Although it has been several weeks since hearing of any still around, Ed & Karen Heuvel reported to me a Great Gray Owl they had seen during the early evening on their property along the Ouse River between Cottesloe and Norwood on April 18,
2017. Ed says; “Huntng from a low snag, it seemed quite tame. After a while, it sailed across the road and came to land on another snag. In the dimming light, it’s white mustache marks were quite distinct.”
Stoney Lake and area
Broad-winged Hawks seemed to show some early arrival dates this year, with the first I know of seen on Stoney Lake on April 12th. They, Red-shouldered Hawks, Merlins, and Ospreys are quite abundant now in the area as they engage in their nesting activities for another year.
The first Whip-poor-will I heard this spring was one singing on the evening of April 24th near South Bay on Stoney Lake.
On April 29th, an Eastern Phoebe was sitting on a full clutch of five eggs in her nest atop a horizontal deck support beam at a friend’s cottage off of Northey’s Bay Road.
Stoney, Belmont, and Cordova Lake area
Northern Barred Owls are very vocal right now, day and night, and we are at the time of year when most of them will have young in the nest, (averaging about a week old). Typically, in this area, many lay their eggs about the 25th of March. Usually quiet throughout the incubation period, the males, especially, begin frequent hooting again towards the end of April. I wonder if that has anything to do with early social imprinting of their youngsters?
Tim Dyson
Barred Owl – March 23, 2017 – Sandy Lake – Susan
Whip-poor-will (Karl Egressy)
Great Gray Owl – Tim Dyson
Broad-winged Hawk – Wikimedia
Red-shouldered Hawk – Karl Egressy
Eastern Phoebe at nest – David Frank
Eastern Phoebe nest – June 7, 2004 – Tim Dyson
