Outdoor Ontario
Birding Reports => Toronto Reports => Topic started by: Kris Ito on August 12, 2015, 10:40:48 PM
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With huge thanks to Lynn Pady, we were both able to enjoy our first Wilson's Phalarope tonight at Tommy Thompson. We observed it first on Embayment D and then again in Cell Two. This was a juvenile bird, showing yellow legs, pale colouring and a long thin elegant bill. It was foraging in proximity to two Lesser Yellowlegs, which were noticeably larger. Other shorebirds included only Semipalmated Plovers, Least Sandpipers, Semipalmated Sandpipers and Killdeer. Unfortunately it appears as though the one muddy pond at the end of cell two is quickly being filled with gravel. It may not be of interest to the shorebirds for very much longer.
A reminder that the park is open on weekdays after 4:30 pm when the trucking activity stops and all day on weekends. It also appears that the red pedestrian bridge is disconnected on weekdays and reconnected for the weekends. -Kris
(https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5698/20500746786_01218b4bca.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/xezFMu)Wilson's Phalarope (https://flic.kr/p/xezFMu) by Kris Ito (https://www.flickr.com/photos/95264878@N02/), on Flickr
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The Phalarope was still present Thursday evening and giving good views at the far end of Cell Two (sometimes it was up on shore foraging in the sparse vegetation). A Baird's Sandpiper was reported to eBird on Thursday morning in this same location but myself and 4 other birders were unable to relocate it. We really thought we had one while we were there but careful studies of our collective photos at home revealed the bird to be a slightly long-winged Semipalmated. :lol: Oh well. You can however see a photo of the actual Baird's found by Paul Prior on eBird here: http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S24598263
(https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5807/20368881709_020300cf66_n.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/x2VQTF)Wilson's Phalarope (https://flic.kr/p/x2VQTF) by Kris Ito (https://www.flickr.com/photos/95264878@N02/), on Flickr
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Phalarope still present as of Saturday morning.
Also, a Lesser Yellowlegs and several Semipalmated Sandpipers.
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The phalarope was still there this afternoon (Sunday). It was sleeping on shore when I first spotted it after missing it on my first few scans of that area. It was on the opposite side of a pond, and I just got my scope on it when it flew...and landed much closer. Gotta love shorebirds! :lol:
BB
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The phalarope was still there this afternoon (Sunday). It was sleeping on shore when I first spotted it after missing it on my first few scans of that area. It was on the opposite side of a pond, and I just got my scope on it when it flew...and landed much closer. Gotta love shorebirds! :lol:
BB
Was it in cell one? I saw a large shorebird there resting on an island there. Unfortunately, I couldn't really make it out with the heat haze... :)
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Sorry, I don't get out there very often and don't know the names. It was in the active landfill area. There was a big orange water pump (not running) next to it, which I assume is intended to drain that pond.
The birds can be very difficult to spot there as they're often walking along steep gravel banks.
BB
Sent from my birdroid using Tapatalk.
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Ok. Thanks for the info. I was looking in the wrong place...