Barred Owl just south of Lake Simcoe: March 19, 2020

Instead of heading east today, I went straight north to Lake Simcoe. The lake is still frozen at this moment:

frozen Lake Simcoe

Near Jackson’s Point there is a lovely trail leading through a wetland.

Wooded swamps like this are perfect habitat for the Barred Owl.

I heard several Blue Jays and a Crow making a lot of fuss at one point and I got a photo of one of the jays.

Blue Jay

A large clump was evident just below the jay and I thought that it must be foliage. What a pleasant surprise to find that it was a Barred owl.

Blue Jay keeping an eye on the owl

Other large owls in Ontario have yellow or orange eyes but the Barred Owl has dark eyes.

Barred Owl
Barred Owl
Barred Owl
Barred Owl
Barred Owl
Barred Owl

I also had Ring-billed Gull, Hairy Woodpecker, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Black-capped Chickadee, White-breasted Nuthatch and American Robin on this 6 degree, overcast day.

Some Botany:

White Cedar (Thuja occidentalis)
White Birch (Betula papyrifera)
Yellow Birch (Betula allegheniensis)
Riverbank Grape Vine (Vitis riperia)
White Elm (Ulmus americana)
Hop-hornbeam (Ostrya virginiana)
Beech leaves
Largetooth Aspen (Populus grandidentata)
Trumpet Lichen
Beech-drops (Epifagus virginiana)
Fungus
Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum)
Royal Fern
Polypore

Trail views:

Pileated Woodpecker drilling
Mammal bone
Pileated Woodpecker drilling

NATURE POETRY

The year draws in the day
And soon will evening shut:
The laurels all are cut,
We’ll to the woods no more.  – A. E. Housman (1859–1936)

Miles Hearn

1 thought on “Barred Owl just south of Lake Simcoe: March 19, 2020

  1. Charles Bruce-Thompson

    Thanks Miles, for keeping us entertained and informed so that we can enjoy nature, albeit vicariously

    That Royal Fern: it looks like bracken to me, but I could be wrong (I usually am)

    Reply

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