Today Ian Cannell, Ed O'Conner, Naish McHugh and I birded the Leslie Street Spit and even though we only came up with 51 species of birds we did find some early migrants and some other birds of interest and maybe 1 dozen species of Butterflies ( not my specialty ), a Mink and a nice look at a Katydid. Not at all too interesting to some but we enjoyed the beautiful day down there. Here are some of the birds we did find - 2 Common Loons, a Green Heron, 2 Blue-winged Teal, 17 Hooded Mergansers, 2 N. Harriers and 2 Sharp-shinned Hawks flying west, a dozen or so Caspian Terns, a Black-billed Cuckoo, a Ruby-throated Hummingbird streaking west, 6 Belted Kingfishers, an Olive-sided Flycatcher catching Dragonflies, 2 Willow Flycatchers, 11 Least Flycatchers, 72 Eastern Kingbirds, 2 Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, a Nashville and Yellow-rumped Warbler and 13 Yellow Warblers along with 20 Baltimore Orioles. Direcions :- 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. If before 9 am you can park either on Leslie St. or Unwin Ave., 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. – 6 pm at present. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ NOTE:- The official hours for The Spit are 9 am to 6 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. There is a van available after 9 am from Victoria Day weekend to Thanksgiving Day weekend that will take you out or back. The Spit is only open on the weekends and holidays because they are still building it. 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/information/ontbirdssetup.php ONTBIRDS Guidelines may be viewed at http://www.ofo.ca/information/ontbirdsguide.php
