Following several hours at the Beamer Hawk Watch today I decided to follow up on the Toronto Hot Line report of Short Eared Owls off the 10th Line running west from Ridge Road near the Beamer Hawk Watch along with Hugh Currie, Brendan O'Sullivan along with their wives. Before entering the field where we believed the Owls to be, we first checked with the property owner who lives in the log home approximately a quarter mile east of the railroad tracks on the north side of the Tenth. He advised us that there were at least 90 Short Eared Owls present within the grassy fields.
We then entered the field and eventually did find between 12 and 14 owls both on the ground, in the grass and on top of several fence posts within the field. As the fields are extremely wet it would be advisable to wear rubber boots before entering them. Given that the dozen or so Owls we did find were essentially all within one very small area, and that the area is vast, it would not be a stretch to believe that the owners estimation of 90 birds present to be an exaggeration. DIRECTIONS: Take the QEW to Fifty Road and then right or west to Ridge Road. Go north on Ridge Road to the first sideroad which will be the Tenth Line and then turn west or to your left. Go west on the Tenth line crossing the railroad tracks and then approximately 150 to 200 yards farther to a watercourse coming from the north. A path will lead you north into the fields. The Owls are about 100 yards north of the road beyond a long wind-row of earth and/or mud. Terry Osborne
