Hoary Redpoll among Common Redpolls Leslie Spit Saturday

[adonbirder]

Went out to the Tommy Thompson Park (Leslie Spit) today braving the blowing snow.
Pretty quiet as expected but did find a sizable flock of at least 50 redpolls eating birch seeds out past the little footbridge in the woods on the right.
There was at least 1 Hoary and could be more in the flock, was hard to keep track in the blowing snow
The waterfowl are now congregated in the few places left with open water so will be easier to check and photograph.
Didn't stay out too long but going back tomorrow morning to try to get photos of the redpolls and check some areas
i didn't check today as forecast is for sun tomorrow.

[AlvanBuckley]

Hello everyone,
This is my first time posting here even though I've been birding around Toronto for some time now. I look forward to contributing to the sightings.

Today I also was at Leslie Street Spit from dawn 'til dusk and the long day was rewarded with a fair share of good sightings:

I came across a flock of about 100 redpolls at around 10 along the road to the Bird Research Station. I couldn't find any Hoary's in time before they were flushed by a car passing by. But I eventually found another flock of about 150 just south of Embayment B (probably about 200m North of the tip) in which I ID'd at least 3 Hoary Redpolls. There is a chance that these two flocks were the same.
Other sightings:
3 Red-tailed Hawks
1 Rough-legged Hawk
1 Peregrine Falcon (around sunset near the base of the Spit)
3 Harriers (1 adult female, 2 juveniles - it is likely that one of those juveniles was a repeat though)
1 N Shrike
2 imm. Swamp Sparrows! (same place as the second flock of Redpolls)


Hope to meet some of you out and about,
good birding

I'll have some pictures posted on my website shortly

[ravynne40]

I htought it was redpolls, but it was Rednots on the PBS show last night..sorry still working on my morning coffee.

[dbellilo]

Hi there,
The birdlady and I saw the redpolls today, a nice flock of 50, maybe more. Went into the woods to get a closer look, but scared them all off. Luckily, we did get very close to a long-eared owl, probably 10 ft. away...

[Andreas Jonsson]

Welcome to the forum Alvan!