Join Us For International Migratory Bird Day Sat May 12th
On Saturday May 12th please join us at Rosetta McClain Gardens to enjoy all the great birds that can be seen. We will try to point out everything in,around,above and below the gardens. I will be present from 7am onward until the early evening.
A Few Nice Surprises
Nancy and I met up with Walter, Murray,and Debbie today at Rosetta to see
what we could find. While we stood beneath the boughs of a Spruce tree, a large Redtail swooped in and circled overhead, around
the park and then perched in one of the Poplars by the bluff. While we
were distracted by the Redtail, a beautiful adult Bald Eagle soared
heading east just along the shoreline and disappeared as quickly as it
arrived. After the breathless encounters enjoyed by all, we headed up
towards the parking lot and were distracted by several flocks of Cedar
Waxwings (total of about 60+ birds) in the almost bare mountain ash
trees which still had lots of dried berries. They gorged on the dried
berries while we watched until we left the park about 1:00pm. (sorry no eagle pics)
Obviously, Rosetta likes our company so get down there in the next few
days as it looks like the signs of an early Spring are bringing lots
of feathered friends for us to enjoy. There are lots of Robins, and we
also saw some Golden Crowned Kinglets flitting about.Thanks to Pat and Nancy for this account of activity at Rosetta and use of their photos.
what we could find. While we stood beneath the boughs of a Spruce tree, a large Redtail swooped in and circled overhead, around
the park and then perched in one of the Poplars by the bluff. While we
were distracted by the Redtail, a beautiful adult Bald Eagle soared
heading east just along the shoreline and disappeared as quickly as it
arrived. After the breathless encounters enjoyed by all, we headed up
towards the parking lot and were distracted by several flocks of Cedar
Waxwings (total of about 60+ birds) in the almost bare mountain ash
trees which still had lots of dried berries. They gorged on the dried
berries while we watched until we left the park about 1:00pm. (sorry no eagle pics)
Obviously, Rosetta likes our company so get down there in the next few
days as it looks like the signs of an early Spring are bringing lots
of feathered friends for us to enjoy. There are lots of Robins, and we
also saw some Golden Crowned Kinglets flitting about.Thanks to Pat and Nancy for this account of activity at Rosetta and use of their photos.
CPF At Toronto Sportsmens Show
Ann,myself and a few other Rosetta McClain Gardens Raptor Watchers will be at The Metro Convention Centre again this coming week, to show The Canadian Peregrine Foundation's educational birds of prey. March 14-18th is the show. This year we will be doing a flight demonstration this year. Max and Boo will be showing off their flying skills. I hope some of you will attend the show and stop by the booth and say hello.
We just finished the Ottawa show near the end of Feb and it was a great success. Folks in Ottawa were very generous! Tomahawk our newest feathered educator made his debut.
For Information:
http://www.torontosportshow.ca/visitors/
Hope to see there!
We just finished the Ottawa show near the end of Feb and it was a great success. Folks in Ottawa were very generous! Tomahawk our newest feathered educator made his debut.
http://www.torontosportshow.ca/visitors/
Hope to see there!
Mike 3's Winter Raptor Shots
Mike 3 sent me some great shots he's taken this winter. Like Colin2 he saw and photographed the Peregrine Falcons at Tommy Thompson Park(The Spit),which was great to see. He also sent along a very different shot of a Redtailed Hawk that was stretching Mike wrote: I included some Coopers shots and one RT hawk. Flying Coop shots taken at Presquile in early Jan. Sitting Coop shots taken at Thickson Woods in the meadow area late Jan. snd one interesting RT shot at Presquile Provincial Park late Jan.
Thanks again Mike, I encourage Rosetta raptor fans to keep sending sighting and photos over the winter and spring.
Thanks again Mike, I encourage Rosetta raptor fans to keep sending sighting and photos over the winter and spring.
Bald Eagles At Nanticoke
Over the past few days, Ann and Janice(on their own),Tracy and I (a few days later)have been down to Lake Erie to view overwintering Bald Eagles. Ann was lucky enough to get a photo of a perched juvenile Bald Eagle and a beautiful flight shot. Thanks to Ann Brokelman for the great shots. Tracy and I saw 9 Bald Eagles soar together, sometimes calling and talon touching. While there we even bumped into Colin 1 and his wife. We had a beautiful full adult circling above us. Those are my photos. 
We hope to get back there fairly soon.
Peregrines At Tommy Thompson Park
Fox siting today!
Hey all,
I wandered over to Rosetta today to see if the daffodils and tulips had popped up and ran into Carol in the parking lot. We started to walk around when I spotted a beautiful, small red fox! I didn't have my DSLR on me but I did have my point and shoot so that will explain the quality or lack thereof of the following photos:
It saw us walking along one of the paths and started heading east. It stopped to lie down in the snow once, then I got closer (I was quite a ways away still) and it started going towards the house on the edge of the bluffs on the eastern side. There is a gate by the house and it slipped through and kept going.
I went back down tonight with Ann and we ran into Cori but no fox. However, we think this was the fox that was treated and released by TWC a few months ago. He looks really good, his coat is very plush and we didn't notice any bare patches.
Also, I set up a Facebook page for the park. Click here and "like" us!
Lee
I wandered over to Rosetta today to see if the daffodils and tulips had popped up and ran into Carol in the parking lot. We started to walk around when I spotted a beautiful, small red fox! I didn't have my DSLR on me but I did have my point and shoot so that will explain the quality or lack thereof of the following photos:
It saw us walking along one of the paths and started heading east. It stopped to lie down in the snow once, then I got closer (I was quite a ways away still) and it started going towards the house on the edge of the bluffs on the eastern side. There is a gate by the house and it slipped through and kept going.
I went back down tonight with Ann and we ran into Cori but no fox. However, we think this was the fox that was treated and released by TWC a few months ago. He looks really good, his coat is very plush and we didn't notice any bare patches.
Also, I set up a Facebook page for the park. Click here and "like" us!
Lee
Swimming Coopers Hawk In Whitby Harbour!!
Sunday, Jan 22nd:
OMG ooops we did it again. Tracy and I went to check on a few Peregrine nest sites, and inbetween we did some general birding. We popped into Thicksons Woods to see the Great Horned Owls. We spotted one and then heard the other answer a call. Both were burried so no photos. From there we decided to drop in to Whitby Harbour, almost literally!!
We stopped and saw a Trumpeter Swan very near the road. It was too friendly. We later learned from Chris who we bumped into there(having just hung up on Ann!!,the nerve of some people) that C15 tagged Trumpeter had walked right into a primary school recently and TWC had to go and remove him! While I dallied taking the Swan's photo,Tracy heard a splash. She called to me and I heard "he's going to drown her". She had called out "she's going to drown!" I thought she was referring to a male duck mating a female as sometimes the male holds the female under while mating her, but no!! Flailing around,paddling even with both wings is a Coopers Hawk in the water. It was well into the water and really struggling. Tracy saw the Coopers Hawk,a 2nd year,female(from pics the eye wasnt totally changed colour) hit and grab onto a gull! The weight of the gull and momentum carried both into the water at least 20ft-30ft from shore. The Coopers was clamped on and trying to paddle/swim with both wings to pull the gull to shore. We dont think the gull was completely dead when they hit the water as there was an initial struggle. The Coopers was suffering under the weight of dragging the gull, and we could see it was running out of gas. Both Tracy and I contemplated jumping in the water to try to save the bird. Soon it went under completely. For a moment that seemed like forever the Coopers Hawk disappeared from view beneath the water, when with one last effort it emegered, leaving go of its meal and flying to a very low branch in the water. Its tail was still in the water from where it perched. WOW were we glad to see it at least above water. She sorted herself out, and moved to a higher perch and began preening and trying to dry off. Eventually she made her way to the shore and sat drying in the sun and terrible cold breeze. There was no way of reaching her at all. We worried she may freeze before she could dry off. We had to leave,hoping for the best.
We returned awhile later after checking the harbour. We saw a car pulled over and someone out taking photos. I spotted first what she was taking pics of. The Coopers had flown across the street and into a roadside tree,catching the last hour of sun, preening and drying further. She would be OK. The person taking the photos was our friend Chris! We told her what this Coopers Hawk had just been up to! Another sighting of a lifetime!! Tracy did get video of the swimming Coopers. I will try to get her to post it and show it to you.
Tracy's accounts of each of the last 2 days are at CPFs website with a few photos.(sorry you'll have to copy and paste the links, darned if I can figure out how to make it an active link)
Saturday
http://www.peregrine-foundation.ca/w/2012/01/sightings/a-visit-to-holcim-both-adults-present/
Sunday
http://www.peregrine-foundation.ca/w/2012/01/sightings/a-swimming-coopers-hawk-at-whitby-harbour/
OMG ooops we did it again. Tracy and I went to check on a few Peregrine nest sites, and inbetween we did some general birding. We popped into Thicksons Woods to see the Great Horned Owls. We spotted one and then heard the other answer a call. Both were burried so no photos. From there we decided to drop in to Whitby Harbour, almost literally!!
We stopped and saw a Trumpeter Swan very near the road. It was too friendly. We later learned from Chris who we bumped into there(having just hung up on Ann!!,the nerve of some people) that C15 tagged Trumpeter had walked right into a primary school recently and TWC had to go and remove him! While I dallied taking the Swan's photo,Tracy heard a splash. She called to me and I heard "he's going to drown her". She had called out "she's going to drown!" I thought she was referring to a male duck mating a female as sometimes the male holds the female under while mating her, but no!! Flailing around,paddling even with both wings is a Coopers Hawk in the water. It was well into the water and really struggling. Tracy saw the Coopers Hawk,a 2nd year,female(from pics the eye wasnt totally changed colour) hit and grab onto a gull! The weight of the gull and momentum carried both into the water at least 20ft-30ft from shore. The Coopers was clamped on and trying to paddle/swim with both wings to pull the gull to shore. We dont think the gull was completely dead when they hit the water as there was an initial struggle. The Coopers was suffering under the weight of dragging the gull, and we could see it was running out of gas. Both Tracy and I contemplated jumping in the water to try to save the bird. Soon it went under completely. For a moment that seemed like forever the Coopers Hawk disappeared from view beneath the water, when with one last effort it emegered, leaving go of its meal and flying to a very low branch in the water. Its tail was still in the water from where it perched. WOW were we glad to see it at least above water. She sorted herself out, and moved to a higher perch and began preening and trying to dry off. Eventually she made her way to the shore and sat drying in the sun and terrible cold breeze. There was no way of reaching her at all. We worried she may freeze before she could dry off. We had to leave,hoping for the best.
We returned awhile later after checking the harbour. We saw a car pulled over and someone out taking photos. I spotted first what she was taking pics of. The Coopers had flown across the street and into a roadside tree,catching the last hour of sun, preening and drying further. She would be OK. The person taking the photos was our friend Chris! We told her what this Coopers Hawk had just been up to! Another sighting of a lifetime!! Tracy did get video of the swimming Coopers. I will try to get her to post it and show it to you.
Tracy's accounts of each of the last 2 days are at CPFs website with a few photos.(sorry you'll have to copy and paste the links, darned if I can figure out how to make it an active link)
Saturday
http://www.peregrine-foundation.ca/w/2012/01/sightings/a-visit-to-holcim-both-adults-present/
Sunday
http://www.peregrine-foundation.ca/w/2012/01/sightings/a-swimming-coopers-hawk-at-whitby-harbour/
Freezing 3 Falcon Day Jan 21 2012
Today was just an incredible lesson in "you never know what you will see". Tracy and I have been busy checking up on various Peregrine Falcon nesting pairs around the GTA, mostly in the westend as its closer to home.
On Sunday we wanted to check a few sites. We started our day at Holcim,in Mississauga,the old St Lawrence Cement plant. We spotted the pair fairly easily and set about trying to ID both adults. The female gave us some information. She had a black over green band and a silver USFG band. This means she is possibly from New York,but we have to confirm 100% when we are able to see the band numbers in the future. That was good news and we decided to leave for our 2nd stop at King St,in downtown Toronto, BUT WAIT, we got to the corner and saw a huge flock(murmuration is the new buzz word) of European Starlings twisting and turning in the sky. We watched looking for a bird of prey among them. The Starlings landed absolutely covering powerlines. While Tracy tried to get photos as a record of just how many there were,I spotted a Kestrel just beside us. We started taking photos of that perched atop a roadside tree. We decided again, time to move on, BUT WAIT, we hear a distress call(scream) of a Starling and then see a bird fly low across the road infront of us, landing on the grass across the road. Its our 3rd falcon species in one block! A Merlin has taken down a Starling and is finishing it off. It begins to eat when it is spooked from its meal by...a Redtailed Hawk in a tree behind it! The Merlin flew up to a powerline above the abandoned meal. Clearly it was interested in going back down to eat, as it looked down upon its lunch. Moments passed and finally it swooped down and made one aborted attempt before it successfully snatched up its prize and flew off out of sight to eat! What a series of events! No wonder the Starlings were wheeling all over the sky,4 predators within a block and 3 at one intersection!!
We finally proceeded to King St. We thawed out in the pizza joint near our chosen watch location and both adults flew in. We could only verify that the male was banded black over black,making it an Ontario produced and banded bird. The couple seemed uneasy and we half expected to see a 3rd Peregrine in the territory. We were frozen again after a couple hours so we moved on. We made quick stop ins at Islington and Bloor nestsite, where we found Angel was out but Jack was in. Continuing our "Tour de Peregrine" we dropped into the William Osler site,where OConnor was out but we found Hurricane on their favorite hospital H.
It was quite a day. Such as they are here are my photos of today, I hope to post a few of Tracys superior shots soon. Id love to post a story or 2 about the rare birds some of you have been seeing around Toronto and area. Please send them to me to post if U wish. Photos would be great too!
On Sunday we wanted to check a few sites. We started our day at Holcim,in Mississauga,the old St Lawrence Cement plant. We spotted the pair fairly easily and set about trying to ID both adults. The female gave us some information. She had a black over green band and a silver USFG band. This means she is possibly from New York,but we have to confirm 100% when we are able to see the band numbers in the future. That was good news and we decided to leave for our 2nd stop at King St,in downtown Toronto, BUT WAIT, we got to the corner and saw a huge flock(murmuration is the new buzz word) of European Starlings twisting and turning in the sky. We watched looking for a bird of prey among them. The Starlings landed absolutely covering powerlines. While Tracy tried to get photos as a record of just how many there were,I spotted a Kestrel just beside us. We started taking photos of that perched atop a roadside tree. We decided again, time to move on, BUT WAIT, we hear a distress call(scream) of a Starling and then see a bird fly low across the road infront of us, landing on the grass across the road. Its our 3rd falcon species in one block! A Merlin has taken down a Starling and is finishing it off. It begins to eat when it is spooked from its meal by...a Redtailed Hawk in a tree behind it! The Merlin flew up to a powerline above the abandoned meal. Clearly it was interested in going back down to eat, as it looked down upon its lunch. Moments passed and finally it swooped down and made one aborted attempt before it successfully snatched up its prize and flew off out of sight to eat! What a series of events! No wonder the Starlings were wheeling all over the sky,4 predators within a block and 3 at one intersection!!
We finally proceeded to King St. We thawed out in the pizza joint near our chosen watch location and both adults flew in. We could only verify that the male was banded black over black,making it an Ontario produced and banded bird. The couple seemed uneasy and we half expected to see a 3rd Peregrine in the territory. We were frozen again after a couple hours so we moved on. We made quick stop ins at Islington and Bloor nestsite, where we found Angel was out but Jack was in. Continuing our "Tour de Peregrine" we dropped into the William Osler site,where OConnor was out but we found Hurricane on their favorite hospital H.
It was quite a day. Such as they are here are my photos of today, I hope to post a few of Tracys superior shots soon. Id love to post a story or 2 about the rare birds some of you have been seeing around Toronto and area. Please send them to me to post if U wish. Photos would be great too!
A Peregrine Sighting and Happy New Year!
Happy New Year to everyone following the blog and especially my Rosetta McClain Gardens Raptor Watch pals.
Today Jan 4th,Pat and Nancy Anderson sent Ann a photo of a Peregrine Falcon they took down at Bluffers Park. As it turned out,it is the same Peregrine Ann had photographed back in October and I had ID'd some time later. Thanks for the quick ID Ann,
Pat and Nancy observed the Peregrine hunting ducks and pigeons at Bluffers Park. Centennial as she is known caught herself a pigeon in a parkinglot near the restaurant. Thanks to them for this photo.
I have let the folks in Ohio know about both sightings,through my volunteer work with The Canadian Peregrine Foundation.
After the last sighting and reporting it to the folks in Ohio,I got this message from Amy C.
Thanks for the info on Centennial - I was at her banding at Lakeshore Power Plant, and then back as a raptor rescuer when she got blown off the nest/took a premature flight a few week afterwards. I'll let my contact @ the plant know. Chris told me about your post....it made my day!
Amy sent along this photo of the day Centennial was resecued after a premature fledge.
And this from Chad and Chris who work with the Peregrine Falcons in Ohio and who were also present at the banding:
Thanks again for the information and pics, Frank! You thrilled many with it!
Thanks to Ann,Pat and Nancy for their contributions. You all deserve credit for those thrills.
Today Jan 4th,Pat and Nancy Anderson sent Ann a photo of a Peregrine Falcon they took down at Bluffers Park. As it turned out,it is the same Peregrine Ann had photographed back in October and I had ID'd some time later. Thanks for the quick ID Ann,
Pat and Nancy observed the Peregrine hunting ducks and pigeons at Bluffers Park. Centennial as she is known caught herself a pigeon in a parkinglot near the restaurant. Thanks to them for this photo.
After the last sighting and reporting it to the folks in Ohio,I got this message from Amy C.
Thanks for the info on Centennial - I was at her banding at Lakeshore Power Plant, and then back as a raptor rescuer when she got blown off the nest/took a premature flight a few week afterwards. I'll let my contact @ the plant know. Chris told me about your post....it made my day!
Amy sent along this photo of the day Centennial was resecued after a premature fledge.
And this from Chad and Chris who work with the Peregrine Falcons in Ohio and who were also present at the banding:
Thanks again for the information and pics, Frank! You thrilled many with it!
Thanks to Ann,Pat and Nancy for their contributions. You all deserve credit for those thrills.
Snowy Owl Invasion
This winter is an irruptive year for Snowy Owls. They are being seen all over southern Ontario and northeastern US border states. Every 3 or 4 years there is a die-off of their main prey,Lemmings. As a result more Snowy Owls than normal move south. This results in alot more human contact than usual,because so many people,most of us included wish to see and photograph them. I know the regular followers of this site follow good birding etiquette,but we have all heard the stories.Wherever you go this winter,to see a Snowy Owl,I hope you will enjoy sightings of Snowy Owls(or other species)but respect them,their space and the land owners.
Ive pinched alot of the following from our buddy Rob,of Rob and Angie,as I believe Rob said things very well. To see his posting on the same topic see his blog at http://robandtheanimals.blogspot.com/
Many of these Snowy Owls will arrive near starvation as many fly non-stop to where you find them,so allowing them the room and time to hunt is very important. Disturbing a bird that is hunting may do them out of a meal with terrible unintended results. Already several Snowy Owls have arrived at local bird and wildlife rehabilitation centres suffering from starvation. Sadly,some havent made it.
A 2nd issue is car strikes,while going after prey,so please be careful when out looking for owls. If you or someone you know comes into contact with an injured owl or otherwise distressed raptor,it is of utmost importance to get in touch with and transfer the animal to a licensed wildlife rehabiliator as soon as possible. This is in the very best interests of any wildlife you find and can mean the difference between life and death.
Please do not attempt rehabilitation of wildlife on your own. Communication with experienced, licensed rehabilitators is key to providing the best care for sick, injured or orphaned wildlife. Licensed rehabilitators have been specially trained for triage, convalescence and paliative care of wild animals.
Most provinces of Canada allow their citizens to hold onto wildlife for a maximum of 24 hours at which time the wildlife must be released or transferred to an authorized wildlife rehabilitator. It is illegal to maintain wildlife beyond this 24 hour limit without special permitting from the Ministry of Natural Resources. These regulations have been set in place to protect our native wildlife from typically well-meaning, but inexperienced people. Animals, especially those injured, sick or orphaned, require special care and medical needs that most people are unable, unwilling or too niave to provide properly.
If the bird you have found is showing signs of sickness or injury such as difficulty breathing, bleeding, stumbling, fractures or other trauma, the animal will require immediate medical attention. If you have trouble finding a local rehabilitator, consider contacting your local veterinarian. Many veterinarians can do simple, cheap procedures such as wing wrapping, pain relief and fluid therapy until a rehabilitator can be contacted.
BIGFRANK's note Try these places if the bird is in trouble:
Toronto Wildlife Centre
The Owl Foundation
The Canadian Peregrine Foundation 416-481-1233
(or me directly by email or phone(those with it) who will contact CPF staff) I hesitate to provide numbers,as these may periodically change,a quick search of the internet should provide U with what you need. Someone at these numbers should be able to help or direct you to help. For birders who are out frequently keeping the numbers handy may be worthwhile.
Lastly,the reason both Rob and I posted about the Snowy Owls...
Last Monday he and I got together and went in search of a Snowy Owl reported near where I live now in Schomberg,Ontario. It is only about 10km from me. We almost didnt bother going as the last report the owl was so far into a field even with a scope it was difficult to see. Being so close though we couldnt resist. We arrived and scoured the field with our binoculars,seeing nothing in the fields,but we both observed an interesting shape atop some white pipes a great distance away. We both agreed further investigation was merritted. From our vantage point we could see there was access down a secondary road which seemed should get us reasonably close to the Snowy Owls location. Indeed it did. We stopped short of where the owl was and got our cameras out. We each enjoyed the sighting and snapped a few photos. These are heavily cropped photos,so getting ridiculously close wasnt necessary. The bird eventually flew into a field,presumably after prey. It was a beautiful adult male Snowy Owl. Adult males are much whiter than more heavily marked females or juvenile birds.Enjoy,we sure did.
Beautiful Adult Male Snowy Owl
Ive pinched alot of the following from our buddy Rob,of Rob and Angie,as I believe Rob said things very well. To see his posting on the same topic see his blog at http://robandtheanimals.blogspot.com/
Many of these Snowy Owls will arrive near starvation as many fly non-stop to where you find them,so allowing them the room and time to hunt is very important. Disturbing a bird that is hunting may do them out of a meal with terrible unintended results. Already several Snowy Owls have arrived at local bird and wildlife rehabilitation centres suffering from starvation. Sadly,some havent made it.
A 2nd issue is car strikes,while going after prey,so please be careful when out looking for owls. If you or someone you know comes into contact with an injured owl or otherwise distressed raptor,it is of utmost importance to get in touch with and transfer the animal to a licensed wildlife rehabiliator as soon as possible. This is in the very best interests of any wildlife you find and can mean the difference between life and death.
Please do not attempt rehabilitation of wildlife on your own. Communication with experienced, licensed rehabilitators is key to providing the best care for sick, injured or orphaned wildlife. Licensed rehabilitators have been specially trained for triage, convalescence and paliative care of wild animals.
Most provinces of Canada allow their citizens to hold onto wildlife for a maximum of 24 hours at which time the wildlife must be released or transferred to an authorized wildlife rehabilitator. It is illegal to maintain wildlife beyond this 24 hour limit without special permitting from the Ministry of Natural Resources. These regulations have been set in place to protect our native wildlife from typically well-meaning, but inexperienced people. Animals, especially those injured, sick or orphaned, require special care and medical needs that most people are unable, unwilling or too niave to provide properly.
If the bird you have found is showing signs of sickness or injury such as difficulty breathing, bleeding, stumbling, fractures or other trauma, the animal will require immediate medical attention. If you have trouble finding a local rehabilitator, consider contacting your local veterinarian. Many veterinarians can do simple, cheap procedures such as wing wrapping, pain relief and fluid therapy until a rehabilitator can be contacted.
BIGFRANK's note Try these places if the bird is in trouble:
Toronto Wildlife Centre
The Owl Foundation
The Canadian Peregrine Foundation 416-481-1233
(or me directly by email or phone(those with it) who will contact CPF staff) I hesitate to provide numbers,as these may periodically change,a quick search of the internet should provide U with what you need. Someone at these numbers should be able to help or direct you to help. For birders who are out frequently keeping the numbers handy may be worthwhile.
Lastly,the reason both Rob and I posted about the Snowy Owls...
Last Monday he and I got together and went in search of a Snowy Owl reported near where I live now in Schomberg,Ontario. It is only about 10km from me. We almost didnt bother going as the last report the owl was so far into a field even with a scope it was difficult to see. Being so close though we couldnt resist. We arrived and scoured the field with our binoculars,seeing nothing in the fields,but we both observed an interesting shape atop some white pipes a great distance away. We both agreed further investigation was merritted. From our vantage point we could see there was access down a secondary road which seemed should get us reasonably close to the Snowy Owls location. Indeed it did. We stopped short of where the owl was and got our cameras out. We each enjoyed the sighting and snapped a few photos. These are heavily cropped photos,so getting ridiculously close wasnt necessary. The bird eventually flew into a field,presumably after prey. It was a beautiful adult male Snowy Owl. Adult males are much whiter than more heavily marked females or juvenile birds.Enjoy,we sure did.
Beautiful Adult Male Snowy Owl
Special Report:Brunch Was Great...Thanks Lee!
On a cold Scarborough day, a group of the Raptor Watch faithful met up at Tucker’s Marketplace for brunch. Little did we know a few birds would follow!
The food was delicious and plentiful and we didn’t get thrown out even though we tested our waitress’ patience by switching seats whenever someone left so we could talk more.
I think this will become an annual event. It’s a nice, big location and there is a great variety of food, some of it even healthy! In the wise words of Ann, “the diet starts tomorrow”!!
I think this will become an annual event. It’s a nice, big location and there is a great variety of food, some of it even healthy! In the wise words of Ann, “the diet starts tomorrow”!!
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