Good evening
Today Margaret Liubavicius, Peter McParland and I birded the Toronto Islands and it was another beautiful day to be out there.
We started as usual at Wards Island and along with 8 Warbler species including an Orange-crowned Warbler found by Peter, Grey-cheeked, Hermit and Swainson's Thrushes, Rusty Blackbirds, Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers,Red-breasted and White-breasted Nuthatches, White-crowned and White-throated Sparrows, both Kinglets, and many Blue Jays we also came up with only my second ever on The Islands Tufted Titmouse. This bird was heard only as it sang from two different locations this morning at the southeast corner of the Wards Island houses before falling silent and eluding our search for it.
We continued on with not many birds sighted between Wards and Gibralter Point but did find 2 Pied-billed Grebes in the trout pond on Gibralter.
At the south end of the Island Airfield fence among the 40 White-crowned Sparrows in the patch of Lamb's Quarter we found the Clay-colored Sparrow.
All in all a good day with some decent birds.
DIRECTIONS:-
TORONTO ISLANDS (Wards Island to Hanlans Point - without side trips is 5 km) - Now on the Fall Schedule.
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 at 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 and 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 ( up to a $10 bill ) 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. If you are birding from Wards the soft drink machine beside the fire station sells juice, iced tea, etc. for $1.00.and $1.25.
For a detailed ferry schedule check the following web site.
http://www.toronto.ca/parks/island/springschedule.htm