[NatureNS] Belated Owl Report

Date: Tue, 22 May 2007 12:47:54 -0300
From: Bob McDonald <bobathome@hfx.eastlink.ca>
To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca
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Good Day,

I regret the tardiness of this report but have been too busy to think about this, let alone write it up.  So this will be a brief report of the Nocturnal Owl Survey done by Suzanne Borkowski, Patricia Chalmers and me on my owl route within the Halifax Regional Water Commission watershed lands at Pockwock Lake carried out 10-11 May 2007.

Although the evening started cloudy, it had cleared by the second stop and there was little wind - a perfect evening except for the peepers, wood frogs and highway 101 traffic noise, and overflying jets!

A barred owl was attracted to the tape around stop #3 and flew over our heads several times.  (It is times like this when you wish you could simply turn off the tape so as not to harass the birds unnecessarily!)

At stop #4, I walked about 50 m away from the front of the car while the ladies walked behind it.  What I thought I heard initially was coyotes calling, but something about the sound was not right.  Patricia and Suzanne, who were closer to the sound and both have much keener hearing than I do, heard something different.....  Back in the car, we played the training CD and both became convinced that what we heard were a pair of LONG-EARED OWLS calling back and forth and within 500 m of us!!  The call was very similar to that at the beginning of the training CD.  We jumped back out of the car, walked 100 m back but the owls had stopped the serenade!

The remainder of the route was a bit of let-down after this high-light, that is, until stop #10.  Here we heard 5 owls of 3 species, and I could clearly hear all of them!!  What a fantastic treat!!   The first owls we heard were a pair of Great-horned, even before the first playback call.  Then a Barred started and we were all surprised that this smaller owl would start with the GHOW's so close.  Then an even closer Barred began calling, different from the first.  Finally, towards the end of the protocol, a Saw-whet Owl began calling, within 200 m of us.

This Pockwock route has always been an excellent one for owling; too bad it is not more accessible but for various good reasons the HRWC has enhanced security precautions in here, which remains the primary source of drinking water for the Capital District.

Cheers,

Bob McDonald,
Halifax

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<DIV><FONT size=2>Good Day,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>I regret the tardiness of this report but have been too busy 
to think about this, let alone write it up.&nbsp; So this will be a brief report 
of the Nocturnal Owl Survey done by Suzanne Borkowski, Patricia Chalmers 
and&nbsp;me on my owl route within the Halifax Regional Water Commission 
watershed lands at Pockwock Lake carried out 10-11 May 2007.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>Although the evening started cloudy, it had cleared by the 
second stop and there was little wind - a perfect evening except for the 
peepers, wood frogs and highway 101 traffic noise, and overflying 
jets!</FONT></DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>A barred owl was attracted to the tape around stop #3 and flew 
over our heads several times.&nbsp; (It is times like this when you wish you 
could simply turn off the tape so as not to harass the birds 
unnecessarily!)</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>At stop #4, I walked about 50 m away from the front of the car 
while the ladies walked behind it.&nbsp; What I thought I heard initially was 
coyotes calling, but something about the sound was not right.&nbsp; Patricia and 
Suzanne, who&nbsp;were closer to the sound and both have much keener hearing 
than I do, heard something different.....&nbsp; Back in the car, we played the 
training CD and both became convinced that what we heard were a pair of 
LONG-EARED OWLS calling back and forth and within 500 m of us!!&nbsp; The call 
was very similar to that at the beginning of the training CD.&nbsp; We jumped 
back out of the car, walked 100 m back but the owls had stopped the 
serenade!</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>The remainder of the route was a bit of let-down after this 
high-light, that is, until stop #10.&nbsp; Here we heard 5 owls of 3 species, 
and I could clearly hear all of them!!&nbsp; What a fantastic treat!! &nbsp; The 
first owls we heard were a pair of Great-horned, even before the first playback 
call.&nbsp; Then a Barred started and we were all surprised that this smaller 
owl would start with the GHOW's so close.&nbsp; Then an even closer Barred began 
calling, different from the first.&nbsp; Finally, towards the end of the 
protocol, a Saw-whet Owl began calling, within 200 m of us.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>This Pockwock route has always been an excellent one for 
owling; too bad it is not more accessible but for various good reasons the HRWC 
has enhanced security precautions in&nbsp;here, which 
remains&nbsp;the&nbsp;primary source of drinking water for the Capital 
District.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>Cheers,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>Bob McDonald,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>Halifax</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>

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