So.....I'd been looking forward to this for soooo long...owl season at owl woods on AI. What a great way to end off the birding year!
Saw a few more gadwalls off the south shore...Isn't it always like that? Spot your first one after so long and then see them everywhere!
Bonnie joined me, Matt and Mary over on the island. It was Mary's birthday so it was a nice way for Matt to spend the day with his mom. We ran into someone else in there who hadn't seen anything, and I thought, here we go again! We didn't see anything other than chickadees and doves at the feeders, and nothing in the first part of the trail. Then we got into the cedars and were scouting around for a while until I thought I saw something that could be an owl....tried a few more angles and...yep!! Bonnie came over, decided it looked like a saw-whet, but thought it was a little big. We consulted with a few other birders who thought it was a boreal, but we weren't too sure. when we got back to the car, it was pretty obvious that it was a boreal....so that's how we roll: we go for the rarer ones first and then go for the easy ones.
#114: Boreal Owl; Amherst Island; December 28, 2010
It was actually the only owl we saw that day, but I've got a hunger for more and will probably head back in the near future. As we were leaving people seemed to be coming in and drives and were definitely NOT heeding the signs everywhere that say to be QUIET. It's no wonder the owners are having so many problems...seriously people, let's not be idiots and be respectful so that we (and the owls especially!!!) can continue to enjoy this very special place! I missed the AI Christmas bird count by a few days...have to keep it in mind for next year.
I'm thinking this is going to be the last post of 2010...so I want to wish you a happy new year, and here's to a great birding year in 2011! You can bet I'll be out that first weekend in January for more!
-J
4 comments:
Nice catch!
is he asleep?
yep...little bit of shuteye!
Great shot of a Boreal Owl. Last year was so full of crazy people stomping through the woods I was amazed that there were still owls.
According to what I hear, its been a very quiet year for AI. However, if you stay until dusk the next time you go over, you should be able to get some Short-eared Owls.
The plan for me, depending on who I`m going with is to go down on the 3rd. If that falls through, then I`ll be down on the 7th. Next time you go though, make sure to check the trees and poles close to the road on the KFN property. That`s where I got my Snowy Owl last year. Bruce Di Labio apparently spotted one there this year too.
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