Good day all
Tues., April 22 - Great Egrets, Common Loons, Caspian and Common Terns overhead, Canvasbacks, Wood Duck, Turkey Vultures, Cooper's Hawk, a Guinness World record 22 Downy Woodpeckers ( well maybe not world but my record anyway ), 44 N. Flickers, Purple Martins, Winter Wrens, 52 Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Blue-gray Gnatcatchers. 30 Hermit Thrushes, 4 Pine Warblers, 4 E. Towhees, Field, Song, Swamp and White-throated Sparrows, 16 N. Cardinals, plus the usual birds to be found at this time of year.
Long-tailed Ducks, Goldeneyes, Buffleheads and Chickadees are all way down as they all seem to have headed north.
Thurs., Apr. 24 - Common Loons, Horned Grebe, Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, Canvasbacks, White-winged Scoter, Cooper's Hawk, Caspian and Common Terns, Long-eared Owl, Y-B Sapsucker, 16 Downy Woodpeckers, Hairy Woodpecker, 46 N. Flickers, Purple Martins, 43 Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Hermit Thrushes, Blue-headed Vireo, 2 Yellow warblers, Palm Warbler, 21 Yellow-rumped Warblers, Tree, Chipping, Field, Savannah, Song ( 43 ), and White-throated Sparrows, Juncos, E. Meadowlark and House Finches singing up a storm.
Left out in error were 9 Bohemian Waxwings seen with 9 Cedar Waxwings yesterday morning April 24th. The number of Tree and Barn swallows are increasing with a big reduction of Buffleheads and even though Long-tailed ducks were very few on Tues. we seemed to have had an influx of a couple of hundred birds today with most off Gibralter Point.
All these nice birds were of course not just because I found them but because of the good company and eyes of Alfred Adamo, Margaret Liubavicius, Ian Cannell and Freda Papoff,
Directions:-
TORONTO ISLANDS ( Wards Island to Hanlans Point - without side trips is 5 km ) - Now on the Spring 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 ( $6.50 adult / $4.00 for seniors and students ( all fares are return ) ) 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 ( before 7:30 ) 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. 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.
- The drinking fountains have been turned
