Up far too early for work this morning, I took my dog out for a drive and a
walk under the full moon. He and I observed two Great Gray Owls in the Holland
Landing area and another just west of Newmarket in the Holland Marsh area.
At 6:15 a.m. we saw one perched on the west side of the 2nd Concession (which
is the northern extension of Main Street out of Newmarket) north of the Mount
Albert Road. The bird was on hydro pole by the driveway just across and
slightly south of Algonquin Court, where the hill begins. We saw another GGOW
fly across the road in front of us at the northern terminus of Yonge Street in
north Holland Landing (across from Silver Lakes Golf Course) at first light.
Later, after a chilly walk, we observed a third Great Gray on Dufferin Street
just north of the Miller Sideroad on the western outskirts of Newmarket. There
is a little dip on Dufferin Street as soon as you pass Miller going northbound;
the bird was perched very close to the roadside, looking into the field on the
west side of the road at the northern edge of the wood there. I have seen this
individual four times over the last seven days, both hunting and perched in the
large field and the hydro cut there (sometimes at the far western edge of the
field). He appears to be a juvenile bird: pale-edged primaries and sharp-edged
tail tips, rather than the worn, rounded tips more consistent with the adult
birds I've seen. (Many thanks, by the way, to Ron Pittiway and Jean Iron for
their very helpful and informative post re: Aging GGOWs sent to this site
earlier in the winter).
The usually more "reliable" GGOW that I often see on Keele Street across from
the Cardinal Golf Course's maintenance road entrance was not findable (at least
for me) at 7:30 (which was already remarkably bright). As consolation, I was
treated to excellent looks at a hale and hearty coyote sitting in the sunlight
on the north side of Miller Sideroad on my way home.
All of the areas mentioned here are within a few minutes of Newmarket. Holland
Landing is just north of town while the "Holland Marsh" is just west of town
and south of Bradford. Newmarket is halfway between Toronto and Barrie.
Ron Fleming, Newmarket
