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Home My WebLink AboutNovember 11, 2004 - The owl, in profile part 2 a r The Suffolk Times • November 11, 2004 � � e ow �n ro 1 e �,,. ,,H, , ,� , � ,; ,,,,,,,,�,F�,;a,�� ,,,,,��,�y,, �� -�,,;��- , -, ,,,,,,, ,, „ ,r,��q �,��iV�l' ' �� u ili ��qil�� l� . l il i i(�� ) �1��fii '� i i �1��r�i ��l��rl� � /I l � d��l � �y, I i ��I �1�� I �ilii� � . il��) � r ii �� l��l�ll�� l , l�l�lll�� 7 �� .., i . ll)� � � hn�,l�, ��li��1/��i)r��i�l��i��i; � �l rl��1��) tl�rv/µ��l�lll '�rr�, l� �lll� l l�� 4 � �� ri� � dh t llI �l+✓ a/hAo� i l��l�l�.��N�l�ll�i�� i� � � r � llll��1/ i� (��1� ��l ' �up� �i e�.i �i� i� '. ,, , ,,-�u�,r��,� , ��, , ,�;, �ti,�,� i,/'�'4%��'�lIll � 4 �Ir�' " ;w�� j, p i�(��ll��l��N 1�� %�� .�� n�IN�N � ;l ..��'lll��j7/i�� i i ii ,q (�l h �� . � ��l ° G �� 4r,��i I , 1��..� �� // , i „ 1,�� i �h�� l��n� ��hiir ; �i) i � � l� , lryi(�y�i�l�l� �pr� ��, �j /w%��/��l�l� � � n/�� , , ,%i � , ,r,' „ , -,,� , , ,,� ��/ 'm�rin" ��' // �i i 1�� , ,��, i: �l� v, , in�i,nk�ul�N�i�ipw�My�,�i� �h'by. „i �Al l' � ��y y � , �� : ,� ;� , � n �� , � , � .;i � n � „ ,r A�i� �'�n��^I'�"i ,. iva� � � �.� �,,, '� y^4„.,. 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Y'll i��i��'qn}°" +9�1��` ��l�lil �,lr,l"l��/r� i` // Above: A handful of young screech owls. At right: A snowy owl at rest on a telephone pole. L�sT wFEK wF sPoxe about the �e best view I cver had of a snowy It was almost like cheating to be pho- great horned owl and the great gray owl was out on Gardiners Island.It tographing this maanificent whitc owl owl.This week we'll talk about some N'as the perfect setting for this visitor from inside a warm house. of our other owls.Maybe some of you from the no[th.I'd been walking Next in size is probably our barn have been fortunate enough to see along the low dune area to the south owl,"monkey face"some call it.This the beautiful of the island when I came upon this is the owl that has a flat,heart-shaped snawy owl.Each snowy owl crouched behind a clump face and,like most owls,can swivel its winter we have a F��'V$ of dune grass.It had already spotted head almost completely around.Owls sprinkling of Q(�j me and was staring right through me. can see only straight ahead,their eyes them throughout I froze in my tracks;afraid I'd break don't move like ours,so to look left or the island;some NATU RE the spell of this wild and wonderful right they have to turn their whole years more,some by Paul scene.Slowly,ever so slowly,I raised head.Barn owls are usually found years less.In my Stoutenburgh my binoculars and focused in on this nesting in old buildings,water towers opinion the incredible scene of raw beauty.Since and such.The McBrides on North snowy owl is the most handsome of snowy owls hunt during the day,I Road in Cutchogue,Donald Tuthill in all our owls.Some are pure white; assume this one was resting after its Southold,John Tuthill in Orient and others have dark speckles,depending noonday meal. others have had barn owls nest in on their age and sex.We find that one Another scene I'll not forget was their water towers.Some report they of the best places to see these owls is �'hen a lady called to say she had a are noisy around the nesting site. in the marshes along Dune Road in h�g�'hite bird just outside her win- In Bellport a lady had a water the Westhampton-Hampton Bays dow.We drove to her home on the tower with a small door cut in the area.The last one we saw there was Sound and there,sitting majestically side so you could open it like a cabi- on top of a telephone pole,and we �>p a log,was this most beautiful net door and look in at the owls.Each drove right up to it and took its pic- s�lowy owl. I was able to photograph year she'd have a barn owl nest in the ture. it ri ht from thc woman's living room. tower and all ou had to do was climb , � i // � lr/�/�1,4�i1i��1��l��qr��il ��,�i��ii,M�� 'i � � �, �� 'i i��'j i�n l� � ,�� „ � ;�'r i � � � �''� ��'�iii�r,4�'; � I / ' / �� i�� l N ��7%Hll�� l �l �w , q //v � /l dhyuyN II I�ov n ��N,� rr ��r��ll��%ll��l�� l�uun �1�,� / w h : i li �l r i ii � �l�l ��'h/Illpiil�l�l�l bl 9�� pq�w�w i� � '�6rv� ' li I�'n i / i ��h�lll��i��7�l1��u�`w"�� ,�� zmi q� i'� �� n� � h � n,��r��r�� irw'l"i'w�J ti� � �u� Ml�r �� ' �'/�� "�` ' ° '� "' the farm stubble was a barn owl hunt- mad parent that hit me in the back of �� d�,� � ��,r � ,� � � `y, � z��„,��j�i�,�, `" ° �' � �� ing,which was quite unusual to see the head.It knocked my hat right off! ^ H,��, �,;, �� y� during the daytime.We stopped the It was a little screech owl telling me �;�, ,'�, �" � car for a better look."Leave me here not to mess with its young.I took the � �� '� �� ,�� `�' � �� , and Pll get a picture of it,"my son advice and backed off. "� �� , ' � �, , ��, n'�� said."You can pick me up on the way Then there was a call from Fred in � ��% ��%^' ;, �,� back." Mattituck.He wanted us to come see � ,�, So we left him and thought nothing what he had in the tree he had just , , �� '�� 94�� more of it We did our errands and on cut down—something the chainsaw "" ' the way back we stopped and picked had narrowly missed.When we �,;,,� ,, ,,,,,,; ,�, � him up.I asked if he had any luck and arrived,there was a frightened little he said,"Well,I tried when it flew screech owl huddled inside a log, '" " �' � „�, ,�, „ "��'" ''' ' ''"': "� right over me."Believe it or not,the wondering what had happened to his � '� �� ''� �`�� ,„'%„�,,, �� .��,/�� photographs he got back showed a cozy little home.After much exciTe- i�n i,w , � �Ml,�°�' ,�C' �"`"„ u�,��ti i �, barn owl flying six feet over his head, ment,he was let back into the wild. � � "� °� �' � � so don't ever underestimate the abili- Our smallest owl is the saw-whet '' `� � `�� t of our children when the set owl,which is a tiny little owl.I was �..—� '` �� " '�a'� °,�_.�s_,_� ��— - — — Y Y Y �, i � �, � , y�� , their mind on something. with a group of students looking for We've been working our way down birds and owls and whatever came in size,so next is the little screech along.Our field trip was to Jones owl,which has two different color Beach,and along the park road are phases:rusty red and gray.It nests in clumps of pines that are often used by hollow trees,bird boxes if the opening owls for roosting. up the ladder,open the little door, is big enough,and almost anything On that day som�one found a saw- and there would bc the fuzzy owlets, that offers a cavity and whet owl roosting in one usually with a parent guarding them, seclusion.If you ask our of those clumps of pines. its bill chattering in hopes of scaring grandkids about a If there's a We called all the kids to you away.Often non-nesting barn screech owl they'll proba- thiek growth form a circle and get owls will roost in thick evergreens,so bly tell you about the one Of ines near down on their hands and if there's a thick growth of pines near they used to see along the p knees and crawl in to you,you might just be able to find road in the woods head- yOtl� y0U I111g'ht where the little saw-whet one there. ing to the beach cottage. was roosting.We all got An interesting side note about the The owl would hear thc iust be able to �n close enough so we barn owl is that in the orange groves car coming and poke its find a barn could see this pocket- of Florida people have trouble with head out just as we went owl there. sized owl,now awake and rats.They tried to eliminate them by by.It was something we looking right at us and setting out poisons and traps,but that all knew about and would wondering what we were didn't do the job.Then someone sug- watch for as we drove to the cottage. doing,when all of a sudden a mouse gested they put up some nesting boxes Screech owls are easy to call in. It's ran out.Evidently we had chased it for barn owls,which they did,and kind of fun to do in an evening,when out as we were crawling in to see the have found it works 100% better than things are quiet outside and the little owl.Once the owl saw it,he swooped any poisons or traps.The owls ask for screech owl is calling.By copying down,picked up the mouse and pro- nothing and come with little cost and, their call you can sometimes lure ceeded to enjoy his meaL It was best of all,only the rats are targeted. them to move in closer and closer to unbelievable to see this all unfold One of the fun staries about barn you until they are right over your before our eyes. owls was when my son was very head. And so we come to the end of our young and very enthusiastic about One experience I'll never forget stories about our most common owls. photographing birds.We had gone to was over in Bellport,where friends Let's keep looking and hoping owls Greenport far some reason or other had a screech owl nesting in their will be with us forever,for they do and were traveling along a section of apple tree.Being curious,I put my only good,ridding our area of all Sound Vicw Avcn�ie which,at tl�at hand in the hole to see if thci•c were kinds of rodents and pesky little voles time,was all farmland.Flying abovc any young.Out of the blue came a and mice. �