Today was another one of those beautiful days not to be at home or in a mall and Ed O'Conner, Ian Cannell, Margaret Liubavicius and I took advantage of this fine weather and went to the Leslie Street Spit ( Tommy Thompson Park ). It started out with 500+ Red-winged Blackbirds and some A. Pipits flying west overhead and went up hill from there. In our travels we found and had great views of a Sedge Wren and right next to it a Winter Wren. WE also found 21 waterfowl species including Pied-billed and Horned Grebes, N. Pintails, N. Shovelers, A. Wigeons, Redheads, Ring-necked Ducks, 600+ Greater Scaup, 1000+ Long-tailed Ducks, Common Goldeneyes, Hooded and Common Mergansers, Ruddy Ducks and A. Coots. Other birds worth mentioning were Peregrine falcon, Merlin, 4 N. Harriers, 2 Cooper's Hawks, Greater Yellowlegs ( our only shorebirds ), B. Kingfisher, E. Phoebes, both Kinglets, White-breasted Nuthatches, B. Creepers, Chipping, and Field Sparrows along with many of the usual suspects for 61 species for the day. For you Butterfly enthusiasts we also found at least 12 Monarch Butterflies, both Admirals, Fiery Skipper, Painted Ladies and sever Sulphurs and cabbage Whites.
Directions:- LESLIE STREET SPIT (TOMMY THOMPSON PARK) IN TORONTO To get to "The Spit" from Queen and Yonge Streets. 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. — THE PARKING LOT AND ALL GATES WILL BE LOCKED AT 4:30 pm and there is no Van in the winter. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE:- The official hours for The Spit are 9 am to 4:30 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. ANOTHER NOTE:- The security seemed to be kind of lax today as I saw at least 2 Motor Scooters far out on the spit and some of the automobiles going out to the sailing club in the early morning seemed to be in quite a hurry so be careful out there. Norm Murr Richmond Hill, ON "Sils mordent, mords les" _______________________________________________ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to ONTBIRDS mailing list [email protected] For instructions to join or leave ONTBIRDS visit http://www.ofo.ca/ontbirdshow.htm ONTBIRDS Guidelines may be viewed at http://www.ofo.ca/ontbirdsguide.htm
