Today In Cannell and I returned to The Islands but we only birded Hanlan’s Point this time. Not long after we started we were joined by Alfred Adamo and David Beatle.
Another beautiful day to be birding down there. It was not as busy bird wise as it was on Thursday but we did Ok just the same with a total of 65 species seen including 12 warbler and 8 sparrow species. As Alfred, Ian and I were walking along Gavin Pratt approached us a said he had just found a Connecticut Warbler and that Dave was at the location just 20 or so yards away. Thanks to Gavin’s great find and David re-finding it and pointing it out to us we were able to have great looks (6 feet away at eye level) of a very nice, bright male Connecticut. Some of the other birds of interest were Great Egret, Merlin, many Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, E. Wood-Pewees, a Willow Flycatcher, many E. Phoebes, Red-breasted and White-breasted Nuthatches, Brown Creepers, Gray-cheeked, Swainson’s and Hermit Thrushes, American Pipits overhead, Philadelphia and Blue-headed Vireos, Orange-crowned, Tennessee, and Blackburnian Warblers, a ton of Palm Warblers, 3 male Northern Parula, Scarlet Tanager, Lincoln’s Sparrows, Purple Finches and 4 Red Crossbills overhead. Note:- If you want to learn more about birding on the Toronto Islands you can access my Toronto Islands Birding And Site Guide on the OFO web site at - http://www.ofo.ca/reportsandarticles/torontoislands.php There is also a free downloadable PDF copy at that site. Toronto Islands – Fall Schedule Fare:- Adults $7:00 - Seniors / Students – $4.50 DIRECTIONS TO THE TORONTO ISLANDS FERRY DOCKS If you are on the subway southbound get off at the TTC’s Union Subway Station, walk south on bay Street (on the east side of the station) for about 1 km to the ferry docks at the foot of Bay Street at Queen’s Quay and you are there. The entrance to the ferry docks (well signed) is on the west side of the Weston Harbour Castle Hotel. To get to the Toronto Islands from the TTC’s Union Subway Station on the TTC you may transfer to the #6 or the #6A Bay Street TTC bus just outside of the east entrance to the GO Station. They both go down Bay Street to Queen’s Quay. Go passengers arriving by bus or train must pay a fare to use the bus or streetcar *. * When running there is a street car (#509 Harbourfront) that goes from inside the Union Subway Station to Queen’s Quay (no transfer required). For those who choose to head down to the docks on a Sunday before the subway opens at 9 am you can take the 97B Yonge Street Blue night bus (Steeles Ave. to Queen’s Quay) only steps from the ferry docks entrance. You may also want to visit the TTC web page at http://www.ttc.ca/ for trip planning assistance. If in an auto on the Gardener Expressway or Lakeshore Blvd, then exit at Bay Street and drive south to Queen’s Quay. Be aware that there is a very limited number of parking lots close to the docks. One of these (fee) is one block north of Queen’s Quay on Bay Street. As far as I know there is no parking allowed on any of the streets very near to the docks. Norm Murr 303-48 Laverock Ave. Richmond Hill, Ontario L4C 4J5 _______________________________________________ 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/
