Wet Woods: week of May 3

[mr.sharp-photo]

Went to the woods today. from what i heard from other birders, Toronto was a dead city. no warblers at Sam Smith, i saw nothing at Ashbridges and the Spit wasn't that much better.

Waterthrush
Black and White
asst sparrows
egret
terns
red tailed hawk
bg gnatcatchers

didn't see one yr warbler.

rumour was that an ovenbird was spotted in the AM, as was a yellowthroat.

as a side note, there's one birder who TWICE went into the middle of the wet woods, sploshed and stomped around and flushed the waterthrush. some people need to really give their heads a shake.

[rickeckley]

I was in the Wet Woods this Tuesday from 12:30-2:30.  It was a gorgeous day and very slow in terms of birds - in fact the slowest day  of all days I've been out since early April.  Oh, unpredictable migration...

I had 33 species in total.  Highlights included:

Fox Sparrow (very late)
Nashville (in the bowl)
Myrtle
Yellow Warbler
Thrasher (his thrashing tipped me off to the Fox)
Hermit Thrush
Gnatcatcher (very low)
N.R.W. Swallow
Pied-Billed Grebe

Rick

[rickeckley]

...and a Black and White...

[rickeckley]

Another gorgeous day in the Wet Woods today from 9:30-1:30.  We are entering the heart of migration.  43 species seen.

HIghlights:

Merlin
Coopers
Scarlet Tanager
Common Yellow Throat
B.T. Blue
Nashvile
Black and White
Palm
Pine
Yellow Rimp
Yellow
Warbling Vireo
Gnatcatcher
Towhee
Fox Sparrow
White Crowned Sparrow
Field Sparrow
Tree Sparrow
Woodcock
Raven
N.R.W. Swallow
Caspian Tern
Hairy

Others reported Black-Billed Cuckoo, Parula, and R.B. Grosbeak.

Rick

[mr.sharp-photo]

Another gorgeous day in the Wet Woods today from 9:30-1:30.  We are entering the heart of migration.  43 species seen.

HIghlights:
...
Rick

since you're at the Spit often (and tomorrow's my last day there for a while), wondering if you can add the areas that were hot? i.e. prairie warbler mound, the bowl, east side of the woods.
it's good to know where some of the action is. i find that, for long stretches, some areas are, oddly, hotter than others.

[rickeckley]

The bowl was very good - warblers, vireo, towhee, thrasher, gnatcatcher, ususally a winter wren, but not today.  Main path in high trees closest to bowls - 5-6 species of warbler.  Middle of main path beyond the deepest water if you're coming from the parking lot (Fox, Thrasher) on west side of path.  Leon said the east side closer to the Unwin fence was hot in the morning w/warblers. Ian had a Bobolink in the "meadow" on the west side.  Hope this helps. Enjoy your last day for awhile.  Hope you're going somewhere with great birds.

Rick

[mr.sharp-photo]

Hope you're going somewhere with great birds.

Rick

if pasta and wine count as birds, then yes

[Walter Fisher]

Was there early this morning with a group of birders and had...

Gret Egret (flyover), Red-tailed Hawk (2 hunting the woods), Blue-headed Vireo, Warbling Vireo, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Cedar Waxwing, Black-and-white Warbler, Nashville Warbler, Yellow Warbler, Palm Warbler, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Orchard Oriole, and Baltimore Oriole.  Also, we heard that there was at least 1 Rusty Blackbird.

Overall it was reasonably quiet with a lot of lone birds being seen.  Hopefully better days ahead.

Good birding,
Walter

[oridgen10]

Today (May 8th):
A very special day at the Wet Woods today. Overall ten species of Warbler, including a singing "Brewster's Warbler" hybrid! Special thanks to Kris Ito for tipping us off to the presence of our first ever Blackburnian Warbler!

Full list:
"Brewster's Warbler"-Seen and heard near The Bowl, stayed in the same vicinity for nearly 15 minutes before flying off to parts unknown
Blackburnian Warbler-Two,one seen, another heard
Black-Throated Green-Several, mainly by The Bowl
Black and White-One seen in the bowl
Nashville-At least four seen early on at the centre of the wet woods
Yellow-Abundant
Yellow-Rumped-Abundant
Palm-Two, one in the Bowl, one at the side of Unwin Road
Chestnut-sided-In The Bowl
Ovenbird-One heard (not seen) at the center of the Wet Woods
Warbling Vireo-Several
Gnatcatcher-Several
White-Throated Sparrow-Abundant
Song Sparrow-A few scattered about
White-Crowned Sparrow-One, near the hill with the burdock
Swamp Sparrow-Also at the hill
Robin-Many
Great Blue Heron-One flyover
Caspian Terns-Several flyovers
Grackle-Many
Red-Winged Blackbirds-Many
Cowbird-Many
Chickadee-Few
Tree Swallow-Abundant
Barn Swallow-Abundant

[Steve Hood]

yes, today was a good day.  I also saw the Brewster's along with a Common Yellowthroat.

[mr.sharp-photo]

yes, today was a good day.  I also saw the Brewster's along with a Common Yellowthroat.

i was there briefly today.
the most abundant bird were the chimney swifts feeding above.
otherwise, the non-bowl birds were up up up in the tree tops.

have a good few weeks, everyone. save some warblers for me after the May long wknd