Lake Simcoe (Orillia) Birding Update: Several we able to view the first winter Harris's Sparrow at the home of Martha Sova at 4393 Fairgrounds Road just west of Orillia this week. It is best to park on the side of the road and walk up the right side of the lot along the line of spruce trees to the back of the house where you can view the feeder on the back deck. The bird does not always come to the feeder but can be seen in and under the large spruce trees in the yard. It is best seen in the morning.
Received a telephone call from Gloria Braithwaite of 94 Tamarack Drive in Big Cedar Estates that the male Varied Thrush that did not show at her feeder yesterday was back this morning along with the male Brown-headed Cowbird. You can not see the feeder from the road and will have to go to the front door and check with Gloria and Lorne to see if you can view the bird from their kitchen window. Gloria has been great welcoming birders so you may want to make a contribution for all the seed that she goes through every winter feeding birds. She will ask you to sign her guest book. The European Goldfinch at the feeder of Judy Probst has not been seen this or last week and most of the large flocks of American Goldfinches have also left due to the fact that a Northern Shrike and Sharp-shinned Hawk have been watching the feeder. The Great Gray Owls have all but recovered from the stress of last weekend and I was able to find 15 on Muley Point yesterday morning. You may be able to view up to 34 in the late afternoon again as I was able to do before last weekend. There were many cars and people on this road on the weekend. Everything was fine on Saturday when I checked late in the day but Sunday got out of hand. People were stopping their cars on the travelled portion of the road, parking on curves and near corners and blocking local traffic, but most disturbing of all, climbing fences and trespassing on private property to approach the owls. The owls were finally driven back from the fields into the woods. I have heard of stories of one women trying to get an owl to sit on her arm so her friend could take a photo, a guy releasing pet store feeder mice in the middle of a farmer's field so that he could get photos of the owls, etc. It is a great experience to see this many owls at once every evening but if you come park well off the road in a safe area and watch the owls from your vehicle if the owls are close to the road. Ask people not to trespass or interfere with nature for their own gain, stay back and just let the owls hunt for food with the least amount of impact from humans. There are four or five other areas around to view large numbers of Great Gray Owls but Muley Point seems to have the most birds. Flocks of Bohemian Waxwings can be seen around Orillia and Muley Point Road. Also at Muley Point large flocks of Snow Buntings and 5 Horned Larks observed yesterday. Thanks for your supporting emails on the stressing of owls, Bob Bowles Orillia, Ontario Directions to Muley Point from hwy 11 in Orillia. From the south on hwy 11 take the second exit (4th from the north) to Orillia (hwy 12 South) and follow hwy 12 through Atherley to Uptergrove. Continue along hwy 12 to the large Catholic Church on the left (St. Columbkille) and turn right onto Muley Point Road. Follow Muley Point Road south to the store at McRae Park Road/conc. 9 (good for owls) and then continue south to conc. 8. Muley Point Road goes right to Bonnie Beach Road (good for owls). Take conc 8 west to sideroad 20 (owls) and follow it around to conc. 7. Turn left on conc. 7 and follow it north (more owls) to sideroad 15. Turn left on sideroad 15 and follow it back to hwy 12. You should have seen at least two dozen owls on this loop. Fairgrounds Road is off hwy 12 West just west of Orillia and Big Cedar Estates is at the corner of Line 12 and Bass Lake Sideroad in Oro-Medonte just south of Bass Lake and west of Orillia.
