2010 Toronto Christmas Bird Count (CBC) - Tommy Thompson Park (Spit) Route

Left to right: Ralph Toninger, Jean Iron, Karen McDonald, Victor Wong, Carl Hills and John Carley (group leader). On the Spit we tallied 40 species with a total of 3103 birds, and at Ashbridges Bay sewage treatment plant, we saw 12 species with a total of 791 birds, most of which were ducks. Our best birds were a Horned Grebe and two American Pipits.

Northern Saw-whet Owl, Tommy Thompson Park CBC on 19 December 2010.

This Long-eared Owl rested on an old stump. Tommy Thompson Park CBC, Toronto, on 19 December 2010.

Fifteen Common Redpolls plus a Pine Siskin fed on alder and birch seeds.

At the Ashbridges Bay sewage plant we saw 672 ducks, most of which were resting and feeding in the warm aeration cells. The most numerous were the 492 Mallards, then 146 Gadwall, 20 American Black Ducks, 8 Northern Shovelers, 4 Bufflehead and 2 Common Mergansers (on the lake).

My job was to count the Gadwall.

It snowed most of the day. Left to right: Victor Wong, Karen McDonald, John Carley and Ralph Toninger.