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.
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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.

RAINY DAY BIRDING SUGGESTION FROM WALT

What can you do on a rainy or snowy day when it is hard for some of us to get out and enjoy nature? Why not use the power of the internet to keep your eye on nature from the comfort of your own home? Here are a few of my favourite webcams to keep checking over the next few months, to watch the eagles and falcons, hatch, grow and fledge.

Hamilton Falconwatch...(4 eggs to be ready by Mother's Day)
http://falcons.hamiltonnature.org/

Eagles near Duke Farms (3 chicks already!!)http://www.dukefarms.org/page.asp?pageId=565

Various BC Eagle webcams (you can watch in our evenings, still daylight there!) http://www.hancockwildlifechannel.org/index.php?topic=cam-sites

Or...go to www.earthcam.com
and search for your favourite bird species! Enjoy!

Posted by Walt Balenovich

RARE (FOR ONTARIO) WESTERN GREBE IN PARK

If you were in the park for clean-up day last Sunday, you probably saw many birders with scopes and cameras. The bird they were chasing is the Western Grebe, a prairie bird that rarely pops up in Ontario. It has been in the waters off the western headland for a few weeks now, sometimes within feet of the shore, hanging out with red-necked grebes. It is an extremely elegant bird and easy to spot. A folk name for this fairly large bird is "swan-necked grebe"; if you see it, you'll know why. The bird is best known for its courtship display - two birds will rear up and patter across the surface of the water.
Check out the two grebe nesting platforms that TRCA have put in the bay. One is close to the spot where there used to be an observation deck, until it was burned. That vantage point is well used by wildlife photographers. It is about a meter from shore and is supported by four blue floats. Hopefully, red-necked or horned grebes will use it and eventually become park residents.

PLANT EXCHANGE

PLANT EXCHANGE: LEGS GARDENING EVENT OF THE SEASON
MAY 9, 2009

Lakeshore Environmental Gardening Society (LEGS) is presenting their semi-annual Plant Exchange at the Assembly Hall, on May 9th, 9-1 pm. The Plant Exchange is designed to allow gardeners, the community, and locals to come out and exchange plants, seeds, and any unwanted tools. This is the true spirit of environmentalism: reuse, reduce, and recycle. The day is filled with plenty of activities and interest for everyone. For more information and to register for the talk, email: info@legsetobicoke.ca or call 416.347.5449.

ETOBICOKE GUARDIAN - PARK BIRDERS

SKATING TRAIL MEETING

Last Tuesday, Allen Valk and two other members of the FOSS executive were invited to attend a meeting at The Assembly Hall organized by Sheila Paxton, our Councillor's Executive Assistant. Irene Jones, former Councillor, and Brian Bailey from CCFEW were also present as well as City staff and skating trail consultants. The latest drawings were shown to us. They show the trail running through the woodlot north of the Power House and further east (closer to North Creek) than was indicated in the concept design we were shown last year. Trail level would be maintained by building retaining walls and by excavation to a height and depth of approximately one metre. Trees would be removed and additional trees and understory would be planted. It was made very clear to us that the City is determined to begin construction very soon and intend to have it up and ready for next Winter, in spite of significant community opposition.
FOSS members went over our concerns and explained the compromise solution we had previously sent to the Councillor. They can be seen in the previous post http://friendsofsamsmithpark.blogspot.com/2009/04/open-letter-from-foss-to-councillor.html
Sheila Paxton told us that she would take our views to the Councillor and City staff and get back to us, but indicated that changing existing parking agreements would probably be "impossible" and that it was very late at this point to make changes to the design. Oh for that Citizens' Management/Advisory Board!!!

Posted by Terry Smith

VIDEO HISTORY OF HOSPITAL GROUNDS

This is an interesting twelve minute video history of Lakeshore Physciatric Hospital and its grounds made by Rogers Television as part of their "Structures"program. It reinforces the concept of the whole site as being a place of education, healing and restoration and shows the long standing community involvement in its development.