A local Great Horned Owl

Not the best quality, so I didn't want to use it as my main photo this morning. Seems ages since I last posted a photo of a Great Horned Owl. Also, Short-eared Owls, Northern Hawk Owl and Great Gray Owl have been my focus more recently.

On 1 January 2016, I took part in the annual Fish Creek Provincial Park New Year's Day Bird Count. Unlike all the other recent Counts, this one was just half a day. It was SO cold when we all arrived at the parking lot, despite "only" being -12C (the rest of the cold must have been the windchill). The sun was shining and we had a very enjoyable walk from Bebo Grove to Bridge #6. Other participants covered other areas of the park.. It was so nice to see this rather sleepy Great Horned Owl down in our count area.

After the Count, quite a few of the participants, me included, gathered at a Tim Horton's to hand in their lists and to chat over coffee and lunch about what had been seen. Always makes for an enjoyable time.

This is our leader's final list of bird species seen in Fish Creek Provincial Park on the New Year's Day Bird Count, 2016. We had divided up into three groups, so each group may not have seen every species listed.

"Fish Creek Prov. Park New Years Day Bird Count, Bebo Grove to Raven Rocks, Bridge #6. 0900-1215, 01Jan2016. Sunny, W. wind 15kph, -12 to -3°c. Fish Creek 98% frozen. 30 cm snow on ground.

Best birds on our territory were the two Mountain Chickadees that Josias Grest has been seeing and feeding since 23Dec. Best Count area bird was a Hermit Thrush, first ever. It was at the Stormwater outlet, about ¼ km W of Macleod Trail, on the S side of Fish Creek, where we have seen American Dipper, Song Sparrow, Wilsons Snipe and Killdeer in past winters.

Below is the list and numbers seen on our area today.

1. Canada Goose-16
2. Sharp-shinned Hawk-1
3. Merlin-1
4. Great Horned Owl-1
5. Downy Woodpecker-15
6. Hairy Woodpecker-1
7. Northern Flicker-1
8. Pileated Woodpecker-1
9. Northern Shrike-1
10. Black-billed Magpie-20
11. Common Raven-23
12. Black-capped Chickadee-130
13. MOUNTAIN CHICKADEE-2
14. Boreal Chickadee-13
15. Red-breasted Nuthatch-27, including Bob the white-headed leucistic individual.
16. White-breasted Nuthatch-1
17. Brown Creeper-2
18. Townsends Solitaire-2
19. Bohemian Waxwing-2500+
20.Pine Grosbeak-20
21. White-winged Crossbill-80
22.PINE SISKIN-1

Red Squirrel-7+
Eastern Gray Squirrel-1
White-tailed Deer-5"