brown thrasher in High Park

[judith]

Yesterday I walked along Grenadier pond  at about 11:30 am and at the southern end I saw a bird that I later identified as "brown thrasher" - I wonder if anyone else had seen him.
There are a lot of cardinals around there and a  northern mocking bird  as well.

[David the park stroller]

yes... we were walking in the sunlight and saw it too. Definitely a brown thrasher and the mockingbird that's been there all winter. The mockingbird "followed" us all along the path like a pet-bird! Cardinals out in full spring colour and they have begun the springtime wolf-whistles too.

[judith]

Thanks David, I just returned from High Park again, but no luck today, I waited around for about 20 minutes  in the same area but I only disrupted  a  loud meating of sparrows. I heard and saw a blue jay -  which I haven't seen all winter since blue jays moved somewhere else from our neigbourhood. I saw a  few  chickadees and a chipmunk that hid in that big fallen hollow tree by the path.

I usually enter High Park from Ellis Avenue and today  I noticed  an upside down floating  dead male  mallard  in the stream -  feet and belly sticking out.

I am new to this  posting and it is great!
Cheers

[Craig McL]

Hi Dave you sead that " The mockingbird "followed" us all along the path like a pet-bird!" did it tack seed from your hand ?? or did you try to feed it ??

thars a bird I wood like to try to hand feed !!!

Craig

[Craig McL]

I saw the brown thrasher this morning around 9:00, 03-02-07 it was with the cardinals and came vary close , it went right at the seed I put down , its one hungry bird !!

But no luck with the mocking bird..


Craig

[David the park stroller]

Yes, it was tempting! but except for a few times a year playing with the chickadees I'm not that big on taming the birds. BUT I'm sure that mockingbird is just waiting for us to figure out he wants snacks. Great bird with an obvious "brain".... we had been tossing some peanuts to the squirrels so it went along with us for most of the walk.

[norman]

Two out of three eastern mimids in one day ...in March! the catbird is the most infrequent of the three to stick around and survive, but two out of three species is pretty good stuff. I won't mention the grey-and-white one ... she's sleeping, and I'm understandably nervous (see other posts).

Where did you last see the streaky rufous tough-guy?

Many thanks,

norman

[David the park stroller]

Brown thrasher has been seen twice near the stone wall that runs along the edge of the pond. The mockingbird is often there and further south near Queensway. no catbirds yet!

[dee@post]

HI Judith, in which area of Hyde Park did oyu see the thrasher?

thanks

dee

[dee@post]

Hi David, how do I get there?  I am not familiar with the park, so could you please give me directions to it ?  
Thanks

[David the park stroller]

It's HIGH PARK. Toronto's biggest downtown park and a great birding hot-spot for raptors and warblers in migration. for those of us who live downtown it, along with Humber Bay [nearby], the Toronto Islands and Leslie Street Spit are a touch of paradise, on the transit line! From Hamilton take the QEW until you get to the Exit at Lake Shore Blvd and then go a few blocks after the off-ramp until you see COLBORNE LODGE RD. TO THE LEFT. You can park on top of the hill by Colborne lodge and then walk down the hill to the little asphalt path, go to your right to Grenadier Pond.

[dee@post]

Thank you David, I will head there tomorrow :oops:

[Craig McL]

Dee why don’t you go down to Lasalle marina in Hamilton to look for the Brown thrasher that has bin their all winter ?? just walk east along the path to the end look for seed , it wont be long before it will show up .. also look for the E, tohee right at the start of the path

Craig

[dee@post]

I got a picture of that tohee , but never saw the thrasher.  On Saturday I got a pictures of The Pintail, Tundra swan, Horned Lark at LaSalle, it was a good day

[Walter Sobchak]

I was at Lasalle on Saturday too.  The Towhee was at the end of the trail, and I saw the Tundra, but no Thrasher or Pintail.  I've been to see the trasher 3 or 4 times now with no luck.