Yesterday Sharon and I took a birding trip to the Leslie St. Spit in Toronto. The Toronto Ornithological Club had a field trip to the spit and we were supposed to meet them at the spit's entrance. However, due to a number of circumstances we were too late and so we ended up birding ourselves for most of the trip. Later on in the afternoon we did run into them, however, we decided not to join up with them. We did however hook up with one of the members of the group (Ross) who was going in our direction. Ross was great to walk along with as he was a very experienced birder and knew where to find the birds.
Leslie St. Spit is a great birding hotspot in Toronto. So far, it's the best hotspot we've been to. The spit is a man made peninsula that juts out 3 miles into Lake Ontario, roughly in southwest direction. The spit was constructed starting in the late 1950's. It was used and still is, as a dumping ground for clean fill - rubble and earth from construction and dredge material.
The spit has been colonized by a variety of plant life and more than 300 species of birds have been sighted on the spit, including 45 that breed there. In 2000 the spit was designated as an "Important Bird Area" by BirdLife International.
Here are photos from the Leslie St. Spit.
DESIGNATION OF LESLIE ST. SPIT
AS AN IMPORTANT BIRD AREA
ABOVE 2 PHOTOS - MUTE SWAN
ABOVE 2 PHOTOS - TRUMPETER SWAN
FLOCK OF SWANS IN WATER
PROBABLY TRUMPETER SWANS
CANADA GOOSE
MALE RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD
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| FEMALE RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD |
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MALLARDS: MALE ON LEFT,
FEMALE ON RIGHT |
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| MALE GREATER SCAUP |
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| FEMALE GREATER SCAUP |
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| ABOVE 2 PHOTOS - HERRING GULL |
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| RING-BILLED GULL |
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ABOVE 3 PHOTOS - ROOST OF
RING-BILLED GULLS |
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| ROOST OF DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANTS |
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ABOVE 2 PHOTOS - OUR INTREPID
BIRDERS AT WATERBIRD VIEWING
AREA - SHARON & GEORGE |
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ABOVE 4 PHOTOS - CLOSEUP VIEW OF
DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT ROOST
AND INDIVIDUAL CORMORANTS |
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| KILDEER |
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| MALE REDHEAD |
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| MALE BUFFLEHEAD |
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| FEMALE BUFFLEHEADS |
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| ABOVE 3 PHOTOS - NORTHERN FLICKER |
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| DOWNY WOODPECKER  |
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RED-NECKED GREBE: ADULT WITH
BREEDING PLUMAGE ON RIGHT;
IMMATURE GREBE ON LEFT |
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ABOVE 2 PHOTOS - MALE LONG-TAILED
DUCK WITH MOST OF ITS BREEDING
PLUMAGE |
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| ABOVE 2 PHOTOS - MALE TREE SWALLOW |
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| MALE BLUE-WINGED TEAL |
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| ABOVE 2 PHOTOS - GREAT HORNED OWL |
MALE CANVASBACK
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MIXTURE OF MALE & FEMALE
CANVASBACKS & OTHER BIRDS
TOP CENTER: MALE CANVASBACK
ON LEFT, FEMALE ON RIGHT
VIEWS FROM LESLIE ST. SPIT |
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| AUTOMATED LIGHTHOUSE AT END OF SPIT |
