Margaret Liubavicius and I visited the Islands today and added some new arrivals to our Thursday outing there.
This is a partial list of birds seen. Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Olive-sided, Least *, Willow and Great Crested Flycatcher *, Eastern Kingbird, Rough-winged Swallow, House Wren *, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher *, Veery *, Swainson’s Thrush *, Gray Catbird *, Brown Thrasher, Blue-headed and Red-eyed Vireo *, Yellow-throated Vireo, 19 warbler species including Blue-winged and Tennessee Warbler *, Northern Parula *, Cape May, Black-throated Blue *, Blackburnian *, Pine, Palm and Blackpoll Warbler, American Restart *, Ovenbird *, Scarlet Tanager, Rose-breasted Grosbeak *, Indigo Bunting, Field, Lincoln’s *, and White-crowned Sparrow, Baltimore Oriole * and Purple Finch. * These birds are already there in good numbers or increasing. Birds that will hopefully show up in the next 5 to 10 days are both Cuckoos, Orange-crowned, Mourning, Connecticut, Canada and Wilson’s Warblers, Gray-cheeked Thrush, Bobolink and Philadelphia Vireo. NOTE :- If you want to learn more about birding on the Toronto Islands you can access my Toronto Islands Birding And Site Guide on the OFO web site at:- http://www.ofo.ca/reportsandarticles/torontoislands.php You may also want to check out Ron Pittaway’s excellent “Spring Warbler Migration Guide” which is also on the OFO web site. You can find it by clicking on the following:- http://www.ofo.ca/reportsandarticles/springwarblers.php#when Another Note:- As of May 1st, 2012 - Fare :- Adults $7.00 - Seniors / Students $4.50 TORONTO ISLANDS - SPRING SCHEDULE DIRECTIONS TO THE TORONTO ISLAND FERRY DOCKS If you are on the subway southbound get off at the TTC’s Union Subway Station, walk south on Bay Street (on the east side of the station) for about 1 km to the ferry docks at the foot of Bay Street at Queen’s Quay and you are there. The entrance to the ferry docks (well signed) is on the west side of the Westin Harbour Castle Hotel. To get to the Toronto Islands from the TTC’s Union Subway Station on the TTC you may transfer to the #6 or the #6A Bay St. TTC bus on Bay Street just outside of the east entrance to the GO Station. They both go down Bay Street to Queen’s Quay. Go passengers arriving by train or bus must pay a fare to use the TTC bus or streetcar. When running there is a street car (#509 Harbourfront) that goes from inside the TTC’s Union Subway Station to Queen’s Quay (no transfer required). For those who choose to head down to the docks on Sunday before the Subway opens at 9 a.m. you can catch the #97B Yonge St. Blue Night bus (Steeles Ave. To Queens Quay). This bus will let you off right across the street on Bay St. only steps from the ferry docks entrance. For ferry schedules - check - http://www.toronto.ca/parks/island/ferry-schedule.htm You may also want to visit the TTC web page http://www.ttc.ca/ for trip planning assistance. If in an auto on the Gardener Expressway or on Lakeshore Blvd, then exit at Bay Street and drive south to Queen’s Quay, there are lots of parking lots nearby (fee). These parking lots are located just a block north of the ferry docks with more a block or so west of the ferry docks. Norm Murr 303-48 Laverock Ave. Richmond Hill, Ontario L4C 4J5 _______________________________________________ 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/
