MYSTERY MAMMAL CATCHES A FISH

Recently, one of our Sam Smith "on the spot" photographers forwarded a number of picks of our "mystery mammal" catching a fish.

Here are a few of the pictures for you to enjoy.

The hunt! The catch! The reward!!

STORM DESTRUCTION SURROUNDS SAM SMITH

Sam Smith Park was very lucky over the last three weeks to elude much of the tree damage that surrounding parks suffered.

At the end of July, Rotary Park, just to the east, endured major damage, which destroyed two trees and many downed branches.

This past weekend, Marie Curtis Park, just to the west, was featured on local Toronto newscasts, with six magnificent mature willow trees being knocked over and some damage to other tree's limbs.

Here are some views of the Marie Curtis willows, courtesy of George Raikou.

GOING BATTY

One of the interesting things to do at Sam Smith in the late evening on a night with a clear sky is to go out and watch the bats!

Bats are our friend and eat plenty of annoying insects which come out just before dark. One of the best places for viewing is near the eastern entrance at Thirteenth St.  Just stand beside the path as you come in look out to the north across the open field.  

You can easily spot them fluttering about silently as they swoop in a circle from tree to tree.

Photo courtesy George Raikou

GREBES EXPECTING AGAIN.

After the violent storms early in July, which wiped out the first nest and egg, our valiant grebes have shown some typical Sam Smith fortitude and rebuilt their watery abode.  There are at least 2 eggs currently, which were seen as of the end of July.

If all things go well, we can expect to see our first baby grebes sometime near the middle of August.

Additionally, the newest pair of grebes in the yacht basin are noisily mating and appear to be building a nest beside the orange buoy between the yachts and nest of our original pair.

With any luck we may be observing juvenile grebes well into September!

Photos courtesy of "snapnclk"

LEAVE IT TO BEAVERS

Angelicque James writes: "This evening my husband and I spotted three adult beavers, and 4 young beavers. We're not sure if it's all the same family, it seemed two young beavers hung around one very patient mama, and the other two hung around a very NOT patient mama. The male was seen on his own."

Here is some video of our beaver population provided by Angelicque;

Also, you can view some of Angelicque's other Sam Smith beaver videos;

Mama Beaver:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJHr4Pd-s0E 

Beaver Family:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7nfjjY1No4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CYTpQetWGsU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJEZM36b5YQ

Thanks for these great peeks into Sam Smith beaver life!!

LAKESHORE MARDI GRAS - AUGUST 7-9

Next weekend, August 7th to 9th, the 6th Annual Lakeshore Mardi Gras will be held at Colonel Sam Smith Park.

There are many concerts and performers to see...here is a list, as well as a link to the website...

http://lakeshoremardigras.ca

Friday

Free Concert in the Park
Main Stage Colonel Samuel Smith Park
 
6:30 to 8:15 PM Two For The Show
START 8:30 PM Fiddelstix
 
Saturday
Noon - 1:45 PM Harvest Moon
2:00-3:45 PM Spider Jones & The Fabulous Web
4:00-5:45 PM Uptown Express
6:00-7:45 PM George Oliver & Gangbuster
START 8:30 PM Honeymoon Suite
   
Sunday
Noon - 1:45 PM The Homeless Band
2:00- 3:45 PM Diva Mom's & The Three Dad's
4:00-4:45 PM Freedom Train
START 5:00 PM Paul James Band

GROUND CONTROL TO MAJOR ENJOYMENT

Some of the the most interesting things to see at Sam Smith park are not flying in the skies, roosting in the trees or swimming around on the lake or in the pond. You can have lots of fun just watching your step and keeping your eye on the ground!

Many birds, such as the killdeer, lay their eggs in nests built in the soil. Have you ever seen a bird pretending to have a broken wing? It is a killdeer trying to lead you away from the eggs it has laid on the ground!






Perhaps you have seen a blur crossing your path or wiggling into the bushes? It may be a local snake which has been hatched in the rocks near the observation deck. Juvenile snakes are just starting to be seen as summer heats up!







Even some spectacular, colourful plants in all their glory are only a glance away down into the meadow. The bumblebees certainly are their biggest fan!

So, the next time you are passing through the park, watch out for that mink, groundhog, or many other of our grounded treasures!





Photos courtesy of Walter Weary and George Raikou.

FROGS NEAR THE OBSERVATION DECK

There has been much concern over the last few years regarding the drop off in the frog population in Sam Smith park.

Last week, George Raikou was able to photograph some frogs in the pond near the observation deck.

Hopefully this is an indigenous species and not a pet that has been released into the wild.

Any confirmation on this from the photograph here, is welcomed.

COOPER'S HAWKS HAVE FLEDGED

There was some concern after the storm on Saturday, which appears to have wiped out the nest of the Cooper's Hawks near the playing oval.

Happily, two fledglings were spotted on Thursday morning, in the fir trees, just north of the Powerhouse. The juveniles were vocalizing quite loudly and flying from tree to tree in the sunny weather.

If you are lucky and patient, you may be able to spot them for yourself the next time you are walking the path between the south parking lot and the two schools.

Great to see another generation of hawks in and around Sam Smith Park. The first of these pics depicts one of our hawks eating their prey.

GREBES HAVE PRODUCED AN EGG, AND A SECOND PAIR OF GREBES

Update August 3:The grebes are incubating at least 1 egg as of the end of July. Both the female and the male are taking turns incubating and also are now defending their nest site against a SECOND pair of grebes now residing in the yacht club basin!

Update July 15: The grebes have returned to their original nest site. The female is sitting on the remnants and may be heavy with another egg.
Let's hope for success!

Update July 12: In the aftermath of Saturday's powerful storms, which caused much damage to the vicinity, the egg and nest were gone as of Sunday morning. Hopefully the grebes will return next year to try again. Many friends of Sam Smith have certainly enjoyed watching them over the last few months.
______________________

George Raikou has photographed the grebes tending to a new egg near the eastern end of the yacht club basin.

Last year this pair nested in the reeds nearby and also laid eggs. The eggs were found scattered about afterward, so this year the birds have built the nest offshore.

Here's hoping for more eggs in the next few days and some successful hatches by early August.

COOPER'S HAWKS

Photograph from George Raikou of one of the Cooper's Hawk chicks stretching its wings. The hawks are nesting again in the park close to the spot where they were last year (in a spruce tree at the top end of North creek). This is the third year in a row they have chosen nesting sites in the trees around the Power House.

SKATING TRAIL

In spite of requests from the community for a public meeting on the revised skating trail design, the Councillor's office is making it clear that there will be no more public discussion about this project. Below is a response from the Councillor Grime' executive assistant to such a request from a local resident. It explains the City's position.
Given that this new design is totally different from the concept designs already presented and encroaches on the meadow south of the Power House that was so hotly defended by the community when it was under threat from a skateboarding facility, it is surely advisable to allow the communuty a final say before it goes to tender and construction begins.

As you are no doubt aware the vision for an ice skating trail arises from the Moore George Report which was the master plan for the Lakeshore Grounds. This was more than a decade ago. In accordance with requirements for an environmental assessment , the City
of Toronto has held two public meetings in the last year in regards to the Proposed Ice Skating Trail.
The purpose of these meetings is for a community consultation to have input from the local residents regarding suggestions or concerns they may have for the proposal. Everyone in the Ward were invited to attend the public meetings, including those who had concerns regarding a previous proposal a skateboard park
During the first meeting the topic of discussion was a proposed location at the south end of the Power House in Colonel Sam Smith Park.
Following that meeting, where suggestions were made regarding the location, a second meeting was convened to suggest the location of the trail in the Woodlot to the North end of the Power House.
Once the public meetings had been convened the suggestions and information from the community input is considered in the final plans. The Project has been reviewed by the Provincial Ministry of the Environment, the TRCA and the community has had input. The majority of individuals who contacted staff or the councillors office were in favour of an ice skating trail in Colonel Sam Smith Park.
The project has been through all stages of the assessment process and has been approved by City Council
The Councillor has also taken the time to have staff meet with additional representatives of the community to hear their concerns and address the relevant issues wherever possible.
It is as a result of these many community meetings and the input from the consultation process that the final plan was shaped. Councillor Grimes has made every effort to exceed the city 's basic his legal obligations on this project. Many steps have been taken to concerns raised, such as the re-use of areas that are already paved, the movement of a large portion of the trail to the area south west of the power house, community involvement in the re-planting of the meadow etc.
The Councillor appreciates the input and suggestions that has arisen from the dialogue with the community, and many of them have been incorporated into the final plan.

STORMWATER MANAGEMENT MEETING PROBABLY POSTPONED DUE TO CITY STRIKE

Hi everyone,
As I'm sure you are all aware, negotiations between the City of Toronto and both union locals (79 and 416) are continuing. Both union locals, however, are in a legal strike position as of 12:01 a.m. on Monday, June 22, 2009.
Should a labour disruption occur prior to June 24th, the scheduled date of the Etobicoke Waterfront Stormwater Management Facilities Study, please be advised that the public meeting will be postponed until further notice.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me at any time.
Thank you
Josie Franch (Giordano)
Sr. Public Consultation Co-ordinator
Public Consultation Unit
City of Toronto
Phone: 416-338-2859 Fax: 416-392-2974
TTY: 416-397-0831 Email: jfranch@toronto.ca
55 John Street, Metro Hall 19th Floor, Toronto, ON M5V 3C6

STORMWATER MANAGEMENT ISSUES IN PARK

It is important that members of FOSS attend the Etobicoke Waterfront Stormwater Management Study meeting being held at the Assembly Hall on Wednesday June 24 at 7 p.m ( See previous blog post ).
We understand that the plan is for storm water to be be pumped to a holding facility somewhere in Sam Smith. There has been talk about daylighting some of the creeks in the park and re-establishing the bigger swale as a pond/wetland area.
This will have a huge impact on the park and public input is required.

CCFEW BIRD WALK THIS WEEKEND

Don Burton will be leading a Bird Walk this Saturday, June 13th at Colonel Samuel Smith Park from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
Spring migration is over. Now we can see the wide variety of birds that make the park their home for the summer. Notable among the nesting species is a pair of Red-necked Grebes which look to be intent on creating the second nest ever recorded in Toronto. This will be our last walk until September.
Meet in the south parking lot (where the road ends) at 9:00. Walks are held rain, or shine.
The photograph of the pair of red-necked grebes is by George Raikou who offers this comment .... "If they are the same two..last year they build their nest and had three eggs but the nest was lost . This year they are building the nest further in the bay. They like to put on a show just after mating."

LATEST SKATING TRAIL DESIGN

This is the latest concept design recently forwarded from Councillor Grimes' office for the skating trail projected to be built by December 2009. (Double-click on image for larger view). Note that parking spaces have been removed to accommodate this south-west design option. There is some intrusion into the meadow. The woodlot north of the Power House is not part of the design. We are told that funds have been set aside for plantings in the meadow and for the restoration of the understorey in the woodlot next year.
Please comment by clicking "Comments" below.

MORE SWAN PICS

FAMILY TIME IN THE PARK

WHIMBREL TIME AGAIN

Members of the Toronto Ornithological Club have been coordinating a Whimbrel Watch at Sam Smith Park from until May 28th. You should be able to find it at the southeastern headland throughout the day.

Highly recommend is checking the daily journey of the each of the five
Whimbrels which were satellite tagged on one of their main east coast
staging areas, coastal Virginia this spring at:
http://www.wildlifetracking.org/index.shtml?project_id=369.

The total number estimated to fly along the Atlantic/Great Lakes basin to Hudson Bay is believed to be about 22,000. Colonel Samuel Smith Park continues to be one of the best spots in the east to view these birds as they migrate from their wintering grounds in South America (Guyana) to the tundra lowlands of Hudson Bay.