January 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.
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