Shore-bird on Don

[Marnie]

Sorry about the quality -- my super-duper zoom would work better if I had time to set up a tripod, but birds don't seem to hold still that long. Anyway, what is this, please? I saw a couple of them on the Don, north of Pottery Road, this morning.

[GStuart]

Spotted Sandpiper.

[Marnie]

Thank you! There's such a bewildering array of sandpipers in my guide that I didn't know where to start. I guess this is the most common one? Do we have other kinds in Toronto?

[raypye]

There are 3 shorebirds that nest in Toronto- Spotted Sandpiper, Killdeer, and American Woodcock. These birds are all considered to be common nesting birds. There are 2 other shorebirds that nest in the GTA and are uncommon- Upland Sandpiper, and Wilson's Snipe.
During migration there are 20 common shorebirds and 15 to 20 uncommon shorebirds.
Rayfield Pye

[Marnie]

Thanks very much. I've saved that info -- very helpful.

[Kin Lau]

There are 2 other shorebirds that nest in the GTA and are uncommon- Upland Sandpiper, and Wilson's Snipe.

Rayfield Pye

Upland in the GTA? How ummmm..... large is your definition of GTA?

[Tyler]

East end of the GTA i.e Durham Region has a handful of nesting Upland Sandpipers every year.  So far this year I have seen birds on territory east of Orono, north of Uxbridge, south and east of Beaverton and east of Port Perry. All locations in Durham Region.
Also I have seen one in York Region east of Newmarket.

[Kin Lau]

I guess whenever I see GTA, I think 416/647 rather than the 905 area.

[cloaca]

Vaughan, too.

[Tyler]

Would not surprise me at at if there were a few pairs nesting within the Pearson Airport Perimeter.
  Up in Moosonee the Upland sandpipers located during the atlas were in the airport.
 In Ohio most of the breeding Uplands are inside airport perimeters. We in southern Ontario are spoiled by the Carden Alvar and assume that Uplands are only there. They are quite spread out in southern Ontario just not to the densities of Carden,

[Margaret]

I guess whenever I see GTA, I think 416/647 rather than the 905 area.[/quote

Upland sandpiper seen N. of Brampton last year

[Kin Lau]

I also know that they're in Camden East. I can hear them everytime I drive thru the area.