[Ontbirds]Invitation to join Niagara Peninsula Hawkwatch counters
With only six weeks to go before the normal hawk migration season begins, the Niagara Peninsula Hawkwatch is starting to organize and schedule counters for the 2006 season. Counters are needed from 8AM-4PM Standard time each day from March 1 to May 15 inclusive (except for days of extreme weather). Birders with experience in counting hawks, or interested in learning to become a counter, are welcome to join our team. Please contact me at the email address given. Thank you. Mike Mike Street Ancaster, Ontario, Canada [EMAIL PROTECTED] From [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sun Jan 22 14:29:52 2006 Return-Path: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Delivered-To: ontbirds@hwcn.org Received: from smtp100.rog.mail.re2.yahoo.com (smtp100.rog.mail.re2.yahoo.com [206.190.36.78])by king.hwcn.org (Postfix) with SMTP id E702F6391B for ontbirds@hwcn.org; Sun, 22 Jan 2006 14:29:51 -0500 (EST) Received: (qmail 45652 invoked from network); 22 Jan 2006 19:29:52 - Received: from unknown (HELO ?70.30.57.64?) ([EMAIL PROTECTED]@70.30.57.64 with plain) by smtp100.rog.mail.re2.yahoo.com with SMTP; 22 Jan 2006 19:29:52 - Message-ID: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Date: Sun, 22 Jan 2006 14:29:48 -0500 From: Mark Cranford [EMAIL PROTECTED] User-Agent: Mozilla Thunderbird 1.0.7 (Windows/20050923) X-Accept-Language: en-us, en MIME-Version: 1.0 To: Ontario Birds ontbirds@hwcn.org Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Subject: [Ontbirds]Varied Thrush Shallow Lake X-BeenThere: ontbirds@hwcn.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.1 Precedence: list Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] X-List-Received-Date: Sun, 22 Jan 2006 19:29:52 - The varied thrush was seen at the feeder today Januaery 22 at about 13:20. For directions refer to previous reports. Bruce Wilson, M.A.Sc., P.Eng. International Water Supply BarrieSaskatoon 705-733-0111 [EMAIL PROTECTED] (sent via my Blackberry) NOT Directions as per Dave Fidler's previous e-mail. Take Hwy 6 to Shallow Lake and turn north-east on Cruickshank Street at the post office corner. Cruickshank St becomes Grey Road 170. Drive 4.9 km, red brick house at fire sign 302087 on the left side of the road - the yard has a split rail fence around it. The Varied Thrush feeds on the ground below the feeder in the middle of the yard. -- Mark Cranford ONTBIRDS Coordinator Mississauga, Ont. [EMAIL PROTECTED] 905 279 9576 From [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sun Jan 22 15:46:04 2006 Return-Path: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Delivered-To: ontbirds@hwcn.org Received: from hotmail.com (bay107-f25.bay107.hotmail.com [64.4.51.35]) by king.hwcn.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id A689C639D8 for ontbirds@hwcn.org; Sun, 22 Jan 2006 15:46:04 -0500 (EST) Received: from mail pickup service by hotmail.com with Microsoft SMTPSVC; Sun, 22 Jan 2006 12:46:04 -0800 Message-ID: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Received: from 64.4.51.220 by by107fd.bay107.hotmail.msn.com with HTTP; Sun, 22 Jan 2006 20:46:04 GMT X-Originating-IP: [209.226.145.112] X-Originating-Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] X-Sender: [EMAIL PROTECTED] From: Dean Ware [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: ontbirds@hwcn.org Date: Sun, 22 Jan 2006 15:46:04 -0500 Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed X-OriginalArrivalTime: 22 Jan 2006 20:46:04.0692 (UTC) FILETIME=[DCD0A540:01C61F94] Subject: [Ontbirds]SLATY-BACKED GULL X-BeenThere: ontbirds@hwcn.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.1 Precedence: list X-List-Received-Date: Sun, 22 Jan 2006 20:46:05 - Hi all! Dean Ware is reporting from the field that at 3:00pm today he found a Slaty-Backed Gull at the Wheatley Habour. He is now chasing the bird to the Hillman Marsh with Alan Wormington. The bird has also been recorded with a camera. Good Luck! Pamela Cole for Dean Ware.
[Ontbirds]SLATY-BACKED GULL!
Hi Again, Dean is reporting that the Slaty-Backed Gull is in its third year! Thanks, Pamela Cole for Dean Ware
[Ontbirds]Great Gray Owl - East of Ottawa
Hello Ontbirders We had an excelllent day today, finding a number of our local specialties, including the Yellow-headed Blackbird, Boreal Chickadee, Brown-headed Cowbird and young Cooper's Hawk of Forest Hill. We also had 3 Snowy Owls, 3 Northern Shrikes a Rough-legged Hawk, White-winged Crossbill and Hooded Merganser in various locations. The bird of the day however, was a Great Gray Owl off Route 300 east of Limoges. It was on the property of #1576. We spoke with the owner and she advises that the bird has been there for more than a week. She sees it most frequently beside the road after dawn, and again in late afternoon. Great Gray Owl - Directions from Ottawa: Hwy 417 east, take exit 79. Turn left (north) on Hwy 5. Turn right on Route 300 (east - shortly after the 417 overpass). Continue down Route 300 to #1576. There is a Pine plantation on the left (north) and an open field on the right. Good Luck Tony Beck 158-B Woodridge Cr., Ottawa, Ont. K2B 7S9 (613)-828-5936 website: http://www3.sympatico.ca/beck.tony/
[Ontbirds]N. Shrike, Snowy Owl, etc. - Newmarket Area
Since this has not been a big winter for Northern Shrikes so far, I thought I'd mention that there is one that shows up from time to time (including today at noon) along the 19th Sdrd. between Keele and Dufferin between Hwy. 400 and Newmarket. This area is actually called Kettleby, a little hamlet on the Oak Ridges moraine, just south of Hwy. 9. It was an adult bird, sitting on the south side of the road in front of a beautiful rustic home about halfway across this rolling country lane. At 2:45 this afternoon I observed a Snowy Owl northwest of #105 Emma Road, a short dead-end lane that runs west from Dufferin Street about 3.5 kms north of Hwy. 9. The bird was sitting uncharacteristically high (about 100 feet up) on a steeple-like extension on one of the three metal hydro towers that march north toward Bradford in the fields there. I do not believe this is one of the two Snowies I saw further southwest yesterday afternoon because of the distance from those birds (which I believe have staked out hunting territories since their arrival in December) and the fact that this individual appeared much more heavily barred than yesterday's birds. As I was looking at this owl I was distracted by the calls of several birds flying by me, so I looked away and scoped them when then they landed on the road just west of me. They were Horned Larks, 23 of them to be exact. When I turned my attention back to the owl, it was gone and I could not rediscover it. In search of a Red-bellied Woodpecker reported by Margaret and John Catto last weekend, I drove futilely up and down Miller Sdrd. a few times, then tried for the same species near Bathurst St. and Graham Sdrd. I could not find the one reported there by Ron and Ruth Bonner either, but I did observe my second Cooper's Hawk of the weekend, this one on the south side of Graham Sdrd. near house #1150. Accipiterial consolation. Ron Fleming, Newmarket All of the places described here are within a few minutes driving of each other, located between Newmarket and Hwy. 400. Kettleby, as noted, is just south of Hwy. 9/Davis Drive while the other locations are in the southern extension of the once vast Holland Marsh. These places are just north of Hwy. 9. Newmarket is halfway between Toronto and Barrie.
[Ontbirds]Slaty-backed Gull, Hillman Marsh
Birders, I just got back from the marsh.. The gull can be viewed from the south beach parking lot which is at the north end of east beach road. It is a 3rd yr. but has a black bill. The gull has a slightly injured right foot. gotta run, Dean Ware Wheatley [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[Ontbirds]Northern Goshawk, Barred Owl, north of Ottawa
Note: Sightings in this post are mostly from Quebec, but within the official Ottawa area (50 km from the Parliament Buildings). Oh the irony. When I read that a second hawk owl for our area had been spotted north of St-Pierre-de-Wakefield, I felt glad that I didn't have to go way up there for the species. But the bird east of Ottawa, which was the one I'd planned to see, promptly disappeared, so today found me negotiating the twisty and not always clear road (307) up to and past St-Pierre. The irony got stronger, too, as I was unable to find the owl. Some Maryland birders, who'd arrived much earlier than I and who'd scoured the area, also came up empty-handed. A fine but somewhat distant adult NORTHERN GOSHAWK offered some consolation by flying over Lac McMullin. This was my fifth accipiter in four days. Before Tony Beck's Great Grey Owl post, I would have said that the others were all SHARP-SHINNED HAWKS. It now seems very likely that the young bird I saw at the yellow-headed blackbird spot near Limoges (and posted to Ontbirds) was actually his Cooper's. My apologies for the mistake. In my defence, the bird I saw was close but heavily obscured by branches. The others were definitely sharpies, including a fly-by (age unknown) at Ottawa's Jack Pine trail yesterday and a beautiful perched adult at 5 meters in a line of conifers in the open area west of Merivale Rd and opposite Colonnade Rd (again in Ottawa). I continued my day by going to Gatineau Park Parking Lot P16. It is located at the end of Pine Rd off Highway 105 and is the trailhead for ski trail #50. Parked cars overflowed the full lot for what seemed like a kilometer. Obviously everyone wanted to take advantage of the fresh snow and good temperatures. A couple of distant but calling PINE GROSBEAKS flew by as I was getting my skis out of the car. There was a BARRED OWL at the Herridge Lodge, 5 km in on #50. He was displaying Great-grey-like obliviousness, ignoring the dozens of skiers who were admiring him. Apparently he's a fixture here, usually being found round the back of the lodge (cabin would perhaps be a better description) near the outhouses. Look hard if you go. He's obvious once you see him, but his lack of motion and cryptic colouration makes for great camouflage. There's a feeder at the lodge, but today nothing unusual was visting it. Unfortunately for birders who aren't keen on the activity, you have to ski a minimum of 5 km to get here. The trail is generally easy, but there's one very big hill and a small but tricky hill with a hairpin bend. Directions to Goshawk and Hawk Owl (still there?) spot: north of St-Pierre-de-Wakefield along Hwy 307 approx. 1.5 km past the Lake McMullin sign. Paul Matthews, Ottawa From [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sun Jan 22 20:15:08 2006 Return-Path: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Delivered-To: ontbirds@hwcn.org Received: from simmts6-srv.bellnexxia.net (simmts6.bellnexxia.net [206.47.199.164]) by king.hwcn.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 0A6ED63CBB for ontbirds@hwcn.org; Sun, 22 Jan 2006 20:15:08 -0500 (EST) Received: from KOKO.post.queensu.ca ([69.159.80.162]) by simmts6-srv.bellnexxia.netESMTP [EMAIL PROTECTED] for ontbirds@hwcn.org; Sun, 22 Jan 2006 20:15:07 -0500 Message-Id: [EMAIL PROTECTED] X-Sender: [EMAIL PROTECTED] X-Mailer: QUALCOMM Windows Eudora Version 5.1.1 Date: Sun, 22 Jan 2006 20:15:05 -0500 To: ontbirds@hwcn.org From: Peggy Hauschildt [EMAIL PROTECTED] Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; format=flowed Subject: [Ontbirds]Wolfe Island Jan. 22/06 X-BeenThere: ontbirds@hwcn.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.1 Precedence: list X-List-Received-Date: Mon, 23 Jan 2006 01:15:08 - Sharon David, Carol Noel, and I birded Wolfe Island today for approximately 4 hours under bright, sunny skies and mild (for January) temperatures. While the birds weren't abundant, we did manage to spot a number of species including 3 SNOWY OWLS, 1 EASTERN SCREECH OWL in its red phase, 2 BALD EAGLES, 8 MUTE SWANS, 6 TRUMPETER SWANS, 1 AMERICAN KESTREL (female), 2 BUFFLEHEADS, as well as many COMMON GOLDENEYE, and MALLARDS. All-in-all, it was a good day. Many thanks to Sharon for her expert knowledge. Cheers, Peg Peg Hauschildt Kingston, ON
[Ontbirds]Varied Thrush - Shallow Lake
The Varied Thrush was also seen below the feeder from 1550hrs to 1605hrs today January 22. Many thanks to Dave Fidler for previous email directions. Liz Julie MacDonald Directions as per Dave Fidler's previous e-mail. Take Hwy 6 to Shallow Lake and turn north-east on Cruickshank Street at the post office corner. Cruickshank St becomes Grey Road 170. Drive 4.9 km, red brick house at fire sign 302087 on the left side of the road - the yard has a split rail fence around it. The Varied Thrush feeds on the ground below the feeder in the middle of the yard. GARDENESS GARDENS (an official AHS Display Garden) 500 Grove St East in Barrie, ON L4M 5Z1 Canada www.gardenessgardens.com Backyard Wildlife Habitat Certified CWF NWF #40230 Member of AHS, ODS, OFO, BSC and ProjectFeederWatch Gardeness Gardens Birding Website Located at 44°22'N 79°39'W
[Ontbirds]Bohemian Waxwings
Birders, At 2:45 today I saw 30 Bohemian Waxwings on the 9th Concession (5) just west of Claremont , but east of Sideline 26 in Durham. They were sitting high in a tree beside the road. Eleanor T. Beagan Ontario Field Ornithologists Membership Secretary Toronto ON Canada etbeaganATsympaticoDOTca [EMAIL PROTECTED] www.ofo.ca
[Ontbirds]Great Gray Owl (east of Ottawa)
It pays to read the bird column in the saturday edition of the Ottawa Citizen. I read with interest the report of a Great Gray Owl sighting in the city of Limoges. However, no address was provided. A constructive search on the internet and I was able to find the location of the reported Great Gray Owl. Soon as the heavy snow let up on Saturday, Jan. 21, I headed out to the location in Limoges. Braving slippery snow covered roads I made my way to see the Great Gray Owl with visions of last winters owls still relatively fresh in mind. When I arrived at the location I noticed landscape similar to where some Great Gray owls had been seen last winter. I also knew, based on last winters experience, that my best chance to see the owl was likely around the hours near early morning and dusk. I waited around and bit but no Great Gray owl was seen. My plan was to return early the next day. How does that phrase go now, about the 'best laid plan of mice and men...going astray...well, in this case sleep was the culprit. Anyway, the location of the Great Gray Owl was not too far from where the Yellow-headed Blackbird had been coming to a feeder for a few weeks now so I headed off to see if I could spot it again for a better photo and a closer look. No Yellow-headed Blackbird but there was a variety of other interesting species like a Coopers Hawk which had been patrolling the neighbourhood and making the birds who came to the feeders at 23 Manitou scatter for safety. I mentioned the location of the Great Gray Owl to a few birders who were there but some felt skeptical as to whether it was really a Great Gray Owl that had been seen or most likely a Barred Owl which is sometimes mistaken for a Great Gray. I can understand the skepticism because the sighting had not been confirmed and no exact location of the sighting was given either. However, I had a good feeling about this Great Gray Owl report. It was bright and sunny with little to no wind, a great day to be outside. Quite the change from only a day ago and much easier on the body than the bone chilling -27*C the last time I was here. The Yellow-headed Blackbird still hadn't made an appearance so Tony and a few other birders in his group took up my offer to show him the location of the reported Great Gray Owl. I was curious as anyone else to see if a Great Gray owl was actually in the area. With Tony's help we were finally able to see what we had come looking for. Tony spotted the Great Gray Owl amongst the trees and pointed it out to us. A familiar face stared out at us from the woods. It's one thing to know the location but quite another thing to actually find the owl and what better person to have helping you look for a particular bird than an expert birder like Tony Beck. I can also understand why his bird outings are popular because he has a natural enthusiasm for his subject and generously shares knowledge about the various species encountered along the way and he does all this in a casual and friendly manner. After getting our fill of the Great Gray Owl we headed back to see if the Yellow-headed Blackbird had come by the feeder at 23 Manitou. Not only was it there but it spent quite some time perched high up a tree near the driveway at 23 Manitou along with some other birds. Talk about great timing. Let me tell you, it is much easier to hold a camera still to take a photo in -5* C than in -27*C windchill. I ran into another birder who had come to see the Yellow-headed Blackbird and we met up later at the Great Gray Owl location. We both kept watch and around 4:10pm I spotted what looked like an owl fly across the road from the property at 1576 Route 300. I drove up to take a look and sure enough a Great Gray owl was perched on a property across the road from 1576. Not long after that it flew into an open field and perched on a branch directly across from 1576. It looks like an open field and some snowmobile tracks were visible. It was perched there for quite some time allowing a good long look. Just like the Great Grays encountered last winter in the Ottawa area this one was not shy at all. As the lady who resides at 1576 Route 300 mentioned earlier, the Great Gray owl has been spotted perched on poles along the road near the property in the early morning and later in the day. I have also included a link to some images taken today. Great Gray Owl on property of #1576. http://www.pbase.com/golfpic/image/55179695 Great Gray Owl in field across from #1576. http://www.pbase.com/golfpic/image/55179867 http://www.pbase.com/golfpic/image/55180980 Coopers Hawk near 23 Manitou http://www.pbase.com/golfpic/image/55181684 Yellow-headed Blackbird at 23 Manitou Good shot from underneath (notice the white spec...) http://www.pbase.com/golfpic/image/55180983 http://www.pbase.com/golfpic/image/55180981 http://www.pbase.com/golfpic/image/55180982 W.H. Ottawa, Ontario.
