A short outing to the spit yesterday (foggy afternoon) produced:
- N. Shrike near Pipit Point - Snowy Owl in same area (seen by other birders) - lots of waterfowl (19 species including 14 duck species; numerous Canvasbacks, some Ring Necked Ducks; the bay just west of Pipit Point had a Common Loon and a Red Necked Grebe; Trumpeter Swans also seen) - Purple Finch The sounds of spring were everywhere: Song Sparrows, RW Blackbirds, etc. Also, quite a few Am. Tree Sparrows. The Purple Finch was interesting. It was singing a lot but had female plumage except for a hint of purple in chin area. I thought maybe it was a young male, but none of the books I consulted corroborated this. Females do not usually sing. If anyone has any thoughts, can you pls. reply to me privately? Directions: In Toronto, the Leslie Street Spit (also known as Tommy Thompson Park) is at the foot of Leslie Street. Open to the public on week-ends and holidays. If driving, pls note that the parking lot is locked at 4:30 sharp! The Spit can be covered on foot, but a bike can help a lot. Jack Alvo [email protected] Home 416-462-9851 _______________________________________________ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to [email protected] For information about ONTBIRDS visit http://www.ofo.ca/
