All about owls!

Horned owl
on nest in April, 2012

I did a Book Review: Owls of the U.S. and Canada –previously. There is so much to learn! It wasn't a good resource book, though.

I have a few owl photos of my own, simply a matter of chance and happenstance, for the most part, other than the Snowy owls. (There are some known spots)

I haven't managed to find any owls in 2016, but the year is young. I'm not getting any younger, though! I have avoided the ones, in south Ottawa, where everyone goes. It's just not right, tramping on the fields!
We had a Great horned owl build a nest across the highway in a previous year. I spotted a Barred owl by the frogpond, when on a walk with Daisy, and we had a Saw-whet owl on our front porch (the Sharp-shinned hawk killed it), and a Barred owl was killed by a car. I brought it home, to take photos. [A poor wee feathered body by the side of the road]

Barred owl

Serendipity... looking for Mike Muskrat
I found a barred owl!

Saw-whet

I spotted this information on the Facebook owl group. I asked Jeff if I might use his photo, as I have a hard time remembering the sex of Snowy owls. It is easy to figure it out, if you can remember it! I said I would give a donation to The Owl Foundation, where he volunteers in exchange for using his photo. He kindly said I need not make a donation, but I believe in being fair.

Now, hubby and I have driven miles and miles this year looking for Snowy owls, but in vain. Hopefully, we will see one. There are a couple of places where you are assured to spot them, but that would be easy! The horrible unethical photographers are baiting the owls [like this story], which results in them becoming inured to humans, as well as posing other problems, and that is bad.

Jeff Jones‎, who volunteers at The Owl Foundation...

Snowy owls

The difference in size between a male and female snowy owl is quite large. In this photo we have both a male and female hatch year snowy owl. Notice how much smaller the male (left) is than the female (right) Also notice the bars in the plumage. Both male and female snowy owls are born with bars, with the males bars slowly diminishing with each molt until he is all white, or very close to it. The males chest is much more white as well as his cap, which is a good indication to the probable sex of the owl if you are viewing it in the field. You can also notice how dense the female's bars are in comparison to the males. 

 The female was actually put in this long flight training cage to help the males recovery speed up. With her in there as well we are hoping he will want to try flying to build up some muscle quicker to show off so to speak. With luck I should be driving the male up to Sault St. Marie for release in a couple weeks.

Terrible time in Southeastern Ontario for the Snowy owls

It's been a terrible time in southern Ontario for the Snowy owls. They have been sighted in huge 

Great horned owl in fall

numbers. There is much speculation on why, overpopulation, lack of lemmings in their northern habitat, and the like.

Either way, they are hungry, and are being followed by avid photographers, and getting maimed and killed.

Many are being hit by cars, while being attracted to mice going after food garbage at the side of the road. We get a lot of that in our ditches, despite my effort in picking up the trash.

In the last 2 weeks the Owl Foundation has received the 5 injured snowy owls, one has died. The other 4 are being monitored as they recover from their injuries.
It is such a shame. The foundation takes in 100 per year.


Snowy Owls move in to Ottawa area (Ottawa Citizen article)

Beautiful barred owl, smucked by a car last January

The Snowy Owl irruption arrived in the Ottawa area on Dec. 15, with 25 individuals counted east and west of the city. This is one of our largest southward movements in the past decade.
Food is connected to the movement of these birds. Snowys are irrupting because they had an unusually high amount of breeding success due to food abundance. There aren't enough hunting territories to support the youngsters, who have been pushed south.

Horned owl on nest in April, 2012

Owl on her nest - a closer look!

Can you see her?

The big news is the owl nest on their road!

Here, let me help. 

Tressa and I climbed the hill.
Ms. Owl was watching closely!

See her ear tuft?

A little closer!

I went back and managed a closer look!