Along Miller Sideroad, which connects Bathurst and Dufferin Streets just a few kms north of Hwy. 9, Mike Vandentillaart had a Red-bellied Woodpecker and a Merlin Saturday morning while I was out chasing the Bolton Hawk Owl (which I got at 7:45 a.m. across from the KFC). I looked for both birds yesterday and today with no luck. Linda Hollinshead observed a Red-bellied Woodpecker on Feb. 5th, not far south of Miller Sdrd. on Dufferin Avenue, which invites the question: Is this the same bird, or perhaps a family member? Worth keeping an eye out for. There was a Great Gray Owl perched on the lone wooden hydro pole across from the Cardinal Golf Course maintenance entrance early this morning. This location is about 2 kms north of Hwy. 9 on Keele Street, west of Newmarket. What I suspect to be the same bird was also observed yesterday evening at dusk near the maintenance road. There were also two Great Grays hunting in the fields on the east side of Dufferin Avenue across from house #18580 early yesterday evening (5:45). Dufferin runs parallel to Keele Street north of Hwy. 9. Another birder (Mary Carnahan, I believe) had a flock of 50 Snow Buntings along Keele Street yesterday morning shortly after stopping to look at a Great Gray Owl north of Hwy. 9 on Keele. (Again, the same individual?) There were several Horned Larks doing their tinkly calls in the frozen vegetable fields of the Holland Marsh early Sunday morning, some of them engaged in short chases - possibly rival males already getting territorial? I couldn't get this info out via computer until today since my home computer seems to have finally succumbed to a malicious virus. Ron Fleming, Newmarket
