After Alfred Adamo and I had such a good day Sunday when we did a couple of hours of lake watching on The Islands I decided to try and stretch my luck and give it another try this morning. This time I took my scope with me something I haven’t taken over there in over 15 years and after humping it on buses, subways, ferry boats and a 5 km plus walk I was reminded why I didn’t take it there any more but even after all of that I am really glad I did take it.
I again only spent about 2 hours watching the lake and again it died down after 10:30 am but until then I did okay with a record (for me on The Islands) of 207 Common Loons (probably undercounted) and with them was a juvenile Pacific Loon and an adult winter plumaged Red-throated Loon. There were also 3 Grebe species that were tough to count with so many loons out there but I did find 8 Red-necked, 4 Horned and a surprise sighting of a close in Eared Grebe. I was closing my tripod because things did slow down and I thought I would give one more sweep with my binoculars and as luck would have it I spotted a Jaeger giving a gull a hard time so I scoped it and it was a Parasitic Jaeger (first on The Islands for me). Other birds out there besides the hundreds of Long-tails and Red-breasted Mergansers were 66 Bonaparte’s Gulls, 21 White-winged Scoters and 10 female / juvenile Black Scoters in a small raft and I watched as a Merlin chased around and caught a small passerine over the lake and on my walk back to the ferry dock I was serenaded by 2 Ravens. Though I didn’t really bird much on my back to the ferry I did find a mixed flock of passerines containing 9 Purple Finches, Pine Siskins, Hermit Thrushes, Tree, Fox and White-throated Sparrows and I also saw or heard 3 Winter Wrens and I noticed that there is a movement of Black-capped Chickadees, watch for a possible Boreal Chickadee with the Black-capped flocks. PS – Sunday could be another good day over there or to see birds even further out over and on the lake you might want to try a lake watch Sunday from Pipit Point on the Leslie St. Spit (tommy Thompson Park). DIRECTIONS TO THE TORONTO ISLAND FERRY DOCKS TORONTO ISLANDS - WINTER SCHEDULE - From October 15th, 2014 to April 18, 2015 there will be no ferry to Hanlan’s Point or Centre Island, the Ward’s Island ferry will continue to operate during that period as usual. ***See Important Note at the bottom of these directions.*** Note:- Fare :- Adults $7.00 - Seniors / Students $4.50 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 Westin 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 St. TTC bus on Bay Street just outside of the east entrance to the GO Station. They both go down Bay Street to Queen’s Quay. Go passengers arriving by train or bus must pay a fare to use the TTC bus. For those who choose to head down to the docks on Sunday before the Subway opens at 9 a.m. you can catch the #97B Yonge St. Blue Night bus (Steeles Ave. To Queens Quay). This bus will let you off right across the street on Bay St. only steps from the ferry docks entrance. For ferry schedules - check - http://www.toronto.ca/parks/island/ferry-schedule.htm You may also want to visit the TTC web page http://www.ttc.ca/ for trip planning assistance. If in an auto on the Gardener Expressway or on Lakeshore Blvd, then exit at Bay Street and drive south to Queen’s Quay, there are very few parking lots nearby (all for a fee). One of these parking lots is located just a block north on of the ferry docks on Bay St. =============================================================================================================== NOTE 1: – For those who arrive at the docks early or need the fix there is a Tim Hortons across from the ferry dock entrance just east of the corner of Bay St. and Queens Quay and the Food Court in the building on the northwest corner of Queens Quay and Bay Street is now open and this too has a Tim Horton’s.. NOTE 2:- 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/site/page/view/articles.torontoislands Take Note:- The Islands are not people friendly in the winter - Only 1 ferry (Ward’s Island). - No refreshment facilities what so ever. - No Picnic Tables. - Any bench that you are lucky enough to find will not be cleaned of snow, etc. - Only 2 washrooms – 1 on Wards straight out from the ferry dock and 1 on Centre Island between the bridge and the school and these are only open because of the presence of park employees. - No police presence. - There is Para-medic service at the Fire Station. - There are pay phones and if an emergency arises then you need not pay any money to use them for a 911 call. IMPORTANT NOTE:- During the Winter only the ferry to Ward’s Island is operating (as noted above) but if ice or wind conditions are not favourable for docking at Ward’s Island the ferry will dock at Hanlan’s Point with a bus available at the dock for those that want to go to Ward’s or Centre Islands. You may catch this same bus back to Hanlan’s later BUT if the winds or ice conditions change while you are over there the ferry will switch back to Ward’s without any notice at all unless you happen to talk to someone in the know. It is not very nice to have to walk all the way back the 5 kms from Hanlan’s after you realize the boat isn’t coming. Norm Murr Richmond Hill Ontario, Canada You can't see birds if you don't go out but sit and wait for others to find them. _______________________________________________ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. 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