Photos by BarrytheBirder
NORTHERN HAWK OWL
(Surnia ulula)
My friend, neighbour and birder extraordinaire, Gerry Binsfeld called today to alert me to the presence of a Hawk Owl, pictured above, in the nearby village of Schomberg, at the Dufferin Marsh on Dr. Kay Drive. There were already dozens of birders there when I arrived (see photo below) and they all seemed to have cameras with telephoto lens the size of shoulder rocket-launchers.
The northern Hawk Owl is a medium-sized, day-flying owl, with completely barred underparts (see photos) and black sideburns on each side of its pale face. Birdwatchers at Schomberg were able to get close to this impressive looking bird. Its normal range is the boreal forests of North America but some years it sporadically irrupts and appears south of its normal range. This is only the second time I have ever seen a Hawk Owl up close and personal. The first time was just over 23 years ago on Dec. 7, 1996, at Nashville, south of Bolton, Ontario. On that day, I was looking up and down a road but could see no Hawk Owl. My wife Linda asked me "What's that bird directly above you at the top of that tree?" Sure enough it was a Hawk Owl.
Please comment if you wish.
BarrytheBirder
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