Outdoor Ontario

Birding Reports => Toronto Reports => Topic started by: mr.sharp-photo on November 07, 2009, 09:26:14 AM

Title: Busy Saturday for raptors on the DVP
Post by: mr.sharp-photo on November 07, 2009, 09:26:14 AM

drove to work at 8:30 AM today and I spotted 3 lovely raptors.
the first was at 8:38 AM on the west side of the DVP, just south of York Mills.  Not positive what it is (keep in mind that i saw something was there and was able to take a peek for 2-3 seconds). looked like a red tail hawk, but beefier. had lovely red wings and a slightly yellowed/tanned breast. i assume its a RTH, but looked more colourful and beefier than ones i've seen in the past.

just south of the Buttonville airport, sitting on a highway-shoulder sign was a nice merlin. big sucker. very easy to see.

and another hawk (RTH, i think) was on the west side of the DVP on a light standard.

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Post by: cdecher on December 26, 2009, 04:34:22 PM

I saw a really large -- what I think is -- a red tail hawk today at DVP and Eglinton.

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Post by: JimmyM on December 27, 2009, 09:39:28 AM

Saturday was also a busy day for raptors -QEW- Erin Mills to Niagara Falls . Spotted 19 mostly red-tailed but others not ID'd . They perch on light standards or in the trees along side the road . For the first time this year saw 2 hawks together in a tree.

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Post by: Bluffs Birder on December 27, 2009, 10:40:49 AM

I watched as a Red-tailed Hawk soared over Yonge St. just south of College St. yesterday afternoon for a few minutes.  Two small flocks of Pigeons went about their business close by and weren't phased by the hawk's presence.

Walter

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Post by: TomTelford on December 27, 2009, 12:40:45 PM

Same observations here.  Drove from Orono to Hamilton and back yesterday and we must have casually spotted 10-15 RTH's on the round trip, 115-401-403-QEW.

Tom.

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Post by: Moira on December 27, 2009, 05:15:06 PM

Driving from Millhaven to Brighton today I saw 10-15 hawks; again, can't identify as I was driving :)   apparently there is a RTH at Presquile, down by the water, that is flying and posing for photographers.  I'm sure I could stop that action!  I am not lucky with the hawks.

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Post by: mr.sharp-photo on December 28, 2009, 09:04:14 AM

there are some hot spots along Toronto's highways to spot birds of prey.

one is just north of the Buttonville airport on the 404. once you are beside the airport, look east (the signs for the airport and the street lamps) and west (streetlamps).

on the 401, look at exit 401 near Ajax (I think). there is always a RTH on the fence on the south side of the road. the fence is very close to the highway at this point.