In nature, it can be really special to encounter a bird like a Bald Eagle or a Great Horned Owl, but important to remembers that some species are sensitive to disturbance. How can I ethically observe sensitive species?
Photo via Pixabay
Happy New Year (unless you're a backyard rabbit...)
Winter is a tough time in my neighborhood, in part because of me. Several times a night my neighbors see my backyard light go on, hear my backdoor banging, and, in a few moments, my pleading with Philly and Peggy, my two noble dogs, to please come back in and LEAVE IT. IT is the real source of the problem, one of my backyard rabbits. The light and noise are to warn the rabbits that the dogs are being let out. The pleading is to stop the dogs from chasing the rabbits.
Paintings by Sally Probasco
Whoooo’s That? Your Winter Guide to Owls
Many people dread winter—the cold weather, the snow, the dwindling daylight. It makes getting outside a challenge and can sap your motivation to do anything, much less go birding. There are days when I am one of those people. But then there are days when I remember that there are owls … and that now is the best time to find them!
Owls breed in the winter, with many beginning their courtship and mating activities in late fall, making the next several months a more vocal and active season for them than usual. If you’ve been feeling discouraged by those all-too-early sunsets and the deep dark of the 5pm hour, consider a form of birding that doesn’t necessarily need the light of day, and give owling a try!
This week’s Entryway to Birding blog brings you everything you need to know about the owls you might find in our region, as well as tips for how you might find and ethically observe them.
Photo by Andy Reago and Chrissy McClarren
The Owl
The dry oak leaves rustled in the same wind that frosted their fingers. They listened to each other’s feet crunch, crunch, crunch in the crystallized snow. A quiet but powerful sound caught their attention; a low, echoing call, above our eyes and ears and fingers, resounded through Cherokee Marsh. Kids and adults alike closed their mouths and glued their feet to the snow to try and hear it again...
A patient group, they peered around at each other, wide-eyed with anticipation. Hushed gasps and little clouds of frosty breath emitted as all ears heard, “who cooks for you?”
Photo by Arlene Koziol
