Birded today with Joyce Lechasseur, at 3:30 pm we saw over 1000 Tundra Swans in the fields north of Norfolk Rd 42 between Highway 59 and Port Royal.
Huge numbers of Red-winged Blackbirds (smaller number of females -hundreds) and Common Grackles in area. The Inner Bay at Long Point is frozen. Big Creek at the causeway bridge had open water with some 30 Canvasback. The only open water is at Port Ryerse (10 km south of Simcoe on Highway 24). We also saw 6 Gray Partridge at 5 pm 20 m north from the fence line along the road and 20 m west of fence beside the bus factory at the Brantford airport (1 km east of Highway 24 on Highway 53.) -- Mark Cranford cranford AT allstream DOT net Mississauga, Ontario From [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sat Mar 12 21:37:26 2005 Return-Path: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Delivered-To: [email protected] Received: from smtp105.rog.mail.re2.yahoo.com (smtp105.rog.mail.re2.yahoo.com [206.190.36.83]) by king.hwcn.org (Postfix) with SMTP id 7D03663A76 for <[email protected]>; Sat, 12 Mar 2005 21:37:26 -0500 (EST) Received: from unknown (HELO Bowles1) ([EMAIL PROTECTED] with login) by smtp105.rog.mail.re2.yahoo.com with SMTP; 13 Mar 2005 02:42:58 -0000 Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> From: "Bob Bowles" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "Ontario Birds" <[email protected]> Date: Sat, 12 Mar 2005 21:42:52 -0500 MIME-Version: 1.0 X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 6.00.2720.3000 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2739.300 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable X-Content-Filtered-By: Mailman/MimeDel 2.1.1 Subject: [Ontbirds]Lake Simcoe and Carden Update X-BeenThere: [email protected] X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.1 Precedence: list X-List-Received-Date: Sun, 13 Mar 2005 02:37:27 -0000 When I left for Arizona 12 days ago for a 10-day tour of wildflowers and = birds in the four North American deserts, I did not expect to see many = Great Gray Owls still in our area on my return. However, this is not = the case and the owls are still present in good numbers in all of the = hot spot areas. Recently there have been reports of other GREAT GRAY = OWLS in other locations where there have been none since early winter = when they first arrived so these may be owls that had gone farther south = and are just moving back north now. The numbers at Muley Point seem = stable with 13 yesterday afternoon (5-6 pm), 10 this morning (9-10 am), = and 17 this evening (5-6 pm). There had been a maximum of 34 Great = Grays in this area this winter which may still be the case. Barred Owls = that had been reported hunting in the open fields with Great Grays are = now reported mainly sitting on feeders or in trees near feeders watching = for rodents eating the seeds under the bird feeders. A number of = reports of Snowy Owls (8) in the last week in Barrie and Orillia but = they do not stay long and again could be owls just moving back north = from south of here. Snowy Owls are still best found on the Minesing = flats on Strongville Road off hwy 26 west of Edenvale. No recent = reports of the Northern Hawk Owl at Bracebridge. A few recent reports = of Boreal Owls but none regular enough to report. A dead Northern = Saw-whet was found this week in Orillia. At least 48 Great Gray Owls = that came down from the north this winter will not be returning north = since they were killed by vehicle impacts in this area this winter. All = the dead owls were in good shape weighing well over 1000 grams = indicating that they had been catching lots of food in the area this = winter. Observations at Muley Point confirms this since a hunting owls = usually catches at least one vole during a ten minute observation = period. I have seen many beautiful photographs of Great Gray Owls this = winter many in full flight and hunting. Vehicles with American plates = are still numerous in the Muley Point area. =20 Also two reports of dead NORTHERN SHRIKES this week out of the many = birds that wintered in the area. Shrikes can be easily seen in the = Muley Point area and today I observed one carrying a small bird and = being chased by another shrike. Judy Probst reports the return of the EUROPEAN GOLDFINCH to her Carden = feeders (Kirkfield Road north of Kirkfield just before Centennial Park = Road) along with American Goldfinches and Common Redpolls after about a = seven week absence. =20 Mike Pidwerbecki at the Siberian Inn Bed and Breakfast has an elaborate = system of bird feeders in his back yard and now reports over 700 COMMON = REDPOLLS at his feeders (Line 10 of Oro-Medonte north of Old Barrie Road = just southwest of Orillia) for a record high for the last two years. = There are also at least 2 HOARY REDPOLLS in these flocks. =20 The male VARIED THRUSH is still a regular visit to the backyard feeder = of Gloria Braithwaite at 94 Tamarack Drive in Big Cedar Estates You can = not see the feeder from the road so you 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 small contribution for all the seed that she goes = through every winter feeding birds. She will ask you to sign her guest = book. You can photograph this bird through her open kitchen window at a = prefect distance and good light. Big Cedar Estates is at Line 12 of = Oro-Medonte and Bass Lake Sideroad west of the City of Orillia. There = has also been a male BROWN-HEADED COWBIRD coming to the feeder with the = thrush.=20 The first winter HARRIS'S SPARROW continues to visits the bird feeder at = the home of Martha Sova at 4393 Fairgrounds Road just west of Orillia. = 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 also be seen in and under the large White Pine = trees in the front yard or in the line of White Spruce trees to the = right of the yard. It is best seen in the morning and is usually with a = small flock of American Tree Sparrows and Dark-eyed Juncos but is now = not as regular as it has been earlier this winter. =20 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. =20
