Winter Finches

[Bluffs Birder]

This morning in-between the rain showers we saw several small flocks of White-winged Crossbills and Pine Siskins flying over Rosetta McClain Gardens in Scarborough.  Some Crossbills stopped-off and rested at the tops of the evergreens before continuing on their search for food.  At least 1 Common Redpoll was also seen flying overhead.

Walter

[Howieh]

Nice to hear the white-winged crossbills are showing up. If they stay in Toronto the Humber Arboretum is probably a good place to look for them.

[BIGFRANK]

We saw at least a couple of hundred in total today at Rosetta.
  The last time in winter of 2008/09 when they were in the city, by the end of the winter they were in almost any park with trees that had cones in them. Often they were on the ground eating. I wouldnt stress about searching all over for them, they are likely to be plentiful enough you wont have to go too far. That year they even landed in a tree right outside my house while Walter and I waited to be picked up to go birding!

[Brian Bailey]

I saw two Common Redpolls this afternoon at Humber Bay West.  Checking e-Bird, all but one of the recent Redpoll reports in Southern Ontario are from the past 2 days.  They have arrived!

BB

[BIGFRANK]

Oct 29th we saw Purple and House Finches and many Pine Siskins. Some of each landed in Rosetta. A few more White-winged Crossbills went by. There was on swallow seen but I was unable to make and ID quickly enough.

[BIGFRANK]

Friday we saw many Pine Siskins(a few landed in the park), White-winged Crossbills(some landed in the park), thousands and thousands of Redwinged Blackbirds with Grackles and Cowbirds, thousands of American Robins and the special treat du jour was Evening Grosbeaks flying by. Well over 100 in total. At the end of the day post 5pm a few landed briefly in the park. This was the first day this season we saw them. We also saw 20+ Red-throated Loons go over the park and many more Common Loons than that.

[BIGFRANK]

Today it was Bohemian Waxwings that stopped off at Rosetta for a bite to eat. They ate briefly from a crab apple tree before flying off. We had great photo ops. Thrilled to see them, that 197 species now seen at Rosetta since 2004 between Walter and I.