Short-eared Owl

[Shortsighted]

I went for a trek today along a portion of the Rouge including the foot of Beare Hill. The hill was to the north of my trail, if you feel generous calling it a trail. I later turned northward having the hill on my left. By that time I was getting tired and wasn't paying enough attention to my surroundings. Since the ground is rough and covered in ice and snow I needed to look down most of the time in order to prevent a fall. Usually I stop every 20 paces and look around but that technique goes awry when I'm tired. I looked up too late but in time to see a Short-eared owl leave its perch and fly away from me, down the trail and out of sight behind some conifers. At first I thought it might be a Barred owl but it was slightly smaller with rounded wings. I didn't look up in time to see its face, it having banked away from me immediately upon becoming airborne. Only other birds that I saw was: Chickadees, Hairy WP, Red-bellied WP x 2, Mourning dove, and a Common crow. Also found a crashed drone with a broken strut. I checked every tree trunk with a cavity and found no evidence of Screech owl habitation.

[Bird Brain]

I checked every tree trunk with a cavity and found no evidence of Screech owl habitation.

Did any appear to be made by Pileated Woodpeckers?

[Shortsighted]

There were a few trees with ragged oval holes that might have been feeding cavities but nothing that was big enough for a nesting cavity. There were some broken trees with large openings at the break but I don't believe they would be used for nesting. I didn't hear a Pileated woodpecker call during the entire walk. The only drumming that I heard was from a Hairy WP. The Red-bellied were hacking away higher up that the Hairy, on another dead tree but the Hairy was loud enough to drown-out other sounds. I love the way the owl took flight without the slightest sound. Only
its sudden movement gave it away.

[Charline]

Sounds like a great walk! Any pics?


I saw a white faced finch with the usual house finches. Will try to get a better pic in the next few days. Hope it's still around.

[Shortsighted]

Sorry, no pics. I had my camera under my arm pit and my hand in my pockets to keep warm. In the time it took me to react, turn my camera around, turn it on, and raise it the owl had already banked, distanced itself and disappeared behind conifer trees. I took only 4 - 5 seconds between seeing it already airborne and losing sight of it. That particular spot had conifers close to the rut-like trail. It wasn't wide open. My AF wouldn't have been fast enough anyway.

[Bird Brain]

I saw a white faced finch with the usual house finches.

  This sounds interesting.  Hopefully this bird sticks around for a photo.   

[Shortsighted]

I may return to Beare Hill when the weather warms up a bit and see if there is any sign of an owl. -13 degrees right now ... too cold.


crashed drone found in woods


snow-covered bracket fungus directed me to the drone, might have missed it otherwise.

[Charline]

Did you harvest them? 

[Bird Brain]

Did you harvest them? 

 


SS - is there any sort of I.D. on this drone?

[Shortsighted]

I'm not sure Charline. I didn't interrogate it or do a forensic analysis. Hell, it might even have been radioactive. Wait, no ... I mean it might have still been able to pick-up a radio transmission and suddenly come to life, with the blades cutting my throat ... it could have been a killer drone. It could have been booby-trapped. No, wait ... that would be in the Middle East. 

[Charline]

I would not worry about the radiation. But the drone could be filming you!! 

[Napper]

I used to see Short Eared Owls during the winter months @ Downsview  in the evening while driving home or early morning.Snowy's as well. Dunno if the lack of snow this year would affect this. I retired in 2021. Bombardier is about to exit the facility Dh departed in 2022, should be no traffic up Beffort rd.

Last year we could not  plant our garden at cottage or home until 2nd week of June!  Now We  have  Daffodils Sprouting already.
I hope and expect to get blasted with winter shortly.

Napper:)
Yeah, I use a VPN and linux

[Bird Brain]

Snowy's as well.

Still seeing current photos online of Snowy Owls in Southwestern Ontario and lots of birding groups on Facebook are blocking some photographers near Ottawa because they are baiting the Snowy owls for extremely close up and very wide-eyed owl photos. 

I hope and expect to get blasted with winter shortly.
Napper:)

TWN forecast for Mississauga: 💩
This afternoon rain/snow mix and windy
Tonight -15c

Thursday morning 1cm of snow
Thursday afternoon 5-10cm of snow
Thursday evening 1cm of snow

Sounds like the snowplows and salters will be out once again! 

I wonder if this will hit Milton as you're the neighbour of NW Mississauga, my old stomping grounds in Meadowvale.

[Shortsighted]

Although I knew snow must be arriving soon I was still moved to notice how it looks more like early December around here than it does mid-February. There's been much talk about an early spring. I contemplated possibly planting subtropical species in about ten years but then abruptly realized that I might no longer be here to carry out that experiment. We may be slowly transforming into a subtropical climate, or perhaps an arid climate. Someone joking conjectured to Trump that with climate change the dinosaurs may be making a come back, to which Trump immediately declared that he'll need to build another wall to keep them out. I don't know what is crazier, that Trump gives credibility to prehistoric resurgence or that he'll be in a position of authority to build another wall a decade from now. I mean, we already had a Dinusaur free-roaming this forum and he managed to escape.

[Bird Brain]

Although I knew snow must be arriving soon

When Lucy the Lobster predicted 6 more weeks of Winter, she wasn't kidding. Nova Scotia got whammed with snow, one area with 150cm.  Relatives in Charlottetown PEI also got a lot of snow.

with climate change the dinosaurs may be making a come back.

Jurassic Park for real? Apparently some "mad scientists" somewhere out in the world are currently working on re-introducing the Woolly Mammoth!  Many moons ago they were actually here in Mississauga at a place now known as Erindale Park. 

I mean, we already had a Dinusaur free-roaming this forum and he managed to escape.

I remember him, where did he go?  As a matter of fact, where did a whole bunch of people from this forum go?  I've seen Axeman and Rob Mueller occasionally appear in Facebook groups.