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-->This past week (Oct. 23rd to 27th) Bob Tyler, Jenny Bull and I birded the Toronto Islands between the Eastern Gap to the western shore of Gibraltar Point and following are some of the birds we found.
Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, Trumpeter Swan, Brant, Wood Duck, Green-winged Teal, Black Duck, Northern Shoveler, Gadwall, American Wigeon, Canvasback, Long-tailed Duck, Black, Surf and White-winged Scoters, Bufflehead, Red-breasted Merganser, Turkey Vulture, Cooper’s and Red-tailed Hawks, Merlin, Peregrine Falcon, Bonaparte’s Gull, Red-bellied, Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers, Northern Flicker, Raven, White-breasted Nuthatch, Brown Creeper, Carolina and Winter Wrens, Golden and Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Gray-cheeked, Swainson’s and Hermit Thrushes, Mockingbird, American Pipits, Cedar Waxwings, Blue-headed Vireo, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Eastern Towhee, A. Tree, Fox, Song, Swamp, White-throated and White-crowned Sparrows, Dark-eyed Juncos, tons of them, Red-winged Blackbirds, Grackles and Purple Finch.
The Mockingbird that Jenny and Margaret Murphy found on the 25th was at the south end of the bridge onto Snake Island, exactly the same area that 2 of them spent last Winter. There are many bushes holding plenty of berries so hopefully it or they will Winter there again. It was there again on the 27th, fingers crossed.
See also Owen Strickland and Ben Lucking sightings for Oct. 25 on ebird.
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Most water fountains are still working as are all of the washrooms, except for the washroom at the Island Fire Station.
The Island Café on Ward’s Island is open – daily 10 am to 6 pm Saturday to Tuesday, but closed on Wednesday and Thursday.
The Riviara Café is open daily Monday to Sunday – 12 pm to 7 pm.
Parts of the boardwalk are closed during deck replacement so you may have to get off and walk past that area and then you can go back on the boardwalk and continue on.
Be aware of the Island School and do not approach when the children are out playing, etc., best to avoid the school area period, except on the weekends. The same applys for the Day Care centre on Algonquin Island.
All the homes on Ward’s and Algonquin Island are on private property so please treat them as you would want your own property to be treated, so please do not trespass.
Many of the Island residents are aware of we Birders and some give us information on their latest sightings or ask us to help in IDing their sightings.
Norm Murr
Richmond Hill, ON
