In November and early December 2013 news was breaking of a very large southerly movement of Snowy Owls into southern Canada and northern North America, the largest arrival for 50 years following a highly successful breeding season in Quebec and areas of northern Canada where it had been a bumper lemming year. Inevitably photographs started to surge onto the internet with stories detailing people seeing 20 – 40 birds in a single day! Kev DuRose, Will Bowell and myself were looking at a trip north into Scandinavia but the prospect of multiple Snowy Owls just across the Atlantic seemed too good to miss; a week later after contacting my friend John in Toronto for local information the flights were booked, car hired and motels sorted for the first week in February but would the birds still be there. Talk of birds starving, hunting round diner car parks and being found dead in various places did not sound good but John confirmed there were still several birds around southern Ontario and they looked to have settled into winter territories.

Although it proved really scenic, we maybe did not factor in this being the coldest winter in southern Ontario for 25 years with more snow than they had experienced for 15 years; a good job we booked a four-wheel drive vehicle. In the event though we only lost one day through heavy snowfall and the major roads are open very quickly even following 30cms of snow falling in 6 hours, somewhat different to the UK. It was cold with temperatures down to -23C and large areas of the Great Lakes were frozen but this concentrated wildfowl and other birds into small areas of open water providing good photo opportunities.

Around Ottawa there were notable concentrations of Snowy Owls on the open prairie like landscapes where they were hunting mice and small mammals but on the coast birds often sat out on the pack ice and hunted wildfowl over the open water. On a ferry ride from the famous Amherst Island a Snowy Owl appeared chasing the flock of Scaup, Goosanders and Goldeneye feeding in the open water created by the ferry breaking ice in the channel just outside Kingston harbour while others sat out on the frozen sea / lake. Other notable encounters involved a young well-barred Snowy sitting on a post over a small area of open water intently watching a male Hooded Merganser swimming below, a superb male sitting on a bank of snow matching its colouration to a tee until chased off its perch by a couple of American Crows and walking out over the frozen lake to a perched owl never sure just how thick the ice was beneath the snow.

Some individuals were rather tame and fed close to roads which was useful as it was difficult to walk far in the 1m deep snow that had a thin frozen crust sending photographer and camera gear alike crashing on several occasions. 

In addition to the Snowy Owls John showed us a Northern Saw Whet and three Long-eared Owls, Rough-legged Hawks, flocks of passerines including Mourning Doves, American Tree Sparrows, Dark-eyed Juncos, Song Sparrows and Down Woodpeckers were easy to find while large flocks of Snow Buntings wandered the prairies and a few Northern Shrikes were also part of an unusual southerly movement of this species. A trip inland to Algonquin produced point blank views of a large flock of Evening Grosbeaks and Purple Finches plus Gray Jay and the exquisite American Red Squirrel. On the coast it was good to get up close with Redheads, Buffleheads, White-winged Scoter and the usual loaf of bread produced the shots of American Herring Gulls and Ring-billed Gulls. All in all, an incredible experience but the 30 or so Snowy Owls we saw and photographed in the snowy landscape were certainly the highlight.

January 31st departed Gatwick at 11:05 arriving Toronto at 14:15- by the time we picked up the car and bought a Sat Nav in Toronto it was as good as dark so Motel for the night.

The following morning February 1st we had arranged to meet John for a guided walk around his local patch the Leslie Street Spit, or as its now known the Tommy Thompson Park, on the edge of Toronto. The weather was cold but temperatures hovered around 1C and by early afternoon wet snow / rain was falling meaning we curtailed birding midafternoon and went back to dry out before an evening meal at John’s.

Early am we checked the power station outfall near Leslie Street and were rewarded with a Trumpeter swan family, Black Duck, White winged Scoter male fem, Redheads, Greater Scaup 100+, Lesser Scaup 4+, Eurasian Goldfinch, Buffleheads, Red-breasted Mergansers, Goosanders and a Red-tailed Hawk. After meeting up with John we walked to tip seeing my first new bird in the form of several American Tree Sparrows while we also connected with three different Snowy Owls, drake Hooded Merganser, Red necked Grebe, Long-tailed Ducks, 3 Long eared Owls roosting in the ice-covered trees and my second new bird of the day in the form of a delightful Northern Saw Whet Owl perched in a small pine at the tip. As walking became treacherous and the weather a bit dismal, we went to Tim Horton’s for a late munch and back to the motel to dry out.

February 2nd

With accommodation booked at Kingston for the rest of the trip we set off north calling in at Cranberry Marsh where some feeders produced; American Tree Sparrows, Downy Woodpeckers, Mourning Doves, Song Sparrow, White-throated Sparrow, Dark-eyed Juncos, Cardinal, wild Turkeys and Red and black/Grey squirrels. The Great Horned Owls at Thickston woods were not showing so we moved on to Coburg harbour where there was a good selection of American Herring Gulls, Ring billed Gulls, Long tailed Ducks, Black Ducks, Bufflehead and Canada Geese! Heading further up the coast we called in at Presquille provincial park where the feeders at gate produced White breasted and Red breasted Nuthatches, Downy Woodpeckers, Black capped Chickadees then near the lighthouse a pair of Pileated Woodpeckers. All of the bay and sea were frozen over and there were some spectacular ice volcanoes to add to the tick list. Night at the Motel in Kingston which was warm and adequate with meals taken at a nearby pub style restaurant.

February 3rd

The famous Amherst Island winter owl centre of Canada was just off shore and we had planned a trip over for the day Ferry. On the island we managed to connect with seven Snowy Owls, two Rough legged Hawks, one pale and one dark, Red tailed Hawk 8+, Bald eagle 1 juv, American Kestrel male, Short-eared Owl 1Snow Bunting two flocks of 50+, American Robin 5, American Goldfinch 1 female, Red bellied Woodpecker 1, Downy Woodpecker, Mourning Dove 20+, Starling 100+, Blue Jay, Northern Shrike 3+, Coyote, Red Fox and White-tailed Deer. Everything was close to the road as it was impossible to walk far off the road due to the depth of snow.

February 4th

Drive to Ottawa: lots of American Crows, 1 Northern Shrike, then Snow Buntings and 4 more Snowy Owls one on south side or Orleans and 3 at Casselman

February 5th

Snow all day with 25-30cm falling: no birding possible: ferry ride to Wolf Island where Dark eyed Junco, Downy Woodpecker and American Tree Sparrows, female American Goldfinch. On ferry ride back a Snowy Owl chasing a flock of Scaup, Goosanders and Goldeneye feeding in the open water created by the ferry breaking ice in the channel just outside Kingston harbour. Abandon the day go to Tims then Wallmart and back to motel.

February 6th

Ottowa area Snowy Owls 8 including adult male; Northern Shrike brown phase juv, Mourning Doves

February 7th

Set off and took the fairly long drive to Algonquin for the day. Most of the park was closed due to snow fall but the feeders at the Visitor Centre held a fantastic flock of Evening Grosbeaks and Purple Finches and the two roads that were drivable to car parks produced Gray Jays and woodpeckers. Totals during the day were: Gray Jay 1, Evening grosbeak 45+, Purple Finch 10+, Blue Jay 30+, Black capped Chickadees 10+, Red breasted Nuthatch 2, Hairy Woodpecker 5+, Downy Woodpeckers, Raven and Red Squirrel.  

February 8th

Up to Ottawa again to concentrate of the Snowy Owls of which nine seen, Rough legged Hawk 2 pale phase, Bald Eagle adult, Snow Bunting 150+, Horned Lark 4

February 9th

With our late evening flight from Toronto back to Gatwick we leave Kingston and stop off at

Cobourg Harbour where the usual array of American Herring Gulls, Ring-billed Gulls, Long-tailed Ducks, Black Ducks and Mourning Doves are on offer. Back at Cranberry Marsh reacquaint ourselves with American Tree Sparrows, Song Sparrow, two White-throated Sparrows, Downy Woodpeckers, Cardinals, Dark-eyed Juncos, drake White-winged Scoter and a large flock of Greater Scaup offshore. At the Leslie Street outflow 50+ Redhead, Black Ducks, Greater Scaup, Lesser Scaup, Goosanders, Red-breasted Merganser, Buffleheads, Long-tailed Ducks, Northern Mockingbird, American Tree Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco and Song Sparrow.  

Depart Toronto 21:10 arriving Gatwick at 10:15.