Day of the Owls

Well, Christmas came a day early.  There may be very few passerines around, but owls have arrived en masse.
With the announcement late yesterday of a Great Gray Owl near Kingsville in Essex County, a birder could not pass this one up.
I headed down this morning arriving about 08:45 (just could not get up too early!).  Actually I was about to turn onto McCain Rd. to look in the last reported location of the owl, but I saw a number of vehicles ahead on Rd. 2.  Undoubtedly this was where the subject owl was perched.

Upon arrival I saw several familiar faces, and the face of a Great Gray Owl.  It was some distance into the meadow, but patience paid off and it came right to the road.  As is often the case with these denizens of the north, they are somewhat fearless of humans.














Barb Charlton was there because she actually need this one for her big year list!  I forgot to ask her what she was at but I think it is around 321.

After looking at this for a while, I headed down McCain Rd. where a Snowy Owl was seen, then to the Pelee Onion Fields.  Two Snowy Owls so far!

Near Hillman Marsh was the first of four Bald Eagles I saw today.

On the way to Erieau, I sighted a Northern Mockingbird on a wire near Port Alma.

Northern Mockingbird

At Erieau, I found three Snowy Owls on the rocks.  I think there were five on Sunday.  All heavily-barred individuals.  A Double-crested Cormorant was still hanging around on the rocks.
Snowy Owl blobs:

I walked the R/R track trail and not surprisingly, no small birds.  On the way out I sighted a Great Horned Owl along the shoreline in a willow.  Another "great" owl.

Thinking there had to be some Snowy Owls near Grande Pointe, I swung around by that way and spotted two north of the village in a usual spot near Marsh Line.  Much too far for photos.

Still not done, I took back roads to Wallaceburg SW of town and sighted yet another Snowy Owl.  Very distant, but this one will hopefully be found on Tuesday for our CBC.  Way too far away for a photo!
So, an eight Snowy day--most I have seen in one single day!
I heard there was another Snowy Owl just outside town, so I went for that too!  Chalk up nine.

On more thing.  I headed over to Stewart Line and was delighted to find two Sandhill Cranes. None had been sighted since Josh Bouman's report of 30 last Sunday.  Another species required for Tuesday.

Maybe I should look for Short-eared Owls in a couple of hours......