German Mills birds

[Howieh]

I was in German Mills Park yesterday (actually looking for butterflies) when I encountered a female mallard and about ten young. The babies are still very small fuzzballs and I had a good time watching mom leading them around in the stream. At one point she started to swim upstream with the babies strung out behind her, in a perfectly straight line, paddling for all they were worth trying to overcome the strong current. She quickly realized either a) I was no threat to her family or b) her brood was in trouble, so she turned around and lead them to a sandbar where they were able to catch their collective breath! They sure are cute when they are small!

Other birds seen were a bunch (murder?) of crows at the top of a dead tree and lots of goldfinches, but not much else; I'm still looking for bluejays, waxwings and orioles which I see every year in GMP.

[BoboBird]

Thanks for the info. I live close by and have always wanted to wander that place but I have not found any place to park so have never done so.

[Howieh]

I don't know about the north end of the park (John St.) but from the south, (off Steeles), drive north on Leslie (not Don Mills!) to the top of the hill and park at the bend or what I do is turn around and park at the side of the road opposite the entrance to the path. When the water is low you can watch lots of birds bathing in the stream just east of the footbridge. The ducks were in the stream south of the bridge.

[BoboBird]

Did not realise it extended down to Steeles.

Thanks for the tip will try to get there as soon as this heat wave is done.

Who knows, may even bump into you. haha