Good evening Just got back home from a day with Margaret Liubavicius on the Toronto islands and as well as it being a beautiful day to be birding we found some pretty nice and interesting birds the best being 300 Bohemian Waxwings in the morning ( 200 behind the houses on Wards Island, 75 on Algonquin Island and 25 on Snake Island ) and all these birds were still there as we moved on.
Some of the other decent birds seen were - Blue-winged Teal, N. Shoveler, A. Wigeon, Canvasback, Redhead, Ring-necked Duck, Lesser Scaup, all 3 Mergansers, Turkey Vultures, Osprey, N. Harrier, Cooper's Hawk, Killdeer, 31 Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, 18 N. Flickers, 9 E. Phoebes, 6 Tree Swallows, 8 Brown Creepers, 6 Winter Wrens, 47 Golden-crowned Kinglets, 5 Hermit Thrushes, 59 Cedar Waxwings, 2 Eastern Towhees, 19 A. Tree Sparrows, 19 Fox Sparrows, 54 Song Sparrows, White-throated Sparrow, 33 Dark-eyed Juncos and both Purple and House Finches. Not bad for two kids from the city. Directions:- TORONTO ISLANDS - WINTER SCHEDULE (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 9:00 am - Monday to Friday only.There are no boats to Centre Island in the Winter Note:- If you start at Wards Island then be aware that the only ferries from Hanlans Point are at 9:15 am, 11:15 am, 1:15 pm and the last one at 3:45 pm. If you miss this one you will have to walk all the way back to the Wards Island ferry dock. 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 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 are not available during the winter and the water fountains are turned off until at least April. For a detailed ferry schedule check the following web site. http://www.toronto.ca/parks/island/springschedule.htm Norm Murr Richmond Hill, ON "Sils mordent, mords les" _______________________________________________ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to ONTBIRDS mailing list ONTBIRDS@hwcn.org 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
