A wonderful weekend of birding (and more!) in Mississauga

[Bird Brain]

Hi everybody.

Fri/Sat/Sun, out for lots of nature walks and birding here in Mississauga.  Also lucked out with a wildlife sighting and a butterfly sighting!  

Some highlights from the weekend:

1.  Riverwood Park: a soaking wet Turkey Vulture sitting on a branch looking around for some lunch.  Also sighted a Sharp-shinned Hawk, lots of Goldfinches, etc.

2.  Erindale Park and Sawmill Valley:  a lot of trails closed off due to flooding, open trails were extremely muddy!  Sighted a Red-tailed Hawk being bombarded by a Crow.  

3.  Timothy Street Park:  sighted Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, Golden-crowned Kinglets, Winter Wren, Song Sparrows, *Pine Siskins, etc.  Had quite a thrilling surprise with seeing a Red Fox right in front of me walking off Bristol Road quite relaxed onto the main trail then into the woods.

4.  Meadowvale Conservation Area:  Upon arrival, a Great Blue Heron flew directly above the car.  After that, sighted a Belted Kingfisher, Northern Flickers, Downy Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker and Brown Creeper.  Lots of deer prints in the mud right by the Credit Valley Conservation building!  Also discovered 2 Coconuts - didn't know they grew here!  :lol: :wink:

5.  Lake Aquitaine:  a Red Admiral - my first butterfly sighting for this year.  What a beauty!

* Note: numerous Pine Siskins sighted at each of the above parks except for #4.

Otherwise, lots of the "usual":  Blue Jays, Canada Geese, Cardinals, Chickadees, Grackles, Juncos, Mallards, Mourning Doves, Red-winged Blackbirds, Robins and Starlings.  

Jo-Anne  

[Margaret]

Lucky you Jo-anne! You fared better than I.
I had good luck at Saddington Park with the Harlequins. After that we went to Jack Darling Park which is now a construction zone so Rattray Marsh is inaccessible from that side.
Drove to west side of the Marsh hoping we might see an egret but no luck. I think I spotted a herring gull among the regulars. I find gulls very difficult to identify.
I'd be interested to know where your Timothy Street Park is. Thanks. Margaret (Brampton)

[Bird Brain]

Lucky you Jo-anne! You fared better than I.
I had good luck at Saddington Park with the Harlequins. After that we went to Jack Darling Park which is now a construction zone so Rattray Marsh is inaccessible from that side.
Drove to west side of the Marsh hoping we might see an egret but no luck.

Hi Margaret.  It's great to read that you saw the Harlequins at Saddington Park.  Saw the trio back on Valentine's Day at CSSP.  Beautiful birds!  Good to know about Jack Darling Park - will continue to enter Rattray Marsh at the bottom of Bexhill.

Friday's weather was SO bad with all the pouring rain and major wind.   :shock:

I find gulls very difficult to identify.

Yeah, me too actually.  

I'd be interested to know where your Timothy Street Park is. Thanks. Margaret (Brampton)

Do you know where Britannia Rd. W./Creditview Rd. is?

From there, drive just very slightly West along Britannia Rd. W. to River Grove Ave.
Turn left on River Grove Ave. (driving South) to the River Grove Community Centre (on the right hand/West side).  The trail runs directly behind the community centre.

A scenic walk alongside the Credit River.  At the bottom of the trail, you will come to Bristol Rd. W. and directly across the street there's a sign for Streetsville Cemetery.  If you cross the street at this point, there's a nice trail and woods to walk through before reaching the actual cemetery.   Have seen lots of birds and a Red Fox in this area as well.    

Jo-Anne  

[Margaret]

Thanks Jo-anne, that's good to know. I have never checked out that side of the Credit. Hope to go soon.
Stayed home today and was entertained by the backyard birds. Mr. Cardinal arrived early and sang his song.
The A. goldfinches, becoming yellower by the hour, pretty well stay all day and feed on the niger seed.
A couple of juncos did some feeding on the ground and the silly squirrels played around as usual.

[BirderBill]

Coconuts?  Sparrows could have brought them...

[BillSimpson]

More likely Swallows...African Swallows :-)

[GStuart]

An African swallow maybe, but not a North American sparrow.

[Mark D]

But you have to remember that African Swallows are non migratory  :lol:

[GStuart]

Wait a minute -- supposing two swallows carried it together?

[egret]

Your list sounds wonderful

You have reminded me of Rattray Marsh
which was a favorite of mine
but I am rather far away right now

If any groups are organized here
plse let me know
anyone

tks

Egret

[Bird Brain]

Wait a minute -- supposing two swallows carried it together?

No, they'd have to have it on a line.

 :lol:

Great to see there are some fellow Monty Python fans here!!!  

[Bird Brain]

Your list sounds wonderful

Thank You.  

You have reminded me of Rattray Marsh
which was a favorite of mine
but I am rather far away right now

Egret ... it's one of my favourite places to go birding out here in Mississauga.  

If any groups are organized here
plse let me know
anyone

tks

Egret

Occasionally there are volunteer clean-ups and other times interpretive walks.  Will let you know if I hear anything about either of those events coming up this year.  

Jo-Anne