My wife, Miriam and I, were scouting the backroads of Waterloo and Wellington Counties this morning. Birds were sparse, but the following observations seem worthy of mention. 1. There is a 1st year female Snowy Owl south of the farm with the number 6846 on the west side of Wellington Road 12, between the fourth and sixth line. It was perched on a fence post and was easily visible from the road. 2. A Rough-legged Hawk was hunting along Sideroad 25 in Garafraxa Township near the town of Metz. 3. Along the same road was a flock of at least 1,000 Snow Buntings, alternating between the road and adjacent weedy fields. 4. At the Conestogo Dam there were at least fifteen Common Mergansers successfully fishing on the outlet side with an army of gulls in attendance trying to steal each catch. 5. Near the town of Glen Allen we saw an adult male Northern Goshawk. 6. On Sideroad 6 just outside Glen Allen there were four separate flocks of Snow Buntings in close proximity to each other. Each was very substantial indeed. Although it is difficult to estimate counts the combined total was certainly well in excess of the large flock we saw near Metz. Our impression would be of two to three thousand individuals. Directions to the Snowy Owl: From Highway 401 take Highway 8 north to Highway 85. Continue north to Listowel Rd south of Elmira (at the Crossroads Restaurant) and turn west; follow Highway 86 to Macton and head north on Wellington County Rd 12. David Gascoigne and Miriam Bauman