I had two Snowy Owls in the Holland Marsh west of Newmarket this morning. At about 9:00 a.m my wife, a friend and I had very good looks at the female/juvenile (heavily barred) bird that I had seen yesterday afternoon. It was on the very same post this morning, perched at the end of the road extension for Edward Street. After that we drove a big circle around the Holland Marsh/Bradford flats, looking for another Snowy that Keith Dunn had seen around 8:30 a.m., as well as a Northern Shrike he'd mentioned. We didn't see the shrike, but we got the second Snowy Owl perched conspicuously on the second post south of Tornado Road on Keele Lane. This bird was also a juvenile/female type with heavy barring and a white face.
I still think, based on Bruce Brydon's sighting of a white adult male on Friday, that there is probably a third Snowy out there. Having said that, they are by no means a cinch to get; the Holland Marsh is a vast flatland with numerous white snow mounds, white plastic pails, white posts, and other such "white-herrings" (red herrings just don't fit the colour scheme) scattered across the mainly white and brown background of field after field. To reach the first spot mentioned above, drive east from Hwy. 400 along Hwy. 9 (Davis Drive out of Newmarket). At Jane Street turn north and follow it until it stops in a T-intersection at Woodchoppers Lane. Jog west a short bit and follow Jane north again. It turns east, becoming Edward Street. Follow Edward to where it turns north, becoming Aileen Street. Park here and look straight east to where a pile of wooden crates can be seen in the distance. The owl was on the pole just to the left of these crates both yesterday and today. We walked out to the crates and were still about 150 metres from the bird, so a scope comes in handy. To reach the second location, go back to Woodchoppers Lane and drive west to Wist Road. It runs north and south right beside Hwy. 400. Take it north to Tornado Road and turn east. Just before Tornado turns north, you will see Keele Lane, which runs south for less than a km before dead-ending. The second owl was on this short lane. Ron Fleming, Newmarket P.S. Theo, I forgot to mention a Northern Mockingbird at that little cemetary just south of Nashville Road on Huntington Road yesterday. "Ronald J. Fleming" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
