Greetings Birders, The Northern Hawk Owl, found by others, remained in Algonquin Provincial Park on Thursday, Nov. 22. While spending four hours birding along Opeongo Road from Highway 60 to the lake, I distinctly heard (but did not see) the owl.
At 2 pm Thursday, for about one minute, the owl loudly and repeatedly sounded its "trilling call" as it moved north in the forest on the west side of the road. This was approximately 400 to 500 metres south of the sharp left turn in the road as it approaches the end of Lake Opeongo. Throughout the rest of the time I spent close at hand, which was half of those four hours in the general area, the bird never again called. Nor did I ever see it perched or flying. Other interesting birds seen in the area, including on the lake: gray jay, common loon, plus flocks of both hooded and common mergansers and both ring-billed and herring gulls. At the south end of the lake, five Northern River Otter fished, cavorted, loudly snuffled and played close to Opeongo Road. DIRECTIONS: Opeongo Road runs north from Highway 60 just 0.3 km east of milepost 46 km inside Algonquin Provincial Park. The road runs 6.2 km to its terminus at the Opeongo Store on the lake. Previous sightings of the Northern Hawk Owl have been in the vicinity of that sharp left turn in the road before it gets to the lake. Good birding, Bruce Kirkland, Toronto _______________________________________________ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to [email protected] For information about ONTBIRDS visit http://www.ofo.ca/
