Good morning Eh :-)
Following is a list of the birds that I sent to the TOC Records Committee that Margaret Liubavicius and I found on the Toronto Islands yesterday May 11th. In all we found 91 species including 20 warblers and 5 Vireos. It was a beautiful day with light winds until late afternoon.
- Double-crested Cormorant - 750 - overhead thru-out
- Bufflehead - 9 - on harbour off Snake Island and in lagoon on Centre Island
- Cooper's Hawk - 1 - Wildlife Sanctuary
- Common Tern - 60 - 50 on Tern Raft in the Trout Pond on Gibralter Point and the rest overhead thru-out
- Belted Kingfisher - 3 - Snake Island and Trout Pond
- OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER - 1 - Sanctuary
- Least Flycatcher - 20 - thru-out
- YELLOW-THROATED VIREO - 1 - great eye level looks
- Blue-headed Vireo - 13 - thru-out
- Warbling Vireo - 24 - thru-out
- Philadelphia Vireo - 1 - Hanlans
- Red-eyed Vireo - 5 Wards Island and Sanctuary
- Cliff Swallow - 6 - Centre Island
- Ruby-crowned Kinglet - 35 - thru-out
- Blue Gray Gnatcatcher - 9 - Wards, Centre, Sanctuary and Hanlans
- Veery - 23 - thru-out
- Gray-cheeked Thrush - 9 - Wards and Sanctuary
- Swainson's Thrush - 28 - Wards, Snug Harbour and Hanlans
- Hermit Thrush - 2 - Wards
- Wood Thrush - 7 - Wards, Snug, Centre and Gibralter
- American Robin - 50 - thru-out
- Gray Catbird - 19 - thru-out
- Tennessee Warbler - 4 - Wards
- Nashville Warbler - 37 - thru-out
- Northern Parula - 2 - Wards
- Yellow Warbler - 83 - thru-out
- Chestnut-sided Warbler - 24 - thru-out
- Magnolia Warbler - 22 - thru-out
- Cape May Warbler - 6 - Wards and Hanlans
- Black-throated blue Warbler - 14 - thru-out
- Yellow-rumped Warbler - 112 - thru-out
- Black-throated green Warbler - 20 - Wards, Sanctuary, Gibralter and Hanlans
- Blackburnian Warbler - 11 - Wards, Gibralter and Hanlans
- Palm Warbler - 9 - thru-out
- Black-and-white Warbler - 20 - thru-out
- American Redstart - 5 - Wards, Snake, Centre and Sanctuary
- MOURNING WARBLER - 1 - Wards
- Common Yellowthroat - 2 - Wards and Hanlans
- Wilson's Warbler - 5 - Wards, Snake, Sanctuary and Hanlans
- Canada Warbler - 1 - Wards
- Scarlet Tanager - 8 - Wards and Hanlans
- Savannah Sparrow - 13 Hanlans
- Song Sparrow - 34 - thru-out
- Lincoln's Sparrow - 7 - Wards and Gibralter
- White-crowned Sparrow - 137 - thru-out
- Northern Cardinal - 16 - thru-out
- Rose-breasted Grosbeak - 7 - Wards, Snug, Sanctuary, and Hanlans
- Indigo Bunting - 1 - Wards
- Baltimore Oriole - 76 - thru-out
- American Goldfinch - 33 - thru-out
We also found Turkey Vultures, Willow (calling) and Great-crested Flycatchers, Eastern Kingbirds, Cliff Swallows, Brown Creeper, House and Winter Wrens, Brown Thrashers, Bay-breasted Warblers, Ovenbirds and 4 Bobolinks at the airfield on Hanlans Point.
Directions:-
TORONTO ISLANDS (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 8:00 am and the 2nd boat is at 8:30 am Monday to Friday.
The 1st is at 8:15 am and the 2nd boat is at 9:15 am on Saturday, Sunday and Holidays.
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 (up to a $10 bill) 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. food and beverages on The Islands when open are very expensive i.e. soft drink around $2.50 plus.
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.
