[Ontbirds] Turkey Vulture & Turkeys in Peel Region, Barred Owl in Holland Landing
Since there have been a lot of Turkey Vulture sightings yet I thought I'd mention that one was tilting its way unsteadily northward over Hwy. 10 and Mayfield Road today at 3:15 p.m. North of Bolton I pulled into the parking lot at John Dick Concrete (?) on the west side of Hwy. 50 to look back at a small falcon that turned out to be a Kestrel, but as I was getting back into my van I noticed seven Wild Turkeys walking in the field just south side of the main office building. Here is an ironic twist to a local photographer's owl-search today: After a polite request from a retired gentleman who wanted to christen his new digital camera (an anniversary gift from his wife today!) by taking a picture of one of the Great Gray Owls he'd been hearing about, I sent directions re: 2nd Concession in Holland Landing. This evening when I got back from the movies with my wife, this same amateur photographer had been kind enough to e-mail me a picture of an owl he'd photographed early this evening along Algonquin Court, which runs east from 2nd Concession. It was a very nice photo... of a Barred Owl! Ron Fleming, Newmarket From [EMAIL PROTECTED] Thu Mar 17 22:10:52 2005 Return-Path: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Delivered-To: ontbirds@hwcn.org Received: from web88006.mail.re2.yahoo.com (web88006.mail.re2.yahoo.com [206.190.37.193]) by king.hwcn.org (Postfix) with SMTP id 2C58663BB8 for ; Thu, 17 Mar 2005 22:10:52 -0500 (EST) Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Received: from [70.24.83.31] by web88006.mail.re2.yahoo.com via HTTP; Thu, 17 Mar 2005 22:17:12 EST Date: Thu, 17 Mar 2005 22:17:12 -0500 (EST) From: RON FLEMING <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: OFO Bird Sightings MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii X-Content-Filtered-By: Mailman/MimeDel 2.1.1 Subject: [Ontbirds]Correction re: turkey vultures X-BeenThere: ontbirds@hwcn.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.1 Precedence: list X-List-Received-Date: Fri, 18 Mar 2005 03:10:52 - Sorry - the first line of my post was supposed to say "Since there have NOT been a lot of reports of Turkey Vultures..." Ron Fleming From [EMAIL PROTECTED] Thu Mar 17 22:45:01 2005 Return-Path: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Delivered-To: ontbirds@hwcn.org Received: from tomts36-srv.bellnexxia.net (tomts36-srv.bellnexxia.net [209.226.175.93]) by king.hwcn.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 7D425648B5 for ; Thu, 17 Mar 2005 22:45:01 -0500 (EST) Received: from sympatico.ca ([209.226.106.73]) by tomts36-srv.bellnexxia.net (InterMail vM.5.01.06.10 201-253-122-130-110-20040306) with ESMTP id <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> for ; Thu, 17 Mar 2005 22:51:21 -0500 Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Date: Thu, 17 Mar 2005 22:46:24 -0500 From: Don Campbell <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> X-Mailer: Mozilla 4.72 [en] (Win95; I) X-Accept-Language: en MIME-Version: 1.0 To: Ontbirds Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Subject: [Ontbirds]Port Burwell to Fisherville X-BeenThere: ontbirds@hwcn.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.1 Precedence: list Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] X-List-Received-Date: Fri, 18 Mar 2005 03:45:01 - Started the day with overwintering White Throated Sparrows at Embro and drove south to Port Burwell. Seen on the west side of the harbour with access from Chatham Street were Northern Shrike, Killdeer, Pine Siskins, Song Sparrow, and adult Bald Eagle. Drove east along Lakeshore Line and found an American Robin on the east side of Clear Creek. There were 2 Killdeer at Brown's with a few Canada Geese. (5 Kildeer total for the day). There were an estimated 2000 Tundra Swans in two areas: first, north of Concession A, North of Lee Brown's at Port Royal and second, the field at the south -west corner of Highway 59 and County Road 42. Also at the south end and about the centre of field S-W of 59 and Cty Rd. 42 were 12 Sandhill Cranes. At the edge of the ice in the channel just north of the mouth of Big Creek were 3 Horned Grebes in winter plumage and 2 Coots as well as the Redhead, Greater Scaup, and Canvasback ducks and one Great Blue Heron. Dabbling ducks included Pintail, Mallards, and American Widgeon. Canada Geese were plentiful in many areas along the route. Raptors other than the Eagle, included Kestrel, Roughlegged, Red-tailed, Northern Harrier and Cooper's Hawk. At the Naticoke harbour of note were a Glaucous Gull and another Great Blue Heron. Ended the day with at least 8 Short Eared Owls at the Fisherville Owl Reserve. Directions: White Throated Sparrows at Feeder behind 315944, third road west of Oxford County Road 6 (Embro Road) and first house north of Oxford County 16 on 31st Line. (Also frequenting the feeder but not seen this morning before we left are Swamp Sparrow and Red Bellied Woodpeckers). Port Burwell is at the very south end of Highway 19 (south from Tillsonburg). The Pine Siskins and Song Sparrow were at a feeder, one block south
[Ontbirds]WNY Dial-a-Bird 17 Mar 2005
- RBA * New York * Buffalo * 03/17/2005 * NYBU0503.17 - Birds mentioned -- Please phone in any rare sightings so they may be shared via the DAB telephone update system, and submit email contributions directly to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Thank you, David -- [UPDATE: Wednesday, March 23, the annual Vaughn Lecture will be presented at the Buffalo Museum of Science at 7 PM. Dr. Kevin McGowan will lecture on "The Uncommon Crow: The Hidden Life of a Common but Misunderstood Bird". The program is open to the public. Saturday, March 26, a BOS field trip to the Lake Ontario Plains. Meet at 8 AM at the Tops Market in Wrights Corners, on the east side of Route 78 at Route 104, north of Lockport.] BALD EAGLE BROWN THRASHER LARK SPARROW GR. WHITE-FR. GOOSE KING EIDER ROSS'S GOOSE BARROW'S GOLDENEYE [outside region] Red-throated Loon Common Loon Red-necked Grebe Tundra Swan Turkey Vulture Red-shouldered Hawk Red-tailed Hawk Killdeer Great Black-b. Gull Long-eared Owl Short-eared Owl Nor. Saw-whet Owl Northern Flicker American Robin Northern Mockingbird Northern Shrike Northern Cardinal Pine Siskin - Transcript Hotline: Dial-a-Bird at the Buffalo Museum of Science Date: 03/17/2005 Number: 716-896-1271 To Report:Same Compiler: David F. Suggs ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) Coverage: Western New York and adjacent Ontario Transcriber: David F. Suggs Website: www.BOSBirding.org Thursday, March 17, 2005 Dial-a-Bird is a service provided by your Buffalo Museum of Science and this answering system was donated by the Buffalo Ornithological Society. Press (2) to leave a message, (3) for updates, meeting and field trip information and (4) for instructions on how to report sightings and use this system. To contact the Science Museum, call 896-5200. Highlights of the many reports received March 10 through March 17 from the Niagara Frontier Region include BALD EAGLES, BROWN THRASHER, LARK SPARROW, GR. WHITE-FR. GOOSE, KING EIDERS, and ROSS'S GOOSE. March 15, on the upper Niagara River, contrary to last weeks report, a pair of BALD EAGLES were observed on and around the newly constructed nest at the north end of Navy Island. The nest may be seen with a telescope from the water intakes along the Robert Moses Parkway in Niagara Falls, or from the west end of the river trail at Buckhorn Island State Park on Grand Island. Eagles last nested on Navy Island, which is in Ontario, in 1946. BALD EAGLES were also reported over Losson and Transit Roads in Cheektowaga, at Dunkirk Harbor, and on nest at Cayuga Pool in the Iroquois Refuge. March 11, on Grand Island, a surprising BROWN THRASHER briefly visited a feeder on East River Road. Too early for a migrant, this is likely a wintering individual. March 12, another winter survivor, the exceptionally rare LARK SPARROW, was still present at 1073 Youngstown Road in the Town of Porter. A migrant KILLDEER was reported March 16 on Lewis Road in the Town of Wales. Transients this week - 5 RED-NECKED GREBES at Fort Erie, 4 more RED-NECKED GREBES in Dunkirk Harbor, and flocks of 30 to 60 TUNDRA SWANS over the Towns of Marilla and Colden. March 13, in Buffalo, a GR. WHITE-FR. GOOSE among CANADA GEESE on the Squaw Island landfill. Across the Niagara River in Fort Erie, Ontario, 2 female KING EIDERS were re-located off the marina on the 12th and 15th. At least 20 waterbird species were reported at Dunkirk Harbor this week, including the ROSS'S GOOSE on March 14, plus RED-THROATED LOON, COMMON LOON, 190 GREAT BLACK-B. GULLS and 14 waterfowl species. The Hamburg Hawkwatch counted about 100 TURKEY VULTURES and RED-TAILED HAWKS early this week, plus one RED-SHOULDERED HAWK. Typical of the region's many local RED-TAILED HAWKS, in the Eggertsville area of Amherst, a pair were noted interacting and carrying nest materials. Owls this week - a great find of a LONG-EARED OWL in the spruce plantation at Amherst State Park. NOR. SAW-WHET OWL at Wilson-Tuscaurora State Park. And, at least 26 SHORT- EARED OWLS still at Dickersonville Road in Porter. Other reports this week - flocks of AMERICAN ROBINS at several locations. In East Aurora, a flock of PINE SISKINS continues at a window feeder, at Sinking Ponds, 2 NORTHERN FLICKERS and a NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD, and in the Village of East Aurora, 15 singing NORTHERN CARDINALS. In Williamsville, an unexpected NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD and on the Ellicott Creek Trail, a NORTHERN SHRIKE. Just outside the region, a BARROW'S GOLDENEYE has been on Lake Ontario at the Orleans-Monroe Countyline. Dial-a-Bird will be updated Thursday evening, March
[Ontbirds] Hamilton Naturalists Club Birding Report - Thursday, March 17th, 2005
At 9:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 17th, 2005 this is the HNC Birding Report: RED THROATED LOON RED-SHOULDERED HAWK KILLDEER GREAT GRAY OWL PINE WARBLER Red-throated Loon Red-necked Grebe Turkey Vulture Tundra Swan King Eider Surf Scoter White-winged Scoter Rough-legged Hawk Northern Goshawk Ring-necked Pheasant Great Horned Owl Eastern Screech Owl Northern Saw-whet Owl Red-bellied Woodpecker Hairy Woodpecker Northern Shrike Brown Creeper White-throated Sparrow White-crowned Sparrow American Tree Sparrow Red-winged Blackbird Common Grackle Brown-headed Cowbird Purple Finch House Finch Pine Siskin Top of the evenin to you.Happy St. Patrick's Day. New birds enter the Hamilton area picture this week with the presence of some spring migrants. The never ending saga of where is the Great Gray in the Dundas Valley continues this week with the bird being spotted on the Reforestation trail of the Dundas Valley accessed from the Maintenance Yard just off of Mineral Springs Road. A hot pursuit of noisy crows yielded the bird for one lucky observer last Saturday. The bird has not been seen sincesurprise surprise. Other birds of note at the feeder at the yard were Pine Siskin, Purple Finch and House Finch. Other owls are still in the news this week with two Northern Saw-whet Owls being seen at Fifty Point Conservation area this week. Please note to keep a distance when viewing. I had several complaints on the phone line and emails regarding close approaches of the owls. A Great Horned Owl was seen at the Department of National Defence property next to Fifty Point C.A. being mobbed by the crows. Also seen in this area was a Northern Shrike which seems to have wintered here. One fortunate person this week has had an Eastern Screech Owl visiting their yard in Ancaster actually perched on a shed for the past two days. Also located more recently is another great bird which has been around here all winter. Today a male PINE WARBLER was refound in Shell Park near the Rebecca Street end of the pipeline. The bird was heard singing from the tall pines here. Other birds seen on this journey were the first KILLDEER reported in the area over the field on the west side of the pipeline, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker, White-throated Sparrows, many American Tree Sparrows and a Brown Creeper. The lake and bay areas are starting to fill in with migrants with three Tundra Swans being seen at LaSalle Park today. Eight Red-necked Grebes were seen out on the bay along with one RED-THROATED LOON. On the lake side an amazing fourteen King Eiders were seen today off of Green Road and L.P. Sayers Park. This is truly a significant number even for our neck of the woods. Surf Scoters and White-winged Scoters were also present there today. The regulars have gathered at Beamer Conservation Area in Grimsby to welcome the raptors back. This week a trickling of raptors have been brave (or stupid) enough to return. Among them six Turkey Vultures, one RED-SHOULDERED HAWK, a Bald Eagle, a few Rough-legged Hawks and many Red-tailed Hawks to lead off the pack. This coming week temperatures are supposed to improve as will the numbers. A Northern Goshawk was reported from the Captain Cootes Trail at the RBG. Other odds and sods this week was the presence of a stately male pheasant in a front yard of a house in Hamilton along with a White-crowned Sparrow at the same feeder. Flocks of Red-winged Blackbirds, Brown-headed Cowbirds and Common Grackles have been reported through the week. Its nice to see these birds return. Keep up the sightings and keep me busy. Have a great week, good birding, Cheryl Edgecombe HNC Hotline 905-381-0329
[Ontbirds]Quinte Area Bird Report for week ending March 17th, 2005
WEEKLY BIRD REPORT FROM PRINCE EDWARD COUNTY AND THE QUINTE AREA for the week ending Thursday, March 17, 2005 Waterfowl continues to be the focus as the lakes and bays give way to warmer weather. The Prince Edward County Field Naturalists were on hand today at Wellington Harbour tabulating the species seen there. Present were 15 species of waterfowl if we include the 800 scaup that weren't identified as to either GREATER or LESSER. Others present were 120 COMMON GOLDENEYE, 100 CANADA GEESE, 100 MALLARDS, 40 REDHEADS, 30 BUFFLEHEADS, 25 COMMON MERGANSERS, 20 MUTE SWANS, 15 RING-NECKED DUCKS, 14 LONG-TAILED DUCKS, 12 HOODED MERGANSERS, 6 BLACK DUCKS, 4 WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS, 2 AMERICAN WIGEON, and 1 drake WOOD DUCK. About 30 MUTE SWANS had been seen earlier at Wellington. Numbers here and species content vary on almost an hourly basis, as we noticed today, as ducks venture out into Lake Ontario, then return, as conditions dictate. There were 11 species in East Lake at the Outlet River. Present here were 300 scaup, 50 COMMON GOLDENEYE, 20 RING-NECKED DUCKS, 17 CANADA GEESE, 10 BLACK DUCKS, 8 MUTE SWANS, 6 BUFFLEHEAD, 5 COMMON MERGANSERS, 4 MALLARDS, 3 HOODED MERGANSERS, and 1 AMERICAN WIGEON. Waterfowling is still tough east of Waupoos where Prince Edward Bay is open only to a line a couple of kilometres east of The Rock. The ice conditions can vary here due to overnight freezing and wind action. Several thousand scaup, mergansers, COMMON GOLDENEYES and LONG-TAILED DUCKS were present here earlier in the week. On Wednesday, there were close to 8,000 scaup and thousands of LONG-TAILED DUCKS in Prince Edward Bay, visible between Prince Edward Point and Prinyer's Cove. Athol Bay was full of floating ice today and a scattering of waterfowl occupied the isolated open pools, but father out in the lake there were scaup, COMMON GOLDENEYE, LONG-TAILED DUCKS, and BUFFLEHEADS. At all locations, most ducks were putting on spectacular courting displays, but it was at the corner of County Roads 12 and 18 today where one observer caught a pair of RED-TAILED HAWKS getting it on in plain view of approaching traffic. Other less amorous RED-TAILED HAWKS were seen today at County Road 18 and Rankin Road, Storms Road at Black River, and South Big Island Road. There was a NORTHERN HARRIER this afternoon on Miller Road, otherwise known as the Greenbush area. GREAT GRAY OWL reports continue to come in. The two on Sprague Road have returned and are seen almost daily, and were cavorting about on the hydro wires one morning at 6:00 a.m. Other GREAT GRAY OWLS during the week from outside the County were seen on Mudcat Lane in the Foxboro area (2), and singles at Highway 37 and Hunt Road, Highway 37 near the road to Stirling, Highway 62 and 7 near Tim Hortons, Shannonville Road south of Roslin, and another two were seen on Highway 62 south of Ivanhoe. There was a an adult BALD EAGLE cruising Adolphus Reach daily during the week from Glenora to Prinyer's Cove. A NORTHERN SHRIKE turned up on March 10th on the Wooler Road just north of the 401. While RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS seem a little tardy this spring in making their traditional spring appearance, there is some activity locally to suggest that at least a few have arrived in the area. Two inexplicably turned up at a feeder at Pleasant Bay this morning. Other isolated individuals that suggest possible migrants showed up during the week at Big Island, Picton and South Bay. Other activity suggesting the return of spring was a male RING-NECKED PHEASANT strutting around near Parks Creek in Tyendinaga Township, along with two females and one happy male on Bethel Road all week. Of course, WILD TURKEYS everywhere, with individuals along Sprague Road at Big Island, Bethel Road, Ridge Road, South Bay and outside the county at Crookston Road in the Tweed area, Lahey Road south of Madoc, and individuals at the usual stomping grounds along Sidney Street just north of the 401 at Belleville. Despite some suggestions of spring in terms of warmer weather and a few arrivals - a KILLDEER turned up today at Sandbanks - bird activity at most bird feeders around the county continues to be brisk. COMMON REDPOLL numbers have dropped but there are still 40 coming to a feeder in "greater Allisonville", 40 on Glenora Road, 50 at a feeder in Adolphustown, 35 on Vanderwater Road at Thomasburg, and lesser numbers (half a dozen or fewer) at other feeders around Prince Edward County and the general Quinte area. PINE SISKINS are visiting a feeder on Low Street in Picton, and PURPLE FINCHES have been seen at feeders at Pleasant Bay and Massassauga Point. A feeder at 2075 County Road 7 east of Lake-on-the-Mountain has 2 RED-BREASTED NUTHATCHES among the regular clientel there where the NORTHERN CARDINAL patronage has dropped to a respectable 9 from a previous high of 15. RED-BELLIED WOODPECKERS are still at feeders at Adolphustown and Glenora Road,
[Ontbirds]Presqu'ile Birding Report for Week Ending March 17, 2005.
The many visitors who came to Presqu'ile Provincial Park for the first of the two Waterfowl Viewing weekends were not disappointed. There are thousands of ducks and other waterfowl scattered all over Presqu'ile Bay and out in Lake Ontario. A Trumpeter Swan bearing a numbered wing tag was near the calf pasture on March 15 and may still be around. The first two American Wigeons of the year were also in that area on the following day, and at least one Gadwall was there today. Among the Canvasbacks, Redheads, and Greater Scaup which make up the bulk of the duck population in the inner bay, one can usually find a small number of Ring-necked Ducks with a bit of careful searching. At Salt Point up to five White-winged Scoters can usually be spotted. Up to four Hooded Mergansers have been counted on one day, with at least one being found almost every day. An Iceland Gull was off the calf pasture on March 13, and a Glaucous Gull was there on the following day. For three successive days, a Snowy Owl that was perched on the ice could also be seen there. Although it has been some time since any Great Gray Owls have been seen in the Park, the one that was earlier frequenting the area around the Park gate was seen again just outside the gate on March 15. Although the majority of the land birds at Presqu'ile this week (including the long-staying Tufted Titmouse at 186 Bayshore Road) are still those that have wintered here, their numbers have been augmented by a few newly arrived American Robins, European Starlings, and a lone Red-winged Blackbird that has taken a liking to the feeder at 85 Bayshore Road. An influx of other blackbirds and perhaps some sparrows is expected to redress that imbalance within the next week or so. To reach Presqu'ile Provincial Park, follow the signs from Brighton. Locations within the Park are shown on a map at the back of a tabloid that is available at the Park gate. Access to the offshore islands is restricted at this time of year to prevent disturbance to the colonial nesting birds there. Questions and comments about bird sightings at Presqu'ile may be directed to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] -- Fred Helleiner 186 Bayshore Road, R.R. #4, Brighton, Ontario, Canada, K0K 1H0 VOICE: (613) 475 5309 If visiting, access via Presqu'ile Provincial Park.
[Ontbirds]14 King Eiders - Stoney Creek
Dear Fellow Birders, Back in Ontario again, I went out searching for some winter waterfowl in the Hamilton area. The highlight was the sighting of 14 King Eiders today. One, a female, was seen with White-winged Scoters off of Fruitland Rd. The other 13 were seen off of Sayers Park in Stoney Creek. One, another lone female, was seen well offshore 200m, the other 12 were in one group about 60-70m offshore. In that group were 3 immature males and 9 females. It was amazing to see that many individuals in one group in southern Ontario. Directions: Fruitland Rd - Exit the QEW at Fruitland Rd (just east of Hamilton) exit #83 and head north, park just before the dead-end, and look offshore. LP Sayers Park - Continue west along the North Service road from Fruitland Rd, then at Drakes Ave turn right and follow this to Lakegate Dr and turn right. The park is located at the end of the road. Mike Boyd Oakville, Ontario
[Ontbirds]Snowy Owl , Arthur area
On the 2nd try , at 2:40 pm today, Thursday March 17th.,I saw the Snowy Owl reported by Kim McGuire. The Brilliant White specimen was seen on Second Line approx. 0.3km South of the junction of Second Line & Sideroad 25 in a weedy field on the East side. This area is East of Hwy 6 & South of Hwy 9(109). Sideroad 25 does not reach Hwy 6. Take sideroad 21 or Sideroad 9 off Hwy 6...or Second Line off Hwy 9 / tac Thomas Allan Crooks 8613 Sideroad 13, RR#2 Arthur, Ontario, N0G 1A0 519-848-6045 [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[Ontbirds]HSR: Beamer Conservation Area (15 Mar 2005) 67 Raptors
Beamer Conservation Area, Grimsby, ON Ontario, Canada Daily Raptor Counts: Mar 15, 2005 --- SpeciesDay's CountMonth Total Season Total -- --- -- -- Black Vulture0 0 0 Turkey Vulture 2 6 6 Osprey 0 0 0 Bald Eagle 0 1 3 Northern Harrier 1 1 1 Sharp-shinned Hawk 0 3 3 Cooper's Hawk2 3 3 Northern Goshawk 0 0 0 Red-shouldered Hawk 1 1 1 Broad-winged Hawk0 0 0 Red-tailed Hawk 59157188 Rough-legged Hawk1 3 4 Golden Eagle 0 0 0 American Kestrel 0 0 0 Merlin 0 0 0 Peregrine Falcon 0 0 0 Unknown UA 0 0 0 Unknown UB 1 2 2 Unknown UF 0 0 0 Unknown UE 0 0 0 Unknown UR 0 0 0 Total: 67177211 -- Observation start time: 08:00:00 Observation end time: 16:00:00 Total observation time: 8 hours Official Counter: Tom Reavley Observers: Weather: Observations: Report submitted by Bill Smith () Beamer Conservation Area, Grimsby, ON information may be found at: http://www.hwcn.org/link/niaghawk/
[Ontbirds]Pine Warbler still at Shell Park
For those of you looking for a taste of spring, the Pine Warbler has been relocated in Shell Park. This morning it was heard singing at the top of the pipeline in by Andrew Don. There is a large pine forest near the Rebecca Street end of the pipeline. A kildeer was also heard near the soccer fields as well. A good sign for all. Directions to Shell Park: Shell Park is located between Burloak and Bronte Road on Lakeshore Road. The pipeline is accessed by going east from the garden allotments on the east side of the park. Regards, Cheryl Edgecombe
[Ontbirds]White Headed Grackle? Port Bruce Elgin County
I live in Port Bruce Ontario, a small town on the north shore of lake Erie. We have an unidentified bird around our place for the past few days. (March 14-16 2005) I cannot find it in any of our bird books and I would like to see if anybody can tell me what it is. > >The bird is about the size of a large common grackle. It has a white head down to its shoulders. Its head is dappled with black blotches. The rest of the body is coloured like a grackle. It has yellow and white eyes and a large thick black beak that hooks down very slightly. It has been sighted by 3 different people usually in the late afternoon. I will try to get a picture ASAP. We Live on Rush Creek Line 48000 Block Thanks. Frank Smith
[Ontbirds]possible gyrfalcon Richmond ontario
Greetings While looking for the snowy owls in the eagelson, fallowfield area i spotted what i believe was a white morph Gyrfalcon, the bird was seen approximatly 2km north of the intersection of eagleson rd and richmond rd . I got a good look as the flew across eagleson but unfourtunatly before i had enough time to pull over the bird had made it a fair distance and i did not get a great second look. Hopefully the bird will be seen again and for a longer period to confirm it's ID. the sighting was made at 5 pm. Mark From [EMAIL PROTECTED] Thu Mar 17 08:57:59 2005 Return-Path: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Delivered-To: ontbirds@hwcn.org Received: from web88003.mail.re2.yahoo.com (web88003.mail.re2.yahoo.com [206.190.37.190]) by king.hwcn.org (Postfix) with SMTP id 36A78647D2 for ; Thu, 17 Mar 2005 08:57:59 -0500 (EST) Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Received: from [70.24.83.31] by web88003.mail.re2.yahoo.com via HTTP; Thu, 17 Mar 2005 09:04:14 EST Date: Thu, 17 Mar 2005 09:04:14 -0500 (EST) From: RON FLEMING <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: OFO Bird Sightings , David Atkins <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, John T Murphy <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii X-Content-Filtered-By: Mailman/MimeDel 2.1.1 Subject: [Ontbirds]Great Gray Owl Update - Holland Landing/Newmarket X-BeenThere: ontbirds@hwcn.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.1 Precedence: list X-List-Received-Date: Thu, 17 Mar 2005 13:57:59 - There are still some Great Gray Owls lingering in the Holland Landing/Newmarket area. This morning I observed six individuals (hinting that at least some of the luck of the Irish has been left uncovered by snow on this very white St. Patrick's Day). One bird was perched on the first hydro pole south of the Miller Sideroad on the east side of Dufferin Street just west of Newmarket at 6:45 a.m. It was not there at 8:45 when I returned by that route. The other five Great Grays were all in Holland Landing. Two were on Doane Road, which runs east-west between Queensville Sdrd. and Mt. Albert Sdrd. One of these was west of 2nd Concession by about a km, sitting on the eastern edge of the woodlot on the south side of Doane Road; the other was only about half a km east of 2nd Concession, sitting on the north side of the road, easily visible from 2nd concession. The most reliable spot for Great Grays over the last few weeks has been just about a km north of this location, along 2nd Concession where it descends a long hill and approaches the Queensville Sdrd. Early in the morning (6:00 - 7:30), at least two Great Grays often emerge from the woodlot on the east side of the road and perch by the road side. They begin to hunt from there, often crossing 2nd Concession to hunt in the fields near the snowmobile trails that run west. Today, for a variation, I followed the snowmobile trails on the east side of the road. The main trail can be easily seen just north of where the eastern woodlot ends. One Great Gray was very close to the roadside across from the yellow garage building that sits on the west side of 2nd Concession (a good place to park so you can get out of the way of busy morning traffic). Eventually it flew west - dangerously low over the road, I cringed to notice - then I turned away and walked along the snowmobile trail that runs straight east from the roadside. Just past the large hill on the north side of the trail, where the path bends northward before going east again, I observed two more Great Grays hunting actively in the snow-covered meadows stretching away to the east. There were two very vocal Hairy Woodpeckers here too, as well as a proudly singing male Cardinal and a flock of 40+ American Tree Sparrows. Ron Fleming, Newmarket DIRECTIONS: Holland Landing is just north of Newmarket, which, in turn, is halfway between Toronto and Barrie between Hwys. 400 and 404. 2nd Concession is actually the northern extension of Main Street out of Newmarket; it changes its name when it crosses Green Lane. This is just south of the Queensville Sdrd. by about a km.
