Friday, April 19, 2019
MAY 11 - 25, 2019 - "TORONTO BIRD CELEBRATION"
Wednesday, April 17, 2019
ALAN ROY'S REPORT ON LAST SUNDAY'S PARK CLEAN-UP
The
14th of April was another stellar day for a park clean up.... I
apologize.
I
have put in my request already for good weather for next year’s event and am
waiting to hear back about it.
For
the less-stout hearted; it was a good day to stay home. For the 60 happy
volunteers who braved the elements; nothing could have been finer. Except the
weather, of course.
As
always, the stalwarts were in attendance and spirits weren’t dampened by the
cold rain.
My many thanks to all who supported and all who attended. I would be at the park
by myself and I would be happy and contented. To be there in the midst of such
good friends and neighbours puts a smile on my face every time. Thank you
all.
Set
up was completed in a shower of ice pellets and the weather only got better
from there. Mostly a cold rain that had a couple of short, welcomed breaks
throughout the day.
Tim Horton's
kindly supplied hot chocolate and timbits to stave off the morning cold and
hunger.
The
Toronto and Region Conservation Authority’s estimation of total weight
collected was 642 lbs or??? kg. A conservative Conservation estimate I feel.
Thank you to their team for crunching the numbers. TRCA also brought a shelter
and apples and cookies!!
Panago
Pizza supplied some of the finest outdoor lunch at 12:30pm and for all those
who sampled, there were great comments about the flavour!
The
crew from Home Depot were able to come down and lend a hand. In their bright
orange shirts.
The
Martingrove Collegiate Institute group were instrumental in skimming the
catchment basin and removing a great deal of debris before it made it into the
Lake.
As always the Friends of Sam Smith Park and
Citizens Concerned for the Future of the Etobicoke Waterfront were of great
help.
Thank
you to Parks and Recreation Toronto for their continued support and to Solid
Waste Management for the pick-up.
Alan
Saturday, April 13, 2019
SONGBIRD MIGRATION, PART 1
Photos and text by Nancy Barrett, VP, Friends of Sam Smith Park
 |
| Chestnut-sided Warbler (male) |
Why do birds migrate?
The ancient drive to follow time-worn migration routes every spring and fall probably began as an adaptation to climate and food availability, but over time it became part of the birds' genetic makeup. Birds also incorporate responses to weather, geography, food sources, day length, etc. But why make such an arduous trip north in spring? One idea is that the seasonal abundance of insect food and greater day length allowed them to raise more young (4-6 on average) than their stay-at-home tropical relatives (2-3 on average).
Do all birds migrate?
Most birds fit into the following categories:
 |
| Northern Cardinal |
are able to find food supplies year-round
(example: Northern Cardinal).
 |
| Blue Jay |
Short- to -medium-distance migrants follow
the most variable patterns, often in response to abundance of food (example: Blue Jay).
 |
| Magnolia Warbler |
How do birds navigate?
Migrating birds can cover thousands of miles annually, often travelling the same course year after year with little deviation. First-year birds often make their very first migration on their own. Somehow they can find their winter home despite never having seen it before, and return the following spring to their birthplace.
The secrets of their amazing navigational skills aren't fully understood, partly because birds combine several different senses when they navigate. Birds obtain compass information from the sun, the stars, and the earth's magnetic field. They also get information from the position of the setting sun, as well as landmarks seen during the day.
 |
| Whimbrel flock passing Whimbrel Point |
Is migration dangerous?
 |
| Palm Warbler with midge |
In recent years, long-distant migrants have been facing a growing threat from tall buildings of glass and steel. Many species are
 |
| FLAP layout at the Royal Ontario Museum |
reflective surfaces and millions are killed each year in collisions with these buildings. FLAP (Fatal Light Awareness Program) is dedicated to rescuing injured birds and seeking solutions to this issue.
Have you ever gone to the park early on a May morning, expecting trees dripping with warblers and vireos, only to end up with a face full of midges and mosquitoes? That luck, good and bad, often takes the form of the weather patterns the birds encounter. Weather can delay, detour, or even speed up migrating songbirds, and the prepared birder can check several sources to get a better sense of when and where they might show up.
Wind speeds are an important factor: It's easier for birds to migrate with a tailwind than a headwind. A cold front with steady winds from the north can keep birds grounded for days. Check a good hourly weather app (I use WeatherCAN, on PlayStore and the App Store) for the latest conditions.
 |
| Black-throated Blue Warbler during fallout |
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| Marsh Wren during fallout |
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| Yellow Warbler on the beach during fallout |
BirdCast is a very useful tool in tracking bird migration through North America into Canada.
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| BirdCast Live Migration Tool |
Can I see migrating birds in the park?
Yes! Colonel Samuel Smith Park is known in birding circles as a "migrant trap". Not only is it located along a prime migration route, the shape of the park itself (largely constructed with lakefill) acts as a natural funnel, encouraging tired, hungry birds to touch down, eat and rest in the varied habitats found there. Woodlands, dense shrubs, meadows, beaches and wetlands all provide ideal places for the birds to pack on some weight before continuing further north--leaving behind those species which stay and nest there.
The Dogwoods
Large Bowl/Small Bowl
Wetland Lookout
Swallow Field
Whimbrel Point
 |
| Male Red-winged Blackbird, singing on territory, March |
 |
| Male Song Sparrow, singing on territory, March |
Some people may groan in protest at this, but early mornings are simply the best time to see the most species in the highest numbers at the peak of their activity. Hungry birds that have just arrived need to eat and pack on body fat to fuel the rest of their journey. There is another burst of activity in late afternoon, but I will attest that getting outdoors in time to experience the "dawn chorus"--an incredible variety of newly-arrived birds all flitting about in the trees at the same time, filling the air with their songs--is utterly worthwhile. Midday, on the other hand, is sleepy-time for many bird species.
 |
| Female Blackburnian Warbler foraging in early morning sun |
On cool, frosty spring mornings, the insects that songbirds depend on are often close to the warmer ground, so the birds may be down low and easier to spot--and often on the sunny side. On warm mornings, insects move up higher into the treetops, and the birds follow, creating afflictions such as "birder's neck" or "belly shot photo".
Tip #2:
In breezy or windy conditions, migrants--and insects--will tend to congregate on the leeward side (protected from prevailing winds) of peninsulas or woodlands.
 |
| Blackpoll Warbler taking insect from spider web |
This extremely useful chart was carefully compiled using eBird frequency graphs by Mike Burrell, originally published on his blog. Even going by my own observations in the park for 10 years, I have noticed that these average arrival dates generally hold true year to year. To capture the majority of songbird arrivals, the list includes March 14 through May 20.
| 14 March - | Turkey Vulture |
| Northern Harrier | |
| Song Sparrow | |
| 16 March - | Eastern Bluebird |
| 17 March - | Pied-billed Grebe |
| 18 March - | Wood Duck |
| Golden-crowned Kinglet | |
| Eastern Meadowlark | |
| Brown-headed Cowbird | |
| 20 March - | Red-throated Loon |
| 21 March - | Great Blue Heron |
| Rusty Blackbird | |
| 22 March - | American Kestrel |
| 25 March - | Northern Flicker |
| Eastern Phoebe | |
| Brown Creeper | |
| Winter Wren | |
| Fox Sparrow | |
| 27 March - | Blue-winged Teal |
| 28 March - | Pectoral Sandpiper |
| Belted Kingfisher | |
| 30 March - | Dark-eyed Junco |
| 31 March - | Wilson's Snipe |
| 01 April - | Bonaparte's Gull |
| 02 April - | Double-crested Cormorant |
| Tree Swallow | |
| 03 April - | Great Egret |
| Yellow-bellied Sapsucker | |
| Field Sparrow | |
| Vesper Sparrow | |
| 04 April - | Osprey |
| 06 April - | Common Loon |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | |
| Greater Yellowlegs | |
| 07 April - | Cooper's Hawk |
| Hermit Thrush | |
| 08 April - | Lesser Yellowlegs |
| Purple Finch | |
| 09 April - | Caspian Tern |
| 10 April - | Black-crowned Night-Heron |
| 13 April - | Louisiana Waterthrush |
| Pine Warbler | |
| Swamp Sparrow | |
| 14 April - | American Bittern |
| Forster's Tern | |
| Ruby-crowned Kinglet | |
| Eastern Towhee | |
| Savannah Sparrow | |
| 15 April - | Surf Scoter |
| Barn Swallow | |
| Chipping Sparrow | |
| American Goldfinch | |
| 16 April - | Broad-winged Hawk |
| Brown Thrasher | |
| Yellow-rumped Warbler | |
| White-throated Sparrow | |
| 17 April - | American White Pelican |
| Northern Rough-winged Swallow | |
| 18 April - | Virginia Rail |
| 19 April - | Purple Martin |
| 20 April - | Cliff Swallow |
| 21 April - | Yellow-throated Warbler* Worm-eating Warbler* |
| 22 April - | Black Scoter |
| Upland Sandpiper | |
| 23 April - | Willet |
| 24 April - | Green Heron |
| Sora | |
| Spotted Sandpiper | |
| Common Tern | |
| Bank Swallow | |
| 25 April - | Long-billed Dowitcher |
| Blue Jay | |
| 26 April - | Solitary Sandpiper |
| Blue-headed Vireo | |
| Blue-gray Gnatcatcher | |
| Palm Warbler | |
| 27 April - | Wilson's Phalarope |
| White-eyed Vireo | |
| House Wren | |
| Marsh Wren | |
| Northern Waterthrush | |
| 28 April - | Sedge Wren |
| Grasshopper Sparrow | |
| 30 April - | Common Gallinule |
| Dunlin | |
| Chimney Swift | |
| Red-headed Woodpecker | |
| American Pipit | |
| Black-and-white Warbler | |
| Nashville Warbler | |
| Kentucky Warbler | |
| Black-throated Green Warbler | |
| 01 May - | Eastern Whip-poor-will |
| Warbling Vireo | |
| Wood Thrush | |
| Gray Catbird | |
| Ovenbird | |
| Blue-winged Warbler | |
| Orange-crowned Warbler | |
| Hooded Warbler | |
| Lincoln's Sparrow | |
| White-crowned Sparrow | |
| Rose-breasted Grosbeak | |
| 02 May - | Ruby-throated Hummingbird |
| Least Flycatcher | |
| Eastern Kingbird | |
| Yellow-throated Vireo | |
| Veery | |
| Golden-winged Warbler | |
| Prairie Warbler Blackburnian Warbler | |
| Orchad Oriole | |
| Baltimore Oriole | |
| 03 May - | Great Crested Flycatcher |
| Prothonotary Warbler | |
| Common Yellowthroat | |
| Northern Parula | |
| Black-throated Blue Warbler | |
| Yellow-breasted Chat | |
| Clay-colored Sparrow | |
| Scarlet Tanager | |
| Indigo Bunting | |
| Bobolink | |
| 04 May - | Black-bellied Plover |
| Semipalmated Plover | |
| Least Sandpiper | |
| Swainson's Thrush | |
| Cerulean Warbler | |
| Magnolia Warbler | |
| 05 May - | Cape May Warbler |
| 06 May - | Least Bittern |
| American Golden-plover | |
| Short-billed Dowitcher | |
| Black Tern | |
| Gray-cheeked Thrush | |
| American Redstart | |
| Kirtland's Warbler | |
| Summer Tanager | |
| 07 May - | Common Nighthawk |
| Tennessee Warbler | |
| 08 May - | Ruddy Turnstone |
| Sanderling | |
| Black-billed Cuckoo | |
| Philadelphia Vireo | |
| Red-eyed Vireo | |
| Connecticut Warbler | |
| Bay-breasted Warbler | |
| Canada Warbler | |
| Wilson's Warbler | |
| 09 May - | Semipalmated Sandpiper |
| Cedar Waxwing | |
| 10 May - | Yellow-billed Cuckoo |
| Eastern Wood-pewee | |
| Acadian Flycatcher | |
| Blackpoll Warbler | |
| 11 May - | Brant |
| 12 May - | Olive-sided Flycatcher |
| Willow Flycatcher | |
| Mourning Warbler | |
| 13 May - | Yellow-bellied Flycatcher |
| 15 May - | White-rumped Sandpiper |
| 17 May - | Red-necked Phalarope |
| 18 May - | Whimbrel |
| 20 May - | Red Knot |
| Alder Flycatcher |
Stay tuned for SONGBIRD MIGRATION: PART 2 for a pictorial guide to some of the species that pass through Colonel Samuel Smith Park.
Acknowledgements to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology for their valuable resources, and to Mike Burrell for his arrivals chart. Read the entire article here and check out his new book with Ken, his brother: Best Places to Bird in Ontario.
SONGBIRD MIGRATION, PART 2
Photos and text by Nancy Barrett, VP, Friends of Sam Smith Park
This is a visual accompaniment to Part 1, with species displayed according to their AVERAGE arrival date in Ontario of each photo. Each of the birds shown here can be seen, or have been seen, within the borders of Colonel Samuel Smith Park.
According to the latest eBird data, 285 species of birds have been seen in the park. Many are migrants passing through, some are migrants that stay and breed in the park, a few are permanent residents, and even fewer are rarities. Colonel Samuel Smith Park is considered a "hotspot" in birding circles, a magnet for rare and uncommon birds.
Please note this collection is intended to represent only a small percentage of all the species seen here.
Please note this collection is intended to represent only a small percentage of all the species seen here.
 |
| Golden-crowned Kinglet /18 March |
 |
| Rusty Blackbird/21 March |
 |
| Fox Sparrow/25 March |
 |
| Tree Swallow/2 April |
 |
| Field Sparrow/3 April |
 |
| Hermit Thrush/7 April |
 |
| Pine Warbler/13 April |
 |
| Ruby-crowned Kinglet/14 April |
 |
| Savannah Sparrow/14 April |
 |
| Barn Swallows/15 April |
 |
| Yellow-rumped Warbler/16 April |
 |
| White-throated Sparrow/16 April |
 |
| Blue-headed Vireo/26 April |
 |
| Blue-gray Gnatcatcher/26 April |
 |
| Palm Warbler/26 April |
 |
| Black-and-white Warbler/30 April |
 |
| Black-throated Green Warbler/30 April |
 |
| Gray Catbird/1 May |
 |
| Ovenbird/1 May |
 |
| Orange-crowned Warbler/1 May |
 |
| Rose-breasted Grosbeak/1 May |
 |
| Warbling Vireo/1 May |
 |
| Yellow-throated Vireo/2 May |
 |
| Veery/2 May |
 |
| Baltimore Oriole/2 May |
 |
| Orchard Oriole/2 May |
 |
| Common Yellowthroat/3 May |
 |
| Northern Parula/3 May |
 |
| Black-throated Blue Warbler/3 May |
 |
| Indigo Bunting/3 May |
 |
| Scarlet Tanager/3 May |
 |
| Magnolia Warbler/4 May |
 |
| Cape May Warbler/5 May |
 |
| Gray-cheeked Thrush/6 May |
 |
| American Redstart/6 May |
 |
| Tennessee Warbler/7 May |
 |
| Bay-breasted Warbler/8 May |
 |
| Canada Warbler/8 May |
 |
| Wilson's Warbler/8 May |
 |
| Cedar Waxwing/9 May |
 |
| Blackpoll Warbler/10 May |
 |
| Olive-sided Flycatcher/12 May |
For clarity, I'm republishing Mike Burrell's excellent chart of average arrival dates in Ontario for spring migrants.
| 14 March - | Turkey Vulture |
| Northern Harrier | |
| Song Sparrow | |
| 16 March - | Eastern Bluebird |
| 17 March - | Pied-billed Grebe |
| 18 March - | Wood Duck |
| Golden-crowned Kinglet | |
| Eastern Meadowlark | |
| Brown-headed Cowbird | |
| 20 March - | Red-throated Loon |
| 21 March - | Great Blue Heron |
| Rusty Blackbird | |
| 22 March - | American Kestrel |
| 25 March - | Northern Flicker |
| Eastern Phoebe | |
| Brown Creeper | |
| Winter Wren | |
| Fox Sparrow | |
| 27 March - | Blue-winged Teal |
| 28 March - | Pectoral Sandpiper |
| Belted Kingfisher | |
| 30 March - | Dark-eyed Junco |
| 31 March - | Wilson's Snipe |
| 01 April - | Bonaparte's Gull |
| 02 April - | Double-crested Cormorant |
| Tree Swallow | |
| 03 April - | Great Egret |
| Yellow-bellied Sapsucker | |
| Field Sparrow | |
| Vesper Sparrow | |
| 04 April - | Osprey |
| 06 April - | Common Loon |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | |
| Greater Yellowlegs | |
| 07 April - | Cooper's Hawk |
| Hermit Thrush | |
| 08 April - | Lesser Yellowlegs |
| Purple Finch | |
| 09 April - | Caspian Tern |
| 10 April - | Black-crowned Night-Heron |
| 13 April - | Louisiana Waterthrush |
| Pine Warbler | |
| Swamp Sparrow | |
| 14 April - | American Bittern |
| Forster's Tern | |
| Ruby-crowned Kinglet | |
| Eastern Towhee | |
| Savannah Sparrow | |
| 15 April - | Surf Scoter |
| Barn Swallow | |
| Chipping Sparrow | |
| American Goldfinch | |
| 16 April - | Broad-winged Hawk |
| Brown Thrasher | |
| Yellow-rumped Warbler | |
| White-throated Sparrow | |
| 17 April - | American White Pelican |
| Northern Rough-winged Swallow | |
| 18 April - | Virginia Rail |
| 19 April - | Purple Martin |
| 20 April - | Cliff Swallow |
| 21 April - | Yellow-throated Warbler* Worm-eating Warbler* |
| 22 April - | Black Scoter |
| Upland Sandpiper | |
| 23 April - | Willet |
| 24 April - | Green Heron |
| Sora | |
| Spotted Sandpiper | |
| Common Tern | |
| Bank Swallow | |
| 25 April - | Long-billed Dowitcher |
| Blue Jay | |
| 26 April - | Solitary Sandpiper |
| Blue-headed Vireo | |
| Blue-gray Gnatcatcher | |
| Palm Warbler | |
| 27 April - | Wilson's Phalarope |
| White-eyed Vireo | |
| House Wren | |
| Marsh Wren | |
| Northern Waterthrush | |
| 28 April - | Sedge Wren |
| Grasshopper Sparrow | |
| 30 April - | Common Gallinule |
| Dunlin | |
| Chimney Swift | |
| Red-headed Woodpecker | |
| American Pipit | |
| Black-and-white Warbler | |
| Nashville Warbler | |
| Kentucky Warbler | |
| Black-throated Green Warbler | |
| 01 May - | Eastern Whip-poor-will |
| Warbling Vireo | |
| Wood Thrush | |
| Gray Catbird | |
| Ovenbird | |
| Blue-winged Warbler | |
| Orange-crowned Warbler | |
| Hooded Warbler | |
| Lincoln's Sparrow | |
| White-crowned Sparrow | |
| Rose-breasted Grosbeak | |
| 02 May - | Ruby-throated Hummingbird |
| Least Flycatcher | |
| Eastern Kingbird | |
| Yellow-throated Vireo | |
| Veery | |
| Golden-winged Warbler | |
| Prairie Warbler Blackburnian Warbler | |
| Orchad Oriole | |
| Baltimore Oriole | |
| 03 May - | Great Crested Flycatcher |
| Prothonotary Warbler | |
| Common Yellowthroat | |
| Northern Parula | |
| Black-throated Blue Warbler | |
| Yellow-breasted Chat | |
| Clay-colored Sparrow | |
| Scarlet Tanager | |
| Indigo Bunting | |
| Bobolink | |
| 04 May - | Black-bellied Plover |
| Semipalmated Plover | |
| Least Sandpiper | |
| Swainson's Thrush | |
| Cerulean Warbler | |
| Magnolia Warbler | |
| 05 May - | Cape May Warbler |
| 06 May - | Least Bittern |
| American Golden-plover | |
| Short-billed Dowitcher | |
| Black Tern | |
| Gray-cheeked Thrush | |
| American Redstart | |
| Kirtland's Warbler | |
| Summer Tanager | |
| 07 May - | Common Nighthawk |
| Tennessee Warbler | |
| 08 May - | Ruddy Turnstone |
| Sanderling | |
| Black-billed Cuckoo | |
| Philadelphia Vireo | |
| Red-eyed Vireo | |
| Connecticut Warbler | |
| Bay-breasted Warbler | |
| Canada Warbler | |
| Wilson's Warbler | |
| 09 May - | Semipalmated Sandpiper |
| Cedar Waxwing | |
| 10 May - | Yellow-billed Cuckoo |
| Eastern Wood-pewee | |
| Acadian Flycatcher | |
| Blackpoll Warbler | |
| 11 May - | Brant |
| 12 May - | Olive-sided Flycatcher |
| Willow Flycatcher | |
| Mourning Warbler | |
| 13 May - | Yellow-bellied Flycatcher |
| 15 May - | White-rumped Sandpiper |
| 17 May - | Red-necked Phalarope |
| 18 May - | Whimbrel |
| 20 May - | Red Knot |
| Alder Flycatcher |
*these species are barely calculable due to a pretty weak peak
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