Seeing a Northern Saw-whet Owl in Central Park is a real treat. Only a few are seen during migration and they only seem to be one day guests of the park, so actually seeing one takes patience.
Today, the Central Park birding community helped me out. Rebekah Creshkof found the owl, told a friend who got me to the general area of the bird, and then another pair of birders helped me find the right tree.
What may be the last Eastern Screech-Owl in Central Park, continues to captivate me. She was lower in the cavity today, something that makes sense given the colder weather.
The Eastern Screech-Owl continues in her favorite cavity. While I was watching her, a few birders stood very close to her. (A good sign that she’s annoyed is that she puts her ears up.)
When visiting her in the afternoon, please give her some space. Most of us have expensive binoculars. Let’s use them! How would you like it if someone came into your bedroom and started staring at you!
In addition to this owl, the park had a Northern Saw-whet owl last week, and has a Great-Horned Owl now.
More Eastern Screech-Owls photos…
Tonight is the last day, I can owl or hawk watch during the week. After this weekend, we’ll be back on Eastern Standard Time, and it will be dark when I leave work.
A shift of cavities found Central Park’s Eastern-Screech Owl in a familiar location from previous years. She’s lost two mates over the last few years and is now single.
I miss the duets after fly out we used to here. Now we only hear a few calls, and then silence.