Section 1 – General Notes

Section 2 – Amherst Island / Kingston Notes

Section 3 – Algonquin / Bracebridge Notes

Section 4 – Other Species / Other Locations

Section 5 – Trip Reports

 

Section 1 – General Notes

GENERAL PLAN

GENERAL ARRANGEMENTS

TRAVEL

    Rockledge – Syracuse                         255 miles                          Approx. 4:00 under optimal conditions

    First Bridge at 1000 Islands is              348 miles                          5:45 hours

    Exit 615 on 401 is                                 384 miles                          6:23 hours

    Peachtree to Ferry:                                                                       30 minutes

 

    Bracebridge to Rockledge via Toronto 606 miles                          10:15 hours

    Bracebridge to the US/Canada Border                     183 miles

    US / Canada Border to Syracuse        161 miles

    Syracuse to Rockledge                        255 miles

 

 

 

ACCOMMODATIONS

Kingston (Amherst Island)

    Peachtree Inn

    1187 Princess St.

    Kingston, Ontario

    K7M 3E1

    Tel: (613) 546-4411

http://www.peachtreeinn.net/

 

Bracebridge

Travelodge (formerly Islander Inn)

P.O. Box 1212, 

Bracebridge, Ontario P1L 1K1

705-645-2235

http://www.islander-inn.com/index.htm

 

WEB SITES

Kingston (general):

http://www.whatsonkingston.com/accom/index.html

Kingston Area Birding

http://www.web-nat.com/bic/ont/kingston.html

Amherst Island

http://www.redwing.on.ca/amherst.island/

Algonquin Park

http://www.algonquinpark.on.ca/frameset.html

Bracebridge Area Birding

http://pluto.beseen.com/boardroom/h/21826/Date

Ontario Birds

http://birdingonthe.net/birdmail.html

Canadian Weather

http://www.theweathernetwork.com/

http://weather.ec.gc.ca/index_e.shtml

 

Section 2– Amherst Island Notes

 

GENERAL AMHERST ISLAND REPORTS

2/24

A thorough search of the Owl Woods on Saturday turned up 3 BOREAL OWLS, 11 SAW-WHETS and at least 13 LONG-EARED OWLS.

As we surmised last week, there are now 3 BOREAL OWLS in the Owl Woods. Today the recent arrival, probably a small male, was roosting in the same pine tree that we originally found it in a week ago. The large female was found again in the cedars but a little south of where it usually is.  And the one normally in the cedar tree on the eastern margin of the Pines was just a couple of trees away from its usual perch.The big change was in the number of SAW-WHET OWLS which increased to 11 from the usual 6 or occasionally 7.  While the numbers often swell to 20 or more at the height of fall migration, the dramatic overnight increases that occur in autumn don't seem to occur in the spring, and the numbers tend to be much less consistent than in fall.  Today's numbers thou makes this the best winter in the Owl Woods since 1984-5 when there were 12 SAW-WHET OWLS and 2 BOREAL OWLS for several weeks in the spring of that year.  This probably indicates the beginning of Spring migration for this species.  Not much is really known about spring migration here, in part because banding hasn't been done at this time of year.  It is generally believed though that spring migration here begins in mid to early March or sometimes late February.  This agrees more or less with my records that show a fairly consistent increase in numbers during the last few days of February or the first few days of March.
LONG-EARED OWLS appear unchanged.  There were at least 12 in one roost as well as a few scattered throughout the woods.  There are probably 15 -20 altogether.  A few SHORT-EARED OWLS were seen and the occasional SNOWY OWL too although it appears the numbers may have dwindled.  There were at least 2 NORTHERN SHRIKE on the east end of the Island and still large numbers of RED-TAILED and ROUGH-LEGGED HAWKS.

Currently the South Shore is mainly iced in so there's not much for those who like the ducks.

On the way back to the ferry they got to see a Snowy Owl as well, behind the Fire Hall.

2/16

Karen and I managed to get to the Owl Woods today for the first time in over a week thanks to Judy "the Florida lady" who drove us over since  our only means of transport has died. For the most part things are pretty much unchanged.  There are still 12-15 LONG-EARED OWLS and 6 or 7 SAW-WHET OWLS, mostly in the Pines.We found 2 BOREAL OWLS still but there seems to have been at least one change.  We found 1 BOREAL in the cedar tree on the eastern margin of  the woods where it has been seen frequently.  We found a second BOREAL OWL further south on the eastern edge of the Pines, but this is a noticeably smaller (male) owl, unlike the very large (female) we affectionately call "Big Momma" who has been a regular in the white cedar clumps near the south end of the Cedar Woods.  Her we couldn't find today despite a careful search.  There was a lot of new snow covering the trees today which changes the character of the usual perches a lot and which also makes it very easy tooverlook an owl.In the past these owls have been known to disappear for a time only to reappear a day or two later so it may be she's still there in which case there are again 3 BOREAL OWLS in the general area.  That would not be surprising as past records indicate this is about the time we begin to see increasing numbers as some of these birds start heading northagain.  The major increase in numbers though seems to occur about a month from now in mid-March.In the drive back from the woods along the east end and south shore to the ferry we saw 6 SNOWY OWLS without even stopping so there's still lots of them around, and of course still lots of RED-TAILS and ROUGH-LEGS with a few NORTHERN HARRIERS, KESTREL and NORTHERN SHRIKES. Today the south shore was iced in so there wasn't much opportunity for observing ducks.  CANVASBACKS and GREATER SCAUP are due to return about now with REDHEADS shortly thereafter.

2/13

Bud Rowe reported visiting the Owl Woods on Feb. 13. He found several SAW-WHET and LONG-EARED OWLS in the woods but no BOREALS. A few SNOWY OWLS including the one by the Fire Hall on Stella Rd. about 3 or 4 hundred metres south of North Shore Rd.

2/7

There appears to be no significant change in the owl population on Amherst Island. I did a fairly complete search of the Owl Woods today. There were still 2 BOREAL OWLS, one in the Cedar Woods near the south end in the same general area it's been for the past few weeks and one on the east side of the Pines where it too has frequently been found. There were at least 6 SAW-WHET OWLS.  Four of these are regulars in the Pines.  On Saturday there were 3 in the Cedar Woods but only 2 were found today, at least one of which is becoming a regular.There were at least 12 LONG-EARED OWLS in the Pines, perhaps a few more.  SHORT-EARED OWLS are still  being seen in the surrounding fields and on the KFN property to the extreme east in the late afternoon.SNOWY OWLS are still fairly numerous.  We also saw numerous RED-TAILED HAWKS and ROUGH-LEGGED HAWKS and the occasional NORTHERN SHRIKE.

At least one BROWN CREEPER is being seen regularly in the Pines too, and 1 ROBIN has been regular all winter.

2/4

Another very busy day in the Owl Woods - lots of visitors from all over.  The 2 BOREAL OWLS were in the Cedar Woods today, and there were at least 7 SAW-WHAT OWLS, 3 in the Cedar Woods and 4 in the Pines.  The LONG-EAREDS appeared to be unchanged in numbers, still about 15 in all, and a few SHORT-EARED OWLS were seen over the fields at dusk.  The SNOWY OWLS were still around but may be down a bit in terms of numbers.  There were at least 4 GREAT HORNED OWLS calling at dusk too, one pair west of the Owl Woods and one in the deciduous woods to the extreme east.Still lots of hawks - mainly RED-TAILS and ROUGH-LEGS with a few NORTHERN HARRIERS and KESTRELS and there were a couple of NORTHERN SHRIKES seen in the drive around the east end of the Island. I got a second hand report that the BARROW'S GOLDENEYE was seen too somewhere along the south shore.  At the moment there's lots of open water along the south shore of the Island.

 

 

INSTRUCTIONS / DIRECTIONS / INFORMATION RELATED TO AMHERST ISLAND

The Island measures over 20 km (12 mi) in length from Bluff Point in the southwest to Amherst Bar in the northeast and over 7 km (4.4 mi) at its widest point across.  The resident population of some four hundred souls swells to close to one thousand during the summer months.

 

The name Isle Tonti still lingers from the French period, Henri Tonti was LaSalle's lieutenant; both searched for China. Settlement of the Bay of Quinte region and the Island dates to the Loyalist period, following that unfortunate American Rebellion 1776-83 [Editor's Note: This is obviously a very late Loyalist speaking]. Sir John Johnson, the most influential Loyalist leader, was granted the entire Island in 1788. The legacy of his feudal ownership and administration dominated the community for nearly a century.

The early community was composed of numerous wealthy Loyalists, some late loyalists, and a proportion of French Canadian fishermen. These settlers of the Island frontier had been attracted by its accessability, water was virtually the only transportation in the Loyalist period. The shoreline of the Island was settled by the close of the 1820's. An Irish wave of immigration to the Island followed, with the population peaking at 2,000 in 1842. The Island was a convenient stepping stone; almost urban in accessibility, and its Estate policy encouraged temporary residency. Most moved on to the frontiers of Ontario and the American Midwest. The Island became insular, independent and conservative when the monopoly of marine transportation was surpassed by mainland roads and railroads.

 

To all birders and other visitors to Amherst Island and the Owl Woods:

This has been a very exciting year for Kingston area birders and those who have come from afar to see a host of rare or uncommon avian visitors to one small area - Amherst Island.  These include an Ivory Gull, Boreal, Saw-whet, Snowy, Long-eared and Short-eared Owls, many Rough-legged and Red-tailed Hawks, a Male Harlequin Duck, a Barrow's Goldeneye, Northern Shrikes and Ring-necked Pheasants, and many other common species.  In addition, several Northern Hawk Owls may be found within a half hour's drive of Kingston and a Gyrfalcon and a Great Gray Owl have taken up residence within the city limits.  The news of this abundance has been spread far and wide throughout the birding community, thanks in no small way to Mike Street and ONTBIRDS, resulting in many hundreds of visitors to Kingston and, particularly, Amherst Island.  The Kingston Field Naturalists are, of course happy to welcome and assist all such visitors.

 

Success does not come without its problems, however.  Having such large numbers of people visiting a small island such as Amherst, particularly when they all converge on the Owl Woods at the same time, can create conflict between birders, birding groups and others and can result in a great deal of stress on the birds.  The number of visitors to the Owl Woods was perhaps at its highest during the weekend of 3-4 Feb and a number of e-mails were sent complaining about the stress being imposed on the owls due to excessive noise, approaching the birds too closely, the excessive use of flashes for photography, and large numbers not exercising care while moving through the Jackpines, causing 10 to 15 Long-eared Owls to be flushed frequently from their roosts.  One photographer who was being particularly noisy became even louder and abusive when asked politely to be quiet.

 

As stewards of the Owl Woods, the Kingston Field Naturalists have a responsibility to try to keep such problems to a minimum, and we feel the best way to do this is to advise all birders and visitors how to conduct themselves while birding and enlist their cooperation in teaching others to do so as well. Most birders are familiar with codes or principles of birding ethics, which are published by their clubs or organizations such as OFO or ABA. Among these are:

1. Promote the welfare of birds and their environment - the welfare of birds MUST come first.

2. Keep disturbance to a minimum.

a. The Owl Woods may have many visitors trying to see the birds and the owls are trying to rest by day.  Hence, visitors are asked to behave with consideration to the Owls and other people.

b. Move and speak quietly, and avoid clapping, squeaking and owl sound imitations.  You and others will see more if you make less noise.

c. Do not break branches to expose owls for viewing or photography and avoid the use of flash.

d. Stay 2 meters (6 feet) away from any Owl; never try to touch them.

e. Do not bring mice into the woods to lure the owls.

3. Respect the law and the rights of others - particularly landowners and occupiers of land.

The Cataraqui Region Conservation Authority, in partnership with Loyalist Township and the Kingston Field Naturalists, owns the first section of the Owl Woods, beginning where the foot trail enters the woods to just before the benches and bird feeders.  The remainder of the Owl Woods is on private land and is accessed with the willing cooperation and permission of the landowners.  Although visitors are requested not to bring dogs, cats or other pets into the Owl Woods, the private landowners and their guests have a perfect right to do so, therefore, ask a person if they are landowner/guest before you challenge them for bringing in a pet. If you should meet one of the landowners, you might thank them for sharing their wonderful woods.

4. Have proper consideration for other birders - group birding requires special care

a. Assist other searchers to find Owls you have located.

b. Members of groups approach Owls singly for a better view.

5. Habitat protection

a. Use trails to avoid trampling vegetation.

b. Keep habitat disturbance to a minimum.

We have tried to keep these rules to a minimum for the protection of the birds and the enjoyment of the birders, and a sign summarizing the rules will likely be installed at the entrance to the woods this year. The marking of trails and methods of daily marking the locations of roosting birds will also be considered.  In the meantime, please cooperate in this so that more drastic measures to protect the birds will not be necessary.  Feel free to send your suggestions to the undersigned.

 

Thank you all for your support.

Bud Rowe

President

Kingston Field Naturalists

budrowe@kos.net

 

Amherst Island is 16 km west of Kingston.  Take exit # 593 from Highway 401, proceed south on County Road  #4 (formerly Highway 133) to Millhaven on Lake Ontario - the ferry dock is 200m west on Hwy 33 (Bath Road).   A round-trip costs $3.50.  The ferry leaves every hour on the half-hour from 7:30 am onward.  The first ferry leaves at 6:20 am and the last one leaves the Island at 1:00 am.

 
To get to the "Owl Woods":  drive straight off the ferry due south 4km to Lake Ontario.  Turn east (left) onto the South Shore Road and drive 4km to civic address #2090 at the corner of Marshall Road (Marshall has no sign).  Marshall Road is not plowed in winter (although at this point with all the traffic it is now drivable), otherwise park at this corner and walk up If driving up, park at the jog in the road.  From this jog, a footpath leads north 250m then turns east into the deciduous part of the Owl Woods.

 

NOTE: (Guris) - We were able to drive to the start of the trail, but this road is unmaintained and may not be passable when you go. If Marshall 40-foot is reasonably clear, you can do it but we were advised to come in from the south.  Go south from the ferry until the road tees in to the south shore road. Turn left and follow the lake shore. Take your first left (Marshall 40-foot) and park at the bend in the road. Take the trail as described above.

 

Here are some more specific direction and hints about accessing Owl Woods.

Directions start from the jog in Marshall Forty-foot Road.

More specifically, from the jog in the road a footpath leads north 250m then turns east into the deciduous part of the Owl Woods. Status: birders are welcome. For small owls, carefully search the random Cedars along this path. Bring sunflower seeds to hand feed the Chickadees! After 500m, the path eventually curves south 100m, exiting the deciduous woods, and crosses a small semi-open area of Jack Pines & Cedars that can also have Saw-whets. Ahead 100m lies the Pine Plantation which is the best part. Within this dense 3 acre plantation stay on the network of paths, move slowly and quietly, and look up. Long-eared Owls are the most common and sit highest, Saw-whets and Boreals, when present, tend to sit lower. The open fields to the south also have Short-eared Owls which may fly up if you walk out there a bit.

 

 

KINGSTON AREA

GRYFALCON – Kingston 

2/24

Kurt Hennige asked me to post that he saw a GYRFALCON today Sat., Feb.24 three (3) times between 1PM and 4PM at the DuPont lagoon, Kingston. It is possible that this is yet another GYRFALCON this winter, since Kurt noted that this bird appears to be a juv. dark brown morph. A previous GYRFALCON, not seen for the past 12 days, had a brown wash on grey.

2/22

The GYRFALCON has not been reported for the last 10 days and is presumed gone.

Unknown date

From Hwy 401 exit south at km. 615 onto Sir John MacDonald Blvd. and continue to the end at King St. W. and turn right and continue west past the traffic lights at Mowatt and Portsmouth Avenues to the next traffic lights which are near the west shore of Cataraqui Bay (aka Elevator Bay). Turn left at the traffic lights and left again onto the road through the fence. If you park to scan the ponds and the bay, leave plenty of room for Dupont Plant traffic. You must branch left again to drive alongside the upper Hot Pond. You can continue on to a "T" junction where you can turn right or left to check for birds.

2/12

GYRFALCON at Dupont Ponds Chris Grooms reported having a good look at the GYRFALCON around 9:00 a.m., Feb. 12. It was perched near the beach area behind the DuPont Nylon Plant.

He watched it while it took a run at a couple of Gray Squirrels on a tree trunk, try for a MALLARD in flight and then go for a Gull flying over the upper Hot Pond. It perched on a pole and surveyed the Pond area.

Unknown Date

Dupont Hot Pond [P36, D55],

Besides a GYRFALCON, over the past week a number of observers have reported a PEREGRINE FALCON and BALD EAGLES as well as 2 AM. COOT, a male CANVASBACK, PINTAIL, GADWALL, C. MERGANSERS, SWAMP and TREE SPARROWS (Gerald Paul).

>From Hwy 401 exit south at km. 615 onto Sir John MacDonald Blvd. and continue to the end at King St. W. and turn right and continue west past the traffic lights at Mowatt and Portsmouth Avenues to the next traffic lights which are near the west shore of Cataraqui Bay (aka Elevator Bay). Turn left at the traffic lights and left again onto the road through the fence. If you park to scan the ponds and the bay, leave plenty of room for Dupont Plant traffic. You must branch left again to drive alongside the upper Hot Pond. You can continue on to a "T" junction where you can turn right or left to check for birds.

 

HAWK OWL - Joyceville - NE of Kingston

2/21

Bob Stewart reported seeing the N. HAWK OWL on Feb. 20.  Ken Kingdon and I could not find it on the 21st but it is still is likely to be seen along the first one or two km. of the 6th Concession east of the intersection of the Joyceville Rd. and Hwy 15.

2/16

Jay McMahan reported that he saw the N. HAWK OWL today, Feb. 16.  It is still seen along the first one or two km. of the 6th Concession east of the intersection of the Joyceville Rd. and Hwy 15.

Directions From the 401 Hwy: Exit north off the 401 at km. 623 and go northeast 11.6 km. and turn right onto the Joyceville Rd.. Turn left almost immediately onto the 6th Concession. Watch for the Owl in trees close to the road and on any intersecting roads.

2/10

Joyceville HAWK OWL [P36, C57]

The N. HAWK OWL was reported on Feb. 5 (Mark Conboy and Gerald Paul)  It is still seen along the first one or two km. of the 6th Concession east of the intersection of the Joyceville Rd. and Hwy 15.

Directions From the 401 Hwy: Exit north off the 401 at km. 623 and go northeast 11.6 km. and turn right onto the Joyceville Rd.. Turn left almost immediately onto the 6th Concession. Watch for the Owl in trees close to the road and on any intersecting roads.

Unknown date

While I was tagging along with Brete Griffin's Peel Board of Education Birding Class, we saw the Joyceville NORTHERN HAWK OWL.  Joyceville is along Highway 15 not far northeast of Kingston.  We found the bird at 09:45 along 6th Concession Road about 2 km east of the intersection of Highway 15, 6th Concession Road, and a third road, the name of which escapes me.  The intersection is confusing, so take your time to figure it out. The bird was in the vicinity of property #2836.  Forget about looking for the "big redbarn" mentioned in an Ontbirds post.  Every second farm in the Joyceville area has a red barn, each of equal size.

We observed the bird from the road as it intently scanned the ground for prey. As it foraged, it moved from perch to perch to search new areas of a deciduous woodlot on the south side of the road opposite a stand of tamarack(larch).  The bird also perched in trees in the adjacent field to the west. It called frequently, giving a short, mid-pitched trill.  It provided the class's sixth species of owl for the weekend (the remainder were on nearby Amherst Island).

A person living along 6th Concession Road told us that the bird has been around since Christmas.

 

HAWK OWL - Napanee - NE of Kingston

2/24

Last Saturday my wife and I made our 2nd trip to the Belleville area to try and find a Hawk Owl. After another unsuccessful attempt to locate the Blessington Bird, we decided to try for the one north of Napanee. It took us about 5 minutes to find it. A life Bird! (Since the Blessington Owl was last reported on Feb 4, could this be the same bird?) The Owl was in a tall tree right beside the road. A scope was not really necessary, but it afforded a real close look! Directions: Highway 401 east from Belleville to exit # 579 (Highway 41 - Napanee). Proceed north to Selby. Turn right on County Rd. # 11 and travel east about 4 km. The Owl was perched near the top of a tall tree on the North (left) side of the road right in the front yard of house # 1609 at about 1:23 PM.

2/16

With directions from another birder, I located the Hawk Owl on Friday morning around 8 a.m. Go west from Kingston on Highway 401 to Napanee. Take exit # 579 (Highway 41) and proceed North to Selby. Turn right on Cty Rd. 11 and travel just under 4.3 km. On the North (left) side of the road, between address 1651 and 1609, there is a row of trees that is perpendicular to Hwy 11. The hawk owl was perched in the tallest tree for more than a half hour. I didn't need to get out of my car nor did I need to use my scope.

 

GREAT GREY OWL – Sunnyside Road (no recent reports)

2/22 

Henrik Mouritsen advised that the owner of the house at #1553 Sunnyside Rd. reported seeing the GREAT GRAY OWL in the morning of Feb. 15. No word since but it may still be around.

2/15

Henrik Mouritsen advised the KFN General Meeting that the owner of the house at #1553 Sunnyside Rd. reported seeing the GREAT GRAY OWL in the morning of Feb. 15.

DIRECTIONS: from Hwy. 401 at the City of Kingston, take exit #613 onto Sydenham Road. Turn north for 150m, then turn east (right) onto Sunnyside Road. Proceed to about civic address #1553 and look in a field on the north side.

2/11

This morning about 10:30 Sat. Feb. 10, I saw the Great Grey Owl east of #1553  on a post looking over the field just east of a turquoise box. The post was about 5 feet high. A friendly couple was there from New York City. They have flown up, rented a car and plan to do a week or so of winter birding in the Kingston-Ottawa area. I think ONTBIRDS should get a grant from the Ontario government for its success in promoting winter tourism in Ontario!

DIRECTIONS: from Hwy.401 at the City of Kingston, take exit #613 onto Sydenham Road and go north for 150m, then turn east (right) onto Sunnyside Road. Proceed to about civil address #1553 and look in a field on the north side.

2/9

The Great Grey Owl reported earlier today as being seen yesterday is still  there and has been on the location for at least three weeks according to the people living at Sunnyside Road 1553. I saw the owl sitting low in some small trees north of the road slightly after house #1553. It was about 100 meters in.

DIRECTIONS: from Hwy.401 at the City of Kingston, take exit #613 onto Sydenham Road and go north for 150m, then turn east (right) onto Sunnyside Road. Proceed to about civil address #1553 and look in a field on the north side.

PS: No reports of the Kingston Gyrfalcon since last Saturday. However, it may still be around (see last week's posts for directions.

2/9

GREAT GRAY OWL:  this morning Friday, Feb.09, 2001 the GREAT GRAY OWL (found yesterday by Betsy & John Searight from New Jersey) was observed by several KFN members.   Betsy & John noted that a nearby local resident told them that this owl has been "around for several WEEKS".  It is evidently a "reliable" bird.

DIRECTIONS:  Kingston is a modest city just 20km east of metropolitan Stella, on world famous Amherst Island.

  From Hwy.401, take exit #613 onto Sydenham Road.  Drive north for 200m, then turn east (right) onto Sunnyside Road.  Proceed to a spot about 30m past civic address #1553.

  Look either: (a) in nearby trees or on fenceposts, (b) right on the ground of the open field on the north-west side, (c) 120m back from the stone house along a fence past a green composter and 3m up in a shrub (hard to see against a treed horizon, so carefully examine with  binos or scope).

2/8

On Thursday, Feb.08, 2001 a GREAT GRAY OWL was found by Betsy & John Searight from New Jersey. John called me tonight at 8:30PM and asked me to post this message.  Betsy & John noted that a nearby local resident told them that this owl has been  "around for several WEEKS", so it's likely a "reliable" bird. Congradulations Betsy & John!  We ontbirders thank you for remembering to contact one of us promptly, so that this posting could get out.  We have been expecting to see a GREAT GRAY OWL for "several weeks", and finally it's happened.

DIRECTIONS:  from Hwy.401 at the City of Kingston, take exit #613 onto Sydenham Road.

Turn north for 150m, then turn east (right) onto Sunnyside Road.  Proceed to about civic address #1553 and look in a field on the north side.

BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS - Hartington

2/20

I found a flock of 90 BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS today greedily feeding on Buckthorn berries.  Occasionally one bird would offer  berry, and another bird would  accept it;  probable courting behaviour.

After observing them at close range for 20 minutes, they flew off and vanished.  There were no Cedar Waxwings in this flock.

FORECAST:  since there are many Buckthorns loaded with berries here, they may return  grom time to time.  Also, local residents have seen them here recently.

LOCATION:  MapArt Ontario Road Atlas pg.36, grid B54.  At Kingston from Hwy.401 take exit #611.  Drive north on Hwy.38 for 15 minutes.  About 2km south of Hartington, turn left (west) onto Petworth Road.  Drive 2km, then turn left (south) onto Ellerbeck Road. Drive south until 200m from a sharp right corner;  look behind the beehives in the forest on the left (east side).

SCREECH OWL – Point Road

The Cartwright Point E. SCREECH OWL was seen basking on Feb. 17, 21 and 22.. The SCREECH OWL nesting box is on Woodpecker Lane across from House #3, Woodpecker Lane which runs off to the east from The Point Rd..

Directions to The Point Rd.: [P36, D56] From Kingston take Hwy 2 east over the Cataraqui River, past RMC, Fort Henry and Hwy 15. Turn right (south) off Hwy 2 at the Vimy Gates (2nd traffic lights east of Hwy 15) and immediately turn right again onto Caen Crescent.. Then turn left onto Canal du Nord and go past Lundy's Lane to Casino Court. Follow Casino Court down the hill and on up the narrow paved road, which is called The Point Rd.

 

 

Section 3 – Algonquin / Bracebridge Notes

 

BIRDING ALGONQUIN (Courtesy of Paul Guris)

DAY PERMIT

You'll have to get one at the Visitor's Center later (I think it opens at 10:00 on the weekends and is closed on weekdays in winter).  They are apparently pretty serious about ticketing vehicles without a day pass, so get one as soon as reasonably possible.

OPEONGO ROAD

Opeongo Road on the left.  Bird all along the plowed section of this road down to a gate.  Park here and walk around a little. It's possibly the most dependable spot along Rt 60 for Boreal Chickadee. It's also where they study the Gray Jays, which are mega-friendly here. Try right near the gate and bring peanuts since they will usually land on your hand to grab some.  The DVOC group had Pine Grosbeak here in two spots along this road.  I have had Spruce Grouse here once down near the gate. There are usually some reports of Black-backed and more rarely Three-toeds there each year.

VISITORS CENTER

Visitor's Center on the left.  It's very close to the Spruce Bog Trail.  The exhibits are excellent, the view is gorgeous, there is a decent cafeteria, a good feeder setup, and a sightings board.  In winter I think it is only open on the weekends, though.

SPRUCE BOG TRAIL

Spruce Bog Trail on the left.  There is probably only room for a few cars to park there since they don't clear the whole lot in winter.  This is a good spot for Gray Jay, Boreal Chickadee, finches, and is the most reliable spot in the park for Rick's mythical Spruce Grouse. Take the trail into the spruce woods.  Very quickly it becomes a boardwalk. Bird the area from the parking lot to where you step into the open bog (maybe all of 100-200 yards).  Just before you hit the bog, there is a small trail off to the left that you should also try.  Much of the Spruce Bog Trail beyond the bog goes through "ok" habitat, though it's a pretty walk if the day is nice.  I have been told by locals that the beginning of the trail and little trail to the left have been the best spots for Spruce Grouse for years, and I've seen them there myself twice.  Also, one of our party members had one when it trudged through thigh high snow (he flushed it because he almost fell on it), and the DVOC group had it there several weeks ago.

MEW LAKE CAMPGROUND

Mew Lake Campground.  We had a female Black-backed Woodpecker in the area of sites #72 to #76 for two days in a row.  A female Three-toed was there on the CBC.  Listen for tapping.  That's how I found it both times.  These campsites are to the right when you drive in and are clearly numbered.  It's worth checking out all the plowed roads in the campground.  We had a Red Fox, one party member had Boreal Chickadee, and another group had Pine Grosbeak on the road just outside the campground.

WESTGATE PARKING LOT

There is a feeder here and they (Evening Grosbeak) are often in the trees around the parking lot.  Continue west and bird the road carefully.  You should come across finch flocks picking up gravel and salt in the road, and they aren't real skittish.  Last time we picked up 3 dead White-wingeds and this time we got one, but you don't see too many dead ones.  The Ravens keep things pretty cleaned up.

2/24

We found the Great Gray Owl and Northern Hawk Owl near the intersection of Butter & Egg Road and Falkenburg Road, west of Bracebridge this afternoon between 3 and 4 pm.

Butter & Egg Road ends at Falkenburg Road. The Great Gray Owl was sitting at the top of  a dead tree beside Falkenburg Road about 100 yrads to the right of the intersection. This dead tree is near the road and is essentially the firtst tree of a grove of pine trees. He sat there quietly and afforded an easy and long view.

Continuing in the same direction along Falkenburg Road, there were 2 white-winged crossbills near the house numbered 1500. Also seen along the road, was a Ruffed Grouse in a tree. It appeared to be pecking at the branches.

From Bracebridge take District Road 118. This appears to be a continuation of Monck Drive. (Exit at Highway 118 from Highway 400 and go west until it meets Monck Road, a little beyond the Monck Road Public School. Turn left onto Monck Road and District Road 118 and go about 12 km until Butter & Egg Road. Turn right on Butter & Egg Road and follow it to the end where it meets Falkenburg Road.

2/8

Both birds were near the T-intersection of Butter & Egg Road and Falkenburg Road between noon and 1 p.m. on Wednesday, 7th February.  The Northern Hawk Owl was to the left on Falkenburg Road about 100m. from the intersection on the left - a scope was needed.  About 300m. from the intersection - to the right on Falkenburg Road - the Great Gray Owl was sitting on the local hydro ine. Joyce and I had a great close-up look at it.  Both birds made the trip veryworthwhile.

Directions (as given by A. Lang on 3 February):Go west approx. 12km. from Bracebridge on Highway 118W.  Turn right onButter & Egg Road, proceed 5km. along here until the T-intersection withFalkenburg Road.

2/7

1 seen Feb 7 and occasionally for last month near the junction of South Monk Drive and Partridge Lane. Last seen about 1.2 km west of the corner, unsuccessfully chased a Black Squirrel in a back yard. May be the same bird seen at Ziska Rd and Muskoka 118 on Feb 3. South Monk Drive is 1 km west of Bracebridge off Muskoka 118W. Reported by Wendy Moses

2/6

1 seen Feb 6, 2km west of the town of Rosseau beside Hwy 141. field north side of Hwy, farm nearby with Quonset Hut building. Reported by Rick Hillman.

2/5

In my Saturday night post about Bracebridge area owls I mentioned seeing an interesting raptor while zooming along highway 118 at Ziskas Road.  Bill Baughan and I suspected it was a Greay Gray, but we couldn't stop.  Someone stopped to look at that bird later the same day and, sure enough, it was a Great Gray Owl.  See Wayne Laubscher's message below.Directions:

From King's Highway 11 at Muskoka Falls turn west on King's Highway 118 and proceed about 6 km (give or take 3 km) until you see the sign on the north (right) side for Ziskas Road.

2/5

Bert

I would try the Cedar Lane location first, now two there, both seen today.  This location is also the easiest to get to. Follow Hwy 11 to Taylor Rd,  this is the north entrance to Bracebridge. Go west over the overpass and  take the first right which is Cedar lane. Go north to  #1680. Look in the  fields from there to the next sharp right bend at Cedar Farm Lane. Also  look down Cedar Farm Lane and around the house on the bend.

If you miss them or want to try for the Northern Hawk Owl also go to the Falkenburg Rd location. Follow Taylor Rd into town, turn right at the first traffic lights, turn left at the third traffic lights. You should be on Muskoka 118 W (Formerly Hwy 118 W), go 13 km west of town turn right (north) on Butter and Egg Road, go 5 km to Falkenburg Road. a) turn left 0.5 km to 1700 Falkenburg/Beatrice Town Line, Hawk Owl is on the left on the trees quite a distance out in the middle of the field. Also Great Grays beside road here sometimes. If you don't see them go further and check all the fields in the area. b) turn right 1 km +or- to 1529 Falkenburg. The Great Grays have been up this way lately

Take my telephone number with you and call if you need an update on the latest sightings. Good Luck!

Al

                   From: the Sinclair Residence

           Located in the beautiful backwoods of Muskoka

                 Near Uffington, Ontario, Canada

                       Al, Joan & Sarah Sinclair

                       RR 3, Bracebridge, Ontario

                           Canada  P1L 1X1

                         Tel: (705) 645-2848

2/3

On our way to the last reported locations of the owls, were driving west along hwy 118 and spotted a large raptor south of hwy 118, a few hundred meters east of the entrance to Ziskas Road.  However, we couldn't signal our group's other vehicle ahead of us, so we didn't stop to check it out.  This might be worthwhile for future observers to check out. Later, on Falkenburg Road a couple of hundred meters north of the intersection of Falkenburg and Butter and Egg Roads, we saw a GREAT GRAY OWL hunting a couple of hundred meters east of Falkenburg Road.  It was using perches on the eastern edge of a hill just east of a farmyard.  It returned from one foray with a meal. From the same point on Falkenburg Road we could see the HAWK OWL in the opposite direction.  The bird was using various perches about 300 m west of Falkenburg Road. We turned around and drove south and east before spotting a GREAT GRAY OWL perched on a power line over Falkenburg Road a few hundred meters south of its intersection with Butter and Egg Road.  We returned to Falkenburg Road and parked south of the owl to watch it hunt.  After scanning for voles from that perch, the owl flew slowly past our passenger side windows to perch about 25 m south of us.  It changed perches on the wire occasionally, at one point landing right above some of our heads!  Like many northern bird species, it paid us no more attention than it would to a browsing moose. However, I suspect that talking and making other noise might interfere with its ability to hear voles under the snow cover.  We did not see two Gray Owls simultaneously, so we don't know if this was a different bird. Directions: Go west approximately 12 km from Bracebridge on Highway 118W.   Turn right on Butter and Egg Road, proceed 5 km up Butter and Egg from 118W until a T-intersection with Falkenburg Rd. The Hawk Owl and one Great Gray Owl sighting were north (left turn), whereas the second Gray Owl was to the south (right turn).

HAWK OWL – near Bracebridge

2/27

We were unable to find the Northern Hawk Owl reported by others in the vicinity.

2/24

The Northern Hawk Owl was  seen by going left at the intersection of Butter & Egg Road and Falkenburg Road. It was perched at the top of a tree which was one of a line of trees going back from the road into the fields behind 1700 Falkenburg Road. Unlike the Great Gray Owl, it was best seen with a scope.

GREAT GRAY OWL – near Huntsville

2/22

Just at dusk yesterday evening (February 22), Laura Tozer saw a Great Gray Owl along Highway 60 at Hillside, between Huntsville and Dwight (Muskoka). The owl was perched in a large tree bordering a big open field on the north side of the highway between Friendly Acres Resort and Pendale Farm (signed properties). This area was the location of the Northern Hawk Owl reported earlier in the winter.

Hillside is a hamlet on Highway 60, between Huntsville and Dwight. From Toronto, take Highways 400 and 11 north to Huntsville, and then go east on Highway 60.

 

 

Section 4 – Other Species / Other Locations

 

GRAY PARTRIDGE – Cape Vincent

2/18

GREY PARTIDGE were hunkered down on a windswept field a short distance south of Cape Vincent Village (NY)

GRAY PARTRIDGE – Brantford

2/25

5 Gray Partridge were located hunkered down next to the fence at the terminal Building of the Brantford airport right behind a set of picnic tables at about 11:30 A.M. Take Rest Acres Road south from Hwy 403. Turn left to Hwy 24/53. Left on 24 to the airport which is on your left.

2/24

I travelled out to Brantford Airport this morning and located 5 Gray Partridge at the intersection of Airport and Aviation Roads. They were right at the fence line, between the "gate 3" and "#140" signs, and right below the "Brant Aero" sign. The fence is only about 20 feet from the road so the viewing is great!

Take Rest Acres Road south from Hwy 403.  Turn left to Hwy 24/53.  Left on 24 to the airport which is on your left.

2/22

GRAY PARTRIDGE at the Brantford Airport.  They were at the intersect of Airport and Aviation Rds., about 50' beyond the fence right between 2 signs.  One sign said "gate 3"the other "#140".  They were spotted at exactly 1PM and we had great views as they ignored us and leisurely fed. 

GYRFALCON – Fort Eire

2/18

I am relaying a message from Kevin McLaughlin of Hamilton, who, at about 9:30 a.m. this morning (Sunday, February 18), found a gray morph GYRFALCON at Fort Erie.  The bird was sitting on an ice ridge about 300 m offshore at
the foot of Bardol Ave. and Lakeshore Rd. in the Fort Erie Beach/Waverly Beach area.

Directions (as best I can figure from my map): From the QEW highway, take the last exit before the Peace Bridge. Go south on Lakeshore Rd., go past the Old Fort Erie to the end of Lakeshore, which ends at Bardol Ave. View the lake ice from here

Hawk Owl – Beeton

2/23

A Northern Hawk Owl was reported to me after I had done the regular Friday evening Starphone tape. It was located 1/3 km west of Beeton today along hydro lines. Go north on hwy 400, west on hwy 88, north a short distance on hwy 27 then west on county 1 to Beeton. 

 

 

Section 5 – Trip Reports

 

Adrian Binns, et.al 2/23/01

WARREN CAIRO, DOUG MCREA ET AL. 2/2-4

Martin, you missed a great trip.  It was just super! 
We stayed in Kingston at the Ambassador Hotel , it was very nice, had a nice restaurant, it's reasonably close to the ferry, and has

a Tim Horton's (great places for coffee, quick lunch, and clean restrooms) just up the road.
From Middletown it was about 5 hours driving time.  We didn't see much on the way up, just a Bobcat along interstate 81.

We met Doug for dinner and caught up on things over a beer or two.  We took the 7:30 am ferry, the first is 6:30 am, and the Ivory gull was not to be found.  So we got to the Island about 8 and the roads were quite icy from the freezing rain.  They we already sanding and the roads were not a problem.  We saw our first Snowy Owl within a mile of the ferry.  Also 2 Rough-legged hawks, a N. Shrike and a Red-Tail before we got to the lake side of the island.  In the open water we had Common Goldeneye, Common Mergs, and Bufflehead.  When you get to Alex's house (check the feeders) there is a road to your left that we were able to drive,  right to the access to the "Owl Wood".  In the Woods, Alex has setup a feeding station and it has lot's of Chickadee's that will take seeds from your hands.  There are numerous packed trails throughout the woods.  We were there during the
week so we had them all to ourselves.  I think that helped with the Long-eared Owls.  The first group of  3, we walked right up to, and they were not spooked at all.  Feathers were all fluffed out and we could observe them at our leisure.  Right at the limit of my close focus range.  The Saw-whet's were pretty easy to approach as was the Boreal.  All great looks.
We had about 15 Long-Eared,  6 Saw-Whet's, 1- Boreal, and  5 Snowy's on the Island.  If you stay until dusk you should get Short Eared owls.  We wanted to try for the N. Hawk-owls, so we left the island on the 1:00 pm ferry. The ferry's leave the mainland on the half-hour and return from the island on the hour ($C3.50 paid on the way out).
When we got off the island it was snowing pretty hard, but it was not windy, so it was really pretty.  Doug took us to an area to look for the N Hawk-owl that in itself was simply beautiful, especially with the gently falling snow.  We made a few passes with no luck, and just when I thought we would have to try again in the morning, with a snowplow bearing down on us, we found the bird.  Great looks amid the falling snow.

The roads were bad enough that we just headed back to the hotel which was a good decision judging by the number of cars off the road.    

We also wanted to see the Great-Gray.  So we got an early start since it would take quite a bit of driving.  We went thru Algonquin Provincial park, where we saw large numbers of  White-winged cross bills, Pine & Evening Grosbeaks, Pine Siskins, and Ruffed Grouse, one male displaying was quite a thing to see.  We were hoping to find one of the flocks of Bohemian waxwings that had been reported (200-300), but we never found them.   We did find 2 Great-Gray's and another N. Hawk-Owl.  We were able to observe the first Great-Gray until we got tired of watching him in the scopes.  Simply fantastic!
The weather and daylight prevented us from getting to the lake to search out the rare, for us, Thayer’s gull or any gulls for that matter.
On the way home, we went thru Joyceville for another N Hawk-Owl that was where Doug 'promised' it would be.  It was there. We also had large flocks of snow buntings on the way back to the 401 via 16.  When we got back to NYS we took Route 3 from Watertown thru the Adirondack's to search out the N Hawk-Owl in Bloomingdale bog, which we were lucky enough to find along with a Black backed woodpecker and more White-winged crossbills.
All-in-All it was a great trip, 4 life birds, 3 state birds in beautiful surroundings and an Outstanding Leader.  Doug, has offered to provide you some assistance if you do get up there, and suggests you get there sooner rather than later.  There is no way to predict how long the owls will be hanging around.

Hope to see you soon in Cape May, or birding anywhere. 
Let me know if your doing any local trips that we might be able to join up with you.
Stay well & good birding!

 

WINDFELDER, BRENDEL, SHERMAN, WALTERS TRIP REPORT

DVOC members Erica Brendel, Chris Walters, Frank Windfelder and I took a long weekend in Ontario that was so successful it shouldn’t' even be believed. Thanks go to Paul Guris, who shared sightings and directions from his trip two weeks earlier. We left the Philadelphia area at 10 p.m. on Friday, 26 , and drove through the night, arriving Saturday at 7 a.m. at the ferry for Amherst Island. On the island, in a light to moderate snowfall, with temps in the 20s, we had 1 Boreal, 2 Saw-whets, about 4-6 Long-eared (about 12 reported that day), 4 Snowy Owls, 5 Rough-legs (about 11 reported), 3 Northern Shrikes and 1 Glaucous Gull. We could have searched more, but we wanted to make the 11 a.m. ferry back to the mainland, which we did. In Blessington, just north of Belleville, we had our first Hawk Owl--just spectacular, fairly close to the road. Most of the rest of the day was spent driving west and north.

Sunday, 28 Jan., was SUPERB OWL SUNDAY. You bet it was. Final score: Great Grays 2, Hawk Owls 1. All 3 were in the Bracebridge area, and all were amazingly accommodating. The first Great Gray was perched in a tree near the road. There's nothing like watching a close Great Gray through binoculars as it takes off, heading directly at you! It probably cleared our heads by 4 or 5 feet and flew through the woods and into a tree in the opposite field, where we studied it for a while, watching it dive into the snow and fly around a bit.  The Hawk Owl was just a few miles away. When we retraced our route, we found one Great Gray, then the original bird in the field where we'd seen it earlier, this time perched on a low fence. As we drove back through Huntsville,  on our way to Algonquin Provincial .Park, we intersected with two flocks of Bohemian Waxwings, at least 200 total.  We were fortunate that, at that point, the sun came out, and we were able to fully appreciate the subtleties of this handsome species. Most of the weekend was overcast, with occasional snow showers, temps in the teens and 20s. The roads were almost always in excellent shape, though, except for some small back roads .In the park, just as Paul told us, there were White-winged Crossbills everywhere--easily hundreds of birds. A majority of them were males, many of them singing--not just that, but some were doing this incredible skylarking behavior. We often had the birds in low branches or on the ground, within just a few yards. We had Pine Siskins in several places, inside and outside of the park. In a great feat of serendipity, late in the afternoon, a male Spruce Grouse flew across our path and landed into a tree 15 feet from us as we walked down the Spruce Bog Boardwalk. On Monday, 29 Jan, we found 15 Evening Grosbeaks at the feeders at the West Gate of the park in early morning. Along Opeongo Trail road, we had 10 Pine Grosbeaks: 4 females near Highway 60 and 2 males and 4 females at the other end (as far as it's plowed). One of the males was singing!  We also had 2 Boreal Chickadees at the end of the plowed road. Of our target birds, the only misses were the three-toed woodpeckers. We figured we ought to leave something for another winter. Total weekend mileage: 1525. Mileage from the east end of Algonquin Park to Wynnewood: 529. Time from Algonquin to Wynnewood, including stops (and being the lucky 200th car through the border, which triggers an automatic search):

 

Sandy Sherman