Hi Ontbirders: The barred Snowy Owl is still being seen on Rushmore Road between Old Richmond Road and Eagleson. If you are facing Eagleson, the owl would be perched to your left on top of one of the tall pylons there. Later in the day it flew and landed on one of the posts along Rushmore. I received a tip from a couple I know, saying they saw an adult male Snowy Owl this afternoon....in the excitement of the moment relaying information....I forget if it was also on Rushmore Road or on Brownlee. It was perched on a fence post at a great distance. I will recheck location with this couple and post again. May be worth checking out. The number of Common Redpolls at the Hilda Road feeders have incresed quite a bit since I last visited over the holidays. I would estimate about 4 dozen or more. People have reported one Hoary in the flock some time in the past several weeks. A regular to the feeders mentioned seeing a Brown Creeper a few days ago. I too have seen a Brown Creeper at the same feeders a couple of times in the past several months. The resident Merlin paid a visit to the feeders this afternoon stirring up all the birds there. You can usually tell something is amiss when the chickadees sound their alarm calls. A drive to the Ottawa Duck Club feeders along March Valley Road did not show much aside from the usual birds including a Pileated Woodpecker coming to the suet feeders. I was looking for male Pine Grosbeaks which were seen over the holidays. Someone mentioned seeing Pine Grosbeaks at that location earlier in the week. My past experience tells me that early morning is the best time to see Pine Grosbeaks there. Yes, the Great Gray Owls could easily be seen at the same location today. They're not going anywhere...not until some time in March based on past observations. A staedy flow of observers all morning including birders and photographers. Everyone there seemed to be enjoying themselves. If you check out Bruce DiLabio's birding blog, you'll see he found a Boreal Owl in the west end of Ottawa on January 21st. http://brucedilabio.blogspot.ca/ Some photos taken today. Merlin. http://www.pbase.com/golfpic/image/148491583/original Great Gray Owl. http://www.pbase.com/golfpic/image/148491637/original W. Hum http://www.pbase.com/golfpic/some_recent_shots Directions: Hilda Road feeders: Follow Carling west to Rifle Road. Turn right on Rifle and right again at Lois. Then left at Hilda. Ottawa Duck Club feeders: Follow Carling west past Rifle Road and continue until Hertzberg. Turn right on Hertzberg and continue until March Valley Road. Turn left on March Valley Road until just before Riddell. Feeders are on your right. Watch that you do not go too much to the side of the road as it slopes off quickly but the snowbank covers up where the ditch starts. I have seen vehicles stuck here before. Great Gray Owls: Rockcliffe Parkway at Green's Creek. Snowy Owls: Rushmore Road is between Old Richmond Road and Eagleson in Ottawa's west end.

In the directions below I mentioned to turn left on March Valley Road. That should have been turn right onto March Valley Road but stay left. Sorry about that. Also, a bald eagle was seen flying over the GGO location this morning. Happy birding everyone. > From: willott123@sympatico.ca > To: birdalert@ontbirds.ca > Date: Sat, 26 Jan 2013 23:27:58 +0000 > Subject: [Ontbirds] Snowy Owl, Redpolls, Merlin (Ottawa) > > > Hi Ontbirders: > > The barred Snowy Owl is still being seen on Rushmore Road between Old Richmond Road and Eagleson. If you are facing Eagleson, the owl would be perched to your left on top of one of the tall pylons there. Later in the day it flew and landed on one of the posts along Rushmore. > > I received a tip from a couple I know, saying they saw an adult male Snowy Owl this afternoon....in the excitement of the moment relaying information....I forget if it was also on Rushmore Road or on Brownlee. It was perched on a fence post at a great distance. I will recheck location with this couple and post again. May be worth checking out. > > The number of Common Redpolls at the Hilda Road feeders have incresed quite a bit since I last visited over the holidays. I would estimate about 4 dozen or more. People have reported one Hoary in the flock some time in the past several weeks. A regular to the feeders mentioned seeing a Brown Creeper a few days ago. I too have seen a Brown Creeper at the same feeders a couple of times in the past several months. The resident Merlin paid a visit to the feeders this afternoon stirring up all the birds there. You can usually tell something is amiss when the chickadees sound their alarm calls. > > A drive to the Ottawa Duck Club feeders along March Valley Road did not show much aside from the usual birds including a Pileated Woodpecker coming to the suet feeders. I was looking for male Pine Grosbeaks which were seen over the holidays. Someone mentioned seeing Pine Grosbeaks at that location earlier in the week. My past experience tells me that early morning is the best time to see Pine Grosbeaks there. > > Yes, the Great Gray Owls could easily be seen at the same location today. They're not going anywhere...not until some time in March based on past observations. A staedy flow of observers all morning including birders and photographers. Everyone there seemed to be enjoying themselves. > > > If you check out Bruce DiLabio's birding blog, you'll see he found a Boreal Owl in the west end of Ottawa on January 21st. > > http://brucedilabio.blogspot.ca/ > > > > Some photos taken today. > > Merlin. > http://www.pbase.com/golfpic/image/148491583/original > > Great Gray Owl. > http://www.pbase.com/golfpic/image/148491637/original > > > W. Hum > http://www.pbase.com/golfpic/some_recent_shots > > Directions: > Hilda Road feeders: Follow Carling west to Rifle Road. Turn right on Rifle and right again at Lois. Then left at Hilda. > > Ottawa Duck Club feeders: Follow Carling west past Rifle Road and continue until Hertzberg. Turn right on Hertzberg and continue until March Valley Road. Turn left on March Valley Road until just before Riddell. Feeders are on your right. Watch that you do not go too much to the side of the road as it slopes off quickly but the snowbank covers up where the ditch starts. I have seen vehicles stuck here before. > > Great Gray Owls: Rockcliffe Parkway at Green's Creek. > > Snowy Owls: Rushmore Road is between Old Richmond Road and Eagleson in Ottawa's west end. > _______________________________________________ > ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. > Send bird reports to birdalert@ontbirds.ca > For information about ONTBIRDS visit http://www.ofo.ca/ >