A cool day in a continuingly moody spring, but birds’ circadian rhythms in tune with recent global warmings look to expand their reproductive possibilities in time and space – this on top of many storm centres in places south leads to some unusual sightings for April. After the serendipity of finding the Piping Plover at Darlington on Wednesday I also had a Philadelphia Vireo after at Thicksons, pointed out by John Stirrat and his Whitby friend. Today I ventured to Col. Sam Smith’s infamous Bowl at Humber College to see if any remnant of Wayne R’s bonanza 17 warbler species in April lingered on after the wind battering yesterday. No such luck, with usual April suspects singing in demure climatic conditions of cool and wet. I ran into local Bruce Wilkinson and we teamed up to see what lay points south and west in the Park. As I checked out the thickets for a mini fallout of Palm W, Fox Sp., Black Throated Green and sundry south of the Campus, Bruce called to me from his bike to confirm a nice warbler – Yellow Throated, and a beauty, with such strong markings and bluish grey back, it would surely qualify as a male by John Lamey and Wayne R’s criteria. It was located in the very East Park field some 150 m west of the intersection of 13th Ave (good for parking in the week as Wayne suggested) and Lake Shore DRIVE (quite south of Lakeshore BLVD W.) – this field is marked by the plowed north - south line awaiting some hundreds of trees being planted tomorrow. Another scouting for the last few weeks’ elusive Western Grebe showed little new beyond fewer Horned Grebes and still many Red Neckeds with their rail like mating calls. Nice to see Thrashers and Catbirds return to ancestral homes. A few Loons still linger close to shore, wailing for good boreal measure. As Bruce departed for work he rushed back to point out 3 Sandhill Cranes flying overhead quite lost amongst city towers seeking solace and feeding habitat. On to Mississauga Road where I did not share Barb Charlton’s luck for the “other” Western in close and without scope for the day, shut out, as Cheryl E. points out. More Horned Grebes here and a score of Common Terns squawking in and out of the Harbour area. I did meet Barb at Shell Park just as she lost track of the male Hooded, which sang a couple of times before being flushed by dog walkers at the NE corner – search as we might, along with Charles the photographer from Keswick who bagged the male Hooded earlier, we could do no better than the usual April entries with a non-singing male Black Throated Blue, later Northern Waterthrush and a couple of Purple Finches at the house feeders. In the land of Serendip timing is everything, and the random schedule of rewards is basic rat psychology when a kick at the Pop Machine and its coin return gives the very occasional, but much appreciated, payout. So keep looking we will for some fine May returnees.
Robin Lawson, Newmarket Directions: Col. Samuel Smith Park is located south of Lakeshore Boulevard off the end of Kipling. Shell Park west of Bronte Rd north off Lakeshore _______________________________________________ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to [email protected] For information about ONTBIRDS visit http://www.ofo.ca/
