rb_stern
Richard stern
The other evening 3 of us did my annual owl survey route, starting at the beginning of the Mines Road, behind Falmouth, and ending up in the wilds of the upper Avon watershed not far from Black River Lake - a place on the map as Benjamins Mills, but with just woods and logging roads. For those not familiar with Nova Scotia, this is true wooded wilderness, although there have been a lot of clearcuts by the pulp and paper companies. It was a great night - not too cold, windless, and very clear, with brilliant stars, but lots of planes. Spring peepers and Wood frogs were prominent and loud at most stops. We had a few Woodcock and no Snipe. There was a Hermit thrush singing at the first stop, and we could see the silhouette of a Raven on a nest in the twilight.
For the first 6 stops we thought we were going to have a complete bust with regard to owls, but after that things just got progressively better. For the last 4 stops, well away from civilization, Saw-whets were tooting non-stop from the time we stopped the car to the time we headed off to the next stop. One was obviously right beside the road but remained well hidden in thick spruce. We had a pair of distant Great Horned calling to each other, and probably at least 1 other bird. At the last stop, while listening to both of the above, and also a distant calling Common loon, a pair of Barred owls suddenly started up close by, almost mimicking the CD, and flying in next to the road. We could see one of them bobbing its head around as if to look where the mechanical rival was coming from.
In the end a total of 11 owls of 3 species on a fine night made for a great survey this year.
The next evening (earlier this week)wandering around some local woods. aside from a few Yellow-rumps, Chickadees and lots of Robins - after I left the wooded area and was walking back, a pair of Barred owls called - the full call, with some overlap, twice, from what sounded like right where I had been. Then I went along to the slightly open area by the river, and there was a pair of Great Horned owls - both perched on branches, staring at me and giving intermittent, rather quiet single bark- like alarm calls. A bit unnerving actually. I tried taking a couple of pictures, but the light was v. poor, and then I left them in peace.
Later that night I could hear another pair of Barred owls in our local woods through our open bedroom window.
Richard
For the first 6 stops we thought we were going to have a complete bust with regard to owls, but after that things just got progressively better. For the last 4 stops, well away from civilization, Saw-whets were tooting non-stop from the time we stopped the car to the time we headed off to the next stop. One was obviously right beside the road but remained well hidden in thick spruce. We had a pair of distant Great Horned calling to each other, and probably at least 1 other bird. At the last stop, while listening to both of the above, and also a distant calling Common loon, a pair of Barred owls suddenly started up close by, almost mimicking the CD, and flying in next to the road. We could see one of them bobbing its head around as if to look where the mechanical rival was coming from.
In the end a total of 11 owls of 3 species on a fine night made for a great survey this year.
The next evening (earlier this week)wandering around some local woods. aside from a few Yellow-rumps, Chickadees and lots of Robins - after I left the wooded area and was walking back, a pair of Barred owls called - the full call, with some overlap, twice, from what sounded like right where I had been. Then I went along to the slightly open area by the river, and there was a pair of Great Horned owls - both perched on branches, staring at me and giving intermittent, rather quiet single bark- like alarm calls. A bit unnerving actually. I tried taking a couple of pictures, but the light was v. poor, and then I left them in peace.
Later that night I could hear another pair of Barred owls in our local woods through our open bedroom window.
Richard
