Algonquin PP - Tue Oct 9/01 - Tue, 16 Oct 2001

  
Tue Oct 9 - Algonquin PP

I spent the day along the Hwy 60 corridor of the park and had a few
interesting sightings including 2 CHIPPING SPARROWS (which are late) at km 8 
  along Hwy 60 and at the feeder at the Visitor Centre.  3 EVENING GROSBEAKS 
at different sites, 11 COMMON RAVENS, 4 BOREAL CHICKADEES at Wolf Howl Pond 
along the Mizzy Lake Trail and another BOREAL CHICKADEE at the Old Airfield 
across the field from the parking area (which is along the road to Mew Lake 
Campground), 3 RUSTY BLACKBIRDS (2 at West Rose Lake on Mizzy Lake Trail, 1 
at the Spruce Bog Trail), 1 female SPRUCE GROUSE along Opeongo Road, 3 GRAY 
JAYS (2 at West Rose Lake, 1 along Opeongo Road), 4 PURPLE FINCHES at the
Visitor Centre feeder & 4 YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS on the Spruce Bog Trail.
Last but certainly not least was a 'flock' of 4 GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULLS 
over the Spruce Bog Trail, these are assigned 'vagrant' status in Algonquin 
with only 1 previous sighting noted.
Also seen that day were the following:
Great Blue Heron (2)
Canada Goose (4)
Mallard (2)
American Black Duck (4)
Red-tailed Hawk (1)
Herring Gull (4)
Downy Woodpecker (8)
Hairy Woodpecker (1)
Golden-crowned Kinglets (15+)
Ruby-crowned Kinglet (3)
Winter Wren (1)
American Robin (2)
Black-capped Chickadee (many)
Red-breasted Nuthatch (3)
Blue Jay (10)
American Crow (5)
White-crowned Sparrow (7)
White-throated Sparrow (many)
Dark-eyed Junco (many)
Common Grackle (6)

Regards & good birding,

Frank Pinilla
Richmond Hill, ON
frankpinilla@hotmail.com

Algonquin PP - Saturday March 10 - Mon, 12 Mar 2001

Hi All,

David Shilman and I headed up to Algonquin Park on Friday night, stopping in at the intersection of Falkenburg and Butter & Egg Roads, we saw two GREAT GRAY OWLS in this area, one just west of the intersection along Falkenburg and one just east of here.

We then headed into the park to try and get a response from Barred Owls, but we had no luck, stopping in about 8 different spots. On Saturday morning, we saw many EVENING GROSBEAKS at the west gate feeders. As noted in other messages, there are hundreds of WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLS in the area as well as 100's of PINE SISKINS all along the Highway 60 corridor, with quite a few EVENING GROSBEAKS mixed in. At the Oxtongue River picnic area (Km 3) we heard 3 PILEATED WOODPECKERS, at the entrance to the Tea Lake Dam picnic area (Km 8) we heard a GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET. Along the Opeongo Road (Km 50?) we saw 3 GRAY JAYS, two at the gate and one in the Black Spruce area about 1km walk beyond the gate. Along Costello Creek, which parallels Opeongo Road, was an OTTER sitting on the ice curled up. Just outside the east gate there is a road which runs north to the Fisheries Assessment Unit, behind there are some feeders where we saw a RUFFED GROUSE and more Evening Grosbeaks and one DARK-EYED JUNCO. Heading back we stopped at the Bat Lake Trail, where we heard (and caught a fleeting glimpse) of a BOREAL CHICKADEE along with many RED-BREASTED NUTHATCHES (more than I've seen in one place before) and 2 BROWN CREEPERS. The Boreal Chickadee was about 500m to 1km in along the trail going backwards/counter-clockwise, along with most of the other birds that we saw on this trail, also here were 2 more GRAY JAYS.

DIRECTIONS:

Algonquin PP - Hwy 60 about 45km east of Hwy 11 in Huntsville. Kilometres noted in the message are as posted along the highway in the park - Zero at West Gate.

GREAT GRAY OWLS - Hwy 118 west from Bracebridge to Butter & Egg Road, turn right and follow this winding road until it ends at Falkenburg Road, left about 100m was one of the Great Grays, right to where the road bends sharply left was the other Great Gray.

Frank Pinilla
Richmond Hill, ON
frankpinilla@hotmail.com

Algonquin Park - Great Gray Owl - Tue, 6 Feb 2001

Sighting reports originating from the ONTBIRDS mail server network are repeated courtesy of the Ontario Field Ornithologists (OFO).

While birding Algonquin yesterday we spotted a great gray owl at km. 28 on
Hwy 60.  It can be hard to spot with the backdrop of trees and in fact when
returning to it 2 of our party still had a tough time spotting it but once
they did they had great looks.  There are plenty of white winged crossbills
singing from the treetops and flocks of pine siskins as well.  Other than 2
ruffed grouse in a tree and the normal birds that was it.

Larry Boyce,
Ennismore, Ontario.
lboyce@ptbo.igs.net

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