----- Original Message ----- From: "Doug Lockrey" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "ontbirds" <[email protected]> Sent: Thursday, January 13, 2005 1:44 PM Subject: BROWN THRASHER, 7 Great Gray Owls, N.GOSHAWK, Hall's Rd. bathtubs-- Jan.13 ; Crane in Pringle Creek
> The Jan.13 thaw created a very muddy pot-holed Hall's Rd. in southwest > Whitby, but for the 50 or more people who ventured down in the morning there > were some great sights. > The water-saturated fields brought out the voles, and beween sun-up and 1030 > as many as 7 Great Gray Owls had been seen, both alongside the roadway and > in the field to the west. They were intent on a) hunting, and b) bathing > with vigour in the muddy swollen ditches-- quite a sight, particularly when > they tried to force their heavier bodies up into a tree to preen. > > At 1030 a BROWN THRASHER surprised all of us-- he stayed in a large ash tree > branch above the roadway just south of the north parking area; after 10 > minutes a photographer decided to encroach, causing hin to fly off into the > spruce wooded area. > This was my first day in 3 weeks in which I did not see a Barred Owl. 2 > Great Horned Owls certainly are in the area. > Some other birds-- an imm. N.GOSHAWK had been seen near the south platform > at 0800; 3 White-throated Sparrows, 1 adult N.Shrike, several Am.Robins, > Winter Wren. > > In the swollen Pringle Creek, to the west of the Brock St.S., Whitby bridge, > as long as a local dog-watcher was not permittin his friend to run after > everything moving, there weree many Canada Geese, 1 male N.Pintail and our > "resident" Sandhill Crane-- strutting about enjoying this mild day. > > From the west exit 401 at Salem Rd. in Ajax-- south to Bayly, east through > LakeRidge Rd. to the first stree (Hall's Rd.), south down to either parking > area. From the east exit 401 at Brock St.S. (Whitby), south to Victoria-- go > straight through to the bridge or turn west over to Hall's Rd. > > Doug Lockrey, Whitby > -- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. Version: 7.0.300 / Virus Database: 265.6.11 - Release Date: 12/01/2005
