Rain birding

[Andreas Jonsson]

Looks like it will be cold and rain in the weekend.

 http://weatheroffice.ec.gc.ca/city/page ... ric_e.html

Any suggestions to where one could do some good birding in Toronto during such conditions? Or do birders here visit the same locations regardless of weather?

[Kin Lau]

A little late on this, but we went to our usual areas on Sunday.... we were planning to do the Tiny Marsh OFO trip, but chickened out. It didn't even rain till 3pm

On rainy days or when there's threat of rain, we pick areas where we don't have to walk far or can bird from the car.

Halls Road was good on Sunday. The wild Turkeys came right up the road and beside our car to feed, and the feeders off the north trail are good from the car as well.

Brock St Bridge over Pringles Creek just east can be good at times, again everything is viewable from the car.

Thicksons Woods creek area can also be birded from the car.

There's lots of birds in the little turnabout on Old Finch Road btwn Morningside & Meadowvale in the east end near the zoo. A Red-Bellied Woodpecker can be seen here occasionally.

[Andreas Jonsson]

Thanks,

I don't have a car unfortunately, so I'm limited to what you can reach by TTC and bike from central Toronto. I definitely plan to visit Thicksons Woods eventually.

In any case, I was thinking more about what birds might be reasonably active even in bad weather conditions. My personal experience from birding in Sweden is that passerines tend to hide and are not worthwhile looking for, while on the other hand, waders for example can still be observed quite well in rainy weather. In fact, large accumulations of waders are often associated with "bad weather" in my experience. What are good wader locations around here?

[Kin Lau]

Frenchman's Bay out in Pickering. Bring your rubber boots, and when you start sinking in the mud... get out

[Anonymous]

Thickson's isn't very far from the Whitby GO Station.  It would be a very short bike ride.  And then you could bike east to Hall's Rd.   And then it wouldn't be too long from there to the Ajax GO Station, and then a train home.