WRN Outing to Toronto, Mississauga, Oakville

 Saturday 08 October, 2022

Leader: David M. Gascoigne

Members:  Miriam Bauman, Lisa Den Besten, Sharon Dillon-Martin, Victoria Ho, Ian Martin, David Matthews, Nancy Matthews, Shannon Pennington, Steffanie Scott, Roger Suffling, Selwyn Tomkun

Guests: Trevor Lewis, Abbey Struyk

Ian, Sharon, David, Abbey, Roger, Victoria, Selwyn, Steffanie, Shannon, Lisa, Trevor (missing David M. and Nancy)

Humber Bay Park West, Toronto, ON

     Everyone navigated their way to Toronto without a hitch and we met in the designated parking area to begin our grand adventure. All were familiar faces except for Steffanie who was joining us for the first time.

     The birding was great right from the get-go and continued so for the whole day - and we had some great mammal watching too. 

     Dark-eyed Juncos (Junco hyemalis), recently returned from the north, were flitting around, darting in and out of the vegetation.

     As the specific epithet indicates, this is a bird of the winter, and I wonder how species such as this are responding to climate change and the changing relationship of temperature and precipitation. Whether they have enough genetic or phenotypic variation to adjust remains to be seen, I suppose, but changes are now occurring on a scale not before experienced.  

     The water level was extremely low, but a Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis) perched above the mud.

     We saw at least three juvenile Black-crowned Night Herons (Nycticorax nycticorax), indicating no doubt that this species has bred locally.

Photo courtesy of Ian Martin

     They were dwarfed by a Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias), each species looking for a meal.

      The following picture shows both herons and a Double-crested Cormorant (Nannopterum auritus), all getting along without a squabble - at least while we were there.

      Several Hooded Mergansers (Lophodytes cucullatus) were present, but never in a position where we could get a decent picture.

     This entire area where the Humber River empties into Lake Ontario is surrounded by development as the relentless invasion of seething humanity expropriates ever more wildlife habitat.

     One is given to wondering how many of the residents of these apartments have any connection at all to the rich wildlife right at their doorstep and how they might join the struggle to preserve it. I recently re-read Richard Maybey's exquisite little book Whistling in the Dark, wherein he cites the poet, John Clare, - "......such is the ignorance of nature in large Citys that are nothing less than over grown prisons that shut out the world & all its beautys." 

     It didn't take long before we were scouring for birds....

     .... and coming together when we found something of interest.

     Some might say, "It's only a Mallard"; we say, "It IS a Mallard."

     We are very fortunate to live in the Great Lakes region; these bodies of water really are inland seas containing a huge volume of fresh water.

     The Toronto skyline is a significant landmark seen across the bay.

     If you are one of those who dismisses Rock Doves (Columba livia), take the time to give them a second look. They are stunningly beautiful birds.

     Double-crested Cormorant was seen frequently, and at each of our stops too, a cause for significant joy.

     It was a cool day, very pleasant for October but cool nonetheless, and of course the water temperature in Lake Ontario is never especially warm, but there are brave souls swimming there pretty much at any time of the year.

     To each his own I say.

     A family of Mute Swans (Cygnus olor) was totally unperturbed by the close proximity of this fellow.

     Ring-billed Gull is our default larid and this individual occupied a lovely perch.

     A female Mallard (Anas platyrynchos) was not to be outdone.

     Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos) has expanded its range into southern Ontario in recent years and is now a breeding resident. Humber Bay Park West is where I have had most luck locating this species, and we considered ourselves very fortunate when two birds landed right in front of us, at close range, and showed no inclination to fly off.

     Everyone was afforded an excellent view and cameras were clicking!

     Ian managed a shot of one of the birds in a sapling at the edge of the water.

Humber Bay Park East, Toronto, ON

     Fragrant Sumac (Rhus aromatica) is less common than Staghorn Sumac (Rhus typhina) and we are always happy to come across this very attractive shrub.

     Canada Geese (Branta canadensis) are ubiquitous, elegant, and grand.

     Double-crested Cormorants, if left to their own devices, quietly go about their lives.

     One might be forgiven for thinking that this pair of Canada Geese were auditioning for a synchronized diving competition.

     This Muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus) stimulated quite a bit of discussion, with opinions as to its identity ranging from American Beaver (Castor canadensis) to Groundhog (Marmota monax), with but a half-hearted vote for Muskrat.  

     We were never able to get a look at its tail which would have confirmed or eliminated beaver in an instant, but the photograph clearly shows it to be a Muskrat. 

     It was feeding at the side of a substantial beaver lodge, giving fuel to the fire of those opting for beaver.

     We had many keen eyes to help spot birds and not much escaped the attention of one or the others of us.

     A lone female Common Goldeneye (Bucephala clangula) probably represents an early arrival, soon to be bolstered by the thousands of her species who will populate Lake Ontario in winter.

     Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) is an exceedingly handsome bird, especially a resplendent male, but perhaps you will agree that they look their very best when set against fall foliage.

     Fresh water mussels is a taxon about which I know very little. Here are a couple of examples, nevertheless.

Quagga Mussell (Dreissena bugensis)

Zebra Mussell (Dreissena polymorpha)

    

      Rough Cocklebur (Xanthium strumarium) was growing quite prolifically at certain locations along the shoreline.

     Here is another Double-crested Cormorant.

     We had both seen and heard a couple of Belted Kingfishers (Megaceryle alcyon) earlier and just as we were about to leave one perched conveniently for us.

Colonel Samuel Smith Park, Toronto, ON

     First order of business was to have lunch, after which we set out to explore the area. We always make our first stop at a pond, but it had almost totally dried up. We were getting constant reminders that we had extended periods without rain this summer.

     At the Lake Ontario shore we saw a Common Merganser (Mergus merganser) uncharacteristically out of the water on a rock.

     You don't have to look far along the shore of Lake Ontario to locate Mute Swans.

     Several Common Mergansers were in the water where you would expect to see them.

     A Great Blue Heron flew overhead like an apparition from the dawn of time.

     Song Sparrows (Melospiza melodia) were common enough, but mostly feeding in dense undergrowth.

     A Honey Locust (Gleditsia triacanthos) was laden with seed pods.

     There were several Red-necked Grebes (Podiceps grisegena) out in the bay enjoying the waning days of autumn before picking up and moving south.

     Ian spotted a Great Blue Heron seeking slim pickings in the dried up pond and trained his camera on it for a fine shot.

     Ian and Sharon, and Shannon and Abbey, had to leave us at the end of our visit to Colonel Sam.  How they could bear to tear themselves away is impossible to understand, but they did!

Douglas Kennedy Headland, Mississauga, ON

     Red-necked Grebes breed at this location and it was not surprising to see several out on the water.

     The greatest entertainment, however, was provided by an American Mink (Mustela vison), a ferocious little predator on the hunt for food to satisfy its insatiable appetite.

Photo courtesy of Nancy Matthews

     It was in and out of the water and moved adroitly across the rocks.

     A cormorant had been keeping a watchful eye on it.

     Suddenly the mink lunged at the bird which entered the water instantly, swimming away as fast as it could and finally lifting off the surface.

     The mink pursued its potential prey for a short distance until it began to lose ground.

Photo courtesy of Nancy Matthews

     It is interesting to speculate what the outcome might have been. Mink are known to take prey larger than themselves and had the animal been able to secure a hold on the bird's throat it might have dined on cormorant. 

     An American Crow (Corvus brachyrynchos) watched the goings on from a nearby tree.

     A couple more Red-necked Grebes swam by.

     A little farther along the trail we came across a mink eating a fish, although the picture below does not show a whole lot of detail.

     Whether this is the same individual as we had seen earlier we have no way of knowing, but given the distance between the sightings it may well have been a different animal.

A. E. Crooke Park, Mississauga, ON

     Here we encountered our only Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus) of the day. At least four were promenading up and down the shore.

     Several times we had remarked that we had not seen an American Herring Gull (Larus smithsonianus) and finally we came upon a subadult bird trying to winkle food from a mussel shell. It appears to have a problem with one of its wings.

     This very attractive pile of autumn leaves almost compelled me to write a poem, but I resisted the urge! Maybe Selwyn will take up the challenge!

     A Ring-billed Gull was perched on top of a car, ready perhaps to leave an unexpected gift to its owner.

Bronte Harbour, Oakville, ON

     We were joined by a friend of David and Nancy - Fiona - who you see in the patterned jacket walking down to the harbour with us.

     Once again, one of the first birds to greet us was a Red-necked Grebe.

     The harbour looked picture-postcard perfect on this sunny fall day.

     A female Mallard seemed content to bask in the warm rays of the sun, all the while doing a little feather maintenance.

     Once again we were delighted to see decent numbers of Double-crested Cormorants, perhaps enjoying a respite from the sad history of unwarranted, ill-advised and cruel persecution by humans.

      Autumn leaves must fall.

     Common Toadflax (Linaria vulgaris), sometimes referred to as Butter-and-Eggs, quite delightfully I might add, is a joy to behold.

     There is a large restaurant at Bronte Harbour with an expansive patio enclosed by glass panels. 

     It was distressing that our visit ended on a sour note when a Myrtle Warbler (Setophaga coronata) flew headlong into the glass. Poor Lisa was right there when it happened and was understandably distraught and angry.

     The bird seemed to be recovering slowly, although it is impossible to know whether internal injuries have been sustained.

     We moved the bird to a secluded spot where it would at least not be so visible to predators and could do no more than to wish it well.

     Apart from this sad incident to mar the end of the day our outing had been quite sublime - good weather, the very best companions and an abundance of wildlife to satisfy our innermost desire to spend time in nature. I owe a debt of gratitude to everyone who took part.

All bird species seen: Canada Goose, Mute Swan, American Wigeon, Mallard, Mallard x American Black Duck hybrid, Common Goldeneye, Hooded Merganser, Common Merganser, Red-necked Grebe, Rock Dove, Mourning Dove, Killdeer, Ring-billed Gull, Herring Gull, Double-crested Cormorant,  Great Blue Heron, Black-crowned Night Heron, Turkey Vulture, Red-tailed Hawk, Belted Kingfisher, Downy Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Merlin, Eastern Phoebe, Blue-headed Vireo, Blue Jay, American Crow, Black-capped Chickadee, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Golden-crowned Kinglet, White-breasted Nuthatch, European Starling, Northern Mockingbird, Hermit Thrush, American Robin, House Sparrow, American Goldfinch, Dark-eyed Junco, White-crowned Sparrow, White-throated Sparrow, Red-winged Blackbird, Palm Warbler, Yellow-rumped (Myrtle) Warbler, Northern Cardinal.  Total: 43 species.