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Monday 1st of May 2023 and I stay in my room until 9 o'clock because I need to call Vistek in Mississauga to see if they have camera gloves. I lost my camera gloves in the Cherry Beach / Clarke Beach Park yesterday. I discovered the missing gloves when I went out at the Tommy Thompson Park. And believe me, I need the gloves so I was a little bit desperate yesterday and I have high hopes  for today as it is Monday and the shops are open.
I was packed and ready and I called Vistek in Mississauga and they told me that they only had gloves in the down town Toronto shop. I was not happy but I decided to go down town Toronto even though I really did not want to get in to town.  Discovering sunshine looking out the window
I had checked the weather and it was sunshine and blue sky so I left the hotel in shorts but I turned around and asked for the bathroom in the reception. It was ice cold and I needed to use long pants. Back in the car and I took off towards down town Toronto. I soon had to make a U-turn as I had forgot my dinner and breakfast in the room. Coming back to Best Western Plus Travel Hotel Toronto Airport again and now they were wondering what I was up to, but I got the key and I went to get my things. Heavy traffic when I got off highway #427 coming up on Gardiner. But I was very pleasantly surprised coming off Gardiner to find down town Toronto almost empty from cars. I find the shop and I park the car but I get doubtful if it is allowed to park here when I come out of the car.  I see that Visek is having a parking across the road and I get back in to the car and I have to drive forward as I am on a one-way street and I take a right turn and then turning right again to get back on Queen E Street. When I shall make the last right turn, I end up on the highway and I was not happy.  I was about to piss my pants and I am desperate to find a rest room, or any tree. I was not finding any tree and by the time I came out of the car at Vistek's parking lot. I asked two guys for the rest room and they told me it was on the 2nd floor. IN THE NICK OF TIME!!!! I was very happy and I went to look for gloves and they only had one model in size XXL and the others was only available in XS. And they were expensive, 140 Dollars. But it was very nice gloves, the gloves I lost had set me back by 10-20 Dollars and they were really good for nothing. But they have served me well, but the new professional gloves will make me take good pictures never mind the weather.  Leaving down town Toronto
 Leaving down town Toronto
 Leaving down town Toronto
 Reaching Gardiner
I am soon back on Gardiner and I stay on Gardiner until it turns in to Queen Elisabeth Way and will take me all the way to Niagara Falls. But I will stop on the way to look for birds and I have programmed the GPS with 5 stops before reaching Radison Hotel in Niagara Falls. First stop is the Burlington--Shoreacres/Paletta Park and this also make the park historic, the park where I will use my new camera gloves for the first time.  Markhof Pro V3 Photography Glove
 Markhof Pro V3 Photography Glove
 Markhof Pro V3 Photography Glove
I park the car and I walk down towards the beach and I stop behind a tree to discharge all the refreshments. The first bird was an American Robin and then as no surprise, the Red-winged Blackbird. I reach the beach and I see a couple of birds swimming in the lake.
3 Buffleheads and 5 Red-breasted Merganser. There was one Double-crested Cormorant flying over the beach. I went back and I walked across the walk bridge over the creek and I spotted one Mallard in the creek. There was one more bird watcher walking in the woods and I kept my distance as he did when we entered the park. I was walking ahead of him and he stayed back and when I came back from the beach, he was ahead of me and I stayed behind to avoid disturbing any birds he might have spotted.  Walk bridge
 The creek
 Path through the forest
 Song Sparrow
 Song Sparrow
 Black-capped Chickadee
Listen to the Black-capped Chickadee
Sound from www.xeno-canto.org
  Northern Cardinal
 Squirrel
 Today's track at Burlington--Shoreacres/Paletta Park, Halton
I continue towards the next programmed birding spot at Windermere Basin Park and it is raining, a gorgeous morning has turned in to nothing but gloom and grey. But I am lucky and it is just a wee drizzle by the time I park the car. I walk down towards the water and I see an American Kestrel sitting in the top of a tree. And there are a big group of Tree Swallows mobbing the American Kestrel. I sneaked up on the kestrel to try to get some action pictures of the swallows diving towards the American Kestrel.  Three Swallows mobbing the American Kestrel
 Tree Swallow
 Tree Swallow
 Tree Swallow
 Tree Swallow
Listen to the Tree Swallow
Sound from www.xeno-canto.org
 Gadwall
 Lesser Scaup
I went back to the car and next stop is at the Fifty Point Park and there are two eBird hotspots, Fifty Point CA (Niagara side) and Fifty Point CA (Hamilton side). I paid the 16 Dollar entrance fee and I start on the (Niagara side). There is a lot of American Robins in the park, the lawns are full of them foraging looking for worms. I see one sitting in the pine tree and I stop the car. I hear the song but I cannot see the bill moving. And I think about the American Robin I recorded in Colorado. That bird did not open the bill and I checked out the bird in the pine tree with my zoom lens and he opened the bill just a little. So, this was the bird making the sound and I made a recording.  American Robin
Listen to the American Robin
Sound from www.xeno-canto.org
 Tree Swallows in nest box
  It will soon be pouring down
 It will soon be pouring down
 It is pouring down
Drive around and when I come down to the beach the sky is black and I stay in the car. It really looks nasty and I decide that it is more comfortable to stay in the car. I cross over to the Fifty Point CA (Hamilton side) and I restart my eBird app with the new hotspot. There are not many birds to be seen on this side and as it starts to pour down, I decide to skip the next hotspot and to go direct to the hotel.
 Today's track at Fifty Point CA (Niagara side)
 Today's track at Fifty Point CA (Hamilton side)
I stop to buy tea and milk and then I go straight to Niagara Falls to check in to Radisson Hotel & Suites Falls view. I am in my room at 4 o'clock in the afternoon and I had booked a room with a view over the Niagara Falls. Well, I cannot see the whole horse shoe fall, but a bit of the fall is covered by a building, not mentioned when I booked my room. Anyway, it was a beautiful view over the fall and I am looking forward to get down to the Niagara Falls tomorrow morning. Well, I am excited to get a closer look at Niagara Falls and of course, to see if there are any birds. You just need to click HERE to find out.
    
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To www.aladdin.st since December 2005
Visitors from different countries since 26th of September 2011
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Species lifer: First time that someone observes a species in their life
Photo lifer: First time that someone photographs a species in their life
Audio lifer: First time that someone audio records a species in their life
Naturalized: Exotic population is self-sustaining, breeding in the wild, persisting for many years, and not maintained through ongoing releases (including vagrants from Naturalized populations). These count in official eBird totals and, where applicable, have been accepted by regional bird records committee(s).
Provisional: Either: 1) member of exotic population that is breeding in the wild, self-propagating, and has persisted for multiple years, but not yet Naturalized; 2) rarity of uncertain provenance, with natural vagrancy or captive provenance both considered plausible.
Escapee: Exotic species known or suspected to be escaped or released, including those that have
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