BIRDING WITH BIGFRANK 2007

GREAT START TO THE 2007 SEASON BIG FRANK - MY COUNT- WENT OUT ON DECK - OREGON JUNCOS,- SPOTTED TOWHEE - SONG SPARROW-STELLERS JAY- AND BALD EAGLES - LAST YEAR 60 SPECIES ON OR OVER THE PROPERTY-

Last spring,Eastern Screech Owls nested in Rosetta McClain Gardens,a spot only 10min from my home in Toronto. We last saw the family all together in a big pine,the first day the owlets flew,June 21st. A few days later a friend saw one of them. Since then they have been either hiding very well within the park,or somewhere in the neighboring areas. Today I was fortunate to spy some of the white on Newfies back,and immediately realize that a pine tree doesnt have that. I made my way around the small pine tree looking for the best angle. Binoculars at the ready...confirmation a grey-morph male Eastern Screech Owl! Enthralled again I watched for hours. For the most part it slept peacefully,noticably moving only once to have a good scratch. I was able to share it will a few people,which I always enjoy. Also saw a Red Fox scoot along the fenceline. A friend reported to me that she saw a Piliated Woodpecker Sunday,so I will be going over to check and see what I can find tomorrow.

Newfie was named by me,to explain...Newfie Screech is an east coast Canada(Newfoundland and its people affectionately known as Newfies) sort of moonshine..hootch...homebrew. So I figured Newfie The Screech Owl made sense!

Ive been over to Rosetta McClain Gardens on Tuesday and again today(Friday) and found the Eastern Screech Owl,in the same tree,each visit in a different spot in the tree. The first 2 visits I checked around the base of the tree for pellets. Owl pellets are bits of bone,feathers and fur,which the owl is unable to digest. They are spit out(regurgitated),after being formed into little pouches of fur or feather around the outside,with bits of bone on the inside. This first photo is one of the 2 pellets. The outside was sized like a piece of gravel and coloured similarily.

This gives U an idea of the size of the Screech Owls pellet.

This photo is the contents of pellet #1

This pellet seemed to contain 2 "nails" like off the end of a birds "toe".
This is the contents of pellet #2

Shown are the contents of pellet #2 and a third one which had broken all apart in a pocket of my backpack(live and learn..next time I will take a container). The bones that seem to have a loop are probably recognizable to someone smarter then me. All suggestions are welcomed.

Thanks BigFrank , That is really interesting. I've never seen pellets or what they contain before. Now I'll be looking when I'm out and about. I enjoy your post here and your pics.

Today,friends Mike and Leslie came down hoping to see the Screech Owl..unfortunately we had some rain/snow the other day and I think the owl is in hiding till the sun comes out,so didnt see it. From there we went east of Toronto to Cranberry Marsh in Whitby. We had hoped to see a resident Barred Owl,but were informed we had missed it by about one hour grrrr. On arrival we did see my first of the year Roughlegged Hawk,juvenile. It was perched at first,then took flight. The colours as it flew above were beautiful. We later saw 2 adult Roughlegged Hawks circling together. They were great to watch. They overwinter in our area,from their Arctic homes so seeing them is a real treat.
We saw alot of the normal overwintering birds,such as Black-capped Chickadees,Slate-coloured(Northern)Juncos,Downy Woodpecker,Northern Cardinals,Blue Jays and many Tree Sparrows. At risk of life and limb,Mike reversed on the shoulder of a main road so we could have a look at about 50 Snow Buntings(also the first Ive seen this year).
In the end though not all we'd hoped to see,it was a nice time out with friends and we saw some pretty good birds too.

I went down to Humber Bay Park today,hoping to see many waterfowl species and anything else that was about. I wasnt disappointed,spotting a few Mute Swans and 2 Trumpeter Swans..one had a tag,this species was basically extinct in the province before a re-introduction program..the tagged one was likely part of it. I saw Common,Hooded and Red-breasted Merganser a male of that specie is below. The males were doing courtship displays throwing their heads bent back in what looks like a really awkward way.

I saw many Long-tailed Ducks,Lake Ontario is the winter home of over 300000 of them,visiting from the Arctic. The one below is a male I think that is inbetween its spring and winter plummage. Their call is like a yodel,and when large groups of hundreds or thousands call its wonderful!

Mallard Ducks squeaked and quacked,a few American Black Ducks were mixed in. Common winter visitors like Greater and Lesser Scaup,Gadwall,Common Goldeneye,Redheads and Bufflehead were all seen. More special sightings included 2 Ruddy Ducks,my first of season Ring-necked Duck and best of all a male Harlequin Duck. It was a real beauty,unfortunately it wasnt photogenic. I did see it beautifully though. Its a fairly rare sighting here,though this one has been around for awhile now.
Of course the raptor man couldnt go all day and not see a raptor. A resident American Kestrel sat atop a light pole and posed wonderfully for me. Ive never seen one with such a rusty chest. It is a male adult.

Thanks BigFrank. I enjoyed your report tonight.. and the photos , all of things I have not seen, except for the kestrel ! Cant wait for the next report.

Today I met lynty and my "raptor mentor" Colin,to check on the Redtailed Hawks whose nest we watch all spring and summer. Often this time of year we find them rebuilding their old nest. There is a shot of the nest,so U can see with the new camera I will be right in it with them.

We found the female BIGRED sitting in a bare tree,paying special attention to a squirrel.Watching The Squirrel


She later flew around the area,disappearing from sight several times. We eventually found her in a pine tree catching sun,out of the wind. I also saw a pair of White-breasted Nuthatches,the one in the photo is a female.

ohhh beautiful pictures there so clear

NICE PHOTOS OF THE HAWKS BIG FRANK- IF YOU WERE TO SEE AND PHOTOGRAPH A WHITE CHEASTED NUTHATCH YOU WOULD HAVE 100 PEOPLE THIER- I BELIVE ONLY TWO CONFIRMED SIGHTINGS ON THE ISLAND IN LAST 10 YEARS

Lynty and I met this morning and went to Humber Bay Park. We had a good 3 hour walkabout. We saw both Mute and Trumpeter Swans,Canada Geese,Mallards,American Black Duck,Long-tailed Ducks,Gadwall,a couple of American Coots,Hooded/Common and Red-breasted Merganser,Bufflehead,Ruddy Duck and Common Goldeneye. A rather impressive sighting was a huge raft of ducks,predominently Greater Scaup,with a few Redheads mixed in. It comprised well over 1000 ducks. Our best waterfowl sighting of the day was a Horned Grebe. I got 2 lovely pictures of splashes as it dove under the water out of sight to feed haha. A Northern Shrike landed in a tree ahead of us,and we had good looks at it,observing it characteristically,bobbing its tail,before taking off again in search of food again.
It was a pretty cold day,though we found a few "sweet spots" out of the wind to take momentary refuge. The sprays from the waves made for alot of icy beauty on rocks and trees next to the lake.
When I got home my buddy Gunner called to let me know we were still on to go farther afield to see Short-eared Owls if we get a decent day for road travel,but also to let me know that on Sunday,he saw both the male and female Eastern Screech Owls at Rosetta McClain Gardens. Im happy to hear this,as its the first sighting of the pair,and a sign which gives me further hope they will nest again in the park. Later tonite,I will post my most recent photos to my webpage,as to make them small enough for the boma will take far too much away. http://members3.clubphoto.com/frank237849 . Enjoy!

Winking At You?
On Monday I heard from a buddy,that he saw 2 Screech Owls at Rosetta McClain Gardens on Sunday. With that,despite frigid cold temps of -16c and a windchill temperature of -25c,knowing we were to get a good bit of snow this evening and tomorrow,I set forth for my local haven. With Gunners description of the trees he had seen the owls,I knew exactly where to look. I quickly found one of his "droopy evergreens" with wash on it,and soon after spotted the male Eastern Screech Owl. He was awake and moving a little,but stayed in terrific position for some good photos.
By the time I left,with my ears and face really feeling the cold,Newfie(the owl) had moved in the tree so it was more sheltered and barely visible. Great to know both are around,even if I could only find one of them.

great photos - now you just have to get its mate also

Today I finally saw both Screech Owl in one tree. It took some real searching,as the male was very obscured at first. With a sheepish,slightly red face,I admit I believe I confused the male/female. The female was the photo(s) in the previous note. Today the photo is of the male. It was very noticably smaller. The female was sitting facing the front of the tree,the male was one level lower and facing the back of the tree. I approached closely for only a moment,long enough to take a few pics of him.

This really is promising,for the pair to nest in the park again.

I went to check on the Redtailed Hawks again today. I found both BIGRED and PapaRed sitting together in a big tree overlooking the valley.

They moved several times tree to tree,following each other,part of their courtship this time of year. Eventually they flew off,and after a long search I couldnt see them,so took up a good all direction viewing spot.
I was rewarded when I saw PapaRed,taking some nesting material into the nest and making some repairs to the same nest they have used 4 of the 5 years we have observed the pair. He made repairs 3 times in 15min,before both hawks took off out of sight again and it was time for me to leave.
PapaRed After Repairs

The last several days,if I havent been anywhere else I pop over and check on the Screech Owls. They are still in the same short(maybe 15ft/5m tall) White Cedar Tree(thanks for tree ID Krukab). It really makes my day to see them. I am posting a photo of the tree they have been in,with red X where they sit in the tree. They will move to a hole in a tree to nest in March sometime. Note on the photo of the owl,how big its tallons appear compared to how big the owl itself is.

Hi gang,a friend Gunner and I left home at 6am today,for all points southwest. Before arriving home at 730pm,we went to Fisherville(to see owls),Selkirk Provincial Park(for different owls),Longpoint area,LaSalle Marina in Hamilton area,Nanticoke Generating Station(for Bald Eagles) and all along the way. It was a fantastic day! We saw 7 Bald Eagles,3 were adults,3 Northern Harriers,10 Rough-legged Hawks,one being a beautiful dark-phase,5 American Kestrels,a Sharp-shinned Hawk,3 Long-eared Owls,7 Short-eared Owls,12 Sandhill Cranes,a Kingfisher,Lapland Longspurs,Snow Buntings,Horned Larks,4 Red-bellied Woodpeckers,hordes of Wild Turkeys,a Northern Shrike and 73 Redtailed Hawks among the most notable of 39species seen today.
We were both amazed at the Rough-legged Hawks and Short-eared Owls staying so stationary when we parked and even got out of the car so I could try photos. We left them undisturbed! We had just an amazing time on our little "birding safari".
Rough-legged Hawk

Short-eared Owl's Eyes

Short-eared Owl

Over the past few days,I visited my mother..on my way there while waiting for a bus I saw 3 Redtailed Hawks chasing pigeons. None were caught but it sure caused a frenzy. From my mothers appartment I later saw 2 of the same Redtailed Hawks hunting pigeons again. This time I had a better view of them,and could clearly see it was a pair. I'll have to have my eyes and ears open in a nearby ravine where I believe they nest.
The next day I went over to Rosetta McClain Gardens to see how the Screech Owls weathered a snow and ice storm we had. I spotted one of them right away,and after several laps of the tree,I moved away and promptly spotted the 2nd one almost beside the first. The angle I had been at prevented me from viewing both at once. A Redtailed Hawk and a Sharp-shinned Hawk both flew through the park. The spring migration of raptors has started,there is no local count site,though I hope to get to Beamer Memorial Park,which is the home of the Niagara Pennisula Hawkwatch. All of the above mentioned hawks overwintered and are not migrants.
Today I got an email,asking me to help out at The Canadian Peregrine Foundation's booth at the Toronto Sportsmans Show. I'll be chatting with folks about the various activities of the foundation,answering questions about the Peregrines and other raptors. Several of the Foundations educational birds of prey will be there,I may get to handle some of them. The show runs from March 14-18th 9am-9pm so I mite have a few long days. Its another small way I can help. I really enjoy chatting about the birds,so its a great way to enjoy myself and also pass along knowledge. I will be sure to take plenty of photos,and may even appear in a few.

Today lynty and I met around 11am. We were both searching independantly of the other trying to locate one or both of the Redtailed Hawks,who we both had heard call a few times. Finally the male flew in with some nesting material,and soon after it flew off. The female BIGRED had come into the nest last but left first. She sat in a tree,soon joined for a mating by PapaRed. A few calls were exchanged,leading lynty and I to believe that was the noise we had heard earlier. After mating,they sat side by side,enjoying the suns warmth. Note the size difference,the female being the much larger.

Later the after a few moves around,PapaRed,sat posing beautifully.

We saw nest repairs effected at least 3 times,so all is on schedule. Last season it was around the end of March when the pair began sitting on eggs.

Today I popped over to my favorite park hoping to see some early spring migrants. I was greeted by the air being filled with the calls of many male Red-Winged Blackbirds(the ladies havent arrived yet) on territory. A pair of American Crows was building a nest. Both Eastern Screech Owls were in their usual spot. As I searched the lake for ducks from atop the bluff,I spotted a Coopers Hawk,an adult,likely a male. Ducks I saw were Mallards,a few Buffleheads,a female Common Goldeneye,many Long-tailed Ducks and many Canada Geese. I saw my first Killdeer of the spring. I heard some type of wren but never did see it. I saw a Downy Woodpecker,Black-capped Chickadee and Cardinals.

Red-winged Blackbird

Coopers Hawk

The shape and long(relative to body size) rounded tail are the signs that its a Coopers Hawk.

Today was my first day at the Toronto Sportsmans Show. I had fun enjoying both the many(thousands) of folks from all over Ontario and even a few US visitors who stopped by the Canadian Peregrine Foundations Birds of Prey booth and the birds themselves. Someone I went to school with over 20 years ago (and havent seen in same) stopped by,and we both recognized each other by name right away. A few other birding friends also stopped by.
The birds themselves,though Ive seen many times,most never so close. The Kestrel and The Great Horned Owl were my speed,while everyone left the Bald Eagle to be handled by foundation boss Mark. Being so up-close and personal with the great raptors gave a new appreciation for them. By the end of the show Sunday,I hope to have a series of photos with each bird. Today I just took a few close-ups. All of these birds are used for educational purposes at The Canadaina Peregrine Foundation Raptor Centre,at Kortright Centre in Woodbridge Ontario,and taken to schools,for classroom teaching. Its a great program to bring the birds to kids who otherwise may not see them at all. This means the birds were very comfortable with people. One special moment was when a young fellow no more then 8 posed holding the Great Horned Owl on his arm,you could see through a bit of fear,the thrill of the moment.

This is Eric..The Red-tailed Hawk

This is Alexandra The Great Horned Owl(originally thought to be Alexander)

This is a Harris' Hawk. The only raptor not found in our area,its native to the southwestern US...like Arizona. I love the rusty/red colour on its wing.

This is Fallon I believe(there were 3 and people moved around so not sure),a Peregrine Falcon.

More will follow. I get a day to recover from standing most of 7hours,so will be back to the show Friday and Saturday.

Another hectic though enjoyable day at the Torontos Sportsmans Show,with a steady stream of visitors. Today a few birds were "subed" in for the other,Seamus our Barn Owl took the day off,while Remy a (mostly) Gryfalcon took his place. A Gryfalcon is the largest falcon species we get in Canada,and its from the high north..Arctic and Northern Ontario and Quebec. Remy really gave the eye to a pigeon which was flying around in the exhibit hall,as did most of the other raptors. All were aware of its presence.

Mark Nash the Canadian Peregrine Foundation's President(and jack of all trades)brought Solo the Bald Eagle upfront,to display on his arm. This pretty much haulted traffic in our aisle,and all of it infront of Mark. Since the rest of us needed a break,several stole away for some sustinance. Solo is a 6 year old Bald Eagle with attitude,so only Mark handles him. Solo once head butted Mark,knocking him cold,breaking Mark's nose and blackening both of his eyes. (hence the picture of me beside Mark holding Solo)

Mark has promised a few shots of me holding some birds tomorrow. Today I truely wished there was some way we could have had Solo attack fishing tv show host Bob Izumi when he was on stage...oyyy did he ever BS people loud and long!

Lol BF, did you stand there to catch Mark if the bald eagle attacked him again?
Keep the story going, interesting!

glad your having such a great time *** big frank ***

if we hear on news one of the birds is missing (we know where it will be

keep posting very interesting event your at -

After meeting and greeting thousands more people today,sharing stories and passing on info,my last day for this seasons Toronto Sportsmans Show is done. I stroked the Redtailed Hawk to calm him today,he got upset at a few strollers for some strange reason. Also helped the Kestrel and Gryfalcon regain footing on their perchs,so I was getting brave and confident and still came home with all 10 fingers. After tonites show was over,the birds were fed. I got to feed Falon a female Peregrine Falcon on my arm! It was great,she was very comfortable with me. When done if they are very at ease with you,which also requires U to be very at ease with them,they wipe their faces clean on the leather glove U wear to protect your hand. Mark was impressed with my performance and the falcons too.
Falon and BIGFRANK SEE EYE TO EYE

Falon Checks Things Out

BIGFRANK HOLDING FALON

WOW WHAT A GREAT TIME YOU HAD - SOMETHING TO LOOK FORWARD TO NEXT YEAR FOR SURE - NEXT TIME SMILE FOR THE CAMERA

Today,I met my friends Leslie and Mike at Rosetta McClain Gardens to try to show Mike his first Screech Owl ever. I arrived abit early,and easily found the male Eastern Screech Owl,in the same Cedar Tree the pair had been staying in all winter. After finding it,I backed away and watched from a distance,keeping an eye on him,until I was joined by my friends. A few moments later I realized that by moving slightly to the right,I could view the hole in the tree the pair used last year for their nest. I saw the hole was blocked by something ...I was hopeful it was an owl,but wasnt sure as the last few times Id looked a squirrel would stick its head out. This time I was in luck though!! The female owl was in the hole,now I have to check last years records and figure out around when the pair laid their eggs. I suspect,she may be on eggs already.

Screech Owl In Nest Hole

We saw a variety of ducks in the very cold wind at Frenchmans Bay and this Trumpeter Swan that kept suggesting what we do.

WOW! Nice pictures of the owl. It really blends in with the bark. Amazing.

Today I was up before the sun,lucky for me as it was a beautiful sunrise. It was a nice start to the day,which began with a check on the Screech Owls.

As usual,the male was in a short pine tree,close to the nest tree,while the female was seen at the opening to the nest. The nice weather brough a few friends out,so I showed them the owls.

I was left the owls,till the sun was in a better spot for photos,many hours later. Looking west along the bluffs,down on Lake Ontario,I spotted 4 White-tailed Deer walking along the lakeshore. That was a real treat. On the lake I could see Canada Geese,Red-breasted Merganser,Long-tailed Ducks and Bufflehead. An adult and juvenile Trumpeter Swan flew past,as did a pair of Great Blue Herons. In the park were the sounds of spring..calls of many Red-winged Blackbirds,Northern Cardinals,frisky Downy Woodpeckers,passing Killdeer and many migrating American Robins could be heard. I saw my first Brown-headed Cowbird of the spring and saw many Common Grackles as well.
Later I returned to watch and photograph the female owl again. I believe it will be about 3 weeks till young hatch.

Tuesday was a terrific day,we topped out over 20c,and after the sun finally burned off a heavy fog it was beautiful out. Likely a result of the previous days thunderstorms,a decent "fallout" occurred. A "fall out"..maybe should be called a "fall in"..many birds are forced to land during the storms and often hang around for the next morning or day. Later in the migration season this can mean a large specie count. Today it meant alot of bird song. Many Northern Juncos,Song Sparrows,Red-winged Blackbirds,Blue Jays,American Robins and Common Grackles called. I do love how Song Sparrows push there little chests out and sing their little hearts out.
Song Sparrow

American Goldfinch,Killdeer,Mallard Ducks,Common Merganser and Canada Geese were seen. First of season Song Sparrows,Northern Flickers,Double-crested Cormorants,Brown Creepers and Golden-crowned Kinglets were seen. April will see a pick up in new arrivals. I cant wait!

Of course I spent a good deal of time checking on the Eastern Screech Owls. The male was in a stand of pine trees,which it favoured last season,while Rusty(the mama) was in the nest. She was less visible for as long today. 4 American Crows were kaaing in the immediate area and I thought I could see movement in the nesting cavity,eventually spotting Rusty sort of peeking out from the shadows of the hole. Later when the sun began hitting the nest hole,she showed herself clearly,much to the delight of a 77year old friend who had stopped off,hopeful of a sighting. She left excited to tell her daughter of her find. Newfie(the daddy Screech Owl) had his own troubles,as I heard several Blue Jays and Chickadees harrassing him. Once the barrage subsided I checked and he had moved. The Jays did land right outside the nest hole,and squawk into it,flying off quickly once they saw a protective Rusty in the hole. Another 2-3weeks and eggs should hatch.

Male Eastern Screech Owl