Outdoor Ontario
Birding Reports => Toronto Reports => Topic started by: Reuven_M on December 16, 2013, 06:41:29 PM
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I spent most of the day birding along the lake in Mississauga and eastern Oakville. My main goal today was Snowy Owl, and I was not dissapointed!
Highlights from east to west:
Marie Curtis Park - American Kestrel
Lakefront Promenade Park:
An interesting female goldeneye close to shore needs further research - I don't think its a Barrow's, but it may be a hybrid.
1 Northern Mockingbird
a small flock of Snow Bunting flying over
Port Credit (east side of the river):
4 Yellow-rumped Warbler as reported by others near the Snug Harbor restaurant.
1 Snow Bunting flying over
Port Credit (J. C. Saddington Park to Rhododendron Gardens):
1 Northern Pintail
1 Snowy Owl - a very darkly barred bird (likely an immature female) sitting on the ice far offshore
east end of Jack Darling Park
1 Snowy Owl - a moderately barred bird (likely a immature male or adult female) flying west to east quite far out along the line of piled up ice, being harassed by gulls
Water's Edge Park - nothing notable, but lots of ducks and gulls as with everywhere
Lakeside Park
2 Snowy Owl - both relatively lightly-moderately barred birds on the big pier to the east - my best views today but still very distant
2 Song Sparrow
Arkendo Park
4 Yellow-rumped Warbler around the water treatment plant
1 Belted Kingfisher
Tons of geese and ducks, but nothing particularly notable besides some American Wigeon
From here I made a bunch of stops along the lake around downtown Oakville. Extremely large numbers of waterfowl present, mainly Greater Scaup and Canada Goose. I was mainly looking for the reported Ross's Goose and it was getting darker, so I didn't spend much time sorting through the other waterfowl. No luck there, but the number of waterfowl was very impressive. I'd estimate at least 5000 waterfowl in a 5 km stretch here.
Reuven
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Fantastic sightings and interesting reading! :)
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Did the Lakeshore run today. No luck on the Snowys. There were many Goldeneye around Lakefront Promenade. Of note at this location were 2 nice Great Blue Herons. Several larger "grey" gulls that I figure were herring gulls, and what appeared to be at least 2 mature Black Backed Gulls (all gulls) floating on ice rafts. At Port Credit many more Goldeneye as well many Long Tail, and quite a few F/M Mergansers. A fun day.