evandyk
Senior Member
I was with my son at Dufferin Grove this morning and a huge flock of hawks flew over. It must have been over 30 of them. I've never seen hawks traveling in a large pack like that before. Is it some sort of migration?
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Toronto Wildlife
- Thread starter Northern Light
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DSCToronto
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My first thought was that they had heard about a gathering of Blue Jays who they might feast on but I looked at that internet..
"Every fall, hawks puts on quite a show as they take flight by the thousands for their annual migration.
Most hawks migrate south in autumn, though not all hawks. You’ll see Red-tailed Hawks, Cooper’s hawks, Sharp-shinned hawks and many other start streaming through the air.
Migrating hawks travel southward out of Canada and the northern United States, along both coasts of North America, around the Great Lakes, over the Great Plains, down the Appalachians and the Rockies, pressed together into the funnel of Mexico. Some pour down into Central America."
evandyk
Senior Member
Guess I could have just googled it 
They were either Red-Tailed or Coopers Hawks. They look pretty similar from underneath from a distance.
But if this is an annual occurrence, I'm surprised I've lived in Toronto for 25 years and have only seen it once! I've only seen a flock of Monarch butterflies migrating once as well, but hawks are a lot easier to spot than butterflies.
Interesting explanation here, which tracks with what I saw - they were all heading west, and it's pretty close to the lake.
They were either Red-Tailed or Coopers Hawks. They look pretty similar from underneath from a distance.
But if this is an annual occurrence, I'm surprised I've lived in Toronto for 25 years and have only seen it once! I've only seen a flock of Monarch butterflies migrating once as well, but hawks are a lot easier to spot than butterflies.
Interesting explanation here, which tracks with what I saw - they were all heading west, and it's pretty close to the lake.
TwinHuey
Active Member
November 8
As seen in my backyard this afternoon.
As seen in my backyard this afternoon.
evandyk
Senior Member
Fun sighting to see the foxes playing! The Dufferin Grove listserve is full of photos of a pair of foxes. I saw a fox once in Corktown Common, but that was the only time in Toronto for me.
Northern Light
Superstar
TwinHuey
Active Member
November 9
A pair of strikingly large coyotes came by the back yard this morning - clearly cautious, they weren't about to pose for any close-ups.
Very different from yesterday's playful fox pair who practically showed off for the camera.
A pair of strikingly large coyotes came by the back yard this morning - clearly cautious, they weren't about to pose for any close-ups.
Very different from yesterday's playful fox pair who practically showed off for the camera.
Northern Light
Superstar
GameOnBrad
Active Member
Geese and swans were out and about in Biidaasige Park today during the start of the snow fall today. None of them seemed to mind the cold one bit.
vic
Senior Member
Excuse the potato-quality photo, but I think I just saw a bald eagle while coming out of West Harbour GO!
Wish I was more prepared and with better camera.
Northern Light
Superstar
GameOnBrad
Active Member
I was out for a walk today and saw these cuties floating around just under the new Lakeshore Blvd East Bridge.
lenaitch
Senior Member
Oldsquaw (Long Tailed) duck in winter plummage.
TwinHuey
Active Member
lenaitch
Senior Member
Our feeder is mostly Chickadees, Juncos and Nuthatches this time of year. The bush here was clear for farming a century ago so it is what I would call a 'pioneer' bush, mostly first growth Birch and Poplar and some Maple and softwoods. Virtually no Oak. Not many Blue Jays or other typical deciduous winter residents. We also get woodpeckers, mostly on the suet, including a Pileated who is a bit of a bull-in-a-china-shop and makes a mess of everything.