Outdoor Ontario

Birding Reports => Toronto Reports => Topic started by: stvgarrett on February 11, 2011, 06:49:58 PM

Title: Northern Pintail still at Humber Bay East
Post by: stvgarrett on February 11, 2011, 06:49:58 PM

At 4 p.m. today the bird was at the location of the green arrow on this map  http://goo.gl/maps/llEo
Easy viewing could be had from the bridge nearby, and it's just 100m from the parking lot.
For an earlier photo of what was likely the same bird see: http://outdoorontario.net/birds/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=7292

There were some other nice waterfowl within easy viewing distance of the bridge, all the usual suspects plus some bonus birds: 2 female Hooded Mergansers, 4 American Wigeons.

Title:
Post by: birdstitcher on February 12, 2011, 06:34:17 PM

I have still yet to see the pintail! I went to High Park this am in hopes of seeing a pintail or a red bellied woodpecker. No such luck! I did see 15 robins fly over.  An offleash dog scared most of the ducks away before I got to the bridge at the north end of the pond. I saw a family release a male mallard from a box. When I asked what the story was behind this, I was told that the son found the mallard near the Humber very weak and unable to fly. They took it home in a box and fed it for three days. Once the duck started trying to fly in the room it was in, they figured it was healthy. And so brought it to the pond to release it. It flew out of the box it was in and joined the rest of the there. Hope it is okay.

Kerri

Title:
Post by: Brian Bailey on February 12, 2011, 11:08:34 PM

The Pintail has been in the area all winter but he's easily overlooked because he's usually in a flock of Mallards.

BB

Title:
Post by: BC on February 12, 2011, 11:57:09 PM

Note to birdstitcher: Try the west side of the Humber, within a few hundred yards south of James Gardens. The Red-bellied Woodpeckers (three last Sunday) were extremely noisy and busy.

Title:
Post by: birdstitcher on February 13, 2011, 12:48:08 AM

Thanks BC and BB. I only went to High Park to meet my other half for breakfast after he did his 15 mile. Figured I would do a little birdwatching before he got back to the restaurant. I have seen a red bellied at the park before. The life of an Ironman triathlon's wife...I call myself the Iron Widow to his tri friends  :wink:

K

Title:
Post by: KPaw on February 13, 2011, 08:54:34 AM

The Pintail was on Grenadier Pond late yesterday afternoon but, of course, you really have to look for him amongst all of those many Mallards!