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November 11, 1962 - Short-Eared OwlShort-Eared Owl Exclusive Sunday Review Sketch by Dennis Puleston Focus on Nature by Paul Stoutenburgh, Cutchogue I am writing about the short- eared owl today in hopes that perhaps some hunter might pro- fit from it and be spared the temptation to shoot that "thing" just for kicks. Far too often the would-be hunters of today know litt'.e of the game they hunt. The identifi- cation and thought that goes into true hunting plays a small part in his wanton shooting of anything that moves or flies. It is usually after the f i r s t frost that we notice the short - eared owl entering our area from the North. This owl is f o u n d throughout North America, Eur- ope and Asia. Each year he, like so many others, migrates south as the cold and snows of winter approach. Some years there seems to be an over abundance of these owls in our area which usually means that the rodent population has in- creased. This being the case, it is not uncommon to see m o r e than one short -eared owl scan- ning the meadows at any one time. Their flight, as Peterson states, is moth -'.ike for they seem lit - erally to float on the air. Another reason for seeing more than one of this species at a time is that they are more gregarious than others and usually when one is found others are also to be found in the same area. In flight they can usually be recognized by their crow -like size and creamy to buff -brown color and the conspicuous buff w in g Patch that is noticeable in flight. Very seldom do we find this owl in the deep woods as he is a meadow and dune hunter, which makes our south shore flatlands an idea'. cruising area for him: Unlike most owls, the short- eared does a great deal of hunt- ing during the day with h is greatest concentrations on dusky and. cloudy days. Probably the very best time to We this mar -. adder working his way endlessly back and forth over the lowlands is just after sunset or just before sunrise. Because of his daytime activity, this owl is probably seen more by people and, there- fore, is destroyed more by hunt- ers than any other owl. Many a time when walking the dune country we are startled by a stump or stake as it takes wing... for the short -eared o w 1 has a habit of sitting motionless atop such protrusions. If ,y o u r eyes are keen enough and you catch him before he flies, you can see his knobby head move from side to side as you ap- proach. It is difficult at best to see the feathery ears that name him. On many birding trips our group has traveled t h e s o u t h share roads and seen this ghost moving a few feet above t h e stubble, only to wheel about in mid -air and drop down, feet out- stretched on some unsuspecting prey. Probably most of us are familiar with the great good the seagulls did during the infesta- tions of grasshoppers out west. The land was literally being de- faced by these pests that seemed to stop at nothing and yet mir- ac'.es do happen. Great swarms of gulls came in and devoured these insects and saved the day. So it has been said about the owls_ in many parts of our coun- try that have been plagued by mice when they have literally overrun the fields. Of course, on some occasions this owl, I i k e others, will resort to a diet of smaller birds, but this is a small price to pay for the continual vigi'.ence and destruction of the many rodents that roam o u r fields and meadows. Since t he short -eared owl haunts the open ground, he has selected this area for his nesting sight. It is usually a crude nest built on the ground of grasses or other material that is near at hand. The eggs num- ber from six to nine or more and pure white in color. Like many other birds that nest on the ground, it performs a con- vincing crippling act to decoy you away from the nesting area. It is remarkable indeed to what eattent these birds will go to try to make you follow them and thereby keep their nesting sight a secret. On some occasions they have actually attacked the in- truder on the wing, which is not at al'. uncommon in this species. At one time these birds nested along our salt marshes and dunes but now it is a rare find indeed to come across one of t h e i r brood. The short -eared owl for some unknown reason has always fallen prey to waaM killings and like the hawk has suffered in increas- ing numbers each year. It is only through a strong education pro- gram that this unnecessary kill- ing can be curbed and it is hoped that those who read this column will think twice before they destroy any living thing just for the sake of something to do. In these troubled times I am sure we have all thought just a little bit more. about life in general, and so it is I hope that you, the hunter — the sportsman, will spare all owls and think of them as our great birds of prey who deserve the respect and admiration of all.