Hi Everyone
This afternoon while driving home from grocery shopping in Kanata I
observed a Great Gray Owl along Huntmar Road just north of Richardson Side
Road hunting in a field. It was very active flying from fence post to fence
post but I didn't see it catch anything. Once I got home I decided to go
back out and cover another area in the remaining light. I drove over to the
Shirley's Bay area and along March Valley Road. My first stop yielded 1
Great Gray Owl perched on the top of a cedar tree. I continued along March
Valley Road towards Riddell Rd and stopped opposite house # 1395. There is a
spruce tree plantation and I scanned over the filed and saw another GGO
hunting. Within 30 seconds I had counted 6 GGO's flying over the field of
spruce trees like Short-eared Owls. At one time there were 4 perched in a
large deciduous tree. In total, I saw 9 Great Gray Owls! This invasion is
reminiscent of the major flight of 1983/84 when there were 100's found in
the south. Even though I saw my first Great Gray 30 years ago, seeing what I
saw today, was just as exciting!
good birding
Bruce
Directions: From Ottawa travel west bound on Hwy. 417 to the March
Rd./Eagleson Road and exit right onto March Rd. Follow to Klondike Road and
turn right. Go east to March Valley Road and turn left. Follow along making
numerous stops scanning the fields. Late afternoon to dusk maybe the better
time to look.
Bruce Di Labio
400 Donald B. Munro Drive
P.O.Box 538
Carp,Ontario,K0A 1L0
(613)839-4395 Home (613)715-2571 Cell
Di Labio Birding Website
Courses and Field Trips
http://www3.sympatico.ca/bruce.dilabio/
From [EMAIL PROTECTED] Mon Dec 27 19:13:58 2004
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Date: Mon, 27 Dec 2004 19:18:58 -0500
From: Mark Cranford <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
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Subject: [Ontbirds]Great Gray Owl - Cranberry Marsh
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Timing is everything, we were able to relocate the Great Gray Owl
found earlier by Eleanor Beagan. Ron Pittaway was also easy to
relocate. We viewed the bird along Hall's Road north of the path to
the Hawkwatch. We also had a great views of a Long-eared Owl perched
calmly in an open apple tree. The Great Gray came out of the spruce
trees on the east side of Halls Road, made a couple of forays along
the shoulder then continued hunting in the field to the west. We also
multiple Long-eared/Short-eared Owls foraging in the fields from
5-5:30pm. I also saw 3 fast-moving voles and lots of tracks so I
think there are lots of prey available for the owls. They should be
around for a while.
Directions
Exit 401 at Salem Road, Pickering south on Salem to Bayly, east (left)
past LakeRidge Road to Hall's Rd., south to the second roadside
parking area.
--
Mark Cranford
cranford AT allstream DOT net
Mississauga, Ontario
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From: "Mr. & Mrs. Palmer" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
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Date: Mon, 27 Dec 2004 20:59:35 -0500
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Subject: [Ontbirds]Great Grey Owl North of Kingston, West of Parham
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We saw a Great Grey Owl this afternoon from 3:30 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. in
the wooded area between houses #1202 and #1228 on Cronk Road.
We watched the owl fly into the woods then land on a laundry line pole,
catch a mouse, fly off into the woods, fly onto the telephone wire at
the side of the road, pounce down into the snow, fly to a fence post and
fly away leaving us both breathless at the sight!
Directions:
Take Highway #38 north from Kingston to Parham. At the "T" intersection
of Hwy 38 & Wagarville Road, turn left and travel 4.8 km along
Wagarville Road, then turn right onto Cronk Road and travel 1.1 km. to
the wooded area where we saw the owl from the road.
Michael and Barbara Palmer
Kingston
