[CT Birds] Owl Reports

[Clay Taylor]

Hi Scott -

Gerry had arrived before everybody else, the gates weren't open, and so he 
walked down to the cedars to see what was up.   The scolding chickadees led 
him to the owl, and he only briefly glanced at it before returning to the 
front gate.   When I got there, a few people (probably you) and Gerry were 
checking the pines by the front gate, and Gerry said that he already had a 
Saw-whet in the cedars.   The gate was opened, so we drove down to the Main 
Pavilion parking lot, walked into the cedars to see the bird, and the first 
words out of my mouth were "Gerry, it's got a yellow bill!"    He turned to 
look at me, and I could see the light turning on in his brain, followed by 
that "Holy Cow, did I screw up!" look of terror.   I think we all forgave 
Gerry for not getting it right the first time.

I don't know who actually spoke the B-word first, but it was a cool moment, 
anyway.

A fun addendum to the story is that we were standing by the side of the road 
at the Hammo traffic circle, when a birder with RI plates pulled up - it was 
Walter Bosse.   He asked if there was anything good today, and I said yes, 
we found a Boreal Owl in the cedars behind me.   He got this weird look on 
his face, and said "I just saw one yesterday in Massachusetts!"     He had 
gotten a call about the Brookline, MA bird and ran up to see it, and the 
next day, he's looking at a second Boreal in another state!   How cool is 
that?

Clay Taylor
Moodus, CT
ctaylor at att.net


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Scott Henckel" <scott.henckel at snet.net>
To: <ctbirds at lists.ctbirding.org>
Sent: Wednesday, March 26, 2008 12:09 PM
Subject: Re: [CT Birds] Owl Reports


>I have to agree with Clay about winter roosting owls. The ones that we 
>would
> find early in the year wouldn't be there the next day but the later into 
> the
> winter you go the more of a chance the owls are going to stay in the same
> area to roost. Then keep your distance.
>
> Hey Clay,
> I remember the day the Boreal Owl was discovered at Hammo. (11-1-96) Jerry
> did indeed find it in the rotary but from what I remember you weren't 
> there
> until later. He met Lynne Duquette and me there in the morning. After
> showing us the bird he originally found and ID'd as a Saw-Whet, the first
> thing I noticed was the flesh colored bill. It was also bigger and had a
> black facial disk. I told them this is Boreal Owl and we all freaked out. 
> So
> I guess it was really properly ID'd by me. I then ran and got Charlie
> Rafford who was patrolling Willards and we roped off the area in lieu of 
> the
> ensuing onslaught. Jerry went back to the Audubon Shop and made some calls
> and it was on. I don't really remember when you came into the picture but 
> I
> do remember you being there but to say it was ID'd by you is interesting. 
> If
> that's not how it happened please let me know.
>
> I was also present when you hand caught that Saw-Whet on Willards. The 
> thing
> I thought was cool about that was you turned it into a learning 
> experience;
> talking about anatomy of an owl,.etc... Then you put it back on the tree 
> in
> the exact same spot it came from and it still didn't move. UNBELIEVABLE! I
> have some pics somewhere of you holding it. It had to be 96,97. Don't 
> worry
> we all do things we realize are stupid when we look back on them. LOL!
>
>
> I also agree with this;
>
> "I think that it is unfair that the "regulars" get phone calls or off-list
> e-mails about migrating Saw-whets, but the general birding public doesn't
> know about this aspect of CT Birding.   Mark your calendars, and show a
> little respect when viewing a roosting owl - if not for the owl itself, 
> then
>
> for the next birder that wants to see it."
>
> Respectfully
>
> Scott Henckel
> Shelton, CT
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: ctbirds-bounces at lists.ctbirding.org
> [mailto:ctbirds-bounces at lists.ctbirding.org] On Behalf Of Clay Taylor
> Sent: Wednesday, March 26, 2008 10:17 AM
> To: Roy Harvey; ctbirds at lists.ctbirding.org
> Subject: Re: [CT Birds] Owl Reports
>
> All -
>
> I have to respectfully disagree with Roy on one point - owls in the fall,
> including Long-eared, Short-eared, Saw-whet, and any other owl species 
> that
> is found in an unusual place (where they are not normally found) are
> migrating, and they will be gone the next morning.  We banded many owls in
> the Hammonasset Cedars in the fall, and at Braddock Bay, NY in the spring,
> and almost NEVER caught the same bird again, and definitely NEVER at the
> same perch / tree.   One year in NY we caught a Saw-whet from the same 
> perch
>
> on three consecutive mornings, and each was a different bird - the perch 
> was
>
> simply a "perfect" roosting place (kind of like a highway Rest Area).
>
> Well into November and even December they are moving through our area 
> (it's
> even possible that some are heading back north after a southerly 
> incursion)
> and they simply do not stick around unless the nighttime weather is not
> conducive for traveling (snow / sleet / etc.).    Viewing any of these
> migrants from a respectful distance is not harmful in any way, and it 
> won't
> mess up their energy budgets.   Driving them off their perches, or 
> pursuing
> them through the woods in order to get a better look, photos, etc., is a
> breach of Birding Ethics, but not necessarily harmful to the bird.   We
> would often find Saw-whets at Hammo with a freshly-killed mouse or vole in
> its talons, saving it for a late-day snack before taking off the next
> evening.
>
> Later into the fall and early winter, a true "winter roost" is easy to
> identify - whitewash below, pellets, etc.   At that point, when the
> available food supply and the winter conditions are likely to be stressing
> the bird more than normal, any human disturbance will likely be harmful to
> the bird.
>
> I bring this up to let the newer birders on this list in on an little "CT
> birder secret" - in the fall, on the first Full Moon after about
> October10th, there will ALWAYS be Saw-whet Owls found at coastal locations
> with groves of Red Cedar or pine trees.   We (Jim Zipp, Brian Wheeler,
> myself, and others) discovered this link to owl migration back in the 
> 80's,
> and I can still see tha look of amazement and disbelief when I mentioned
> this at a Menunkatuck Audubon program I was giving.   I must have had a
> dozen phone calls in the next few days, confirming what I had told them.
> Well, yeah....  It was not too long afterward that we found the Boreal Owl
> in the Cedars at Hammo (Gerry Connolly found it, I ID'd it).
>
> I think that it is unfair that the "regulars" get phone calls or off-list
> e-mails about migrating Saw-whets, but the general birding public doesn't
> know about this aspect of CT Birding.   Mark your calendars, and show a
> little respect when viewing a roosting owl - if not for the owl itself, 
> then
>
> for the next birder that wants to see it.
>
> And yes, in the Spirit of Full Disclosure, I once hand-caught a Saw-whet 
> at
> Hammo simply because I could.   Younger and stupider back then, I suppose.
>
> I'm off to CA today, so everybody get ready for a Ross' Gull this weekend,
> ;-)
>
> Clay Taylor
> Moodus, CT
> ctaylor at att.net
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Roy Harvey" <rmharvey at snet.net>
> To: <ctbirds at lists.ctbirding.org>
> Sent: Tuesday, March 25, 2008 9:36 PM
> Subject: [CT Birds] Owl Reports
>
>
>> Since it is nesting season or soon will be for our resident owls I
>> think I need to remind everyone of one of the few rules of CTBirds.
>>
>> "Some birds should not be posted for the good of the bird. This
>> includes day-roosting owls - Eastern Screech, Great Horned, Barred,
>> Long-eared and Northern Saw-whet. It also includes nesting birds,
>> particularly directions to nests."
>>
>> When we were only getting posts of owls calling it didn't seem like a
>> big deal.  Now that reports are mentioning day roosting owls, and
>> even sometimes giving some information on their location, that is not
>> acceptable.  Please refrain from all posts about owl sightings until
>> fall, after which we can allow reports of calling owls again for a
>> few months.
>>
>> Note that Snowy Owls and Short-eared Owls, being open country birds
>> that are often active during the day and can generally be observed
>> from a distance, are exempt from this rule.
>>
>> Thanks!
>>
>> Roy Harvey
>> Beacon Falls, CT
>>
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>
>
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>
> _______________________________________________
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