Toronto islands saturday

[Mathieu Siol]

Hi all,
a very pleasant birding morning today at the Toronto islands from Ward's to Hanlan's point.
Birds seen included:
-numerous Chipping Sparrows
-3 Field Sparrows
-2 Savannah Sparrows
-5 Fox Sparrows
-5 Swamp Sparrows
-hundreds of White-throated Sparrows
- several beautiful Yellow-rumped Warblers
-lots of Hermit Thrush
-Golden crowned and Ruby-crowned Kinglets
-Dark-eyed Juncos
-2 Least Flycatchers
-3 Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers
-2 Blue-headed Vireo
-3 Eastern Towhees
-1 Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher
-3 Winter Wrens
-1 female Cooper's Hawk
-1 Brown Creeper
-1 Common Loon

Also, I briefly saw a bird that seemed to be a Yellow-breasted Chat. However I am fully aware that this bird is not supposed to occur there (it was close to the place that has been designated to me as the "migrant-trap"). The bird was bright yellow on the breast and looked pretty big and stocky, with a stout bill. Sadly it skulked into cover not to be relocated again despite a thorough search. Is it possible at all ? Any thoughts or comments welcome.


All in all, a beautiful morning.


good birding all,

Mathieu

[Mathieu Siol]

after checking the litterature and the web tonight, I feel pretty confident that the bird I saw this morning is indeed a Yellow-breasted Chat. But I don't know if it is really early in the season for this species.

good birding

Mathieu

[GStuart]

While a Yellow-breasted Chat would be unexpected, it would not be unprecedented.  Yes, it is early for many warblers, although some of the ones I think of as "later arrivals" have been showing up in other parts of the province.  And the warbler migration is certainly underway.

Something that is back now, has a bright yellow breast, is a bit big and stocky is an Eastern Meadowlark.  Is there any chance that is what you saw?

[Mathieu Siol]

I saw Eastern Meadowlark last summer, and it was definitely not what I saw yesterday on the islands. The bird was behaving more like a warbler, skulking into the dense thickets, plus the bill was totally different, stout and short, the llimit between the yellow on the breast and the lower belly white was really neat. Furthermore, there was no sign of black on the breast.

So I really think this was a YB Chat after all, even though I had no previous experience with this species. But it is very frustrating that I could not relocate the bird.

best

Mathieu

[egret]

Hi Mathieu:

Where do you walk

along the boardwalk there?

Ive never walked over to Hanlans
or Centre from Wards

Egret

[Mathieu Siol]

yes, I walk basically in order to check as many bushy spots as possible. At this time of the year, I think that almost every bush and tree is worth a check. I usually visit the trees behind the houses in Ward's, the Snug, Snake island and then the best looking bushes and trees up to Hanlan's point.

I cannot wait until next week-end to go birding again!

Mathieu

[adonbirder]

Maybe a very bright Pine Wabler? We had one on Leslie Spit, quite a stark diff between white on belly and yellow on breast, have a photo up of it on my website

[Pat Hodgson]

this is the time of year to get a few "overshoot" migrants - birds that are normally to the south of here but go a little too far on their migration

chat fits that category, as does the worm-eating warbler banded at the spit