Outdoor Ontario

Birding Reports => Toronto Reports => Topic started by: raypye on August 30, 2009, 07:15:15 PM

Title: American Avocet- Whitby
Post by: raypye on August 30, 2009, 07:15:15 PM

Sunday, August 30- 2 PM
The Avocet was at its regular location, east of the bridge at Whitby Harbour
Rayfield Pye

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Post by: raypye on September 02, 2009, 06:23:00 PM

Wednesday- 5 PM
American Avocet- 1
Least Sandpiper- 11, Semipalmated Sandpiper- 2, Lesser Yellowlegs- 2
The amount of shorebird habitat had doubled.
Rayfield Pye

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Post by: mr.sharp-photo on September 03, 2009, 10:31:40 AM

i'm considering heading there this Saturday. but its a 1 hr drive.
Ray, for pictures (and using a big zoom lens), is it worth the trip?

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Post by: Pruss on September 04, 2009, 08:51:05 AM

Hi there Yogi...

The A. Avocet has been foraging about 60m-100m out from a bridge.  The bridge has a small sidewalk that will take a tripod, and the road doesn't get too much traffic (bridge is two lanes).  The bridge gives you a decent vantage point, as the view is unobstructed and you get to scan/shoot down on the birds.  There is another secondary viewing area just south of the bridge, but there are some shrubs/grasses that might obstruct vertically challenged birders.  

Hope that helps!  This is definitely a comfortable spot for birding.  

Crossing fingers that the Avocet hangs around for you.

-- Pruss

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Post by: Mark D on September 04, 2009, 02:26:49 PM

I made a visit there at about 9 this morning and watched the avocet for a while.  There were over a dozen other small shorebirds near it, but I'm not sure what they were.  There was also a kingfisher and two great blue herons hanging around. Down closer to the lake, there were some caspian terns, loads of cormorants, and a young black crowned night heron.

Mark

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Post by: What was that? on September 04, 2009, 04:09:42 PM

I used the path to the north of the bridge, a short distance east there is a bunch of decorative grass (first large batch), just past that there was a faint trail leading to the river edge. Probably made by lots of other birders wanting a closer look at the sandbar. There are two spots with no reeds to hinder view. (Watch out for dog poop and the fire ants eventually made me move on when I went - ouch.
Graham

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Post by: Moira on September 04, 2009, 04:24:47 PM

Just as Mark says, there is a path to the north.  I've seen some great shots of the Avocet on Pixelshooters.com (also comments about the fire ants - so be careful).

Title: Firday, September 4- 5 PM
Post by: raypye on September 04, 2009, 06:11:59 PM

American Avocet- 1 (14th day present)
Stilt Sandpiper- 3, Lesser Yellowlegs- 4, Solitary Sandpiper- 1, Semipalmated Plover- 2, Killdeer- 1, Semipalmated Sandpiper- 4, Least Sandpiper- 23,
Spotted Sandpiper- 1,
The water levels are droping the shorebirds are feeding over a larger area.  The Avocet was much easer to photograph a week ago when it was feeding near the first mud island.
Rayfield Pye