Good evening.
I went down to the Toronto Islands again today and there has been a nice change since last Friday. New migrants and increases in the earlier migrants i.e. White-throated Sparrow - up from dozens to hundreds.
During the beautiful weather I started at the Wards Island end and birded all the hot spots to Hanlans Point with 77 species despite only 7 common Waterfowl and the following are some of my finds.
Great Egret, Peregrine Falcon, Bonaparte's Gulls, Y-B Sapsuckers, Least Flycatchers, E. Kingbirds, Blue-headed and Warbling Vireos, Cedar Waxwing (1st of many on the Islands for the season), Veery, Wood Thrush, Gray catbird, 12 Brown Thrashers, Carolina, Winter and House Wrens, B-G Gnatcatchers, Purple Martins, Cliff Swallows, 8 Warbler Species including 2 Northern Parulas, Chestnut-sided Warblers, Palm Warblers, Ovenbirds, C. Yellowthroat, 11 Sparrow species including Fox Sparrows, White-crowned Sparrows, Field Sparrows and E. Towhees, Baltimore Orioles, and eastern Meadowlark.
A good day of birding and it is only going to get better as the month progresses. Still surprised that I only met 1 birder
DIRECTIONS
TORONTO ISLANDS (Wards Island to Hanlans Point - without side trips is 5 km)
To get to the Toronto Islands from Queen and Yonge Streets on the TTC. If your on the subway
southbound stay on it and get off at Union Station, walk south about 1 km to the ferry docks at the
foot of Bay Street and Queens Quay and you are there. If in an auto on the Gardener Expressway
or on Lakeshore Blvd, then exit at Bay Street and drive south to Queens Quay, there are lots of
parking lots nearby (fee).
There is a fee for using the island ferries ($6.00 adult / $3.50 for seniors & students) and to find out the sailing times you can phone (416) 392-8193. There are washrooms on the islands as well as the city side at the ferry docks and you can pick up a schedule at the docks or check on line.
The 1st boat to Wards Island (my preferred starting point) is 6:35 am and the 2nd is 7:00 am Monday
to Friday.
The 1st is at 6:35 am and the 2nd boat is at 7:15 am on Saturday, Sunday and Holidays.
The 1st boat to Hanlans Point is 8:00 am and the 2nd boat is at 8:30 am Monday to Friday.
The 1st is at 8:15 am and the 2nd boat is at 9:15 am on Saturday, Sunday and Holidays.
If arriving in early am you must obtain your ticket from a machine just inside the gate so be sure to have $1.00 and $2.00 and/or 25 cent coins before you arrive at the docks as there is no place to get change and the machine does not make change. (There is a change machine there if you want to chance it).
There are coffee shops across from the ferry docks in the building on the northwest corner and they are open early. food and beverages on The Islands when open are very expensive i.e. soft drink $3.00 plus.
For a detailed ferry schedule check the following web site.
http://www.toronto.ca/parks/island/springschedule.htmPS
There is a map of the Islands at each of the Island side ferry docks and the City side.
Another PS
If you have access to PDF then I can send an Island map if you contact me in private.
