Toronto Lakeshore and High Park on Sunday

[Andreas Jonsson]

This afternoon I went on a bike ride along the Lakeshore from Little Norway Park to Humber Bay River to look for wintering waterfowl and gulls. In the end I ended up at the winter feeding station just north of the Colborne Lodge in High Park. The Lakeshore birding didn't offer anything out of the ordinary (Redheads, Scaup, Mergansers, Gadwalls, Goldeneyes, etc.) although I noted significant numbers of American wigeons - are they regularly wintering this far north?

At the feeding station in High Park there were lots of activity late in the afternoon, including nice displays of Redpoll, Pine siskin and White-throated sparrows.

Are there more feeding stations in Public parks in central Toronto?

[Anonymous]

Andreas,

The last time I saw some Wigeons was out in Oshawa during the fall, but have never seen them this far north during the winter.

Perhaps others have??

[Greg Schneider]

There was one at Humber Bay East yesterday. Ice free areas are rapidly disappearing there.

[David the park stroller]

There's one widgeon that's joined the mallards at the north end of High Park's grenadier pond. Also yesterday many people watched the 50 or more over-wintering Robins still feasting on the berries in the Park.

[Brian Bailey]

They are found regularly in small numbers on the western waterfront (Humber River to Etobicoke Creek) which is the only section I have much recent experience with.  They seem to move around quite a bit, but Humber Bay is one of the more reliable locations.  They're usually mixed in with flocks of the more common dabblers.

BB

[Kin Lau]

We saw the Am Widgeon at Humber last week, and have seen them there quite a few years in the winter.

I think it was December that I had about 100 of them out by Thickson Pt.

There seems to be Widgeons reported regularly, including a Eurasion at Elevator Bay by Kingston every winter. The Dupont plant is the reason for the open water.

[Greg Schneider]

Is Grenadier pond still relatively ice free?

[David the park stroller]

no it's fully iced over now. There's a little stream at the north end that never freezes and that attracts ducks. I've even seen a GB Heron there in mid-January.

[Greg Schneider]

Thanks, I will have to make that my Toronto duck spot now that Humber Bay is almost frozen over.

[melaniese]

Col Sam Smith park is also not bad for birds, if you go out beyond the immediate bay. Humber isn't too bad if you venture out to the tip...last weekend the male harlequin was off the shore - far off, but still there

[Greg Schneider]

I'm mostly in it for photography, so the offshore ducks on the lake at Humber Bay are realistically just too far out.

[Kin Lau]

Btwn Humber and Col Sam, Humber's usually better for photography. Col Sam was _very_ quite the last couple of times we were there.

After the deep freeze this coming week, the Burlington shipping channel is likely the best/only spot, but _very_ icy.