Outdoor Ontario

Birding Reports => Toronto Reports => Topic started by: Bird Brain on April 05, 2013, 01:22:41 PM

Title: Lake Aquitaine - Bufflehead, Coot, Trumpeter Swan, etc.
Post by: Bird Brain on April 05, 2013, 01:22:41 PM

Hi everyone.  I was walking around Lake Aquitaine from 11:45am - 12:45pm.  Weather:  cloudy, windy, -2c windchill, light snow.  Brrrr!   :shock: (Murphy's Law, as soon as I went home, it became sunny & blue skies).  Sighted the following:

Blue Jays x 3
Bufflehead x 1 (male)
Canada Geese
Cardinals x 3 (2m, 1f)
Common Grackle x 16+
Coot x 1 - hanging out close to the Bufflehead
Gulls, mainly Ring-billed
House Sparrows
Mallards
Mourning Doves x 2
Red-winged Blackbirds x 30+ (males and females)
Robins
Starlings x 60+
Trumpeter Swan x 1 (male), wing tagged J76.  I'm amazed he's still around at this location!

Lake Aquitaine:  SE corner of Glen Erin Dr./Aquitaine Ave., behind the Meadowvale Community Centre.

Title: Re: Lake Aquitaine - Bufflehead, Coot, Trumpeter Swan, etc.
Post by: Rotarran on April 05, 2013, 01:30:57 PM

Cool.  Yeah I like the fact that now that the ice is finally melting, we see some water birds in smaller ponds and lakes as well.  In winter it's Lake Ontario or nothing.

Title: Re: Lake Aquitaine - Bufflehead, Coot, Trumpeter Swan, etc.
Post by: Bird Brain on April 05, 2013, 01:34:31 PM

Hi Rotarren.  If the weather ever warms up, will wander down to Lake Wabukayne and see what's happening there.  :)

Last week, only the NW corner of Lake Aquitaine had open water.  

Usually see Coot at Lakefront Promenade Park.

Title: Re: Lake Aquitaine - Bufflehead, Coot, Trumpeter Swan, etc.
Post by: winz on April 05, 2013, 01:54:05 PM

No Mockingbirds?  last Sunday morning around 9:30am saw one preening there.

Title: Re: Lake Aquitaine - Bufflehead, Coot, Trumpeter Swan, etc.
Post by: Bird Brain on April 05, 2013, 01:57:40 PM

Hi winz.  Didn't see any Mockingbirds today but a friend of mine out walking his dog saw one recently.

Title: Re: Lake Aquitaine - Bufflehead, Coot, Trumpeter Swan, etc.
Post by: rcflier on April 05, 2013, 02:04:04 PM

Hi Jo-Anne,

My friend Waverley and myself walked Aquitaine to Wabukayne and back yesterday.  Not too much activity at Wabukayne yet, was hoping for GBH or BCNH, but no luck.  Wabukayne is ice free now.  Lots of geese and mallards.  Haven't seen the bufflehead nor the coot at Aquitaine, but yes, J76 is still there.  Lot's of Cardinals at both lakes.  Oh ya, saw a male house finch along the house row near the school on the way to Wabukayne.

happy birding,

Title: Re: Lake Aquitaine - Bufflehead, Coot, Trumpeter Swan, etc.
Post by: Bird Brain on April 05, 2013, 02:17:28 PM

Hi Bob.  Thank You re: your sightings in the neighbourhood!  :D  

I can't wait until May and hopefully sighting lots of Warblers!  Also hoping for some baby hawks at Maplewood Park this year!  The adult male and female are both around.   8)