Well ... there was no shortage of birders on the peninsula this morning given the past regularity of Whimbrel migrating through the area on or about 24 May. I arrive around 6:40 am, evidently just 10 minutes after the first group of 65-70 were seen by others. I left the peninsula at 8:30 to bird other areas of the park and saw, along with about 20 other birds, only one flock of 27 moving in the ese, circling twice then continuing nw at around 7:35 pm. There was a good diversity of warblers in the park: Nashville (1); Yellow (5); Chestnut-sided (9); Magnolia (8); Black-throated Blue (6); Black-throated Green (3); Blackburnian (1); Palm (3); Bay-breasted (3); American Redstart (16); Wilson's Warbler (1); Canada Warbler (3); Blackpole (3); Cerulean (1); Tennessee (4); Orange-crowned (1). There were both good numbers in diversity along the creek and in the bowl. There will still small numbers of Swainson's Thrushes (12+) and one Wood Thrush. I left the area at 11:15 a.m. during which time at least three more flocks of Whimbrels had been seen by others. ==================================================================== For you're information I'm adding the list of top high day counts of 500+ for the Great Lakes Basin. Day totals of over 1000 have only occurred 15 times, 7 of which included the Toronto area. Table 1. List of selected high counts of Whimbrel from the Great Lakes basin in spring migration [abbrevations: L.¹ = lake; Pt.¹ = Point; Sup.¹= Superior; Mich.¹ = Michigan; B.O.¹ = Bird Observatory; I.¹ = Island; S.P.¹ = State Park; N¹ = north; S¹ = south; Hr.¹ = Harbour; nr¹ = near; ON¹, On¹ = Ontario; WI¹ = Wisconsin; MI¹ = Minnesota; NY¹ = New York; PA² = Pennsylvania; P.P.¹ = provincial park; No.¹ - code no. on figure 2; Qu¹ = quantity; My¹ = May] ============================================================================ ============================= No. Location Date Qu. citation ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------- 1. sw Toronto-se Mississauga, L. On, ON 23 My 2007 3273 W.Renaud et al. 2. Manitowac/Bailey¹s Hr.,,L. Mich., WI 22 My 1980 3000+ Kleen (1980) 3. Toronto, L. On., ON 24 My 1988 3000 Weir (1988) 4. sw Toronto, L. On., ON 23 My 2005 2643 W.Renaud 5. Toronto/Whitby, L. On., ON 24 My 1992 2340 J.Guild/Weir (1992) 6. Pt. Bruce, L. Erie, ON 21 My 1996 2220 Ridout (1996) 7. sw Toronto-se Mississauga, L. On, ON 26 My 2007 2114 W.Renaud et al. 8. Long [EMAIL PROTECTED], L. Huron, ON 25 My 1983 2000 Weir (1983) 9. Toronto, L. On., ON 25 My 1994 2000 Ridout (1994) 10. sw Toronto, L. On, ON 24 My 2007 1931 W.Renaud et al. 11. Rondeau, L. Erie, ON 23 My 1984 1200 Weir (1984) 12. Long Pt., L. Erie, ON 21 My 1976 1000 Goodwin (1976) 13. Presqu¹ile, L. On., ON 21 My 1985 1000 Weir (1985) 14. Marmora [EMAIL PROTECTED] On., ON 21 My 1984 1000 Weir (1984) 15. nr. Rondeau, L. Erie, ON 25 My 2003 1000 [EMAIL PROTECTED] 16. sw Toronto, Mississauga, L. On., ON 25 My 2005 952 W.Renaud, D. Hallett 17. sw Toronto, Mississauga, L. On., ON 25 My 2007 912 W.Renaud et al. 18. Long Pt., L. Erie, ON 27 My 2005 900 C.Wood 19. sw Toronto/se Mississauga, L. On., ON 28 My 2005 825 W.Renaud, D.Hallett 20. sw Toronto/se Mississauga, L. On., ON 23 My 2006 735 W.Renaud, D.Hallett 21. Long Pt., L. Erie, ON 22 My 1978 700 Goodwin (1978) 22. Whitefish Point B.O./L. Sup., MI 25 My 1988 700 Wier (1988) 23. Pt. Mouille S.G.A., MI 27 My 1978 700 Eckert (1979) 24. North Pt., Alpena, MI 25 My 2005 672 Granlund (2005) 25. Pt. Mouille S.G.A., MI 22 My 1988 650 Powell (1989) 26. Long Pt., L. Erie, ON 22 My 1979 600 Goodwin (1979) 27. Burpee/Manitolin I., L. Huron, ON 23 My 1980 600 Goodwin (1980) 28. Long [EMAIL PROTECTED], L. Huron, ON 22 My 1985 600 Wier (1985) 29. Wheatley nr Point Pelee, ON 27 My 1999 600 http://www.nat.com/bic/ont/recent.html 30. Turkey Pt., L. Erie, ON 23 My 1995 600 Ridout (1995) 31. Whitefish Pt. B.O./L. Sup., MI 27 My 1994 508 Granlund (1994) 32. Whitefish Pt. B.O./L. Sup., MI 27 My 1988 500 Powell (1989) 33. Pt. Pelee, L. Erie, ON 26 My 1982 500 Weir (1982) ============================================================================ ==============================================
Directions: The park is located in Etobicoke and located off the Kipling at Lakeshore. The parking lot (with free parking!) is located at the terminus of the road that continues from Kipling south through Humber College and just ne of the Etobicoke Yacht Club. Wayne Renaud _______________________________________________ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to ONTBIRDS mailing list [email protected] For instructions to join or leave ONTBIRDS visit http://www.ofo.ca/information/ontbirdssetup.php ONTBIRDS Guidelines may be viewed at http://www.ofo.ca/information/ontbirdsguide.php
