Hi all At dusk this afternoon, February 9, a Short-eared Owl was hunting over farm land south of Woodkilton Rd, West of Vances Rd, in the Dunrobin area, West of Ottawa. Although I saw the bird go to the ground a few times, I could not see if it actually caught prey.
If you try to see this bird, please do not do anything that could harm its search for food; and do not go into the fields or drive in laneways; these are all private property. In any case, the best place to observe is the road itself; I saw the bird while I was driving. Please do not crowd the road either; that might get the local residents worried. For more detailed directions, please email me in private. Langis Sirois, Ottawa From [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sat Feb 10 10:37:01 2007 Return-Path: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Delivered-To: [email protected] Received: from gatekeeper.look.ca (gamma2.look.ca [207.136.100.4]) by king.hwcn.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id D3BA363890 for <[email protected]>; Sat, 10 Feb 2007 10:37:00 -0500 (EST) Received: from [207.96.151.205] (helo=yourrvlnhr6v8d) by gatekeeper.look.ca with esmtp (Exim 4.20) id 1HFuHY-0006cC-Ss; Sat, 10 Feb 2007 15:36:57 +0000 From: "marcelle" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[email protected]>, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Date: Sat, 10 Feb 2007 10:36:20 -0500 MIME-Version: 1.0 X-Priority: 1 (Highest) X-MSMail-Priority: High X-Mailer: Microsoft Office Outlook, Build 11.0.5510 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2900.2869 Thread-Index: AcdMjrUNn/m3tcOzTxq3gttgdj4O7gAmf6Kw Importance: High Message-Id: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> X-SA-Exim-Mail-From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 2.63 (2004-01-11) on phi.look.ca X-Spam-Level: ******* X-Spam-Status: No, hits=7.1 required=8.0 tests=CLICK_BELOW,HTML_30_40, HTML_FONTCOLOR_UNKNOWN,HTML_FONT_BIG,HTML_MESSAGE, MSGID_FROM_MTA_SHORT,X_MSMAIL_PRIORITY_HIGH,X_PRIORITY_HIGH autolearn=no version=2.63 X-SA-Exim-Version: 3.1 (built Tue Feb 24 05:09:27 GMT 2004) X-SA-Exim-Scanned: Yes Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Content-Filtered-By: Mailman/MimeDel 2.1.1 Subject: [Ontbirds] FW: Take Action: Niagara Escarpment Threatened by Development Decision / SAMPLE LETTER X-BeenThere: [email protected] X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.1 Precedence: list X-List-Received-Date: Sat, 10 Feb 2007 15:37:01 -0000 <http://www.ontarionature.org/enews/actionalert.gif> TAKE ACTION: NIAGARA ESCARPMENT THREATENED BY DEVELOPMENT DECISION Deadline for Comments February 19, 2007 February 9, 2007 Late last year, the Ontario Municipal Board issued a decision that paves the way for extensive residential development on the Niagara Escarpment within the Town of Blue Mountain in Grey County. Castle Glen Developments wants to build over 1,600 residential units, 300 hotel units as well as commercial and retail space, and up to three golf courses on a 620 acre tract that spills over the brow of the Escarpment. It will be the largest single development on the Niagara Escarpment since 1975. Use the letter template below to help convince the Minister of Municipal Affairs to overturn this decision. Located just south-east of Blue Mountain in the Collingwood area, the area forms part of the UNESCO World Biosphere Designated Zone of the Niagara Escarpment. It is over 70% forested, is the source for headwaters of Silver Creek (the most productive salmon and trout spawning river in Georgian Bay) and Black Ash Creek, has two provincially significant wetlands and a significant Area of Natural and Scientific Interest (ANSI), and is home to two at-risk species: the hart's tongue fern and the butternut tree. The Bruce Trail runs through the property. The Ontario Greenbelt Alliance (of which Ontario Nature is a founding member) has named the area as one of the Top 10 Greenbelt Hotspots under threat from poorly-planned development that could destroy significant natural features. The Castle Glen proposal was first put forward and initially approved in the early 1970s. It was put on hold while the Niagara Escarpment Plan was being formulated in the 1980s. Because the initial approvals were granted before the Niagara Escarpment Plan came into effect, the proponents have argued that they are "grandfathered" and exempt from its provisions. However, there is no doubt that if the proposal came before the Niagara Escarpment Commission (NEC) today, it would not be approved. While supporting the development's Phase 1 application, the NEC asked for a significant reduction in the land available for development and golf in Phase 2. Most recently, the Town of Blue Mountain adopted an amendment to its Official Plan to permit the development to proceed. The Niagara Escarpment Commission voiced a number of concerns, as did a variety of conservation organizations, particularly the Blue Mountain Watershed Trust Foundation. On December 4, 2006, the OMB decided that the policies contained in the Castle Glen Official Plan are sufficient to protect the natural heritage features of the site, and that they conform to the Niagara Escarpment Plan and the County of Grey Official Plan. Members of the Blue Mountain Watershed Trust Foundation are appealing to Premier McGuinty and Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing John Gerretsen to implement a Minister's Zoning Order under the Planning Act. The Minister has wide discretion to override municipal planning decisions, in this case reversing the Town's decision to approve the Official Plan Amendment. Make a difference to the future of this significant piece of the Niagara Escarpment by writing a letter by February 19th! Please write to the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing with a copy to the Premier (contact information below); ask that he overrule the Town and the OMB and implement a Zoning Order preventing the Castle Glen development on the Niagara Escarpment. Write your own letter or use the sample letter below, adapting it to your own views. Please send a copy of your letter or email to Ontario Nature at [EMAIL PROTECTED] To send a copy to Premier McGuinty, you must copy and paste it into the form on this website: www.premier.gov.on.ca/feedback/feedback.asp <http://ent.groundspring.org/EmailNow/pub.php?module=URLTracker&cmd=track&j= 122101296&u=1175713> SAMPLE LETTER Your Name and Full Mailing Address Date Hon. John Gerretsen Minister of Municipal Affairs & Housing 17th Floor 777 Bay St Toronto ON M5G 2E5 Fax: 416-585-6470 Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Dear Minister Gerretsen, Re: Castle Glen Development Phase 2 - Niagara Escarpment I am writing to ask you to exercise your powers under the Planning Act to make a Zoning Order denying development approval to Phase 2 of the Castle Glen development on the Niagara Escarpment. Located just south-east of Blue Mountain in the Collingwood area, the area forms part of the UNESCO World Biosphere Designated Zone of the Niagara Escarpment. It is over 70% forested, is the source for headwaters of Silver Creek (the most productive salmon and trout spawning river in Georgian Bay) and Black Ash Creek, has two provincially significant wetlands and a significant Area of Natural and Scientific Interest (ANSI), and is home to two at-risk species: the hart's tongue fern and the butternut tree. The Bruce Trail runs through the property. The Ontario Greenbelt Alliance has named the area as one of the Top 10 Greenbelt Hotspots under threat from poorly-planned development. The Castle Glen proposal was first put forward and initially approved in the early 1970s. It was put on hold while the Niagara Escarpment Plan was being formulated in the 1980s. The proponents have argued that they are "grandfathered" and exempt from its provisions. However, there is no doubt that if the proposal came before the Niagara Escarpment Commission (NEC) today, it would not be approved. On December 4, 2006, the OMB decided that the policies contained in the Castle Glen Official Plan are sufficient to protect the natural heritage features of the site, and that they conform to the Niagara Escarpment Plan and the County of Grey Official Plan. Many well-respected conservation organizations disagree. You have wide powers under the Planning Act to make a zoning order preventing this development. Please exercise those powers to prevent this destructive and incompatible use on the sensitive and globally significant Niagara Escarpment. Thank you. Sincerely, Your Name You are subscribed to this list as [EMAIL PROTECTED] Click here <mailto:unsubscribe.146535.122101296.2567454291469753837-cherubin_idirect.co [EMAIL PROTECTED]> to unsubscribe, or send an email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] undspring.org. Ontario Nature 366 Adelaide Street West, Suite 201 Toronto, Ontario M5V 1R9 Canada <http://ent.groundspring.org/EmailNow/spacer.gif?se=122101296> From [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sat Feb 10 13:21:51 2007 Return-Path: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Delivered-To: [email protected] Received: from smtp101.rog.mail.re2.yahoo.com (smtp101.rog.mail.re2.yahoo.com [206.190.36.79]) by king.hwcn.org (Postfix) with SMTP id F3587638AD for <[email protected]>; Sat, 10 Feb 2007 13:21:50 -0500 (EST) Received: (qmail 36201 invoked from network); 10 Feb 2007 18:21:49 -0000 DomainKey-Signature: a=rsa-sha1; q=dns; c=nofws; s=s1024; d=rogers.com; h=Received:X-YMail-OSG:Message-ID:From:To:Subject:Date:MIME-Version:Content-Type:Content-Transfer-Encoding:X-Priority:X-MSMail-Priority:X-Mailer:X-MimeOLE; b=ylHuZxPuLLSQEwZ2vgRMY+hnAWljtn4fP4hfzVZF61BJByu0jvNVvxd/04d3BGc1xGogN1N6CzSFf0MoFPZs9e/ub9uFQadMtPqMWEEILu2dOdhO1pQx0WZLxarie4UNJcgZX3QU57B00dBJI1uG6LjhB/nbozE+tNsr9n+OUw8= ; Received: from unknown (HELO beauty) ([EMAIL PROTECTED]@74.122.155.87 with login) by smtp101.rog.mail.re2.yahoo.com with SMTP; 10 Feb 2007 18:21:49 -0000 X-YMail-OSG: zQT32UgVM1mvuwtQVa_FcZhp8ogyq1c2VJaSW.7MUxzYCIXTjXZ4W6gJNidIWR5M.w-- Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> From: "Barb Youmans" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[email protected]> Date: Sat, 10 Feb 2007 13:23:22 -0500 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 6.00.2800.1437 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2800.1441 Subject: [Ontbirds]Red-shouldered hawk in Hawkesville X-BeenThere: [email protected] X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.1 Precedence: list X-List-Received-Date: Sat, 10 Feb 2007 18:21:51 -0000 Successfully found the red-shouldered hawk this morning around 11:00 am in the village of Hawkesville. Following the directions below, we first found a red-tailed hawk behind the homes on Broadway St. and watched it fly towards the sugar bush on the corner of Herrgot and Broadway. Continuing east on Broadway, we found the red-shouldered hawk just past the intersection of Geddes St. We walked down the hill and flushed it from somewhere near the bottom of the hilll; watched it fly to the left and land in a tree behind the houses on Geddes. We viewed it in full sun for approimately 10 minutes before it flew deeper into the trees. Driving out of Hawkesville on Broadway, we came across a Kestrel at the corner of Hemlock Hill Rd. and watched it swoop down on it's prey and then carry it to a near-by telephone pole where it proceeded to enjoy it's lunch. Barb & Chuck Peeren Waterloo, ON Directions: take Hwy 85 north and exit at the second King Street exit (where the stockyards are), follow King Street and the signs toward St. Jacobs until you come to Lobsinger Line. Turn left or west on Lobsinger and take this to the main intersection in St. Clements (about 8 km.) where you turn right onto Herrgot Road. Shortly after the second concession turn right on Broadway.
