Good evening birders
Today Stan Bajurny & I went down to the Leslie Street Spit after a great
start for the day with the Golden-crowned Sparrow at Cranberry Marsh and
after a long, long walk and checking in every (it seems) bush and tangle and
under every leaf we could not come up with the Boreal Owl found by Hugh
Currie last Sunday and the Barred Owl present for at least 2 weeks was also
not found. You can add a lot of birds out there that we did not find. We did
find though 1 N. Saw-whet Owl well concealed under a deadfall. The bird
banding station said that they had only banded 3 N. Saw-whet Owls last
night. Perhaps this dramatic change in weather will bring an increase of
Owls, etc. but keep in mind that you can not go out on the spit from Monday
to Friday.
The Scaup and Redhead numbers have really started to build with about 3000
birds present along with hundreds of Gadwall and Bufflehead and the
Long-tailed Duck and Hooded Merganser numbers are respectable.
The pickings were very thin out there today and the only birds of note were
a Hermit Thrush, a Ruby-crowned Kinglet, 1 Merlin hunting near the first
gate and 3 immature N. Goshawks hunting from about halfway out to the tip.
One of the Goshawks was observed with a large snake.
Directions
LESLIE STREET SPIT (TOMMY THOMPSON PARK) IN TORONTO
To get to "The Spit" from Queen & Yonge Streets. Take the Queen Street Car
#501 east to Leslie Street and walk south (about 2 km) or as far as you can
go on Leslie Street to Unwin Avenue and you will see the gate and signage.
By automobile you may drive to Lakeshore Blvd and Leslie Street and turn
south and drive to the end of the road and your there.
If before 9 am you can park either on Leslie Street or Unwin Avenue, after 9
am the parking lot inside the gate is open, be sure to note the closing time
as your car will be locked in at that time.
ANOTHER NOTE:- The spit is only open on the weekends and on holidays, at
other times you will not be able to access the area except the base (between
the 1st and 2nd gates). This area is extensive, 7 km to the tip, but be
prepared to walk more than that. The "SPIT" is only open on the weekend as
they are still building it.
Norm Murr
Richmond Hill, ON
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
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