This isn't about my pics, although they all are my pics... this is about Wylie Road which many of you may have visited, but more importantly for the many who may have not (and why you should try to some Spring morning).
I left for Wylie Road at 6am today, thankfully that big thunderstorm was just letting up. I had just hit Newmarket when I realized that I had forgotten my binoculars (my penalty for not getting that first coffee in me yet). Anyways, too far along now to head back to west Toronto, and seeing the traffic going south on the 404 was another deterrent. And before I knew it, even with a pit stop at a Timmy's not far out of Kirkfield, I was hitting Wylie Road before 8am.
Enjoy the gallery!
An Eastern Bluebird greets me at the big sign at McNamee and Wylie Road. These guys are one of the main reasons I enjoy this trip so much.
A Savannah Sparrow is my next sign bird.
The Bobolinks are a-plenty along the southern stretch of Wylie Road. I also heard a number of Meadowlarks,
Brown Thrashers were one of my most commonly sighted birds today.
As were the Yellow Warblers.
More Bluebirds to be seen.
Others I saw included Least Flycatchers, Pheobes, Grackles, Robins, Red-wings, Starlings, Blue Jays, Baltimore Orioles, Turkey Vultures, Common Snipe, Warbling Vireos and this Upland Sandpiper...
It's when I got to the Marsh that things got interesting. I am assuming I heard some of the Rails (not sure which ones as I am aware a few species are in there). The Frogs/Toads were incredibly vocal too!
I could see a couple Painted Turtles in the water and later almost certain of a Snapping Turtle.
From the small bridge I saw a Beaver swim by and this Muskrat went from one side to the other of the bridge.
Even crazier was this guy, which I think is a Weasel, and he's got something in his mouth. He was way off, going away from me, so this is heavily cropped. He did pretty much run over the toes of another birder up that way. I wish I asked him what he had caught.
After passing the marsh, I was soon being escorted up the road by this pair of Jack Rabbits (shot this through my windshield).
And shortly after, this crossed paths with me.
I found this on the road, and thought that is one rather large egg (used part of my lunch for comparison). No Songbird shot that one out; so who did?
Wylie Road is nearly 10 kms long. You drive in, walk some, go back and get your vehicle, drive further up, do some more walking, go back to get your vehicle and so on. I did it in 3 hours today and had a number of good sightings even without the binoculars. My first time there with Angie and another couple, we were on that road for nearly 9 hours! Never have I seen so many non-bird species as I did today... I forgot to mention the large numbers of Chipmunks darting back and forth.
It's a great Spring road trip and in the end I sure felt like this guy...
I hope you enjoyed the pictorial, thanks for looking!
