Both are excellent choices! Here's my perspective on each:
Wet Woods - No worries about weekday entry - we all do it, just park along Unwin Ave. Yes it's still pretty wet but it is possible to navigate around the larger puddles if you don't have room for rubber boots in your luggage! Warblers have been great this week - 24 species over the last 5 days. Activity peaks between 6-10 am and then again in late afternoon. The Wet Woods is a smaller area than Sam's - you can't walk more than about half a kilometre in any direction but there are lots of interesting pockets to explore. Other birds include Scarlet Tanagers, Baltimore & Orchard Orioles, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Vireos, Swallows, Flycatchers,Thrush and occasional raptors. Yesterday a Black-billed Cuckoo was reported. During the week you cannot access the shorelines or ponds so no shorebirds or waterfowl (unless you notice them flying overhead). FYI: There are a couple of homeless folk living in the wood but they are generally very friendly or they just avoid us. If you happen to see one of their camps just try to give them their privacy. Bonus Feature: No dogs allowed!
Col. Sam Smith Park - A larger park with more walking required (1-2 km end to end?) but lots of interesting shoreline to explore and the potential for shorebirds. Unfortunately there are also lots of dogs to scare them all away! Traditionally this park has great warblers but for some strange reason the reports from the Wet Woods have been a little better this week - but of course this trend could be reversed at any time! There are three primary areas for warblers - a creek that runs just north of the parking lot, a mixed woodlot on the other side of the sports field, and a small woodlot known as "the little bowl" on the farthest east side, just north of the large old house. There is also a larger area known as just "the bowl", but it's not as good as it once was since the small shrubs were removed. There can be a few warblers but they're usually very high up in the evergreens and tough to see. You can also sometimes find a few warblers in any of the bushy areas around the marina. Other species are generally very similar to the Wet Woods with the addition of a few more Swallow species and assorted waterfowl. Bonus Feature: The Whimbrel Watch! This offers the potential for some great views of Whimbrels and a few other shorebirds but so far it sounds like they might be a little later than usual. The official watchers can be found on the largest slightly elevated point just south of the marina.
Whichever you choose, hope you have a great day!
-kris ito
p.s. Any local birders you pass by will usually be very happy to offer you some guidance.
