Hello, and Riverwood + Erindale birds

[JW Mills]

After reading your posts Reuven,  I'm thinking you ought to host and lead a bird walk!

[Reuven_M]

I was at Toronto Islands friday (few birds, and lots of rain), and had a bad cold yesterday, which is a bit better today, so today was my first time in Erindale for a couple days, and I only did parts of Erindale.
1 chimney swift
1 carolina wren
1 magnolia and 1 black-and-white warbler (there were a lot more warblers around, at least 25, but all in inconvenient places (across the river, deep in the woods))
about 20 grackles and 10 red-wings

[Reuven_M]

This evening at erindale: 4 nighthawks, 3 swifts and 1 red-tail

[Reuven_M]

Quite a good late afternoon/evening today in weather that felt like end of september/early october
The most common warbler was nashville, surely a sign that the yellow-rumps, kinglets and sparrows can't be far behind.

2 wood duck
1 red-tail and 1 cooper's hawk
at least 15 swifts, probably more
2 pewees
1 tree swallow
2 red-breasted nuthatch
1 house wren
warblers: 12 species including: 3 tennessee, 18 nashville, 5 chestnut-sided, 11 magnolia, 1 black-throated green, 2 blackburnian, 1 blackpoll, 4 black-and-white, 12 redstarts, 1 ovenbird, 1 wilson's and 1 canada

Many warblers were bathing in a little pond at the end of a culvert under the path. In about half an hour (until the flock passed through) I had incredible looks at about 20-25 warblers of 9 species, including tennessee, nashville, blackpoll, black-and-white, redstart and canada no more than 3 metres away at or below eye level! also in this pond were chestnut-sided, black-throated green, chickadees, downy woodpeckers (2) and many grackles, robins and waxwings.

[Reuven_M]

Very large numbers of warblers, but low variety. Based on brief views and calls, I'd estimate that I passed by at least 150 warblers without identifying, but probably more like 2-300. The warblers were almost entirely magnolias and nashvilles

35 species total

1 Great blue heron
1 vulture, 1 red-tail and 2 kestrel
2 pewees
1 philidelphia and 3 red-eyed vireo
5 red-breasted nuthatch
1 carolina wren
1 catbird (seem to be few around anymore)
2 grosbeak
10 warbler sp. Magnolia and Nashville numbers are rough estimates for obvious reasons.
50 nashville, 6 chestnut-sided, 30 magnolia, 2 black-throated blue, 7 black-throated green, 1 pine, 1 blackpoll, 4 black-and-white, 4 redstart, 5 wilson's

[Reuven_M]

Less birds than yesterday, but a much better selection.

35 species, plus many monarchs and dragonflies (green darners, saddlebags, twelve-spotted skimmer among others I can't id)

1 cooper's hawk
1 nighthawk
1 swift
1 each of hairy, downy and flicker
1 olive-sided, 1 least and 3 great crested flycatcher
2 red-eyed vireo
2 red-breasted nuthatch
1 catbird
1 indigo bunting
1 flock of about 200 blackbirds, seemingly all grackles
12 warbler sp., mostly tennessee and nashville:
12 tennessee, 13 nashville, 1 parula, 3 chestnut-sided, 5 magnolia, 1 black-throated blue, 4 black-throated green, 1 blackburnian, 2 bay-breasted, 1 black-and-white, 3 redstart, 1 wilson's
Never seen this many tennessees before

[Reuven_M]

Migration is definitely progressing, today I had 1 blue-headed vireo, 8 palm warblers, 1 myrtle warbler, 5 white-throated sparrow and 1 swamp sparrow

38 sp. total

2 wood duck
1 vulture
1 kingfisher
5 downy and 1 flicker
1 pewee and 1 empid sp.
1 blue-headed, 1 philidelphia and 2 red-eyed vireo
5 blue jay (normally rare in Erindale park for some reason)
2 white-breasted nuthatch
1 house wren
8 warbler species (I somehow missed nashville, tennessee, black-throated green, black-and-white and redstart, which have been some of the most common species until now) 1 parula, 2 chestnut-sided, 6 magnolia, 1 myrtle, 8 palm, 2 yellowthroat, 4 wilson's and 1 canada
3 sparrow species (first time to have more than 2 since May): 15 song, 1 swamp and 5 white-throated
3 rose-breasted grosbeak and 1 indigo bunting

I am having a very good fall  :mrgreen:, making up for a really bad spring  

[Reuven_M]

I spent about an hour this afternoon on the toboggan hill in Erindale hoping for hawks (although I've seen less than 10 migrant hawks total in erindale ever), and had none, but a great black-backed gull flyover was a highlight. Otherwise just two nashville warblers.

[Reuven_M]

This afternoon I headed down to erindale, not expecting much activity with the sun and wind. But I was only halfway down the hill to get into erindale, when a merlin flew low over my head. This is a new species for me for Erindale/Riverwood, and I immediately headed down to the toboggan hill hoping for more hawks (and ignoring one chickadee flock on the way). I clearly made the right decision, as from about 3:40 to 5:40 I had another 48 raptors including:
4 turkey vulture
5 sharp-shinned hawk
4 broad-winged hawk
1 red-tailed hawk
9 kestrel
1 merlin (+ the 1 from before)
3 small falcon sp. (I thought kestrel for all 3)
1 buteo sp. (I thought red-tail)
8 accipter sp. (I thought 2 sharpies, and the rest too far away)
12 more too far away or too brief looks to id beyond just raptor.
Of these, 3 broad-wings, 2 sharpies, the red-tail and 3 accipter sp. landed in the woods beside the hill, but I couldn't find anything perched afterwards

Pretty good, considering it was only 2 hours near the end of the day.
The only other notable birds were one nighthawk and 2 swifts.
Also many monarchs and green darner and saddlebags dragonflies.

[Reuven_M]

Watched for hawks again today, even better than yesterday, with 199 raptors of 7 species:
2 turkey vulture
1 osprey
1 harrier
3 sharp-shins
159 broad-wings (approx., it was a large kettle I estimated at 140, and 19 more individually or in small groups)
9 red-tails
7 kestrel
also:
2 falcon sp.
3 buteo sp.
4 accipter sp.
8 raptor sp.

Other notables while raptor-watching:
Many chimney swifts (about 30)
Many blue jays (about 30)
5 northern flickers
200 grackles in several flocks

I did look for songbird flocks today, but only got a brief look at one warbler (probably a nashville)

[Reuven_M]

This hawkwatching thing is addictive!
Today:
350 broad-winged hawks (kettles of 300 and 50)
2 bald eagle  :mrgreen:
2 peregrine :mrgreen:
2 kestrel
1 sharpie
1 cooper's
1 red-tail
4 accipter sp.
1 buteo sp.
5 raptor sp.

Also:
3 swifts
4 flickers
40 blue jay
1 red-breasted nuthatch
1 surprise golden-crowned kinglet
2 nashville warbler
4 myrtle warbler
1 palm warbler
1 blackpoll warbler
1 wilson's warbler
1 indigo bunting

A great day  :mrgreen:  :mrgreen:  :mrgreen:

[Reuven_M]

The rain conveniently stopped right after school, and the songbirds were active and numerous for the first time in a while. I saw the following:
Many mallards, at least 15, in the flooded marsh.
1 cooper's hawk chasing and being chased by blue jays
2 downy woodpecker and 4 flicker
1 red-eyed vireo
Tons of blue jays, I estimated 75
2 white-breasted nuthatch
Warblers: 7 species including 3 nashville, 1 chestnut-sided, 10 myrtle, 1 black-throated green, 8 palm, 1 black-and-white and 4 yellowthroat.
Sparrows: 4 species including 6 white-throated, 1 lincoln's (first of fall), 8 song and 1 junco (first of fall)
1 rose-breasted grosbeak and 3 indigo bunting

[Reuven_M]

Much quieter today, not surprising based on the weather, but still some nice birds around.
Weather looked OK for migrant hawks, but I saw nothing but 2 turkey vultures (as well as 1 vulture and 1 cooper's hawk not migrating). However, I didn't watch for that long.

1 hairy woodpecker and 2 flickers
1 Philadelphia and 1 blue-headed vireo
Much less blue jays today, only about 15
Warblers: 6 species: 1 nashville, 1 chestnut-sided, 5 myrtle, 1 black-throated green, 1 palm and 1 black-and-white
no sparrows except 2 song

[Reuven_M]

Ok this morning, but there was a distinct lack of warblers, and there were far more sparrows than I actually got looks at

2 cooper's hawk
1 blue-headed vireo
Many blue jays (50) and crows (30)
4 white-breasted nuthatch
1 ruby-crowned kinglet (first of fall)
1 swainson's thrush
1 catbird
Only 2 warbler sp.: 5 palm and 1 redstart
3 sparrows, but I got a brief look at a probable lincoln's, and there were many I couldn't see at all:
6 song, 11 white-throated (1 singing!) and 1 junco
4 indigo bunting
tons of goldfinches, about 40.

If anyone is interested, almost all the interesting birds were at the closest end of the big toboggan hill to the parking lots.

[Reuven_M]

A good morning at Erindale, but only three sparrow species was a bit dissapointing (especially considering that there were loads of sparrows around, just no variety)
Here's what I saw:

1 juv. harrier, great looks
1 great blue heron flyover
4 flickers, 1 hairy and 1 downy woodpecker
1 blue-headed vireo
tons of blue jays migrating over, I estimated 100
2 red-breasted and 4 white-breasted nuthatch
3 golden-crowned kinglets
1 swainson's thrush
4 catbirds
Warblers: 7 species including 1 nashville, 1 chestnut-sided, 2 magnolia, 6 yellow-rumped, 1 palm, 4 redstarts and 5 yellowthroats
Many sparrows of 3 species: 26 song, 3 lincoln's and 21 white-throated
3 indigo bunting
Tons of goldfinches again