Good evening .
Today Margaret Liubavicius and I spent the day birding The Spit and we did find some decent birds besides the usual suspects.
Best birds of the day ( for us ) were 4 A. Woodcock and 1 Lesser Yellowlegs.
Other goodies were:-
Red-necked Grebes, 35+ Double-crested Cormorants, Trumpeter Swan, 30+ green-winged teal, N. Pintail, all 3 Mergansers, both Scaup, 2 N. Harriers, 20+ Killdeer, an adult Glaucous Gull, Hairy Woodpecker, N. Flicker, N. Shrike, Horned Larks, 15+ Song Sparrows, and 14 Common Redpolls.
Other birds reported to us by Dan Derbyshire and Ed O'Conner were:-
Horned Grebes, A. Wigeons, Ring-necked Ducks, Ruddy Duck, More A. Woodcock, Common Snipe. Belted Kingfishers, and E. meadowlark.
We also saw 13 Cottontails and a great view of a Coyote crossing the ice.
Though the bays are still mostly frozen over the next few days promise a quick melt like is happening now with the snow down there and by next weekend the birding there should have picked up significantly.
Also be aware that the birding on Peninsula D will be some what restricted as the banding station opens on Tuesday ( April 1st ). If you do bird this peninsula please try not to interfere with the banders and also do not approach the nets as any birds already in the nets are under enough stress without worrying about the big predator approaching.
Directions:-
LESLIE STREET SPIT (TOMMY THOMPSON PARK) IN TORONTO
To get to "The Spit" from Queen and Yonge Streets. Take the Queen Street Car #501 east to Leslie St. and walk south (about 2 km) or as far as you can go on Leslie St. at Unwin Ave. and you will see the gate and signage. You may also catch the Jones Bus #83 at the Donlands Subway Station or transfer to it at Queen St. and Jones Ave. and take it to Leslie St. And Commissioner St. (on Saturday only). By automobile you may drive to Lakeshore Blvd and Leslie St. then south to The Spit.
You can park either on Leslie St. or Unwin Ave. You may also park in the parking lot inside the main gate after 9 am. Be sure to observe the parking lot closing time as if you are not out by then your auto will be locked in until the following day.
