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by wdg on Tue Dec 01, 2020 7:54 pm
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It’s been very slow this winter regarding Snowys. 
Shorties have been pretty much absent. 
I’m curious if anyone has information regarding winter owls- 
Great grays, SNOWs, Northern Hawk owls? 
Thanks
 

by flygirl on Thu Dec 03, 2020 10:15 am
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wdg wrote:It’s been very slow this winter regarding Snowys. 
Shorties have been pretty much absent. 
I’m curious if anyone has information regarding winter owls- 
Great grays, SNOWs, Northern Hawk owls? 
Thanks

Sax-Zim Bog has been pretty active with GGO, one Shortie, several NHO and two Snowy's so far.
 

by Scott Fairbairn on Thu Dec 03, 2020 12:22 pm
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There's a lot of controversy around posting owl locations, so I rarely, if ever, learn of locations now. OTOH, I had a Barred Owl on my bird feeders yesterday morning. He hung around all day. Unfortunately, I was at work and missed the show!
 

by hullyjr on Thu Dec 03, 2020 4:24 pm
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flygirl wrote:
wdg wrote:It’s been very slow this winter regarding Snowys. 
Shorties have been pretty much absent. 
I’m curious if anyone has information regarding winter owls- 
Great grays, SNOWs, Northern Hawk owls? 
Thanks

Sax-Zim Bog has been pretty active with GGO, one Shortie, several NHO and two Snowy's so far.
Hi Nancy,

How are you learning about Sax-Zim bog? I'm planning on visiting there in Feb if the festival is still a go.
Jim Hully
Grayslake, IL
Images now at https://www.flickr.com/photos/138068378@N06/
 

by OntPhoto on Thu Dec 03, 2020 6:29 pm
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hullyjr wrote:
flygirl wrote:
wdg wrote:It’s been very slow this winter regarding Snowys. 
Shorties have been pretty much absent. 
I’m curious if anyone has information regarding winter owls- 
Great grays, SNOWs, Northern Hawk owls? 
Thanks

Sax-Zim Bog has been pretty active with GGO, one Shortie, several NHO and two Snowy's so far.
Hi Nancy,

How are you learning about Sax-Zim bog? I'm planning on visiting there in Feb if the festival is still a go.
Easily found by Googling.  I can share because the Sax-Zim Bog shares on the web.  If not for a travel ban due to Covid-19, I will be very tempted to make a trip this winter IF few owls show up here.  I could probably fly in but upon return to Canada will have to self-isolate for  a period of time.  It was for 14 days at one point. 

https://saxzim.org/birding-the-bog/bird-sightings/


Last edited by OntPhoto on Thu Dec 03, 2020 6:57 pm, edited 3 times in total.
 

by OntPhoto on Thu Dec 03, 2020 6:39 pm
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Owls are my favourite bird subjects.  Not many reports to eBirds so far or people are refraining from posting,  Although exact locations are not provided, some people have figured out how to find the info anyways.  Snowy owls have been late this fall but some are starting to move in now.  It has been a bit on the mild side so far. 

This is supposed to be the winter for the next great gray owl irruption IF it sticks to a 4-year cycle.  Occasionally, it does go to 5-years.  This species normally doesn't start moving into eastern Ontario until mid-January.  If it is a BIG irruption winter, some can start to show up in November. November is the month that northern hawk owl start to show up.  They may be around but people may be driving around a bit less for whatever reason or just keeping it quiet.  I know of a great gray owl (out of town) from a few weeks ago that no one has posted.

Let's see how things unfold over December. 
 

by Mike Veltri on Fri Dec 04, 2020 7:49 am
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OntPhoto wrote:Owls are my favourite bird subjects.  Not many reports to eBirds so far or people are refraining from posting,  Although exact locations are not provided, some people have figured out how to find the info anyways.  Snowy owls have been late this fall but some are starting to move in now.  It has been a bit on the mild side so far. 

This is supposed to be the winter for the next great gray owl irruption IF it sticks to a 4-year cycle.  Occasionally, it does go to 5-years.  This species normally doesn't start moving into eastern Ontario until mid-January.  If it is a BIG irruption winter, some can start to show up in November. November is the month that northern hawk owl start to show up.  They may be around but people may be driving around a bit less for whatever reason or just keeping it quiet.  I know of a great gray owl (out of town) from a few weeks ago that no one has posted.

Let's see how things unfold over December. 
Due to baiting the birders in Ontario do not give out owls sightings.

We have had 3 snowy owls in Southern Ontario near the lake so far, and they might have flew over the lake to the US already.

The birders did a great job of not letting out that a Barn Owl was seen by them (birders) in a tree at Presquile Provincial Park this year which I read about and saw a photo of on a local birders blog. :(
 

by Scott Fairbairn on Fri Dec 04, 2020 3:19 pm
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Even with baiting, I’ve found there’s a lot of hostility towards photographers by birders in Ontario. Mirrorless cameras have helped i think to reduce it, but overall they are not friendly to photographers.
 

by OntPhoto on Fri Dec 04, 2020 9:14 pm
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Mike Veltri wrote:
OntPhoto wrote:Owls are my favourite bird subjects.  Not many reports to eBirds so far or people are refraining from posting,  Although exact locations are not provided, some people have figured out how to find the info anyways.  Snowy owls have been late this fall but some are starting to move in now.  It has been a bit on the mild side so far. 

This is supposed to be the winter for the next great gray owl irruption IF it sticks to a 4-year cycle.  Occasionally, it does go to 5-years.  This species normally doesn't start moving into eastern Ontario until mid-January.  If it is a BIG irruption winter, some can start to show up in November. November is the month that northern hawk owl start to show up.  They may be around but people may be driving around a bit less for whatever reason or just keeping it quiet.  I know of a great gray owl (out of town) from a few weeks ago that no one has posted.

Let's see how things unfold over December. 
Due to baiting the birders in Ontario do not give out owls sightings.

We have had 3 snowy owls in Southern Ontario near the lake so far, and they might have flew over the lake to the US already.

The birders did a great job of not letting out that a Barn Owl was seen by them (birders) in a tree at Presquile Provincial Park this year which I read about and saw a photo of on a local birders blog. :(
Did you know that the Kingston area is a good area to check out Barn Owls?  Very rare of course.  So, I wouldn't be too surprised they can show up on Presqu'ile.  It's birders who got great gray owls and northern hawk owls banned from having exact locations posted to eBird.

No matter how much people try and keep things quiet, there will always be leaks. People will be people. 

As for me, I do publicize owls that many people already know about.  Owls that few people know about or I have been provided the location, I keep quiet. I am very good at keeping things quiet that need to be kept quiet.  There is a time and place for everything. A time to share and a time to keep quiet.  But I am usually not into catering to someones agenda.  

Our snowy owls show up every winter at the same locations so the areas to look for them are well known.  No secret.  Just have to put in the time. 


Last edited by OntPhoto on Sun Dec 06, 2020 7:44 pm, edited 1 time in total.
 

by flygirl on Sun Dec 06, 2020 3:13 pm
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hullyjr wrote:
flygirl wrote:
wdg wrote:It’s been very slow this winter regarding Snowys. 
Shorties have been pretty much absent. 
I’m curious if anyone has information regarding winter owls- 
Great grays, SNOWs, Northern Hawk owls? 
Thanks

Sax-Zim Bog has been pretty active with GGO, one Shortie, several NHO and two Snowy's so far.
Hi Nancy,

How are you learning about Sax-Zim bog? I'm planning on visiting there in Feb if the festival is still a go.

Hi Jim

I have been looking on Friends of Sax-Zim Bog Facebook page, plus they run a Telegraph app chat with people in the Bog that posts locations. I downloaded the map and am keeping track of locations where they have been spotted. People have spotted numerous GGO, several SEO and two Snowies so far.  I am paying attention because I am headed up there mid January for five days.  The visitor center is closed due to COVID and would bet the festival will not go on.
 

by OntPhoto on Tue Dec 22, 2020 9:57 pm
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I see the great gray owl irruption is keeping to the 4-year cycle.  This winter is it.  Multiple owls reported at the Sax Zim Bog.

Friends of Sax Zim Bog Facebook page


They're starting to show up in eastern Ontario and Quebec as well. January is when many will be showing up. 
 

by OntPhoto on Thu Jan 07, 2021 9:32 pm
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NT  NT NT


Last edited by OntPhoto on Sat Jan 09, 2021 7:31 pm, edited 1 time in total.
 

by OntPhoto on Sat Jan 09, 2021 7:29 pm
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Image
There are a few of these around locally in the Ottawa and surrounding area.  Also, some great gray owls have been reported and photographed.
 

by OntPhoto on Sat Jan 09, 2021 7:37 pm
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ÙMike Veltri wrote:
OntPhoto wrote:Owls are my favourite bird subjects.  Not many reports to eBirds so far or people are refraining from posting,  Although exact locations are not provided, some people have figured out how to find the info anyways.  Snowy owls have been late this fall but some are starting to move in now.  It has been a bit on the mild side so far. 

This is supposed to be the winter for the next great gray owl irruption IF it sticks to a 4-year cycle.  Occasionally, it does go to 5-years.  This species normally doesn't start moving into eastern Ontario until mid-January.  If it is a BIG irruption winter, some can start to show up in November. November is the month that northern hawk owl start to show up.  They may be around but people may be driving around a bit less for whatever reason or just keeping it quiet.  I know of a great gray owl (out of town) from a few weeks ago that no one has posted.

Let's see how things unfold over December. 
Due to baiting the birders in Ontario do not give out owls sightings.

We have had 3 snowy owls in Southern Ontario near the lake so far, and they might have flew over the lake to the US already.

The birders did a great job of not letting out that a Barn Owl was seen by them (birders) in a tree at Presquile Provincial Park this year which I read about and saw a photo of on a local birders blog. :(
You are right.  Not just the baiting (workshops, etc.) but also the trespassing and chasing the owl all over the place.  Sightings are being kept quiet and you pretty much have to either know some birders who will share or be part of a photography clique.  I learned about the northern hawk owl and great gray owl sightings from birders.  

Also, there is a lockdown because of the pandemic and keeping sightings quiet brings down the number of birders and photographers at one place.  Someone told me that is one reason why sightings are kept extra quiet this winter. To discourage travel.  A great gray owl and northern hawk owl sighting will draw people from all over Ontario and Quebec and maybe elsewhere.  Of course international visitors will be way down to Canada as any visitor will have to self-isolate for 14 days first once in the country (last I heard). 

Once you publicize a location, you have NO control what happens there afterwards.  You can plead or do whatever, once the cat is out the proverbial bag, people do what they want to do.  The only way to have any control is to keep the location quiet and that can mean telling no one.  Something else I noticed, both birders and photographers - most of them do not wear a mask.  Often I see strangers standing shoulder to shoulder or very close to one another.  I see this all the time.  It always amazes me when I see this in the field.

Yes, I did finally learn about the barn owl at Presqu'ile and saw the photo from a birder.  
 

by flygirl on Mon Jan 18, 2021 2:31 pm
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wdg wrote:It’s been very slow this winter regarding Snowys. 
Shorties have been pretty much absent. 
I’m curious if anyone has information regarding winter owls- 
Great grays, SNOWs, Northern Hawk owls? 
Thanks

I just got back from Northern Minnesota, along the North Shore and Sax-Zim Bog.  The were lots of Great Greys!!!  So excited being my first time with them.
Image
Image
Image
 

by hullyjr on Mon Jan 18, 2021 5:44 pm
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Hi Nancy,

Great photos. How were the opportunities for the two grosbeaks & redpolls? Any luck with my nemesis photo bird, N. Goshawk? Still. planning on a visit early next month.

Cheers,

Jim
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Images now at https://www.flickr.com/photos/138068378@N06/
 

by flygirl on Mon Jan 18, 2021 6:29 pm
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hullyjr wrote:Hi Nancy,

Great photos. How were the opportunities for the two grosbeaks & redpolls? Any luck with my nemesis photo bird, N. Goshawk? Still. planning on a visit early next month.

Cheers,

Jim

Hi Jim

Thanks!!  There are a large number of evening grosbeaks especially around the feeders at the welcome center of Sax-Zim Bog, also Pine Grosbeaks.  I did not see any redpolls, but people were seeing a few around.  I was more concentrated on the Great Greys.  We saw none in the Bog and ended up on the North Shore, north of Two Harbors along Rt 2, where we saw at least three or four a day.  


Last edited by flygirl on Tue Jan 19, 2021 8:47 am, edited 1 time in total.
 

by OntPhoto on Mon Jan 18, 2021 10:14 pm
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For those interested, here is an article on how to age great gray owls based on the colour and wear on the feathers. 

http://www.jeaniron.ca/GreatGrays/
 

by SantaFeJoe on Thu Jan 28, 2021 7:25 pm
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Here’s a Snowy Owl sighting in a rare place:

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/28/nyre ... -park.html

Joe
Learn the rules like a pro, so you can break them like an artist.  -Pablo Picasso
 

by hullyjr on Mon Feb 08, 2021 6:32 pm
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Maybe the recent cold weather is pushing owls further south? I've seen reports of Boreal Owls in Minnesota and one persists in downtown Montreal.

I'm heading up to Sax-Zim Bog at the end of this week. Fortunately, I photographed Boreal during their last big USA irruption in 2013.

But I'm not looking forward to the very cold weather!

Jim
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Images now at https://www.flickr.com/photos/138068378@N06/
 

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