Good evening all. Today Ian Cannell, Margaret Liubavicius and I changed from birding The Islands to our wintering grounds, The Spit.
Good timing for us as at 8:30am this morning Margaret spotted a Swallow flying over Cell 1 and as Ian and I watched it wheeling around we realized we were looking at a Cave Swallow, A bird I always wanted to see on The Spit or The Islands but never thought I would. We watched as the bird flew around for 2 or 3 minutes before it flew behind a large tree and disappeared. It being behind the tree we did not see in what direction it flew off in. We checked overhead and over Embayment D but did not refind the bird. After carrying on out The Spit we did find some nice birds including Common Loons, Great Blue Herons, 4 Trumpeter Swans flying west, Green-winged Teal, Black Ducks, Northern Pintails, Northern Shovelers, A. Widgeons, Canvasback, Redheads, Greater Scaup, 100's of Long-tailed Ducks, Surf Scoters, Common Goldeneyes, Buffleheads, all 3 Mergansers, Cooper's, Sharp-shinned and Red-shouldered Hawks, American Coots, Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers, Eastern Phoebes, lots of migrating Chickadees and Goldfinches,Red-breasted Nuthatch, Brown Creeper, both Kinglets, Hermit Thrushes, American Pipits, Yellow-rumped and Palm Warblers, Common Yellowthroat, A. Tree, Chipping, Field, Fox, Lincoln's, Swamp, White-crowned and White-throated Sparrows, many Dark-eyed Juncos and migrating Rusty Blackbirds. Directions:- LESLIE STREET SPIT (TOMMY THOMPSON PARK) IN TORONTO - Now on it’s Winter schedule for the gates and Van. To get to "The Spit" from Queen and Yonge Streets. Take the Queen Street Car #501 east to Leslie St. and walk south (about 2 km) or as far as you can go on Leslie St. at Unwin Ave. and you will see the gate and signage. You may also catch the Jones Bus #83 at the Donlands Subway Station and take it to Leslie St. and Commissioner St. ( Saturday and Sunday as well as week days ). By automobile you may drive to Lakeshore Blvd and Leslie St. then south to The Spit. You can park either on Leslie St. or Unwin Ave. You may also park in the parking lot inside the main gate after 9 am. Be sure to observe the parking lot closing time as if you are not out by then your auto will be locked in until the following day. — THE PARKING LOT AND ALL GATES WILL BE LOCKED AT 4:30 pm and there is NO Van in the winter. The van will not resume again until next Easter. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE:- The official hours for The Spit are 9 am to 4:30 pm (weekends and holidays only of course) but the unofficial hours are sunup to sundown. To date no one has questioned any birder, jogger, cyclist, etc. about the use of The Spit from sunup to sundown. The spit is only open on the weekends and on holidays, at other times you will not be able to access the area. This area is extensive, 5 km to the tip, but be prepared to walk more than that. The Spit is only open on the weekends and holidays because they are still building it. At least that is what their story is. Norm Murr Richmond Hill, ON "Sils mordent, mords les" _______________________________________________ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to ONTBIRDS mailing list [email protected] For information about ONTBIRDS visit http://www.ofo.ca/
