Outdoor Ontario
Birding Reports => Toronto Reports => Topic started by: Rotarran on October 02, 2015, 12:41:52 PM
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I guess I'll create this thread and steadily update it.
I stopped by yesterday for about an hour to briefly check in on the migrant action. And I was not disappointed. The park was rocking -- not with yet another concert, thankfully -- but with Golden-crowned Kinglets. They seemed to be everywhere. I counted 10 but I suspect there may have been hundreds spread across the entire park. Also present were 3 warbler species including a Nashville, a Black-throated Green and new for the park a Tennessee. They were all fairly close together.
A quick check at the pond only revealed a couple of Canada Geese and Mallards.
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Yesterday was quite active with lots of sparrow action including: Lincoln's (2), White-crowned (at least 10), White-throated (about 5), and also still many local Song and Savannahs. Oh and of course a Dark-eyed Junco...first of the season.
A new bird for the park, the Blackpoll Warbler, was found late in the day and continues to add to the tally of warblers seen at Downsview. Other warblers seen were what looked like the same Tennessee and Nashville from the day before and lots of Yellow-rumped. There may have been more but the invasion of the Golden-crowned Kinglets made it challenging to get a clear picture in a short period of time. There were also a few Ruby-crowned Kinglets among them.
Not much Hawk, Duck or Shorebird action. It's all about the little passerine migrants at the moment.
Edit: Almost forgot, I saw a sizable flock of American Pipits as well. Monarch numbers seem to be way down...almost disappeared.
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Today was an interesting day. Still very busy with migrants including many Kinglets and Yellow-rumped Warblers. Between the hill and train tracks Dinu saw a Bobolink and close to the greenhouse area I saw a Blue-headed Vireo. First of the year for me :)
(https://download.ams.birds.cornell.edu/api/v1/asset/20276831/medium)
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Where exactly in the park do you see the most action? I go once and a while but I never seem to see too much. Maybe I'm looking in the wrong places or I'm just unlucky but id love to know where you've seen the most recently! Thanks!
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Where exactly in the park do you see the most action? I go once and a while but I never seem to see too much. Maybe I'm looking in the wrong places or I'm just unlucky but id love to know where you've seen the most recently! Thanks!
It depends what you're hoping to see and also when. Obviously migration times are best (spring and fall) for the migrating type of birds. For warblers, vireos, kinglets and sparrows try wooded and 2nd growth type of areas. Grasslands with the odd tree and bush can also work. Because of the park's size, it can take some time...so don't spend too much time in areas of low activity. Keep moving and keep listening. Follow your ears...it's usually your best guide to whee the action is. I know, it's hard to do with all the airtraffic and wind...but that's part of the challenge.
Always check both ponds for ducks, geese, gulls and shorebirds. For hawks and falcons, it's hit or miss ...it really depends if they're hunting and want to be seen.
And one thing I try to do before entering the park is to leave my expectations behind. I usually enter with an open mind and open ears and eyes. Whatever I see, I see.
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Thanks! I may head over this afternoon
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I swung by today to see what's going on and things have changed a bit. For one I didn't notice any warbler activity any longer. Looks like the Nashville and Tennessee have made their move.
The Blue-headed Vireo was still there as were a number of Kinglets (both kinds). Newly arrived was a single Fox Sparrow that wasn't too far from all the other sparrows (including White-throated, White-crowned, Song and Juncos). Also a few Hermit Thrushes seem to have moved in for a brief stay. I confirmed at least 2 but I know there are more thrushes in the park, I just couldn't see what they were. I do think they're probably all Hermits....but you never know.
Pond was still pretty quiet but I did find an American Black Duck, only 2nd sighting for the park I think.
We really racked up the warblers this fall. Since August 25, we have collectively seen the following warblers at Downsview:
- Chestnut-sided Warbler
- Yellow Warbler
- Palm Warbler
- Common Yellowthroat
- Wilson's Warbler
- Cape-May Warbler
- Magnolia Warbler
- Black-throated Green Warbler
- Nashville Warbler
- Tennessee Warbler
- Yellow-rumped Warbler
- Black-throated Blue Warbler
- Blackpoll Warbler
Not bad for fall and for a park that specializes mostly in grassland species in the middle of the city far away from the lake. I'm curious what we'll see in the spring.
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Thanks for keeping the tally Elias. It was indeed very quiet this evening; however, I was presented with this beauty - a male Rusty Blackbird.
(https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5786/21440973314_514419fce5_z.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/yEEAnG)
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Beautiful! Nice find! I love Rusties...their colour and pattern is so perfect for fall. Ditto for Fox Sparrows and Thrushes.
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I passed by briefly today mainly to check the pond for any interesting visitors but it was very quiet. So I just kinda walked around. I made my way through the woods looking for ground sparrows and thrushes. Then when I came out the back exit I walked towards the two tiny bridges that connect the path which eventually leads to that tall white pole.
As I approached the reeds, I noticed quite a bit of commotion and movement...I was so close to the action that I didn't even need bins to realize I'm looking at the frantic movements of a wren with its tail up like a draw bridge. But then I put bins to glasses and there it was bird #150 for Downsview Park...a Marsh Wren. This will change Downsview Park's hotspot colour from green to yellow on ebird. That may not seem like such a big deal but it is only the 3rd Toronto park north of Bloor with that distinction.
I've always felt that Downsview had great potential and if it was left alone and not turned into this an everypark for everyone (concerts, carnivals and all sort of other nonsense), who knows what its true limits could have been. But alas here we are.
I did not get any pics...maybe next time.
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Thank you very much Elias for your diligence - it was indeed nice to get 150 bird species in an urban park that, as you said, is trying to become everything for everybody. I remember you urging me and others last year to report on eBird every new bird we found. Hope we find new bird species there as time goes on. I saw a lot of new trees planted - that's good news. I keep visiting this place - walking around the park a few times will keep everyone healthy. Winter months are challenging because of wide open space and strong winds. However, if you want to see a Snowy in the middle of a big city that is very likely the place you want to visit more often.
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Thank you too Dinu, without your help and efforts and the help and efforts of every other birder at this truly special park, this would never have been possible.
This park isn't like some of the other parks out there. Many parks offer instant gratification...lots of birds, lots of species. Downsview is a slow burn...it slowly unravels to reveal its secrets to you. Patience is the key and patience often pays off. It always feels like there is something somewhere in the park, it's just a matter of good instinct and good luck to find it in the sheer vastness of it all :D
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Hello once again,
I am so excited about reaching 150 species. I started the hotspot hoping that we could reach this level one day, I didn't think it would happen so fast. I am also thinking ahead to the spring, all of the water features in the park are very new. I am confident there are going to be a lot more species as the park continues to mature.
Keep up the good work! I also will be posting a separate thread about an opportunity to help with a very exciting habitat restoration project.
Talk soon,
Jonny
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Thanks Jonny as the founding father of the Downsview Hotspot, we have you to thank for laying the foundation and getting this started :)
Today was a cold and windy day but I went back to try and maybe get a pic of the Marsh Wren but no luck. I did, however, run into the Fox Sparrow ...probably the same I saw the other day.
The Fox Sparrow is probably my favourite sparrow...followed closely by the Lincoln's. It's always a great thrill to see them :D
(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/694/22208063646_ae5a012fab_c.jpg)
(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/769/21611403754_ba4ac67426_c.jpg)
(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/692/22234140415_954dc3b264_c.jpg)
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Hey!
wuz that you siting on top of the Hill close to the railway tracks :)
I think the Killdeer finally departed on Thursday.
Still seeing a Raven about Downsview once in a while.
Naoper :)
Oh BTW DE Junco's arrived en mass in Milton this week.
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Hey!
wuz that you siting on top of the Hill close to the railway tracks :)
I think the Killdeer finally departed on Thursday.
Still seeing a Raven about Downsview once in a while.
Naoper :)
Oh BTW DE Junco's arrived en mass in Milton this week.
No, I rarely go up the hills or sit down. ;)
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I lied
I spotted Two Killdeer today at 9:30 sorry.
Napper :)
Yeah, I zoomed my screen so I can actually see what I am typing :roll:
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Wow quite a day at Downsview. First of all I found yet another new bird for the park, an Orange-crowned Warbler. This is the bird that I was thinking would be most likely to be 150 but being off by 1 is not bad.
(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/747/22185639408_d3fbda2bc8_c.jpg)
But perhaps more stunning than that was the fact that I saw 9 species of sparrows....in fact I saw nearly all possible sparrows one could see at this time of the year save for one or two (Chipping / Field) or of course the rarities such as Nelson's or LeConte's. Here's the list of sparrows all in one park in the span of about 2 hours (in order):
Dark-eyed Junco
White-crowned Sparrow
Fox Sparrow
American Tree Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
Linoln's Sparrow
So the new arrival of course is the American Tree Sparrow, a common but very handsome sparrow.
(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/775/22360283332_fbd29a13d4_c.jpg)
I also saw a species of Waxwing that I've posted in the ID forum. It's a juvie and that's what's throwing me off. It's probably a Cedar, but the sounds I heard ..I thought might be Bohemian.
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Snow Buntings
Spotted a Snow Bunting today at 9:30 am and I can hear the them now at lunch time
I am inside the airfield fence near the tracks.
Napper:)
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Passed by late on Friday for a bit and was a bit quieter than my previous visit but then it was also later. Didn't find the Snow Buntings but while looking for them, I did bump into an Eastern Meadowlark. And I saw a beautiful Red-tailed Hawk very close...about as close as I've ever seen one.
(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/578/22447897155_09b838f9b0_c.jpg)
(https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5686/22447897085_e4b9a0fcb2_c.jpg)
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Very nice finds - I saw a lark in the spring, haven't seen one in the fall yet. I was at the park on Friday late in the afternoon, did see a harrier and two hawks, one is probably an adult. Saw a whole bunch of Fox Sparrows.
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Been a while since I birded DV due to my back acting up. But today I I swung by to see what was happening. It was windy but not terribly cold. The most notable sighting was of 12 American Pipits by the big pond. The Pipits made several attempts to get air and fly over Keele street but the wind pushed them back each time.
Other than that fairly quiet. I guess it'll take some time until we get more winter visitors now that most fall migrants and summer residents have left. Unfortunately with the reduced daylight, I won't have as many opportunities to bird this park as I'd like.
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Get well soon Elias. Yesterday I saw a pine siskin and a bunch of house finches together with other regulars that you reported earlier.
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Dinu and I met at the park today and birded with what little light we had left. It was very quiet probably because it was so late. But we did flush a very interesting bird from the grasslands east of the woods. It was either an American Woodcock or a Wilson's Snipe...my money's on the Woodcock based on my brief observations and the fact that it was in the grasslands. I would assume the Snipe would prefer to be closer to water.
We also saw some Black-capped Chickadees which, of course, are very common but at Downsview they're downright rare.
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Dinu and I met at the park today and birded with what little light we had left. It was very quiet probably because it was so late. But we did flush a very interesting bird from the grasslands east of the woods. It was either an American Woodcock or a Wilson's Snipe...my money's on the Woodcock based on my brief observations and the fact that it was in the grasslands. I would assume the Snipe would prefer to be closer to water.
We also saw some Black-capped Chickadees which, of course, are very common but at Downsview they're downright rare.
I may have to correct myself. After listening to some calls online, the bird we saw and heard definitely made sounds more like the Wilson's Snipe. It was identical to the "scape alarm calls" on this page: https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/wilsons-snipe (https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/wilsons-snipe)
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And grasslands are actually Snipe habitat (even fairly dry grasslands, like their breeding grounds up in Carden), while Woodcocks prefer more wooded areas as the name suggests.
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And grasslands are actually Snipe habitat (even fairly dry grasslands, like their breeding grounds up in Carden), while Woodcocks prefer more wooded areas as the name suggests.
Yeah you're right. Thanks Thouc.
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Wow I can hardly believe it's been so long since I've done any birding at Downsview. With the reduced daylight hours, reduced bird activity and increase in workload at work and increase in colds and flus, I was really taken out of the game for a good chunk of time.
But I had some days off, was feeling much better and decided to get back out there. I was stunned at the warm weather on December 23...the green grass made it seem more like early April than middle of winter.
Bird activity was low as expected. But a Kestrel was quite active throughout the park. Tons and tons of Starlings might explain why a Peregrine Falcon has been seen there lately (but not by me). A Northern Mockingbird was quite vocal and upset at a small group of these Starlings.
Other than that, not much else. No Snowy Owl, no Northern Shrike, no Snow Buntings...maybe later in the winter...I guess we'll see.
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If anyone is seeing further reports of this Peregrine Falcon, could they please share here?
The one I saw a few weeks back, I was able to see the bands and get her number to confirm the bird's ID. Her name is Ivy.
http://www.conservewildlifenj.org/blog/ ... ne-falcon/ (http://www.conservewildlifenj.org/blog/tag/peregrine-falcon/)
She's also been seen in the downtown area, possibly looking to take over a certain nest site.
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(http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/kk187/lilevl13/whatpefa_zpsnzqf2xop.jpg) (http://s280.photobucket.com/user/lilevl13/media/whatpefa_zpsnzqf2xop.jpg.html)
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That's really neat information Rob, thank you for sharing that. Hopefully we'll have a resident Peregrine at or near Downsview Park.
I swung by today for a bit since I got out of work early. I'm glad I did, as I was wrapping up my time at the park, I saw a flock of geese approach the pond. I quickly checked them out and distinctly saw one was much smaller than the other 4. Immediately I hurried to get closer to the pond thinking I may have a Cackling Goose and indeed that's exactly what I found.
I always get a kick out of seeing Cackling Geese, this is my third time seeing this species at Downsview. Sorry for the poor quality photo but it was getting dark fast and every picture came out rather poor.
(https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5734/24011640661_fa752454f8_c.jpg)
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Lucky you. When I was there in the afternoon around 3 PM there was nothing in the pond. However, saw at least three RTHs flying around - I had the park to myself.
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I got there around 3:30pm and I've never seen the pond so empty. Not even one measly Mallard. The Cackling and the Canadas arrived around 5pm.
Anything else interesting? I did see a Song Sparrow which is unusual this late in the year. I think there may be more because quite often I would hear a faint solitary chip but don't see the bird that made the sound. My thinking is Song Sparrow.
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The call might be American Tree Sparrow?
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The call might be American Tree Sparrow?
I did see a pair of American Tree Sparrow and took a crappy photo of one of them as it landed on a tree close to where I was standing.
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I'll post more details tonight but just wanted to post that I saw likely Lincolns and Swamp Sparrows today. Swamp is for certain but just have to look at pics of Lincolns
Also House Finches in big group of Juncos and Tree Sparrows.
No sign of Geese today but Dinu is still there and may see it later.
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I have to correct myself, it appears that it was a Juvenile Swamp Sparrow which does bear some similarities to the Lincoln's Sparrow in particular the fine streaking on the breast and sides.
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Overall it was a fun day...started off really slow. I didn't see a bird until almost 30 minutes at Downsview. First bird I saw (and first for the year) was a Red-tailed Hawk soaring over the park. But then I ran into the large group of House Finches (25), Tree Sparrows (20) and Juncos (15). It was cool seeing them all hang out together in one large multicultural flock :) This picture is a good representation of the inter-species harmony I witnessed today:
A House Finch on the left, an American Tree Sparrow in the foreground (and one in the background) and a Dark-eyed Junco on the right.
(https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5724/24030080021_b9e4385568_c.jpg)
A picture of a nice looking House Finch:
(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1442/23485886673_94e61d5338_c.jpg)
Here's a picture of the Swamp Sparrow that I initially mistook for a Lincoln's:
(https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5704/23744883699_3a2bcba987_c.jpg)
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This will be my last post in this thread and then I'll start a new thread. But in the meantime I just wanted to get the word out that the Peregrine was very active today at DV. Was frequently chasing the local RTH's.