An immature male Snowy Owl continues to be seen in the Holland Marsh vegetable fields west of Newmarket while two others wintering near Ravenshoe Road in SW Keswick have been harder to find in the larger fields there. The former bird has been seen most often at the end of Emma Road, which runs west from Dufferin Street, 4 kms north of Hwy. 9.
Horned Larks have been showing up with increasing frequency, singing their tinkly songs from various places in the Holland Marsh fields. During a West Humber Naturalists field trip on Saturday at least 8 were observed along MacGillvray Road west of Kleinburg. At Joan Love's property on the SW side of Hwy. 27 & Major Mackenzie Drive in Kleinburg our group also had 12+ Pine Siskins. Joan has observed Wild Turkeys and a hardy Winter Wren on her property during February, though we did not find either species on Saturday morning. Gene and Charlene Denzel did, however, find a dozen turkeys along Teston Road later that day. At the Nashville Cemetery west of Kleinburg there was a flock of Cedar Waxwings (approx. 30) and a Northern Mockingbird Saturday as well as a female Sharp-shinned Hawk at the BORC school property along Kirby Sdrd. In Thornhill, Gene and Charlene Denzel have had four White-throated Sparrows visiting their feeders all winter as well as a local Mockingbird. Four White-crowned Sparrows continue to show up along Devald Road in the Holland Marsh south of Bradford; this has been their 3rd consecutive winter. Near this latter location, Paul Novosad has had a Red-bellied Woodpecker visiting his feeder all winter (near the 5th Line bridge north of the canal) while Dan Stuckey reports that another Red-bellied has been wintering in the Virginia Beach area near Sutton. Jack Alvo had yet another one on the north side of Ravenshoe Road last weekend. On February 26 Bruce Brydon had 30Bohemian Waxwings on the Boag Rd. between McCowan and Highway 48 northeast of Newmarket. Common Ravens continue to expand their range, showing up with increasing regularity in several parts of the region. Two individuals have been present in the Holland marsh south of Bradford since December, two others have been observed in NW Newmarket (404 plaza area) by Mike Van den Tillaart, and Frank Pinella has been seeing another pair in north Richmond Hill west of Yonge and Stoufville Road. Other interesting Richmond Hill observations by FP the past few weeks include one Hoary Redpoll in the company of approx. 100 Common Redpolls on Feb. 19, a Northern Shrike and ten American Robins along Bayview Road north of Elgin Mills the same day, a fly-over Red Crossbill in the same area on Sat Feb 12th, and a Cooper's Hawk Feb 28th at Yonge & Weldrick. Ron Fleming, Newmarket _______________________________________________ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to [email protected] For information about ONTBIRDS visit http://www.ofo.ca/
