Lake Ontario Shore
After leaving High Park we walked to the lake shore and headed south-west towards Humber Bay East Park. This is a walk of roughly 2.5 kilometres and runs along the lake shore, partly through Sunnyside park and Sir casimir Gzowski Park. Despite the vast number of people along here (it was a Sunday and sunny) we saw quite a few birds. A scan of the lake, beyond the concrete bars, added five Common Loons, Ring-billed Gulls and, flying past, a flock of 200+ Double-crested Cormorants. Along the actual shore we saw American Goldfinch, a pair of Eastern Kingbirds, Savannah Sparrow, a pair of Killdeer and two Song Sparrows. Checking the water and concrete bars again we added Ruddy Turnstone, Gadwall, Common Tern, two Caspian Terns and Canada Geese.
The bridge over the Humber River has nesting Cliff and Northern Rough-winged Swallows. The rather desolate area between the bridge and Humber Bay Park added Brown-headed Cowbird and two more Caspian Terns. Just before the park, to the north of the path, is an area of open grass with benches, and trees surrounding it. Here we had Yellow Warbler, Downy Woodpecker and our first Gray Catbird.
When returning along this path we came across a small flock of waders comprising a summer plumage and a winter plumage Sanderling, a summer plumage Dunlin and eleven Semipalmated Sandpipers. These birds happily fed along the lake shore despite people sunbathing and walking nearby.