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great=2 --f403043ecab89e2231054ecf37b3 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8 I have run my owl survey for many years now - nearly always with Bernard Forsythe - who probably knows more about owls than anyone else in the Province, and more recently with Rick Whitman as well - an excellent set of ears. I nearly always do it in late April, and on a night with light winds - so reasonably comparable conditions.. There has been a steady and progressive decline in the number and variety of owls, which I rightly or wrongly ascribe to the increasing amount of clear cutting and logging going on there (the South mountain above and behind Falmouth). At a recent BNS meeting Bob Bancroft showed an alarming slide of a stylized aerial view of the increasing amount of clear cuts in that area over the last few years. This is not a scientific study, but an n=1 personal observation, but I suspect there's a connection, as there are progressively fewer places in that area for owls to roost and nest. On Fri, May 5, 2017 at 5:03 PM, Susann Myers <myerss@eastlink.ca> wrote: > 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. > > 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 <randy.lauff@gmail.com> > *Sent:* Friday, May 05, 2017 9:21 AM > *To:* NatureNS <naturens@chebucto.ns.ca> > *Subject:* [NatureNS] NOS - a great night for ambiance > > Last night I ran my Nocturnal Owl Survey (http://www.birdscanada.org/vo > lunteer/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. > > Oh well, as I tell my students, "zeroes are data, too." > > Randy > _________________________________ > RF Lauff > Way in the boonies of > Antigonish County, NS. > -- ################# Richard Stern, Port Williams, NS, Canada sternrichard@gmail.com ################### --f403043ecab89e2231054ecf37b3 Content-Type: text/html; charset=UTF-8 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <div dir=3D"ltr">I have run my owl survey for many years now - nearly alway= s with Bernard Forsythe - who probably knows more about owls than anyone el= se in the Province, and more recently with Rick Whitman as well - an excell= ent set of ears. I nearly always do it in late April, and on a night with l= ight winds - so reasonably comparable conditions.. There has been a steady = and progressive decline in the number and variety of owls, which I rightly = or wrongly ascribe to the increasing amount of clear cutting and logging go= ing on there (the South mountain above and behind Falmouth). At a recent BN= S meeting Bob Bancroft showed an alarming slide of a stylized aerial view o= f the increasing amount of clear cuts in that area over the last few years.= This is not a scientific study, but an n=3D1 personal observation, but I s= uspect there's a connection, as there are progressively fewer places in= that area for owls to roost and nest.<div class=3D"gmail_extra"><br><div c= lass=3D"gmail_quote">On Fri, May 5, 2017 at 5:03 PM, Susann Myers <span dir= =3D"ltr"><<a href=3D"mailto:myerss@eastlink.ca" target=3D"_blank">myerss= @eastlink.ca</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" sty= le=3D"margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex"><u></u= > <div style=3D"PADDING-LEFT:10px;PADDING-RIGHT:10px;PADDING-TOP:15px" id=3D"= m_-6855904968530619327m_-2203733452621233907MailContainerBody" name=3D"Comp= ose message area"> <div><font face=3D"Calibri">Like you, Randy, I ran my owl survey last night= - my=20 route=C2=A0is at Earltown.=C2=A0 This runs through great habitat, and surve= yors=20 have often=C2=A0had counts of over 20 owls in past years.</font></div> <div><font face=3D"Calibri"></font>=C2=A0</div> <div><font face=3D"Calibri">Despite the bright half moon and light winds at= the=20 start of the survey, I wasn't expecting great results on this survey, b= ecause=20 winds had been strong through the day, only becoming light in this location= in=20 late evening.=C2=A0 In my experience, the owls don't sit up to do terri= torial=20 calling unless they've first had successful hunting in=C2=A0the afterno= on and=20 evening,