Good Day Eh !
The last 3 days migration has been trickling through the Islands as is expected at this time of year but it did hold a few surprises and besides the great weather I had great company with Ian Cannell, Margaret Liubavicius, Alfred Adamo and Gunnar Bessel joining the walk each day.
The next 6 weeks down there will get even better with plenty of migrants to come but with maybe an interruption for some if the TTC goes on strike. I'm doomed if they do. :cry:
The following are some of the highlights of the birds seen over the 3 days.
Common Loons - overhead 15th, 16th and 17th
Great Blue Herons
Black-crowned night-Herons
Great Egrets - overhead 15th, 16th and 17th
Trumpeter Swan
Blue-winged Teals
A. Wigeons
Canvasbacks
Ring-necked Ducks
both Scaup
White-winged Scoters
all 3 Mergansers
Cooper's Hawks
Turkey Vulture
Wilson's Snipes - 16th and 17th
Bonaparte's Gulls - flying past
Caspian Terns - overhead 15th, 16th and 17th
Common Terns - 17th
N. Saw-whet Owl - 17th
B. Kingfishers
many Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers - 15th and 16th
Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers
many N. Flickers
E. Phoebes
Tree, Barn and Rough-winged Swallows
White-breasted Nuthatches
Brown Creepers
Winter Wrens
both Kinglets with Ruby-crowned increasing - usually males singing their sweet song
Hermit Thrushes
N. Mockingbird - 16th
Brown Thrashers - 15th, 16th and 17th - most heard singing as well - very nice
Bohemian Waxwing - 1 - 15th, 16th and 17th
Cedar Waxwings
Yellow-rumped Warbler- 15th, 16th and 17th
Pine Warbler - 15th
Palm Warbler - 16th and 17th
Eastern Towhee
A. Tree Sparrows
Chipping Sparrows - 17th
Field Sparrows- 15th, 16th and 17th
Vesper Sparrows - 16th and 17th
Savannah Sparrows - 15th, 16th and 17th
Fox Sparrow- 15th and 16th - some singing
many Song Sparrows
Swamp Sparrow
White-throated Sparrows
many Dark-eyed Juncos
Eastern Meadowlarks - 17th
Rusty Blackbirds - 17th
Purple Finches - 17th
House Finches
Also seen - Red Fox, Beaver, Raccoon, Map and Painted Turtles, Mourning Cloaks and Eastern Comma.
Directions -
Spring Schedule starts today.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 outh 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
($6.50 adult / $4.00 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).
Note the fare increase of 50 cents.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 drinks $3.00. 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 PS - There is a map of the Islands at each of the Island side ferry docks and the City side.
