Barred Owl: Sighted Saturday, December 30, at 2:30pm in Burnham’s Woods (Mark S. Burnham Provincial Park) on Hwy 7, just east of Peterborough. It was sitting in one of the large hemlock trees about 40 metres from the end of the parking lot. I wouldn’t have seen it had it not flown to its perch from another location west of the trail. I was able to watch it from a distance of about 20 metres for about 10 minutes before it flew to another location. Ross Jamieson
Barred Owl – Michael Gillespie
Algonquin Park Report
Date: Fri, 29 Dec 2017 10:01:48 -0500
From: Ron Tozer <rtozer@vianet.ca>
To: ontbirds <birdalert@ontbirds.ca>
Subject: [Ontbirds] Algonquin Park Birding Report: 28 December 2017
Message-ID: <A7327352-E422-4BC0-8158-F8AE6C174739@vianet.ca>
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This week’s extremely cold temperatures seemed at odds with evidence of breeding activity by White-winged Crossbills in the Park. A male was observed feeding a female (?courtship feeding?) near the Old Airfield, and three or four males were singing along Spruce Bog Boardwalk, on December 24. Craig Benkman (in The Birds of North America, 1992) reported that this crossbill breeds during three main periods of the year which coincide with maximum availability of conifer seeds. In Algonquin, records indicate breeding in summer and fall (July to November), winter (January to March), and spring (March to June).
Snow depth in the Park now reaches about 25 cm in the open and less under conifers, making it feasible to travel in most areas without snowshoes. As usual, snow on the walking trails has been flattened down with use.
-Wild Turkey: several are coming daily to feed below the Visitor Centre parking lot feeder.
-Ruffed Grouse: sightings continued at the Visitor Centre driveway and feeders.
–Spruce Grouse: try Spruce Bog Boardwalk near the trail register box and Opeongo Road north of the winter gate.
–Black-backed Woodpecker: one was seen along Spruce Bog Boardwalk on December 24.
–Gray Jay: regular along Opeongo Road from the winter gate northward, and on Spruce Bog Boardwalk.
–Boreal Chickadee: after several weeks with no reports, one was along Opeongo Road (December 24) and two were at Wolf Howl Pond (December 25).
Winter finches reported this week were: Purple Finch (regular at Visitor Centre feeders), Red Crossbill (small flocks on the highway; and often seen off Visitor Centre deck), White-winged Crossbill (small flocks), Common Redpoll (three along Opeongo Road on December 24 were the first reported since late October), Pine Siskin (fairly numerous), American Goldfinch (fairly numerous) and Evening Grosbeak (about 20 at the Visitor Centre feeders daily). Ron Tozer, Algonquin Park Naturalist (retired), Dwight, ON.
Bald Eagles: Sighted Dec 30, 2017 at 7:30am. I had two Bald Eagles perching in a large tree at the waters edge on Rice Lake. A beautiful sight! Esther Ross, north side of Rice Lake, Bailieboro east
Bald Eagle: Sighted Dec 29, 2017 at 2pm. I just saw a big, beautiful adult Bald Eagle fly north over the farm towards County Road 2. Michael Gillespie, Fife Line, Keene
Bald Eagle (Karl Egressy)
Gray Jay (Perisoreus canadensis) (1)
– Reported Dec 28, 2017 07:05 by Tyler L. Hoar
– Sandy Lake Pine barrens/Sedge marshes, Peterborough, Ontario
– Map:
– Checklist:
– Comments: “In Black Spruce Bog area east side of largest sedge fen.”
Gray Jay in Algonquin Park – Jan. 2012 – Drew Monkman
Red Crossbill (Loxia curvirostra) (12)
– Reported Dec 28, 2017 07:05 by Tyler L. Hoar
– Sandy Lake Pine barrens/Sedge marshes, Peterborough, Ontario
– Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&q=44.659557,-77.8931522&ll=44.659557,-77.8931522
– Checklist: http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S41394509
– Comments: “11 of 12 were in White Pine dominated areas, 1 in Eastern Hemlock was actually singing.”
Red Crossbill – Wikipedia
Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) (1)
– Reported Dec 28, 2017 09:50 by Colin Jones
– Kawartha Nordic Ski Club trails, Peterborough, Ontario
– Map:
– Checklist:
– Comments: “Slowly soared overhead at 12:56 pm”
Juvenile Golden Eagle – USFWS
Barred Owl (Strix varia) (1)
– Reported Dec 28, 2017 09:50 by Colin Jones
– Kawartha Nordic Ski Club trails, Peterborough, Ontario
– Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&q=44.6201046,-78.1319386&ll=44.6201046,-78.1319386
– Checklist: http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S41383205
Barred Owl – Jan. 18, 2017 – Michael Gillespie
Black-backed Woodpecker (Picoides arcticus) (1)
– Reported Dec 28, 2017 07:30 by Iain Rayner
– Ptbo – Petroglyphs CBC Area D, Peterborough, Ontario
– Map:
– Checklist:
– Comments: “Flaking bark from dead Red Pine in Petroglyphs Park N of McGinnis lake on E branch. Just S of connecting road.”
Black-backed Woodpecker – Wikimedia
Red Crossbill (Loxia curvirostra) (2)
– Reported Dec 28, 2017 08:22 by Colin Jones
– CA-ON-North Kawartha (44.6205,-78.1324), Peterborough, Ontario
– Map:
– Checklist:
Red_Crossbill – male – Wikimedia
Red Crossbill (Female), Wikimedia
Red Crossbill (Loxia curvirostra) (12)
– Reported Dec 28, 2017 09:50 by Colin Jones
– Kawartha Nordic Ski Club trails, Peterborough, Ontario
– Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&q=44.6201046,-78.1319386&ll=44.6201046,-78.1319386
– Checklist: http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S41383205
– Comments: “Several small groups”
Lapland Longspur (Calcarius lapponicus) (2)
– Reported Dec 26, 2017 11:00 by Ben Evans
– The Bird’s house, Peterborough, Ontario (in village of Douro)
– Map:
– Checklist:
Lapland Longspur – Note rufous on wing coverts – Wikimedia
Flock of Lapland Longspurs – Wikimeda
Common Grackle (Quiscalus quiscula) (1)
– Reported Dec 26, 2017 09:00 by Martin Parker
– Peterborough – 1494 Westbrook Drive, Peterborough, Ontario
– Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&q=44.3048253,-78.3463812&ll=44.3048253,-78.3463812
– Checklist: http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S41335870
– Comments: “continuing individual”
Common Grackle – from The Crossley ID Guide to Eastern Birds
Snow Buntings: Today, Dec. 26, at noon. My first winter birds! A “squall” of Snow Buntings – at least 30 – flying over Hwy 28, just south of County Road 6 (Lakefield), to a field on the west side. Quite the sight! Marilyn Freeman
Snow Buntings – Wikimedia
Snowy Owl: On December 24, 09:50, I saw a Snowy Owl (probably a male) northeast of Lindsay. It was on a hydro pole along Highway 36, about half-way along the north-south stretch from Cheese Factory to the bend before Snug Harbour Road. Alan Crook
Snowy Owl (Nima Taghaboni)
Rough-legged Hawk: Despite the deteriorating mound of the deer carcass in the orchard, it did attract a Rough-legged Hawk this morning, December 24. Michael Gillespie, David Fife Line, Keene
Rough-legged Hawk (Karl Egressy)
Red-bellied Woodpecker: On Nov 18, I reported a Red-bellied Woodpecker female and saw another female today, Dec 24, on the north shore of Buckhorn Lake at Kawartha Hideaway. It was poking under the bark of an old maple tree. Jane Philpott
Red-bellied Woodpecker (female) – Jennifer MacKenzie Dec 31, 2014
