I returned to Amherst Island today with my wife in an attempt to relocate all the boreal owls I reported on Friday. The weather was harsher than earlier this weekend, with strong gusts of wind coming off Lake Ontario all day long. This forced a lot of the smaller owls deeper into the jack pine plantation. We managed to locate one BOREAL OWL nicely tucked away under a fallen tree, but there was no sign of the other three. However, we did find the three NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWLS I reported earlier, and approximately 13 LONG-EARED OWLS, two of which were very calm around people and allowed for some great viewing. GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLETS and BROWN CREEPERS were present in the jack pines as well. The male RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER is still present at the feeders, but comes and goes often so patience is needed to spot him. AMERICAN TREE SPARROWS and AMERICAN GOLDFINCHES are also present at the feeders. I attached links to some photos from today and Friday, which I would have done in my previous posting had I had time to upload them to my website. Good birding! Pat Boreal Owl #1 (12/12): http://pj-mcblake.smugmug.com/gallery/4266081_mRyWe#P-2-15 ** Please note: boreal owls #'s 2 & 3 were not photographed; #2 was snuggly hidden on a tall stump, surrounded by thin twigs and branches, and #3 was near the top of a tree in the northwestern end of the plantation, approximately 20ft above the ground ** Boreal Owl #4 (12/12): http://pj-mcblake.smugmug.com/gallery/4266081_mRyWe#435402395_JsUZn Saw-whet Owl #1 (12/12): http://pj-mcblake.smugmug.com/gallery/4266081_mRyWe#435402362_7KeoJ ** Please nore: saw-whets #2 & 3 we also not photographed; #2 was in a tall tree near the entrance to the plantation on the eastern side, and #3 was on the northern edge of the plantatiion with its back to me (the tree was not accessible from the other side) ** Saw-whet Owl #1 (12/14): http://pj-mcblake.smugmug.com/gallery/4266081_mRyWe#436574276_WTn3f Saw-whet Owl #2 (12/14): http://pj-mcblake.smugmug.com/gallery/4266081_mRyWe#436574374_UA5jy ** Please note: saw-whet #3 was in an extremely dense juniper tree approximately 600ft west of the jack pine plantation and was not photographed ** Boreal Owl (12/14): http://pj-mcblake.smugmug.com/gallery/4266081_mRyWe#436574392_tDPWg Red-bellied Woodpecker (12/14): http://pj-mcblake.smugmug.com/gallery/4386688_qfR9t#436603151_Kj8cD
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