During some very sticky cross-country skiing at the David Dunlap Observatory Park in Richmond Hill about noon today we were thrilled to see a barred owl, perhaps the same individual we saw in the same place about seven weeks ago. We also saw a dozen pine grosbeaks in trees near the observatory, mostly females and immatures but with two brightly-coloured males. They seemed to be eating buds or berries until a flicker flew noisily into the tree and startled them all into another tree further away. We've seen the pine grosbeaks now in three trips out of four to the Observatory Park in the last ten days. Here's a short video of the barred owl: http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=zVkiQXgDqcU The David Dunlap Observatory Park is a 179-acre park surrounded by subdivisions, condos and strip plazas, in the middle of Richmond Hill; the University of Toronto has declared the property "surplus". They have publicly stated that they plan to sell it to the highest bidder and will be selecting the buyer in March with a closing date of July 2008. So, if you want to come for a walk, come soon. The David Dunlap Observatory Park can be reached by getting off the 404 at Major Mackenzie Drive; go west on Major Mackenzie to Bayview; turn south on Bayview and go just a block or so to Hillsview Drive. Turn west on Hillsview and go almost to the end of the road (it ends at the railway tracks and you can turn around there and park at the side of Hillsview at the entrance to the driveway). Walk up the road to the Observatory and walk across the parking lot where you'll see a well-used footpath that you can follow. Every time we've seen the grosbeaks it has been in trees just past the radio tower near the beginning of this path; the barred owl has been seen twice at the far end of this path as it enters a thick plantation of evergreens closer to Bayview. _________________________________________________________________ Exercise your brain! Try Flexicon! http://puzzles.sympatico.msn.ca/chicktionary/index.html?icid=htmlsig_______________________________________________ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to ONTBIRDS mailing list [email protected] For instructions to join or leave ONTBIRDS visit http://www.ofo.ca/information/ontbirdssetup.php ONTBIRDS Guidelines may be viewed at http://www.ofo.ca/information/ontbirdsguide.php
