Good day. Today Ian Cannell, Jay Peterson, Andrew Jano and I birded the Leslie Street Spit and for once we had a no wind day. We started out birding through the West Side of the Base, out to Pipit Point and onto Peninsulas B and C and along the way we came up with 74 species, including 25 Waterfowl species and 10 Sparrow species.
Some of the high lights were (and I hope they don't annoy you too much Crossley or what ever your name is). 116 Common Loons, 112 of them off Pipit Point, Red-necked Grebes, N. Shovelers, Canvasbacks, Ring-necked Ducks, N. Pintails, White-winged and Black Scoters, all 3 Mergansers, a juvenile Bald Eagle and an adult Peregrine Falcon on Peninsula B, a juvenile N. Goshawk beside Bay B2, N. Harriers, 13 A. Coots, Golden Plover, A. Woodcock, Bonaparte's Gull, 4 B. Kingfishers, 15 E. Phoebes, 2 Blue-headed Vireos, plenty of both Kinglets, 4 E. Bluebirds, 21 Hermit Thrushes, a late Nashville Warbler, A. Tree, Chipping, Field, 16 Fox, Lincoln's, and Swamp Sparrows and tons of White-throated, White-crowned and song Sparrows, 2 Lapland Longspurs, 3000+ Red-winged Blackbirds heading west in am, and Purple Finch. The Bufflehead, Long-tailed Duck, and Great black-backed Gull, numbers have increased giving a hint of the Winter to come. Tomorrow's weather doesn't look too good for birding The Spit but there is always next weekend and maybe Purple Sandpipers and Short-eared Owls will put in an appearance by then and the Waterfowl and Gull numbers should show a bigger increase by then as well. Directions:- LESLIE STREET SPIT (TOMMY THOMPSON PARK) IN TORONTO To get to "The Spit" from Queen & Yonge Sts. Take the Queen Street Car #501 east to Leslie St. and walk south (about 2 km) or as far as you can go on Leslie St. at Unwin Ave. and you will see the gate and signage. You may also catch the Jones Bus #83 at the Donlands Subway Station or transfer to it at Queen St. and Jones Ave. and take it to Leslie St. And Commissioner St. (on Saturday only). By automobile you may drive to Lakeshore Blvd and Leslie St. then south to The Spit. You can park either on Leslie St. or Unwin Ave. You may also park in the parking lot inside the main gate after 9 am. Be sure to observe the parking lot closing time as if you are not out by then your auto will be locked in until the following day. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE:- The official hours for The Spit are 9 am to 4 pm (weekends and holidays only of course) but the unofficial hours are sunup to sundown. To date no one has questioned any birder, jogger, cyclist, etc. about the use of The Spit from sunup to sundown. The spit is only open on the weekends and on holidays, at other times you will not be able to access the area. This area is extensive, 7 km to the tip, but be prepared to walk more than that. The Spit is only open on the weekends and holidays because they are still building it. Norm Murr Richmond Hill, ON S'ils te mordent, mords les --------------------------------------------------------------------- "Eliminate annoying spam! My mailbox is protected by iHateSpam, the #1-rated spam buster." http://www.ihatespam.net
