Good evening all
Today Frank Pinilla and I crossed our fingers and headed a little north
(from Richmond Hill) to try for some of the previously posted nice
sightings. The further north we drove the more fog we found and to that was
added falling snow, but we are birders and crazy and on we went.
Our first stop was at 4393 fairgrounds Rd east of Orillia where among the
A. Tree Sparrows and Dark-eyed Juncos we finally saw the 1st winter Harris's
Sparrow at the feeder at the back of the house.
We then returned to Hwy 12 and drove thru Orillia to Atherley where we saw
2 Pine Siskins with some A. Goldfinches. We continued on down Hwy 12 to
Muley Point Rd where we found 4 Great Gray Owls and a Northern Shrike. One
of the Great Grays was hunting in the middle of a large field and was easily
seen.
It was now after 8am so we headed off to the Siberian Inn Bed and Breakfast
where as soon as we arrived at their driveway we were bombarded with the
constant twittering of between 400 and 500 Common Redpolls at the numerous
feeders and in the trees around the Inn. In among these birds we did pick
out 2 Hoary Redpolls. Mike Pidwerbecki, the Inn's owner was a good host that
will insist that birders come onto his veranda to better view the Redpolls
and also you are more than welcome to go inside the Inn to view them in
comfort from his windows. The Inn is situated on a quiet road in a dense
hardwood forest and except for the fantastic and eerie howls from his 2 very
friendly Huskies it is very quiet there, Redpolls excepted.
From our fill of Redpolls here it was off to Gloria Braithwaite's house on
94 Tamarack Drive near Bass Lake to try for the Varied Thrush. This bird we
were told can only be seen from at the back of the house from the kitchen
window. When we arrived no one was home and needless to say we were very
disappointed. We stood around dumbly for awhile saying birding things like
"what now" and "what do you think" when Frank walked next door (to the left
when facing the house) to the driveway and said he could see the feeders at
the back of the house from there. We stood at the end of that driveway for
about 10 minutes when a bird flew up from somewhere out of view and into
full view in a bare tree. We upped our binoculars and there it was, the
lovely Varied Thrush.
We now took off back thru Orillia and headed south picking up in various
places 14 Wild Turkeys, Horned Larks and many A. Crows (they seemed to be
everywhere).
Our next stop was along Canal Road near Bradford where we did not find a
Snowy Owl so we went back north to Ravenshoe Rd north of Queensville where
we did find a Snowy Owl in a field along with 4 White-tailed Deer and then
it was off down Concession Rd 12 (Leslie St.) where we encountered another
Great Gray Owl right beside the road. We stopped to view this nice bird and
as we sat there a person with a camera exited their vehicle walked right up
to the Owl and flushed it. Fortunately the Owl did not fly across traffic on
this busy road.
Next stop believe it or not was Ashbridges Bay in Toronto where not much
was seen so we headed to Cherry Beach where Frank with his scope found 11
Glaucous and 1 Iceland Gull, and 4 Ring-necked Ducks among the usually seen
ducks along the waterfront.
Our last stop was at the mouth of the Humber river in west Toronto where
the beautiful adult male Harlequin Duck was still showing off and while
there we spotted a great Blue Heron overhead.
Time to head home.
DIRECTIONS
Harris's Sparrow - Feeder at the home of Martha Sova at 4393 Fairgrounds
Road just west of Orillia.
Redpolls - At Mike Pidwerbecki's feeders at the Siberian Inn Bed and
Breakfast on Line 10 of Oro-Medonte north of Old Barrie Road.west of Barrie.
just southwest of Orillia
Varied Thrush - Backyard feeder of Gloria Braithwaite at 94 Tamarack Drive
in Big Cedar Estates off Bass Lake Rd just south of Bass Lake.
Cherry Beach - Cherry Beach (In Toronto) by driving straight down Cherry St.
(4 large blocks east of Yonge St.) may be reached by driving from Lakeshore
Blvd straight down Cherry St. until you hit the beach or from the Leslie St.
Beach parking lot you can drive west along Unwin Ave. to Cherry St. and turn
left to the beach parking areas.
Harlequin Duck - The Humber River empties into lake Ontario in west Toronto
at Lakeshore Blvd just west of Windemere Ave. There is parking at Lakeshore
Blvd and Windemere and if coming by the 501 Queen St. streetcar then get off
at Windemere and walk south under the overpass to Lakeshore Blvd. You will
see the big white pedestrian bridge over the Humber River off to your right.
PS
One big surprise for the day was found in the middle of a completely snow
covered field. We spotted a small waging tail of a healthy looking Groundhog
as it was working on his freshly opened den hole.
Norm Murr
Richmond Hill, ON
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
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