[evandyk]

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?

 

[DSCToronto]

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?

View attachment 690717

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]

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.

Toronto Ornithological Club - Hawk Watch

Southbound birds which, on meeting the obstacle of Lake Ontario, turn westward and follow the Lake Ontario shoreline to avoid crossing the water (minimal thermal lift versus land). However, due to this geography, no significant spring raptor migration is seen - since the birds have little reason to follow the shore to continue their journey north.

 

[TwinHuey]

November 8

As seen in my backyard this afternoon.

 

[evandyk]

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]

@TwinHuey I really like photo number 2, where the Foxes appear to be looking back at you with an "Oh No, we're being watched" expression.

Also the last one....which feels like.....one Fox thinking......"Really, not in public"

 

[TwinHuey]

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.

 

[Northern Light]

What @TwinHuey fails to mention is that he doesn't actually spend his entire day out on his deck looking down for wildlife.......its his sophisticated motion detectors that let him know when he needs to pop out to take photos.

 

[GameOnBrad]

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]

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]

View attachment 694583
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.

That is what you saw, no question.

Right colour, right shape, right size. Nothing else profiles quite like it.