HomeMy WebLinkAboutJanuary 11, 1979 - More on OwlsJanuary 11, 1979 •
MORE ON OWLS
focus on nature
by Paul Stoutenburgh
The Suffolk Times
Sometime back we spoke about three of
the owls that nest here on the North Fork:
The screech owl, the one which has such a
lost, forlorn call we hear around our homes;
the barn owl with its blood - curdling scream,
which nests in church steeples and aban-
doned buildings, and the great- horned owl,
which towers over the others and terrifies
all living creatures, from the tiny mouse to
the full -grown cottontail. With these night
marauders in mind, lei's look at other owls
that come down from the north to visit our
area during the winter months.
Whenever we speak about the north there
is onebwl that comes immediately to mind,
the snowy owl. This wanderer from Arctic's
treeless tundra is a spasmodic visitor, for
his visits are in direct relation to his food
supply. Should there be an abundance of
lemmings — that small rodent of the north --
we probably won't see him, but if there is a
scarcity of this food you can probably count
on seeing him or hearing reports of sightings
sometime during the winter months.
No Fear Of Man
These owls spend most of their lifetime in
areas void of man and therefore have little
fear of him. I've been told that in some areas
people have been able to walk right up to a
snowy owl perched on a fence post and lift
him off. This lack of fear for man has its
disadvantages also, for many a bird has
been shot because it proved to be such an
easy target. Of course, all owls are
protected by law, but then there are always
the ignorant and malicious who seem to get
some kind of warped enjoyment out of
shooting things just for kicks. Needless to
say, it has been proven over and over that
owls are of great benefit to man in keeping
down the rat and mouse population. It's a
shame we lose so many of these beneficial
birds each year because of those few who
should know better.
The snowy owl is a hunter of the open
tundra and so, when he visits us down here
on Long Island, he looks for suitable open
areas. Open fields and the desolate dune
areas of our shores are choice habitats for
the solitary prowler. I can remember a
birding trip to Montauk some years ago
when we spotted what appeared to be a
white paper bag caught in the middle of a
potato field. Being eager birders, we
scanned the field with our binoculars and,
sure enough, there was the first snowy owl
of the year. What a view we all had! In no
time our stopped car by the side of the road,
with a group of peering binocular en-
thusiasts, had slowed car after car down to a
halt — all to see this wonder from the north.
Excitement ran high as binoculars were
swapped and ohs and ahs heard as the
newcomers sighted in on the great white
statue.
Saw -Whet Smallest Owl
We usually find the snowy owl perched out
in the open, on a fence post or dune top,
while our other three visitors from the
north remain hidden and it's only through a
concentrated effort we find them. Two are
evergreen hiders; the long -eared and the
saw -whet owl, while the short -eared owl
sits in the marsh grasses and other
similar cover until you actually flush him
out. The long -eared owl hunts at night
like most other owls and usually perches in
the same evergreen each day. It's here we
often find the tell-tale pellets containing
the skeletons of past meals they upchuck
under the tree. Many times you'll find the
pellets before you find the owl. Check under
clumps of pines and it won't be long before you
too will become an owl
enthusiast. The saw -whet owl is our smallest
owl — about the size of a robin. This tiny fellow
is probably the most difficult to find, for
its small size and ideal camouflage make
it about impossible for you to see him.
The greatest experience I ever had with a
saw - whet owl was when a group of birders
were down at Jones Beach. The pines along
the . roadway make excellent cover for owls
and we were bent on seeing a saw -
whet. Owl And Mouse
Incident After a long search one was spotted
and our group, numbering over 15,
gathered around the clump of pines. In this
way, should the bird fly out, someone would
be able to see it. Well, we all got down on
our hands and knees and started to work
our way in toward the center. Once we got
past the green outer branches we found
ourselves in the opening inside and sure enough
there was the saw -whet owl looking right at
us! Everyone came in to get a closer look and
in doing so stirred up a mouse that found
itself surrounded by crawling people. To escape
it ran up the pine trunks. Within a split
second the owl saw the mouse, and then through
the branches it flew, snatched the mouse off
the limb and back to its perch. A more
perfect lesson in wildlife survival could not be
had. Being a bit modest, I guess, the owl
finally flew away, mouse dangling below, to a
more distant perch where he proceeded to
eat dinner in peace without all those
gawking people staring at
him. The last of these owls, the short -
eared, hunts much of the time during the day
and so you can sometimes see him gliding
over the marshes and other open areas during
the winter months. None of .the owls I've
spoken of here are common nesters on Long
Island. At one time, perhaps they were, but not
now. I've often jumped these short -eared owls
on tvalks among the dunes and along our
creek edges. Once here in Little Creek one got
up in front of me only to be immediately
at- tacked by a flock of crows that were
feeding down the beach. They mostly dive - bombed
it and harassed it with piercing calls.
I remember I watched it as it headed
across the bay with the crows in hot pursuit.
A quarter of the way out the crows gave
up, but the owl kept going until it flew out
of sight. These owls have what appears to
be an almost weightless flight, resembling
that of a great
butterfly. To me owls hold a special place in the
bird world, for they have a certain mystery
and beauty about them. The more we
know about them the more we appreciate
what
LONG-
EARED OWL —This northern visitor sleeps during the day in evergreens where he is
occasionally spotted. At night he hunts the nearby areas where his diet consists mostly of
a wide variety of rodents. Photo by Paul Stoutenburgh they
do for man. try to see what's going on — read up on the We
also see that there is much misun- matter -- and our world slowly changes to a derstanding
about owls. But isn't that just more enlightened one. One that holds hope about
the way all things are? Get involved, and joy for all. INCOME
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