Harlequin and Wood Ducks, etc.

[Anonymous]

For you winter birders and others that probably already have all of the below birds I will mention them anyway.

 At Ashbridges bay Park yesterday Margaret Liubavicius, Ian Cannell, Ed O'Conner and I found a female Wood Duck with Mallards under the feeders beside the main parking lot and in the same area Brown Creeper, Golden-crowned Kinglet and Common Redpolls and another birder told us that a male Harlequin Duck was in the boat launch area in the morning. Possibly the same one I reported on November 30th.
 Also in the feeder areas we found House Fiches, Godfinches, A. Treee Sparrows, White-breasted Nuthatches, the usual Cardinals and free running docks chasing the ducks but do not bother to complain to them unless you like being mean mouthed.
 Ian complained to two Police Women in their car there and they brought in a Bylaw Enforcement Officer but I don't know the results of that as we were leaving as he arrived.
 Two of the excuses used for the off leash dogs - There are not many people here and the other one was - you are not a local so you can't complain.
 If you go be sure to check out the many Gulls resting on the Ice.

 On the base of The Leslie Street Spit before we went to Ashbridge's we saw 2 Northern Shrikes along side the road.

Directions:-
ASHBRIDGE

[Julie]

hi Norm and everyone

I would agree that the dog situation at Ashbridges is pretty extreme, especially compared to other parks in the east end.  We moved to the area in May and have been mightily unimpressed with the enforcement. Nor is it "just" about birds; I've had dogs jumping on me, there is poo aplenty, and there's no talking to at least some of these people.

I have already written a complaint  to Councillor Bussin's office and requested a designated contact person to talk to about this. For all of you who are locals (like me) I'd suggest doing the same-- I will post the contact name and info when I get them. And get them I will.

As for "locals"-- Ashbridges is more a destination park. Of course there are some locals but generally I observe people arriving by car and simply letting the dog out leashless. So that diss doesn't really apply. If anything, parks that really are local to a neighbourhood have less of a problem because they're always being observed. I think some people have come to see Ashbridges as their personal off leash preserve and that many are destination dog walkers, not locals.

Julie

[martin ahermaa]

Hi all:
My wife and I also were pestered by dogs running loose yesterday afternoon. Not a single one of 20-odd was under leash.
At the mouth of the ABYC mooring basin at the edge of the ice were 2 adult and one immature trumpeter swans [and an assortment of mallards et al]. One of them honked a warning to the other two when two big dogs came bounding along the outermost mooring docks. Fortunately, the dogs moved off quickly.  Dog ownership is a privilege not a right.

Martin

For you winter birders and others that probably already have all of the below birds I will mention them anyway.

 At Ashbridges bay Park yesterday Margaret Liubavicius, Ian Cannell, Ed O'Conner and I found a female Wood Duck with Mallards under the feeders beside the main parking lot and in the same area Brown Creeper, Golden-crowned Kinglet and Common Redpolls and another birder told us that a male Harlequin Duck was in the boat launch area in the morning. Possibly the same one I reported on November 30th.
 Also in the feeder areas we found House Fiches, Godfinches, A. Treee Sparrows, White-breasted Nuthatches, the usual Cardinals and free running docks chasing the ducks but do not bother to complain to them unless you like being mean mouthed.
 Ian complained to two Police Women in their car there and they brought in a Bylaw Enforcement Officer but I don't know the results of that as we were leaving as he arrived.
 Two of the excuses used for the off leash dogs - There are not many people here and the other one was - you are not a local so you can't complain.
 If you go be sure to check out the many Gulls resting on the Ice.

 On the base of The Leslie Street Spit before we went to Ashbridge's we saw 2 Northern Shrikes along side the road.

Directions:-
ASHBRIDGE’S BAY PARK

The park is at Lake Shore Blvd E and Coxwell Ave.

By TTC you can access it via the #92 bus that leaves from the Woodbine Subway Station. It goes straight down Woodbine Ave, to Lake Shore Blvd E and then over to the park. The public docks and feeder area is just to the west of the bus stop / turn around.