[NatureNS] Owl Monitoring Route

From: "James Hirtle" <jrhbirder@hotmail.com>
To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca
Date: Mon, 16 Apr 2007 21:57:18 +0000
Precedence: bulk
Return-Path: <naturens-mml-owner@chebucto.ns.ca>
Original-Recipient: rfc822;"| (cd /csuite/info/Environment/FNSN/MList; /csuite/lib/arch2html)"

next message in archive
next message in thread
previous message in archive
Index of Subjects


Dorothy Poole and I ran my Lapland/Laconna route last night.  It was a great 
evening with the quietest conditions I have ever run it.  Usually there is a 
lot of traffic, but last night only two cars went by during the actual 
monitoring period.

Of note is that this is the first year I have run the route that there have 
not been a lot of frogs vocalizing.  We did hear two or three spring peepers 
with a very weak call.  To be expected since it was -1.  We also heard a 
number of wood frogs.  I was especially surprised to see a bat fly by.  More 
loons then ever were heard vocalizing along this route.  Probably about 
triple the number of loons normally heard.

Getting to the owls we positively had 8 barred owls and two northern 
saw-whets.

In all of my owl monitoring years I have never been more confused by 
saw-whets.  At one stop I recorded two for sure with one on either side of 
the road.  Over a one km stretch, in which I did not record these owls I 
heard saw-whets vocalizing constantly.  I do not know how many were present, 
but there must have been a whole slew of these birds moving through that 
area.  I would hear a bird on one side of the road and another on the other 
very close.  I'd then hear a saw-whet further up the road.  In moving up the 
road I'd hear some vocalizing close and others further ahead.  This went on 
over a one km stretch and it was easy to hear them vocalize out the car 
window.  Again I only counted two as the others were between stops and could 
not be heard outside of the protocol listening areas.   All in all a great 
evening with barred owls seen at four out of ten stops.  Two stops that I 
always hear or see owls at were vacant which also was of note.

James R. Hirtle
Dublin Shore

_________________________________________________________________
Win a webcam! Nominate your friend’s Windows Live Space in the Windows Live 
Spaces Sweetest Space Contest and you both could win! 
http://www.microsoft.com/canada/home/contests/sweetestspace/default.aspx

next message in archive
next message in thread
previous message in archive
Index of Subjects