I birded the park for a couple of hours in the mid to late afternoon.
In first hour I found 719 Red-neck Grebes in the bays and near-shore water
of the peninsula include two pairs in same locations where they attempted to
nest on wood platforms last year in the inner bay. Just as I was about leave
the west tip of peninsula, larger loose flocks began flying in from south and
settled into the waters just west of the end of the peninsula. At 5:25 p.m., I
drove around to the south end of 23rd street near the Filtration Plant to get a
better count: the total number of new Red-necked Grebes was 2500. The grand
total of 3219. In the past I have never seen close to this many Red-necked
Grebes at this location. But in recent recent years, I have seen large numbers
(in the thousands) staging in the second week of April along Lake Ontario from
Rattray Marsh to Port Credit, Mississauga. I made of point of going to other
areas to west after leaving the park: Marie Curtis Park/mouth of Etobicoke
Creek, the mouth of the Credit River where empties int
o L. Ontario and the waters off Jack Darling Park and adjacent Rattray Marsh.
I only found one Red-necked Grebe, off the Credit River in Lake Ontario.
In all probability these 2500 grebes were flying in just ahead of the large
low pressure system that arrived in Mississauga with heavy rain and snow around
7:30 pm. I found one Belted Kingfisher and two Killdeer at Rattray Marsh.
Directions:
Colonel Sam Smith Park is located south of Lakeshore Boulevard and accessed
via Col. Samuel Smith Boulevard (?) from the end of Kipling which can be
accessed off the Q.E.W. just east of #427.
Wayne Renaud (289-828-0043)
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