I had heard about a Northern Hawk-Owl that had been staying in an area near Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, and thought it would be a great way to start off the New Year. I drove up into Canada and got there in the afternoon of January 1st. The bird was being seen along Cedarview Road, west of Nepean, which is a suburb of Ottawa. It took a lot of searching until I finally found the bird late in the day in a woodlot along the edge of Cedarview Road, south of Base Line Road. It was a cloudy day and I didn't get any chances for a good photo, so I got a motel in Ottawa and planned to return the next day.
January 2, 1988
I went back to the area and, soon after, found the bird in the same general area. This time, the bird was very cooperative for photos.
I decided to spend the rest of the day checking some parks in Ottawa for Bohemian Waxwing, but I only managed to find some Evening Grosbeaks.
I drove across the river into Hull, Quebec. It was weird, because all of a sudden, all the signs were in French. I took a little drive along the river and then returned into Ontario. The long drive back home didn't seem so far after finding the owl.