Early yesterday morning (6:30-7:30) I had no luck with GREAT GRAY OWLS, but
today I managed to find three, all of them in east Holland Landing, just north
of Newmarket. This has become the most reliable place locally for GGOWs over
the past month, though one would expect the birds to move any day now. A very
cooperative individual was sitting right at the roadside on the north shoulder
of Doane Road about .2 kms east of 2nd Concession, directly across from the
"Maximum 70" sign on a white post with 3 yellow horizontal bars. The bird was
not there at 6:30 when I first passed the spot, showed up conspicuously from
7:15-7:20, and was nowhere to be seen when I doubled back to pass the same
location at 7:30. For big birds, these owls can do remarkable disappearing
acts.
Two other GGOWs were hunting in the fields beside the snowmobile trail on the
east side of 2nd Concession, just south of the Queensville Sideroad between
6:45 - 7:10. They were not visible from the road, but the walk into this
pretty area was a pleasant one, especially at sunrise. As I watched the first
bird with its feather edges being gilded by the low eastern sunlight, twelve
deer could be seen grazing on the hillside behind it - a marvellous sight. The
second owl was a good half km east of the first bird, sitting low in a tree
beside the path. Both birds came into view where the trail skirts a hill then
bends northward for a short stretch before continuing east into the meadows
there.
An unexpected surprise was a calling RED-SHOULDERED HAWK, its voice drifting
clearly from the woodlot just south of this location. This may be the bird
observed by Wayne King in the same general location last weekend.
Yesterday, while hiking through the Headquarters Forest Tract located between
Ninth Line and Hwy. 48 north of the Aurora/Wellington Road (and directly across
from Cherry Street), Mike Van den Tillaart and I heard and observed another
RED-SHOULDERED HAWK doing a flight display above the treetops.
Stopping at three different regional forests east of Newmarket yesterday
morning, Mike and I also encountered numerous RED-BREASTED NUTHATCHES, several
HAIRY and DOWNY WOODPECKERS, and - at three different spots - singing BROWN
CREEPERS.
Red-tailed Hawks, although commonly seen, were notable for their flight
displays yesterday and today. One pair that I watched west of Newmarket this
morning was particularly active with both birds doing some dives, climbs and
feet-hanging displays.
The most interesting species west of Newmarket today was a very vocal pair of
RED-BELLIED WOODPECKERS crossing and recrossing Dufferin Street near house
#18460 (about 2 kms. north of Hwy. 9). This is not a common species in York
Region, so I suspect this pair to be the ones seen earlier this past winter in
the Dufferin/Miller Sideroad area. A good species for the atlassing project!
I scoured the Holland Marsh agricultural flats for the Snowy Owl that has
wintered here since early January (and most recently observed March 18), but to
no avail. HORNED LARKS, some of them here since late February, were readily
seen and heard (a tinkling, fluid song) throughout the flatlands whereever I
stopped. RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS and COMMON GRACKLES, hard to find only ten days
ago, are back in full force now. I also heard and saw at least five KILLDEER
flying overhead at various places along the country roads in this area.
In the northeast part of the Cardinal Golf Course property (accessible by the
maintenance road that runs west from Keele Street just north of Hwy. 9), I
observed a pair of HAIRY WOODPECKERS in the woodlot on the north side of the
gate and a handsome male HOODED MERGANSER in the open creek that crosses this
road about a km. east of Keele.
Ron Fleming, Newmarket
DIRECTIONS: For the Great Gray Owls, one's best bet is to get out very early in
the morning or at dusk. I would expect them to be gone any day now, but since
this was such an unusual year for them, who knows? We may be seeing some
linger into April and beyond. Time will tell. 2nd Concession is actually the
northern extension of Main Street out of Newmarket. It changes its name when
it crosses Green Lane in the north part of town. By following it north, it
crosses Mt. Albert Sdrd. then Doane Road, then Queensville Sdrd. Doane Road is
worth driving on both the east and west sides of 2nd Concession. Likewise, the
snowmobile trails just down the hill from Doane Road (just north of Algonguin
Forest Drive) are worth walking on both the east and west sides.
The York Regional Forests mentioned above can be very good for birds, though
there are definitely stretches where you won't hear or see a thing. The
location of the Headquarters Tract is described above. The Holland Marsh area
is no longer a marsh, per se - it is a large area of agricultural farmland,
very low-lying and good for field birds. The best way to check it out is to
take Canal Road east from Hwy. 400. It is the next exit north of Hwy. 9 (that
runs east into Newmarket) and south of Hwy. 88 (that runs east into Bradford).
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From: "Bruce Di Labio" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
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Date: Sat, 26 Mar 2005 12:06:47 -0500
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Subject: [Ontbirds]Ottawa: Great Gray Owls
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Hi Everyone
This morning between 9:00 am and 11:00 am there were 7 Great Gray Owls
along March Valley Road and one along Rifle Road off Carling Ave. Most birds
were at a distance but at least 2 were along the roadside on March Valley.
good birding
Bruce
Bruce Di Labio
400 Donald B. Munro Drive
P.O.Box 538
Carp,Ontario,K0A 1L0
(613)839-4395 Home (613)715-2571 Cell
Di Labio Birding Website
Courses and Field Trips
http://www3.sympatico.ca/bruce.dilabio/
Directions: From Ottawa travel west bound on Hwy. 417 to the March
Rd./Eagleson Road and exit right onto March Rd. Follow to Klondike Road and
turn right. Go east to March Valley Road and turn left or right.. Follow
along making numerous stops scanning the fields. Late afternoon to dusk
maybe the better
time to look.
