Outdoor Ontario

Birding Reports => Toronto Reports => Topic started by: Ed O'Connor on February 19, 2011, 04:28:34 PM

Title: King Eiders on the Spit
Post by: Ed O'Connor on February 19, 2011, 04:28:34 PM: Just after 1:00 this afternoon, I found a pair of King Eiders in Cell 4 on the Spit. This is the small bay that opens onto the Lake and just west of Pipit Point. When I first saw them, the Eiders were against the north shore of the cell, and then they moved out into the middle. They were associating primarily with Mallards and Black Ducks, though there are also a number of Long-tails, Mergansers, and Buffleheads in this area. The Eiders appeared to be first-year birds, a male and female, with the white breast of the male clearly visible. Other notable sightings included three Horned Grebes off the Eastern Headland, a Northern Shrike by Cell 2, a small flock of Common Redpoles west of Pipit Point, and a beautiful male Northern Harrier coursing over the open area before the lighthouse.
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Post by: BC on February 20, 2011, 02:51:04 PM: Nice spotting, Ed. I hope they stick around for a while.
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Post by: Ed O'Connor on February 20, 2011, 05:02:29 PM: Thanks, Barry. There was another pair out there a couple of years ago that stuck around for a few weeks, so here's hoping.
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Post by: dbellilo on February 21, 2011, 08:16:39 PM: Hi folks,
I was at the Spit for most of the afternoon today, and was unable to locate the King Eiders, although we certainly searched high and low! The trip was still very pleasant, and we did see the n. saw-whet owl, a northern shrike, redpolls, etc.
I wonder if anyone was able to see the eiders today?
Best,
David B.
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Post by: feathered on February 21, 2011, 08:47:25 PM: I ran into a fellow birder looking for them and we managed to find the eiders along the northern shore of the East Cove with the mallards, black ducks, and mute swans. I didn't see the shrike, but got a good look at the big flock of redpolls and did manage to pick out my first hoary. :D
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Post by: mr.sharp-photo on February 22, 2011, 10:16:21 AM: just curious about the names of the coves, peninsulas, etc that people use.
Is there a Leslie Spit map that has the coves, ponds, etc named?
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Post by: feathered on February 22, 2011, 11:01:06 AM: I found this one on the TOC site:

(http://www.torontobirding.ca/hotspots/images/spitmap.jpg)
http://www.torontobirding.ca/hotspots/i ... pitmap.jpg (http://www.torontobirding.ca/hotspots/images/spitmap.jpg)
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Post by: Bluffs Birder on February 22, 2011, 10:48:36 PM: I was there on Monday but on the wrong side of East Cove. The wind was so cold out at the end of the Spit that I didn't look for the Eiders for very long at all. I did see a bunny and lots of Coyote tracks in the snow out there. The rest of the Spit was quite nice for walking. Lots of Redpolls in the Alder trees out at the base of Peninsula C just beyond the lift bridge. The Northern Shrike was seen between the bases of Peninsula A & B right beside the main road.

(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_k1pXepVI5SQ/TWNN7rZA_VI/AAAAAAAAQng/HhSnC-IZJMs/s640/0010.JPG)

Walter :)
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Post by: egret on February 23, 2011, 01:18:15 PM: I believe there
is a site
called
Friends of the Spit
with info

v. nice re the Eiders

o/t
CBC had a naturalist on
a Mr. Bedard
and he has a whole
area in Quebec
dedicated to Eiders
he saved them
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Post by: stvgarrett on February 26, 2011, 02:21:09 PM: The pair of King Eiders was still at the same location on the spit this morning. In case anyone isn't sure where to go, look for the green arrow on this map:
http://goo.gl/maps/fEGB
It's a bit of a long walk but the road is clear and actually pretty passable if you are on a bike (unless it snows a lot tonight :)) (but if biking stay on the lake side i.e. the east side, don't take the branch that leads to the bridge - the road on that side is snow covered).
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Post by: dbellilo on February 26, 2011, 08:27:55 PM: O-ho there, gentle feathered friends! I saw the eiders today, and they are cute little fellows. I took some pretty BAD pictures (the birds weren't too close) and watched them for a while. Nice ducks! But why do we only get the immatures around here, the stragglers? Where can we go to see the big daddies? Is there a duck with a crazier get-up than the King Eider? Where are they? Up North somewhere, I'll bet. Anyhow, it was a real treat to see the immature KE's and I thank you folks so much for posting this in the first place...
All the best
David B.
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Post by: BC on February 28, 2011, 05:51:54 PM: The King Eiders were sleeping on the ice in the East Cove yesterday shortly after noon. They were surrounded by resting dabblers and Red-breasted Mergansers and had their heads down. The young male's white breast gave him away. I walked around to the west side of the cove and viewed them from there. They became quite active and even went for a little fly, returning to the same spot.
Unfortunately, I went back with a friend about half past four and they were nowhere to be seen. We looked for them along the shore on the way back to the parking lot but without success.
Thanks for finding them, Ed. It's a lifer for me.
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Post by: mr.sharp-photo on March 01, 2011, 07:58:44 AM: Quote from: "BC"
The King Eiders were sleeping on the ice in the East Cove yesterday shortly after noon. They were surrounded by resting dabblers and Red-breasted Mergansers and had their heads down. The young male's white breast gave him away. I walked around to the west side of the cove and viewed them from there. They became quite active and even went for a little fly, returning to the same spot.
Unfortunately, I went back with a friend about half past four and they were nowhere to be seen. We looked for them along the shore on the way back to the parking lot but without success.
Thanks for finding them, Ed. It's a lifer for me.

i saw them there at 12:30/1. they were swimming with a long-tailed duck. i have some bad pics of them (they were far!)