The itch to twitch started at the Bird Bander's Buffet on 8Jan 2005 when Jean mentioned taking a next-morning train to NYC to see the Boreal Owl at the Tavern On The Green. Ooh! May I join you? Margaret met us there. Arlene and Sandra were, unknown to us, on the same train. On the way back they mentioned wanting two more people driving to Ottawa on the 22nd to see the Great Gray Owls. I'd like to go! Then Arlene got sick, Sandra got sick; we postponed. On the 29th Joan replaced our original fourth.

Overnight staging in Bridgewater, early morning departure in 6 degrees. One degree near the Poconos. Scraped windows with credit cards. We tallied Red-tailed Hawks. In upper NY State after the 28th Tail, Joan: Where's the mane? You're getting food deprived; have a hard-boiled egg.

Canada at 1:30 PM. Arlene: I want a Rough-leg. Joan: Don't shave. Sandra: We are suffering from Acute Bird Deprivation Syndrome. Other symptoms: drowsiness, tendency to veer off the road, incoherence, inattentiveness, malls look good. Cure: go to the nearest feeder. Or someone in the back seat says What's THAT! Yes, a Greater Black-backed Gull at Thousand Islands. Rough-legged Hawk. Raven.

On March Road, Ottawa, 3:27 PM. Suthers: Owl! Incoherent attempts to describe location; it was so close, people were looking too far. Joan: boot on the wrong foot. Late afternoon sun full in its face, eyes gleaming yellow, all nine rows of facial discs visible¾by 7x35's! Much excited chatter as we move on. Suthers attempting to be heard from the back seat: Pull over...Pull Over...STOP! Big bird on tree top, not an owl, looks grouse-like. Back up, scope it, a Ruffed Grouse eating buds.

Turn onto March Valley Road, 3:35 PM. Group of parked cars. Walked in a field for a closer view. Watched this GGOW catch, carry in beak and eat prey. Sandra on experiential birding: Savor the moment, let it linger on the palate like fine wine until the full complexity of the bird explodes in your senses. At 3:50 PM, car cluster, GGOWs #3-5 on roadside fence, nearby tree, distance tree. Car cluster at Post 1225, 4:10 PM, long looks at GGOW #6 overhead in roadside tree...#12 on Klondike Road at 5:05...then the Baker's Dozen bending over the tip of a sapling...#14 on Hertzberg Road at 5:15...#15 on Carling Road at 5:20 PM. Joan paraphrasing the Beach Boys' My Little GTO: My little GGO, You're really looking fine. Three brothers and a dozen, up and down Marsh Valley line. Hunting all the little voles now, eating supper on the vi-i-ine. Gonna gulp it down, cough it up, blow it out! GGO!

Sunday 30th, first birds of the day, starlings, crows, House Sparrows, pigeons. Seeking Snowy Owls in fields and hedgerows outside Ottawa. Fox tracks along a roadside ditch. InstaStall. Scoped and watched a Tail eat crow. Savor the moment....

Exit 144 off Rt 417, onto Rt 5 at 1PM, city dump on left. Sparse traffic, pull over! Crows and Ravens in tandem giving size comparison. Greater Black-backed Gulls and Glaucous Gulls, size mates, wheeling together. Smaller Iceland Gulls soaring, looking pink when banking, pure white against the blue sky, sunlight gleaming through the outstretched wings. Ta da dump, ta da dump...!

Next the Jack Pine Trail, Parking #9 in the Stony Swamp Conservation Area. Heard White-winged Crossbills. Black-capped Chickadees and Red-breasted Nuthatches¾we had them eating out of our hands! Onward to the suburb Carp to find the flock of some 40 Bohemian Waxwings that frequented the crabapple trees in yards. Desperately seeking waxwings. Sandra: We must not waver from our mission of ticking as many birds as possible!

Drove onto the frozen Ottawa River and pulled over near an ice-fisherman's hut with a plastic Penguin on top, and three friendly guys, and exchanged astonishments about our respective sports. On to Ottawa River rapids by the bridge to Hull, Quebec. GBBG and Herring Gulls on an ice spit. A float of Common Merganzers. Common Goldeneyes feeding, flying upstream, floating backwards, diving. Savor the moment....

Monday 31st, last attempt at winter passerines at Moffet Farm, Animal Research of Ontario Dept of Agriculture. Crows, starlings, House Sparrows, pigeons, Blue Jay, Cardinal, Brown Creeper, Black-capped Chickadees. Hungry chickadees, buzzing us. If the Black-cap sings 'Cheeseburger', then the Carolina Chickadee sings 'I want french fries', and the hybrid chickadee sings 'The value meal'.

Backsliding! Coasting on our butts on a slick, sloping lawn. Wheee! Watching people ice-skating to work on the canal. The Ottawans have one up on the winter; outdoor sports and activities.

One-thousand fourteen miles round from Bridgewater, more to Hopewell, 32 birds, 9 mammals. Some lifers. Black-capped Chickadees own the north woods. But we had them eating out of our hands.