Rare northern hawk owl sighting causes flap in Schomberg

"I understand it’s a rare bird but honestly, how many pictures do you need?” Resident asks

Yorkregion.com
December 19, 2019
Sheila Wang

A little bird has caused quite a stir in the quiet village of Schomberg.

Found primarily in the frigid north, a northern hawk owl that made an unusual trip south has sent the birding community into a frenzy and inadvertently ruffled some feathers in the village.

In the morning of Dec. 17, dozens of people in their camouflage outdoor gear were seen lugging their tripods and DLSRs in the Dufferin Marsh area as they followed the long-tailed, yellow-eyed bird that didn't seem bothered by the curious humans at all.

Visitors, birders and photographers made their way around the snow on Dr. Kay Drive, which was lined by cars on both sides. Some of them had been there for days to get the perfect shot of the rare bird.

"All the top birders are coming here and I know the bird is really rare to be seen here in this area," said Philip Waggett, a photographer from Burlington.

Known for its habit of perching atop solitary trees and hunting by daylight, the boreal forest bird has evidently taken a liking to the village and has hovered around the area for weeks.

On Dec. 13, more than 100 people from across southern Ontario flocked to Schomberg for catch sight of the unique creature.

“We can’t keep going this way because it’s causing too much disruption to our town. I understand it’s a rare bird, but honestly how many pictures do you need?” resident Susan Heslop said.

Heslop who lives in the area said she was concerned about the birders who were running across the street, standing in the middle of the road and parking improperly.

“There are other living things including people in this town that need to be respected,” Heslop said.

Waggett acknowledged the disruption and said he appreciated that the locals put up with it.

“I think it’s a holiday blessing from nature,” said local resident Andre Milne, adding he didn't mind the crowd in the village.

Mesmerized by the creature, Milne recalled his first close encounter with the bird on Dec. 7.

“It glided down from the tree, looked straight into my eye and then flew across the street. It was only two and a half feet away from my face,” Milne said.

At that time, there were only a handful of birders and photographers in the area trying to capture the beauty of the owl, he said.

But soon, more and more enthusiasts across southern Ontario caught wind of the rare sighting in Schomberg and packed the small village with cars, gear and excitement.

“Birders are a little bit hardcore. They travel thousands of kilometres to see what there is and they get back in the car and they drive back home again,” said Megan Wetmore from Mississauga, who snapped a few cool shots of the owl on Dec. 17.

The photos of the bird received hundreds of responses on Facebook in no time and some resident even named it “Logito” after Schomberg’s postal code.

"It's a little over the top," King Township Mayor Steve Pellegrini said on Dec. 18. "We appreciate everybody coming here. It’s good for businesses, but we don’t want them to traumatize or disturb the ecological environment in any way."

The township has taken actions to address the impact on the local community after learning of the concerns from area residents, the mayor said.

Bylaw officers and staff from roads, parks and communications have come together to alleviate the impact on the residents including safety reminder on social media, signs in the marsh area and "no parking" barricades.

Meanwhile, York Regional Police has had an active presence in the area.

"We just want everyone to have fun, be safe and don't disturb the environment," Pellegrini said.

The mayor said the Toronto Wildlife Centre has been contacted on whether the owl should be relocated back to its natural habitat. A rescue team was scheduled to assess the health of the owl on Dec. 19.