Outdoor Ontario

Birding Reports => Toronto Reports => Topic started by: mr.sharp-photo on June 10, 2009, 10:11:20 PM

Title: Black crowned night heron at Brickwords on June 10/09
Post by: mr.sharp-photo on June 10, 2009, 10:11:20 PM

The Brickworks is back!!  :D

I went there at 4:30 today. The Don River trail was quite quiet. The Brickworks, though, wasn't.

First, on the upper escarpment (east side near the railroad tracks), I briefly saw a woodpecker. Not sure what is was and I didn't get a picture.  But it had the colour and look of an overly large mourning dove, but with a speckled belly and it was smaller than a pileated woodpecker.

i walked down to the pond area and suddenly a large bird took off and circled the pond and landed 30 feet up.  I guess that now that the ponds are murking over, its perfect fishing conditions for the black crowned night heron.

It remained in the tree for 30-45 minutes, keeping an eye on the pond from a distance.

I also saw a warbler, three ducks fighting in the air for pond territorial rights and two incredibly large, colourful garter snakes.

on the way back, i saw a grey catbird couple.

not a bad day, considering the back luck I've had at the Brickworks this month.

(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3324/3615862168_99cc27b520.jpg)

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Post by: Marnie on June 11, 2009, 10:41:00 AM

That's pretty cool. I've never seen one from that angle before!

Sounds like your woodpecker was a flicker?

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Post by: mr.sharp-photo on June 11, 2009, 10:58:48 AM

using this as a reference:

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2055/225 ... 1202679913 (http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2055/2255236773_ae22dc4950.jpg?v=1202679913)

i didn't see any red colour and the back was pretty grey (no spots).

the heron let me get right underneath it and, for the most part, didn't care (except when he looked down for that picture).