[NatureNS] NOS - a great night for ambiance

From: Susann Myers <myerss@eastlink.ca>
To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca
References: <CAKqJtz8Wuvo5j0FZK1H667J_x5ya3xxyMA9V_9Tjr3YCpHS5Mw@mail.gmail.com>
Date: Fri, 05 May 2017 17:03:07 -0300
Importance: Normal
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
previous message in thread
Index of Subjects

Index of Subjects
This is a multi-part message in MIME format.

------=_NextPart_000_0039_01D2C5C1.7851C330
Content-Type: text/plain;
	charset="UTF-8"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

Like you, Randy, I ran my owl survey last night - my route is at =
Earltown.  This runs through great habitat, and surveyors have often had =
counts of over 20 owls in past years.

Despite the bright half moon and light winds at the start of the survey, =
I wasn't expecting great results on this survey, because winds had been =
strong through the day, only becoming light in this location in late =
evening.  In my experience, the owls don't sit up to do territorial =
calling unless they've first had successful hunting in the afternoon and =
evening, and they didn't get that in yesterday's winds.

The results bore out this idea.  I had only one very brief call from a =
Barred Owl in the first seven stops.  Then after 11:00 p.m., when winds =
had been light for about 3 hours, I began to hear owls.  I had five =
Great Horned Owls calling in the last 3 stops, two pairs and a single, =
all giving quiet contact calls. Also, one Barred Owl flew in after the =
second Barred playback, giving Who-cooks-for-you calls.  After 7 quiet =
stops, it was wonderful to hear owls.

Unfortunately, we can't wait for an ideal night.  With a week of rain =
forecast, I needed to get my survey done while I could.  I don't like to =
do a survey on a less-than-perfect night, because I don't think that the =
level of analysis given to survey results is adequate to identify and =
adjust for issues such as afternoon wind speeds.  Without that level of =
analysis, however, how meaningful is the data in monitoring population =
trends?

Like Randy, I had an enjoyable night apart from owl results.  A fox =
crossed the road at dusk, I saw Snowshoe Hare and deer, Woodcock were =
peenting at a few stops and one was sitting in the road, and I had one =
snipe winnowing, as well as a Ruffed Grouse drumming in bright moonlight =
at the final stop.  Pretty idyllic. =20

Human disturbance was a factor, this year.  The road, which is not =
plowed in winter, had some condition issues, including a washout on a =
sharp corner above a very steep drop into a ravine.  A couple of =
residents who know me from past years took on the (unnecessary) =
responsibility of protecting me from this hazard, and wound up making a =
great deal of noise and disturbance at two stops.  Hard to complain =
about such caring behavior, though!  Also, in its own way, pretty =
idyllic.

Cheers,
Susann Myers


From: Randy Lauff=20
Sent: Friday, May 05, 2017 9:21 AM
To: NatureNS=20
Subject: [NatureNS] NOS - a great night for ambiance


Last night I ran my Nocturnal Owl Survey =
(http://www.birdscanada.org/volunteer/atowls/) under ideal conditions =
(low-no wind, very bright half moon, very little run-off noise) with a =
student, Danny MacDonald who had not yet seen an owl in the wild. We had =
grouse, snipe, woodcock, porcupine and a not so distant pack of coyotes, =
but not a single owl.=20


Oh well, as I tell my students, "zeroes are data, too."


Randy

_________________________________
RF Lauff
Way in the boonies of
Antigonish County, NS.
------=_NextPart_000_0039_01D2C5C1.7851C330
Content-Type: text/html;
	charset="UTF-8"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML><HEAD>
<META content=3Dtext/html;charset=3Dutf-8 http-equiv=3DContent-Type>
<META name=3DGENERATOR content=3D"MSHTML 8.00.6001.23588"></HEAD>
<BODY style=3D"PADDING-LEFT: 10px; PADDING-RIGHT: 10px; PADDING-TOP: =
15px"=20
id=3DMailContainerBody leftMargin=3D0 topMargin=3D0 =
CanvasTabStop=3D"true"=20
name=3D"Compose message area">
<DIV><FONT face=3DCalibri>Like you, Randy, I ran my owl survey last =
night - my=20
route&nbsp;is at Earltown.&nbsp; This runs through great habitat, and =
surveyors=20
have often&nbsp;had counts of over 20 owls in past years.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DCalibri></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DCalibri>Despite the bright half moon and light winds =
at the=20
start of the survey, I wasn't expecting great results on this survey, =
because=20
winds had been strong through the day, only becoming light in this =
location in=20
late evening.&nbsp; In my experience, the owls don't sit up to do =
territorial=20
calling unless they've first had successful hunting in&nbsp;the =
afternoon and=20
evening, and they didn't get that in yesterday's winds.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DCalibri></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DCalibri>The results bore out this idea.&nbsp; I had =
only one=20
very brief call from a Barred Owl in the first seven stops.&nbsp; Then =
after=20
11:00 p.m., when winds had been light for about 3 hours, I began to hear =

owls.&nbsp; I had five Great Horned Owls calling in the last 3 stops, =
two pairs=20
and a single, all&nbsp;giving quiet contact calls.&nbsp;Also, one Barred =
Owl=20
flew in after the second Barred playback, giving Who-cooks-for-you =
calls.&nbsp;=20
After 7 quiet stops, it was wonderful to hear owls.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DCalibri></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DCalibri>Unfortunately, we can't wait for an ideal =
night.&nbsp;=20
With a week of rain forecast,&nbsp;I needed to get my survey done =
while&nbsp;I=20
could.&nbsp; I don't like to do a survey on a less-than-perfect night, =
because I=20
don't think that the level of analysis given to survey results is =
adequate to=20
identify and adjust for issues such as&nbsp;afternoon wind speeds.&nbsp; =
Without=20
that level of analysis, however, how meaningful is the data in =
monitoring=20
population trends?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DCalibri></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DCalibri>Like Randy, I had an enjoyable night apart =
from owl=20
results.&nbsp; A fox crossed the road at dusk, I saw Snowshoe Hare and =
deer,=20
Woodcock were peenting at a few stops and one was sitting in the road, =
and I had=20
one snipe winnowing, as well as a Ruffed Grouse drumming in bright =
moonlight at=20
the final stop.&nbsp; Pretty idyllic.&nbsp;&nbsp;</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DCalibri></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DCalibri>Human disturbance was a factor,&nbsp;this =
year.&nbsp;=20
The road, which is not plowed in winter, had some condition issues, =
including a=20
washout on a sharp corner above a very steep drop into a ravine.&nbsp; A =
couple=20
of residents who&nbsp;know me from&nbsp;past years took on the =
(unnecessary)=20
responsibility of protecting me from this hazard, and wound up making a =
great=2