Red-phase Eastern Screech-Owl Reappears
The Red Eastern Screech-Owl seen a few weeks ago reappeared today. I only got to see it for a few minutes at fly out. Welcome back.
Category: Owls
Let it snow, Let it snow, Let it snow
There have been two Snowy Owls hanging around one of the barrier islands on the south shore of Long Island for the past week. I’ve been having bad luck finding life birds this fall. But today, I found this species within five minutes of parking my car!
(There have been reports of them being harassed by birders and photographers this week, so be careful if you see them. A Park Ranger told me that today, a photographer chased one of the owls down the beach. The owls are down here looking for food because food ran out further north. They’re in a stressful period of there lives. If they fly off, you’ve gotten too close. Please don’t chase after them. We’ve got to do our best to welcome and protect these birds.)
The bird I saw was most likely a young male.
2008-2009 Owl Season Has Begun
Thanks to Stella Hamilton, who with the help of some Bluejays found the bird, and Lincoln Karim who sent me a text message, I got to see my first Eastern-screech Owl of the Fall today. (It was in a very busy place, so forgive me if I keep its location private.)
The owl, a red morph, may be the owl that was released by a rehabber a few weeks ago. While I was observing it, some of its neighbors were not too welcoming, including a Black-capped Chickadee, a Gray Squirrel and a Tufted Titmouse.
Monday, 8-4-08
Well, just as I was giving up on our little guys, Caroline finds one of them in a low bush by The Pool. So, the season isn't over and we've found one of the them into August.
This report ended up being the last sighting of the North Woods Owls in 2008. A great year, which may never be repeated. How lucky I feel to have witnessed a full breading cycle of an owl species.
Monday, 7-28-08
I’ve had three days of bad luck finding our North Woods owls. No sight or sound of them on Saturday, Sunday and Monday evenings. Owl season may finally be over.
Thursday, 7-24-08
Tonight, we had the adult female in almost the same place we had seen her on Saturday. She called a number of times before flying out, and we might have heard a reply but could not be sure.
When she flew out, she actually came down right over my head and I had to duck. It was great to see her fly right at me. I don’t think she was trying to hurt me.
She seemed intent on getting a worm from near where I was. The earthworm had been brought to the surface by the heavy rains earlier in the day. She got it and ate it in on a low tree branch.
She continued to do some calling and moved towards the location of the nest cavity. Then we lost her and went to investigate a report of two owls that had been seen earlier in the week, on a slope of the Great Hill. We didn’t find them, but couldn’t help but wonder if they were the fledglings or possibly owls from earlier years.
