Waxwings seems to be over as none have been seen for 2 days in a row. Where are all the Blue Jays? By this time last year we had counted almost 250,000. With the 2,643 Jays counted today we have not yet reached 50,000. Monarchs totalled 16. Predictions: Another warm day with temperatures between 18 and 25C. The winds are going to be out of the South again, with predicted speeds of 10 - 15 km/hr. The POP is 60-70% every hour all day. Report submitted by Todd Pepper (pepper_t...@yahoo.ca) Holiday Beach Conservation Area information may be found at: http://hbmo.ca/ Directions to site: 1. Entering Canada from Detroit at the Ambassador Bridge: After Canadian Customs you are on Huron Church Road leading to Highway 401 and Highway 3. Continue east through the construction to HOWARD AVENUE ROUTE 9 SOUTH. Turn RIGHT onto HOWARD ROUTE 9 and 'carefully' follow signs south TO ITS END at County Road 20. Turn RIGHT (west) on County Road 20. Continue west to intersection with Route 50 with Ure's Country Kitchen & Variety on the LEFT. Turn LEFT onto Route 50 south going 1.3 miles. Soon after the left curve on Route 50 is the entrance to the Holiday Beach Conservation Area on the RIGHT. Pay the daily vehicle fee of $10 at gate or at credit card reader. Continue to the Hawk Tower parking at the south end of the park. Park vehicle and walk to the Hawk Tower. 2. West bound on Routes 401 and 3: Take HOWARD AVENUE ROUTE 9 SOUTH. Continue with directions above. Bring with you birding gear: books, binocs, scopes, camera, hat or bill cap, insect repellent, sunscreen, folding chair, (d
[Ontbirds] Hamilton Naturalists Club Biring Report - Friday, October 4th, 2013
AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN POMARINE JAEGER PARASITIC JAEGER WHITE-WINGED DOVE American Wigeon Northern Pintail Green-winged Teal Redhead Greater Scaup Surf Scoter White-winged Scoter Common Merganser Red-breasted Merganser Pied-billed Grebe Red-necked Grebe Great Egret Northern Goshawk Black-bellied Plover American Golden-Plover Solitary Sandpiper Greater Yellowlegs Lesser Yellowlegs Hudsonian Godwit Least Sandpiper Pectoral Sandpiper Dunlin Wilson's Snipe Bonaparte's Gull Lesser Black-backed Gull Common Tern Forster's Tern Common Nighthawk Chimney Swift Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Eastern Phoebe Blue-headed Vireo Horned Lark Brown Creeper Winter Wren Golden-crowned Kinglet Ruby-crowned Kinglet Gray-cheeked Thrush Swainson's Thrush Hermit Thrush American Pipit Tennessee Warbler Orange-crowned Warbler Nashville Warbler Common Yellowthroat American Redstart Chestnut-sided Warbler Blackpoll Warbler Black-throated Blue Warbler Palm Warbler Yellow-rumped Warbler Black-throated Green Warbler Chipping Sparrow Field Sparrow Nelson's Sparrow Lincoln's Sparrow White-throated Sparrow White-crowned Sparrow Dark-eyed Junco Scarlet Tanager It's been another great week here in the Hamilton Study Area. Rarities and migrants continue to filter through and changing weather systems give birders all the more reason to get out there! We will start with the rarities. Continuing on the list of rarities this week are birds from Van Wagner's Beach. Today, on northeast winds at the end of the day, an event that will be etched in my mind for a long time was the sighting of six adult POMARINE JAEGERS travelling together, east to west high along the west end of the lake in front of the Lakeland Centre. The flurry started with 10 Common Terns being sighted flying east to west just before the jaegers arrived then well over a hundred gulls rose from the water, giving cause to look around for the source. We are extremely fortunate to have the opportunity to view this magnificent species on a yearly basis. Tomorrow's east winds look promising for another round. Another juvenile PARASITIC JAEGER was seen at a fairly close distance harassing a gull. Other birds seen at the lake this week include a huge influx of waterfowl consisting of American Wigeon, Northern Pintail, Green-winged Teal, Redhead, Greater Scaup, Surf and White-winged Scoter, Red-breasted Merganser, Bonaparte's Gull and Lesser Black-backed Gull. A Dunlin made an appearance on the beach late today. The AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN continues in Cootes Paradise, the same one present since late July. A very exciting find this week was a flyover of a WHITE-WINGED DOVE at Upper Wentworth and the Lincoln Alexander Parkway yesterday. The bird was well described and followed but not refound. Shorebirds are still in the news although in dwindling numbers until the late ones arrive. The Dundas Marsh water levels are dropping and today Lesser Yellowlegs and Dunlin were photographed. Last Saturday a Hudsonian Godwit was well described on e-bird seen from the marsh boardwalk at the RBG. At Red Hill Stormwater Pond, Least and Pectoral Sandpipers were seen in the week. Windermere Basin was host to Black-bellied and American Golden Plover and Greater Yellowlegs. Water levels are down at Rattray Marsh in Mississauga. This week two Solitary Sandpipers were seen. A Wilson's Snipe was flushed at the Millgrove loam pits. Passerine migration is taking on a more fall flavour with many of the later species being present in numbers. At the Clappison's Corners Wetland in Waterdown, Blue-headed Vireo, Palm Warbler, Swamp, White-throated and White-crowned Sparrow topped the list. At Jo Sams park in Waterdown, Gray-cheeked Thrush, American Redstart, Eastern Towhee and Scarlet Tanager were interesting migrants seen here. The west end of Lake Ontario seemed to be a magnet for migrants this week with Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Eastern Phoebe, Blue-headed Vireo, Brown Creeper, Winter Wren, Golden and Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Swainson's and Hermit Thrush, Orange-crowned, Nashville Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, Chestnut-sided, Blackpoll, Black-throated Blue, Palm, Yellow-rumped and Black-throated Green Warbler, Chipping, Field, Lincoln's, White-throated and White-crowned Sparrow and first of season Dark-eyed Junco being seen in Confederation Park. Today at the Van Wagners Ponds, Blue-headed Vireo, Tennessee, Orange-crowned, Nashville, Blackpoll and Black-throated Green Warbler and Lincoln's Sparrow were migrants seen. In the odds and sods, forty five Common Mergansers and one hundred and twenty three Red-necked Grebes were seen off Rattray Marsh mid week. Pied-billed Grebes were seen at Windermere Basin and Red Hill Stormwater Pond. Great Egrets continue to be a presence in Cootes Paradise, Confederation Ponds and the Red Hill Stormwater Pond. A Northern Goshawk and five Chimney Swifts flew over the Dundas Marsh last weekend. Now is the time to look for Nelson's Sparrow in the traditional areas. A Fors
[Ontbirds] Hamilton Naturalists Club Biring Report - Friday, October 4th, 2013
AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN POMARINE JAEGER PARASITIC JAEGER WHITE-WINGED DOVE American Wigeon Northern Pintail Green-winged Teal Redhead Greater Scaup Surf Scoter White-winged Scoter Common Merganser Red-breasted Merganser Pied-billed Grebe Red-necked Grebe Great Egret Northern Goshawk Black-bellied Plover American Golden-Plover Solitary Sandpiper Greater Yellowlegs Lesser Yellowlegs Hudsonian Godwit Least Sandpiper Pectoral Sandpiper Dunlin Wilson's Snipe Bonaparte's Gull Lesser Black-backed Gull Common Tern Forster's Tern Common Nighthawk Chimney Swift Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Eastern Phoebe Blue-headed Vireo Horned Lark Brown Creeper Winter Wren Golden-crowned Kinglet Ruby-crowned Kinglet Gray-cheeked Thrush Swainson's Thrush Hermit Thrush American Pipit Tennessee Warbler Orange-crowned Warbler Nashville Warbler Common Yellowthroat American Redstart Chestnut-sided Warbler Blackpoll Warbler Black-throated Blue Warbler Palm Warbler Yellow-rumped Warbler Black-throated Green Warbler Chipping Sparrow Field Sparrow Nelson's Sparrow Lincoln's Sparrow White-throated Sparrow White-crowned Sparrow Dark-eyed Junco Scarlet Tanager It's been another great week here in the Hamilton Study Area. Rarities and migrants continue to filter through and changing weather systems give birders all the more reason to get out there! We will start with the rarities. Continuing on the list of rarities this week are birds from Van Wagner's Beach. Today, on northeast winds at the end of the day, an event that will be etched in my mind for a long time was the sighting of six adult POMARINE JAEGERS travelling together, east to west high along the west end of the lake in front of the Lakeland Centre. The flurry started with 10 Common Terns being sighted flying east to west just before the jaegers arrived then well over a hundred gulls rose from the water, giving cause to look around for the source. We are extremely fortunate to have the opportunity to view this magnificent species on a yearly basis. Tomorrow's east winds look promising for another round. Another juvenile PARASITIC JAEGER was seen at a fairly close distance harassing a gull. Other birds seen at the lake this week include a huge influx of waterfowl consisting of American Wigeon, Northern Pintail, Green-winged Teal, Redhead, Greater Scaup, Surf and White-winged Scoter, Red-breasted Merganser, Bonaparte's Gull and Lesser Black-backed Gull. A Dunlin made an appearance on the beach late today. The AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN continues in Cootes Paradise, the same one present since late July. A very exciting find this week was a flyover of a WHITE-WINGED DOVE at Upper Wentworth and the Lincoln Alexander Parkway yesterday. The bird was well described and followed but not refound. Shorebirds are still in the news although in dwindling numbers until the late ones arrive. The Dundas Marsh water levels are dropping and today Lesser Yellowlegs and Dunlin were photographed. Last Saturday a Hudsonian Godwit was well described on e-bird seen from the marsh boardwalk at the RBG. At Red Hill Stormwater Pond, Least and Pectoral Sandpipers were seen in the week. Windermere Basin was host to Black-bellied and American Golden Plover and Greater Yellowlegs. Water levels are down at Rattray Marsh in Mississauga. This week two Solitary Sandpipers were seen. A Wilson's Snipe was flushed at the Millgrove loam pits. Passerine migration is taking on a more fall flavour with many of the later species being present in numbers. At the Clappison's Corners Wetland in Waterdown, Blue-headed Vireo, Palm Warbler, Swamp, White-throated and White-crowned Sparrow topped the list. At Jo Sams park in Waterdown, Gray-cheeked Thrush, American Redstart, Eastern Towhee and Scarlet Tanager were interesting migrants seen here. The west end of Lake Ontario seemed to be a magnet for migrants this week with Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Eastern Phoebe, Blue-headed Vireo, Brown Creeper, Winter Wren, Golden and Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Swainson's and Hermit Thrush, Orange-crowned, Nashville Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, Chestnut-sided, Blackpoll, Black-throated Blue, Palm, Yellow-rumped and Black-throated Green Warbler, Chipping, Field, Lincoln's, White-throated and White-crowned Sparrow and first of season Dark-eyed Junco being seen in Confederation Park. Today at the Van Wagners Ponds, Blue-headed Vireo, Tennessee, Orange-crowned, Nashville, Blackpoll and Black-throated Green Warbler and Lincoln's Sparrow were migrants seen. In the odds and sods, forty five Common Mergansers and one hundred and twenty three Red-necked Grebes were seen off Rattray Marsh mid week. Pied-billed Grebes were seen at Windermere Basin and Red Hill Stormwater Pond. Great Egrets continue to be a presence in Cootes Paradise, Confederation Ponds and the Red Hill Stormwater Pond. A Northern Goshawk and five Chimney Swifts flew over the Dundas Marsh last weekend. Now is the time to look for Nelson's Sparrow in the traditional areas. A
[Ontbirds] HSR: Detroit River Hawk Watch (04 Oct 2013) 391 Raptors
Detroit River Hawk Watch Brownstown, Michigan, USA Daily Raptor Counts: Oct 04, 2013 --- SpeciesDay's CountMonth Total Season Total -- --- -- -- Black Vulture0 0 0 Turkey Vulture 307 1007 5229 Osprey 0 1 61 Bald Eagle 6 17155 Northern Harrier 2 3126 Sharp-shinned Hawk 57129 1987 Cooper's Hawk6 20213 Northern Goshawk 0 0 0 Red-shouldered Hawk 0 0 2 Broad-winged Hawk0 0 49625 Swainson's Hawk 0 0 3 Red-tailed Hawk 1 20319 Rough-legged Hawk0 0 0 Golden Eagle 0 0 0 American Kestrel 7 54551 Merlin 3 5 29 Peregrine Falcon 2 3 13 Unknown Accipiter0 1 33 Unknown Buteo0 2 7 Unknown Falcon 0 1 1 Unknown Eagle0 0 0 Unknown Raptor 0 1 13 Total: 391 1264 58367 -- Observation start time: 07:00:00 Observation end time: 15:00:00 Total observation time: 8 hours Official Counter:Jonathan Stein Observers:Andrew Sturgess, John Elliott Visitors: 3 Weather: Overcast skies and a slew of short pop-up showers characterized the morning hours. The afternoon featured gradual clearing, revealing a hitherto hidden sun. The wind was light and variable. Raptor Observations: With the rain clouds passed, increased activity ensued. Handfuls of Sharp-shinned Hawks were zipping by. Turkey Vultures continued apace. And all three falcon species were present and accounted for. Non-raptor Observations: Some notable birds today: a Red-headed Woodpecker flew overhead in the morning, an Eastern Phoebe was hanging out in the trees by the count site and what appeared to be a Lesser Black-backed Gull was observed perched on a buoy for the better part of the afternoon. Predictions: Mostly cloudy with warm temps, moderate south wind and a slight chance of rain. Report submitted by Jonathan Stein (steinj...@gmail.com) Detroit River Hawk Watch information may be found at: http://www.drhawkwatch.org Site Description: The Detroit River Hawk Watch (a joint venture of the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge and its Friends group, the International Wildlife Refuge Alliance) is the Boat Launch at Lake Erie Metropark located approximately 20 miles south of Detroit, Michigan. The location is at the mouth of the Detroit River as it enters Lake Erie. Directions to site: Lake Erie Metropark: >From I-75, exit at Huron River Drive (exit 27). Continue east on Huron River Drive. Turn left on West Jefferson and proceed a few hundred yards to the entrance of Lake Erie Metropark. After paying the entrance fee, follow the signs to the Boat Launch. ___ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to birdalert@ontbirds.ca For information about ONTBIRDS including how to unsubscribe visit http://www.ofo.ca/site/page/view/information.ontbirdssetup
[Ontbirds] juv. Laughing Gull - Hillman Marsh / Marbled Godwit & Snowy Egret, Mitchell's Bay
The Marbled Godwit and Snowy Egret continued today at Mitchell's Bay on the sandbar to the north, easily viewed with scope from the harbour parking lot. Also present in the bay were large numbers of Pied-billed Grebe (nearly 100) and a huge, tight flock of American Coots (close to 1,000). Mitchell's Bay is at the west end of Road 42 (Bay Line) in the Municipality of Chatham-Kent. The juvenile Laughing Gull was also still present at Hillman Marsh this afternoon, spending time on the water and flotsam on both the north and south sides of the Mersea Road 2 bridge, just east of the main entrance or the conservation area (photos at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/100573532@N04/sets/72157636198426384). Also feeding in the shallows on the north side of the bridge were at least 3 Long-billed Dowitchers, 2 Short-billed Dowitchers, and both species of yellowlegs. Good birding, Jarmo Jarmo Jalava Director, Ecosystem Recovery Carolinian Canada Coalition "Greening the Future of Southwestern Ontario" Grosvenor Lodge, by appointment 1017 Western Rd., London, ON N6G 1G5 www.carolinian.org ___ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to birdalert@ontbirds.ca For information about ONTBIRDS including how to unsubscribe visit http://www.ofo.ca/site/page/view/information.ontbirdssetup
[Ontbirds] Amherst island - Brant, Merlinn, etc
This afternoon, highlights of our trip were: Brant, about 50 5 raptor species: SS Hawk, kestrel, Merlin, Harrier, Bald Eagle 4 woodpecker spp. incl. YB sapsucker Greater Yellowlegs (4) and one Dowitcher Good variety and number of songbirds incl. Lots of c. Waxwings and Yellow-rumped warblers, a few Palms, lots of WC Sparrows and WT Sparrows Directions: Amherst Island is opposite Millhaven. Google the ferry schedule. Birds were seen on Martin Edwards Reserve (you must be a KFN member or accomanied by one) as well as en route there from ferry dock via Owl Woods. See article with map on OFO website. Jack and Rob Alvo ___ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to birdalert@ontbirds.ca For information about ONTBIRDS including how to unsubscribe visit http://www.ofo.ca/site/page/view/information.ontbirdssetup
[Ontbirds] Ottawa: Brant and scoters
Hi Ontbirders Today, October 4th, I spent 3 hours birding from Shirley's Bay to Britannia Pier along the Ottawa River at Lake Deschenes. There appeared to have been a small fallout of waterfowl with a number of flocks resting on the river. I counted a total of 146 Brant (4 flocks) , 138 White-winged Scoter (3 flocks) 5 Surf Scoter and 1 male Black Scoter. Other species noted included 27 Red-breasted Merganser, 62 Greater Scaup, 38 Lesser Scaup, 4 Common Goldeneye, 18 American Black Duck, 12 Mallard, 14 Northern Pintail and 7 Green-winged Teal. Also counted 3 Red-necked Grebe, 2 Horned Grebe and 2 Common Loon. I checked later in the afternoon and all the Brant had left along with most of the puddle ducks. Good birding, Bruce Directions: There are a number of viewing point between Shirley's Bay and Britannia Point. All areas are accessible off Carling Ave. Di Labio Birding Website Courses and Field Trips http://www.dilabiobirding.ca http://www.brucedilabio.blogspot.com Bruce Di Labio 400 Donald B. Munro Drive P.O. Box 538 Carp, Ontario K0A 1L0 Office 613-839-4395 Cell 613-715-2571 ___ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to birdalert@ontbirds.ca For information about ONTBIRDS including how to unsubscribe visit http://www.ofo.ca/site/page/view/information.ontbirdssetup
[Ontbirds] Algonquin Park Birding Report: October 4
SURF SCOTER GOLDEN EAGLE NORTHERN GOSHAWK MOURNING DOVE ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER Hello Birders, It's been a good week for birders in Algonquin Park, with many migrants present as well as all the boreal specialty birds showing nicely for birders and photographers. A Surf Scoter was seen by many at Kearney Lake yesterday and was still there today. A trio of lucky birders observed and photographed a young Golden Eagle low over West Rose Lake on the 1st of this month. A Mourning Dove, rare in the park, was at the Track & Tower trailhead on the 29th. A Goshawk was observed over the highway this week. Northern Saw-whet Owls have been vocal this week, with birds being heard at km 20 yesterday and on the 27th. Most of the warblers have left the park, however there were still six species at the north end of the Mizzy Lake Trail yesterday, and a couple of reports of Orange-crowned there which should be increasing this week. Sparrow diversity and numbers are increasing. Large mixed flocks of White-crowned, White-throated, Lincoln's and other sparrows are now becoming a regular feature in open areas like the Old Airfield at Mew Lake. This is the week to find Nelson's and LeConte's Sparrows, and while no reports have come in yet, check the Lake of Two Rivers Marsh (Nelson's) or the South end of the Old Airfield (LeConte's) for these two sought-after sparrows, which are both regular in the park at this time. Rusty Blackbirds have been in the Airfield almost every day, with a max of twenty-one birds there on the 29th. Also there, American Pipits and Horned Larks are increasing. This is a good time to look for Longspurs or Hoyt's Horned Lark amongst them. BOREAL SPECIALTIES Spruce Grouse: A hen was on Opeongo Road on the 26th. A male was at Spruce Bog on the 30th, and two birds were there on October 1st. Two were seen at the north end of the Mizzy Lake Trail on 1st. Two were seen at Opeongo Road on the 1st as well. Gray Jay: A pair of birds were at the Logging Museum on the 25th. Reports from the North end of Mizzy Lake trail of these birds were made almost all week. Boreal Chickadee: A grand total of six birds were found in two flocks at the north end of the Mizzy Lake trail yesterday. These are quite vocal now. Black-backed Woodpecker: One was at the Logging Museum on the 25th. On the 27th, a bird was at the Algonquin Logging Museum. On Oct 1st, a bird was at the Two Rivers trail. Birders reporting records through eBird can now share their lists with the Algonquin Park Bird Records account (APPbirds). We encourage you to do so. Good Birding! Lev Frid Group Education Technician Algonquin Provincial Park, ON DIRECTIONS: Algonquin Provincial Park is three hours north of Toronto, via Highways 400, 11 and 60. Follow the signs which start in Toronto on Highway 400. >From Ottawa, take Highway 17 to Renfrew, then follow Highway 60 to the park. Kilometre markers along Highway 60 in the Park go from the West Gate (km 0) to near the East Gate (km 56). Get your park permit and the park tabloid (with a map of birding locations mentioned here) at the gates. Locations are also described at: www.algonquinpark.on.ca The Visitor Centre and restaurant at km 43 are open daily from 9 am to 5 pm. The Visitor Centre has recent bird sightings and information. ___ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to birdalert@ontbirds.ca For information about ONTBIRDS including how to unsubscribe visit http://www.ofo.ca/site/page/view/information.ontbirdssetup
[Ontbirds] Toronto Islands - Tuesday and Thursday - Warblers, Sparrows, etc.
Though Margaret Liubavicius, Alexandra Soliman, Brent Isojima and I only birded Hanlan’s point on Tuesday and Thursday we did find some interesting birds in the 72 species we found and the following are some of those birds with 2 day total numbers for some of them. Common Merganser, Sharp-shinned and Cooper’s Hawks, Peregrine Falcon, Belted Kingfisher, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Olive-sided Flycatcher, Eastern Wood-Pewee, Eastern Phoebe - 19, both Nuthatches, Brown Creeper, Winter Wren - 10, Golden-crowned Kinglet - 150, Ruby-crowned Kinglet - 125, Gray-cheeked Thrush, Hermit Thrush - 42, Gray Catbird - 12, Brown Thrasher, Blue-headed Vireo, 14 warbler species including Orange-crowned Warbler - 5, Northern Parula - 4, Cape May Warbler - 3, Blackburnian Warbler, Palm Warbler - 73, Bay-breasted Warbler - 4, and Blackpoll Warbler, and 10 Sparrow species including Eastern Towhee, Chipping Sparrow, Field Sparrow, Lincoln Sparrow, Song Sparrow – 31, Swamp Sparrow - 9, White-throated Sparrow - 225, White-crowned Sparrow- 125 and Dark-eyed Juncos. Note:- By Thursday the number of Warblers had decreased (except Yellow-rumps) and the number of Sparrows had increased. NOTE :- If you want to learn more about birding on the Toronto Islands you can access my Toronto Islands Birding And Site Guide on the OFO web site at:- http://www.ofo.ca/reportsandarticles/torontoislands.php DIRECTIONS TO THE TORONTO ISLAND FERRY DOCKS Fare :- Adults $7.00 - Seniors / Students $4.50 TORONTO ISLANDS - FALL SCHEDULE Note:- After October 15th there will be no ferries to Hanlan’s Point or Centre Island until April 2014, the Ward’s Island ferry will continue to operate during that period as usual. If you are on the subway southbound get off at the TTC’s Union Subway Station, walk south on Bay Street (on the east side of the station) for about 1 km to the ferry docks at the foot of Bay Street at Queen’s Quay and you are there. The entrance to the ferry docks (well signed) is on the west side of the Westin Harbour Castle Hotel. To get to the Toronto Islands from the TTC’s Union Subway Station on the TTC you may transfer to the #6 or the #6A Bay St. TTC bus on Bay Street just outside of the east entrance to the GO Station. They both go down Bay Street to Queen’s Quay. Go passengers arriving by train or bus must pay a fare to use the TTC bus or streetcar. When running there is a street car (#509 Harbourfront) that goes from inside the TTC’s Union Subway Station to Queen’s Quay (no transfer required). For those who choose to head down to the docks on Sunday before the Subway opens you can catch the #97B Yonge St. Blue Night bus (Steeles Ave. To Queens Quay). This bus will let you off right across the street on Bay St. only steps from the ferry docks entrance. You may also want to visit the TTC web page http://www.ttc.ca/ for trip planning assistance. If in an auto on the Gardener Expressway or on Lakeshore Blvd, then exit at Bay Street and drive south to Queen’s Quay, there are very few parking lots nearby. One is located just a block north of the ferry docks. Norm Murr Richmond Hill Ontario, Canada ___ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to birdalert@ontbirds.ca For information about ONTBIRDS including how to unsubscribe visit http://www.ofo.ca/site/page/view/information.ontbirdssetup
