On Friday, 22 May 2015, between 6:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. we counted 432 Whimbrels at the Whimbrel Watch in Colonel Sam Smith Park, Toronto. The first flock of 42 passed Whimbrel Point at 8:15 a.m., followed by 19 at 8:25, and 90 at 8:50. At 10: 30, 60 passed and at 10:45 a large flock of about 220 passed and circled out on Lake Ontario many times as if undecided about whether to land or continue north. A lone Whimbrel landed briefly, then flew off to rejoin the flock.
Other Shorebirds: Semipalmated Plover, Dunlin, Least Sandpiper, Killdeer, Spotted Sandpiper. Other Birds: 1 adult breeding Pacific Loon found by David Pryor, 6 Common Loons, 2 White-winged Scoters, many Long-tailed Ducks, 2 Iceland Gulls, 13 Bonaparte's Gulls, 2 Caspian Terns, many Common Terns, resident Red-necked Grebes, 1 Bobolink and more. Many thanks to Cecilia Verkley, David Pryor, Garth Riley, Andrew Keaveney, Tim McCarthy and many others for spotting the birds. Please join us as we scan Lake Ontario for flocks of vocal Whimbrel, their trilling calls often heard before they are seen, every day from now until the end of May. Early morning is best. Peak days typically those around May 24th. Directions: Take Kipling Avenue south of Lake Shore Blvd West to where Kipling ends at a parking lot. Walk south to Lake Ontario where a short peninsula juts out into the lake. Note: tomorrow, Saturday May 23rd, is also the Colonel Sam Smith Park Birding Festival with walks, displays and more. The Whimbrel Watch is a project of the Toronto Ornithological Club. Jean Iron Toronto _______________________________________________ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to [email protected] For information about ONTBIRDS including how to unsubscribe visit http://www.ofo.ca/site/page/view/information.ontbirdssetup Posting guidelines can be found at http://www.ofo.ca/site/page/view/information.ontbirdsguide
