Owls between cemetery and Brickworks

[dodo]

Today I was jogging on the trail that runs between Mt. Pleasant Cemetery and the Brickworks and around 9PM I saw a tiny owl in a tree.It looked the size of a Kestrel. I stopped to look at it and it flew away and joined another larger owl.As I watched them I became aware that there were 3 or 4 owls flying around together.The tiny one flew into a tree very close to me and appeared to be looking at me but it was too dark to see it very well.

[Paul O'Toole]

The small one may have been a Northern saw-whet owl, don't know the area but based on your description most likely a saw-whet.

[Pat Hodgson]

Very unusual.  Saw-whet owl really would be quite extraordinary this far south at this season.  Screech-owl is much more likely small owl.  But small owls are prey of large owls, so small one flying to large one is odd.  Young of larger owls would not be tiny and flying.  So this is a tough one to figure out.  I live in this area and have only ever seen great horned owl in this ravine.  Have on very rare occasion heard screech-owls, but only at a time when they are likely migrating.  Could it be a screech-owl family??

[Paul O'Toole]

Good point on the screech owl, never thought about that.

[dodo]

I saw them tonight in the same place as before. They started flying around between 9:00 and 9:30.I may be wrong when I said they are different sizes.They are all small owls.They fly around together making a distinctive sound. You could mimic them by making the  sound a librarian would make trying to get people to hush up "SSSSHHHH" and rapidly repeating it about 5 times per second. When I was running past the Brickworks I encountered a second group of small owls making the same noise beside a ravine enclosed by snowfence  next to the Chorley Park hill.

[Kris Ito]

Hmmm, these owl sightings are becoming quite intriguing! Makes me want to take an evening stroll in the valley. I can't think of any owls who I would describe as making a "sssshhhh" sound, but trying to put a bird's call into words is pretty open to interpretation! Perhaps it would help you to listen to the calls of some of Ontario's nocturnal bird species. While there are certainly Screech Owls living in the valley, another possible candidate is Common Nighthawk. They are a similar size to Screech Owls and tend to fly in groups, emerging from trees just after sunset to catch bugs. Sometimes you can get a glimpse of the white bar on their wings in flight. The only other nocturnal birds I can think of that you might find in Toronto are American Woodcock and Wilson's Snipe, but they generally fly from the ground, not trees, and you're not likely to mistake them for owls with their crazy long bills. Oh yeah and Eastern Whip-poor-will but they're quite rare. So, here are a few links with samples of the bird's calls. Perhaps they will help you confirm what you have been hearing. -kris

Eastern Screech Owl: http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Eastern_Screech-Owl/sounds
Northern Saw-whet Owl:  http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Nort ... Owl/sounds
Common Nighthawk:  http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Common_Nighthawk/sounds

[Pat Hodgson]

That sound could be some sort of begging call by the young ones to the parents.

[Pat Hodgson]

Definitely screech-owls.  I was able to see 4 of them last night, after running into dodo on Saturday night who kindly pointed out the right location.  They emerged from an area of dense vegetation about 8:50, sat in a more open forested area and took some short flights for about 15 minutes, then zoomed across the ravine and out of sight.  The sound they are making is actually rather quiet and would be easy to miss unless you are very close to them.

[Kris Ito]

What a treat! I've really gotta get my butt down to that trail! I usually feel lucky to find just one little Screech in a year. Thanks both of you for sharing.

-kris