Outdoor Ontario
Birding Reports => Toronto Reports => Topic started by: Bluffs Birder on January 30, 2008, 12:25:14 AM
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On Monday afternoon I walked down the Doris McCarthy Trail to the bottom of Sylvan Park and saw the following out in the lake: Trumpeter Swans (tagged), Mallards, Long-tailed Ducks, Lesser Scaup, Common Goldeneyes, Buffleheads, and Red-breasted Mergansers. On the trail I saw a beautiful Red Fox who was staring down at me from high up on the side of the bluffs (the binnoculars were great but I need to buy myself a good camera and lens!!!!)
FYI - Sylvan Park and The Doris McCarthy Trail are located on the South side of the Kingston Road & Bellamy Road intersection (Scarborough). The trail is about a 15-20 minute walk/hike down through the Bellamy Ravine to Lake Ontario. At the bottom of the trail is a sculpture called "Passage" honoring the famous Canadian artist Doris McCarthy. Hopefully in the spring the Trail will be alive with songbirds and other wildlife.
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a red fox, eh?
it'd be really exciting for me to see one in the city, as i have only seen them back home (new hampshire) in the wild...
did you manage to get the numbers on the trumpeter swan tags? if you did, you should contact the Wye Marsh center and let them know you've spotted one of their swans! they like to keep track of where they've settled down :)
http://www.wyemarsh.com/trumpeter.html (http://www.wyemarsh.com/trumpeter.html)
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Hi Angelicque,
The Red Fox was a first for me.....I saw a White-tailed Deer on the trail last fall and that was nice to see too.
No unfortunately I didn't get the numbers for the swans, I wasn't aware of the Wye Marsh Center. Thankyou very much for informing me and putting up the link here, I'll contact the center the next time I see the swans.
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Hi Angelicque,
The Red Fox was a first for me.....I saw a White-tailed Deer on the trail last fall and that was nice to see too.
No unfortunately I didn't get the numbers for the swans, I wasn't aware of the Wye Marsh Center. Thankyou very much for informing me and putting up the link here, I'll contact the center the next time I see the swans.
One of my dog walking clients said she saw a fox there a few days ago! There is also a fox who occasionally shows up at Rosetta McLain Gardens. I have yet to see a fox anywhere, though. Last year I saw a dead deer by Guildcrest and Kingston on someone's lawn, it was quite an odd site and animal services had a heck of a time loading it in their truck.
I've also noticed a few Red Tailed Hawks over Kingston Road between Midland and Bellamy, usually near apartment buildings. Every time I see pigeons flying in the area, I look for a hawk and I usually see one!
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This fox was at the Rosetta Mclain Park, not far from Sylvan.
(http://www.toroncolor.com/forum/fbbuploads/1199331530-Red-Fox-266H6862.jpg)
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Thanks for the information Lee and the picture Kin (excellent shot!). I wonder just how many there are along this section of the bluffs.
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There is lots of wildlife to be seen in the bluffs. I live in the area and I have seen foxes several times, as well as deer many times. And there are coyote around. Birding can be interesting as well; this summer there was a mating pair of mockingbirds, and I can find shrike and kestrels regularly. Lots of cardinals and the usual birds, as well as some good warblers and such during migration. I've seen bluebirds, vireos, indigo buntings, a several warbler types. Not large numbers, but you get a few good surprises every once in a while.
The trumpeters are a common sighting in Bluffers park; I have counted as many at 17 at a time. There is a pair that nests there every year and seem to raise a brood successfully each year. Lots of other water fowl and gulls, including, at times, thousands of long tails and scaups off shore. Bufflehead in close to shore, mergansers, etc. The occasional scoter. Terns in the summer, a resident GB heron, and some BCN herons.
Lots of hawks too - red tails, goshawk, sharpies. Turkey vultures at times, and more. In the year all the great grey owls came to town, there was one that spent the winter in the trees lining Brimley road down to Bluffers park. I was able to find it easily every time I went looking.
There are lots of different areas to explore. Very enjoyable.
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That is one beautiful fox!