Good morning
Below is a copy of my report to the TOC plus some additions for this site.
Toronto Islands - Tuesday, March 27, 2007 - Includes Ian Cannall
None of the waterfowl were seen on the lake due to heavy fog over the lake all day.
- Pied-billed Grebe - 2 - on harbour off of Snake Island and Snug Harbour
- Horned Grebe - 1 - on harbour off of Snug
- Double-crested Cormorant - 16 - overhead thru-out
- Great Blue Heron - 1 - flying east over Wards Island
- White-winged Scoter - 26 - on harbour off of Algonquin Island, Snake and in Lighthouse Pond
- Bufflehead - 114 - thru-out
- Common Goldeneye - 32 - thru-out
- Hooded Merganser - 11 - in lagoon on Snug, flushed by a Mink
- Common Merganser - 36 - thru-out
- Cooper's Hawk - 1 - female in Sanctuary
- Wilson's Snipe - 1 - on west side of airfield fence on Hanlans Point
- Downy Woodpecker - 12 - thru-out
- Northern Flicker - 11 - thru-out
- Eastern Phoebe - 3 - 1 on Wards and 2 on west side of airfield fence
- Tree Swallow - 13 - 2 on Snug and 11 on west side of airfield fence
- Black-capped Chickadee - 36 - thru-out - most in Sanctuary
- Brown Creeper - 6 - thru-out
- Carolina Wren - 1 - Sanctuary
- Winter Wren - 2 - Wards and Gibralter Point
- American Robin - 75 - thru-out
- American Tree Sparrow - 20 - thru-out
- Field Sparrow - 1 - on west side of airfield fence
- Savannah Sparrow - 3 - on west side of airfield fence
- Fox Sparrow - 21 - Snake, Centre Island (east end) and Sanctuary
- Song Sparrow - 237 - thru-out with 84 on west side of airfield fence and 52 on south end and east side of airfield fence
- Swamp Sparrow -1 - on west side of airfield fence
- Northern Cardinal - 21 - thru-out
- Red-winged Blackbird - 200 - thru-out with 150 of them overhead in morning
Also seen were 7 Killdeer, Canvasbacks, Ring-necked Ducks, Rusty Blackbirds, Horned lark, Red-tailed Hawks, Hairy Woodpecker and Dark-eyed Juncos.
Richmond Hill - Tuesday, March 27, 2007
- Song Sparrow - 17 - on sidewalks of Richmond Heights Plaza at 5:10am
DIRECTIONS
TORONTO ISLANDS - WINTER SCHEDULE
(Wards Island to Hanlans Point - without side trips is 5 km)
To get to the Toronto Islands from Queen and Yonge Streets on the TTC. If your on the subway southbound stay on it and get off at Union Station, walk south about 1 km to the ferry docks at the foot of Bay Street at Queens Quay and you are there. If in an auto on the Gardener Expressway or on Lakeshore Blvd, then exit at Bay Street and drive south to Queens Quay, there are lots of parking lots nearby (fee).
There is a fee for using the island ferries ($6.00 adult / $3.50 for seniors & students) and to find out the sailing times you can phone (416) 392-8193. There are washrooms on the islands as well as the city side at the ferry docks and you can pick up a schedule at the docks or check on line.
The 1st boat to Wards Island (my preferred starting point) is 6:35 am and the 2nd is 7:00 am Monday to Friday.
The 1st is at 6:35 am and the 2nd boat is at 7:15 am on Saturday, Sunday and Holidays.
The 1st boat to Hanlans Point is 9:00 am - Monday to Friday only.
There are no boats to Centre Island in the Winter If arriving in early am you must obtain your ticket from a machine just inside the gate so be sure to have $1.00 and $2.00 and/or 25 cent coins before you arrive at the docks as there is no place to get change and the machine does not make change. (There is a change machine there if you want to chance it).
There are coffee shops across from the ferry docks in the building on the northwest corner and they are open early. .
For a detailed ferry schedule check the following web site.
http://www.toronto.ca/parks/island/springschedule.htm PS
There is a map of the Islands at each of the Island side ferry docks and the City side.
