Hello all
Today I joined Ian Cannell, Jay Peterson and Ed O'Conner for a walk on the Leslie Street Spit and even if the weather man couldn't get it right, we did.
It was a cold, damp walk but no complaints :roll: seeing as we did well today. Following are the high lights of the 49 species seen including 22 Waterfowl species (4 Grebe Species).
Western type Grebe
Pied-billed Grebe
Horned Grebe - changing to breeding plumage
Red--necked Grebe - 53 on the lake in various plumages as they change to breeding plumage
Double-crested Cormorant - 5 overhead with many, many more to come
Tundra Swan - a flock of 18 flew in from the lake
Northern Shoveler - 4 overhead
Ring-necked Duck - 4 near bridge
White-winged Scoter - 100 plus through out
Hooded Merganser - 12 with a 3 to 1 majority being females
Common Merganser - 35 through out
Great Blue Heron - 2 flying west
American Coot - only 1 found
Killdeer - 16 with more heard than seen
Glaucous Gull - 2 - 1 adult and 1 juvenile
Iceland Gull - 2 adults
Red-throated Loon - 6 on the lake off of The Flats - good looks
Common Loon - 1 on the lake off of The Flats
Northern Flicker - 1 calling
Eastern Bluebird - 1 - a surprise - female
Tree Swallow - 1 - another surprise spotted by Ed O'Conner
Song Sparrow - 28 through out
We also found a Wooly Bear beside the road as well as 3 Racoons and a Leopard Frog in full song :-)
Next weekend should have a great variety of migrants and resident birds moving through and moving in, weather permitting.
And to top it all off as Ian Cannall and I were driving up Hwy 404 we saw 2 flocks of Tundra Swans (38 birds) overhead at Lawrence Ave.
Directions:-
LESLIE STREET SPIT (TOMMY THOMPSON PARK) IN TORONTO
To get to "The Spit" from Queen & Yonge Sts. 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.
