Birders, A had a very drab "Solitary" Vireo on the Toronto Islands this evening. I think it may well have been a Cassin's Vireo, but I didn't have a camera with me and did not obtain any photos. I observed the bird from around 4:30 pm until I last saw it around 6:15. I spent another hour after that trying to relocate it, but was unsuccessful.
Obviously, this is a very challenging identification and I'm not claiming that it was definitely a Cassin's Vireo (especially without photos). However, it's probably worth looking out for if anyone feels like a trip to the Toronto Islands tomorrow. I will be going back to try and relocate the bird. The main field marks I'm going on are the limited contrast between the gray cheek and white throat and limited contrast between the crown and back. There were several Blue-headed Vireos in the area, which were obviously different from this bird. One of these Blue-headeds was also quite pale, but still had strong contrast between the cheek and throat. Directions: The Islands are accessed via ferry (schedule here: http://www.toronto.ca/parks/island/ferry-schedule.htm). The ferry dock is located on Queen's Quay West at Bay St. in Toronto. The Vireo location is most easily accessed by taking the Centre Island ferry. From the Centre Island ferry dock, take the path south off of Middle Island (past Centreville Amusement Park) and cross the bridge to Centre Island. Turn left (east) at this point and follow the path along the water until you reach the "Sky Ride" and a church. The bird was in the area just east of here, on the frisbee golf course (around holes 9 & 10). This is the area referred to as "The Trap" in Norm Murr's site guide to the Islands ( http://www.ofo.ca/reportsandarticles/torontoislands.php). Good Birding, Gavin Platt Toronto, ON _______________________________________________ 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/
