[Tweeters] Small owls

[bboek at olympus.net]

To add to the small owl discussion:

Last Saturday/Sunday night (3/5-6) we had one of our Owl Prowl in the 
Olympics field trips from the Dungeness River Audubon Center.  The 
route goes up Jimmycomelately Creek, over the shoulder of Mt Zion, and 
back down the Dungeness River watershed towards Sequim.

We found two separate W. Screech Owls, both giving a few series of nice 
toots.  We found five different Saw-whets, including a couple at 
midnight along Forest Service Rd 28 that wouldn't shut up, still 
tooting as we drove away.  Curiously, we heard no responses from either 
Great Horned or Barred Owls, even though we tried at several places 
where they've been before.

When I returned home to Sequim at 1 a.m. I couldn't resist another 
quiet toot from my driveway near the Dungeness River.  To my delight a 
Screech Owl flew right out of the riparian forest to toot several times 
from a little fir next to my driveway, a very pleasant greeting.

So there are still at least a few W. Screech Owls on the NE corner of 
the Olympic Peninsula.

Also, the Olympic Peninsula BirdFest scheduled for April 1 - 3 includes 
an Owl Prowl, if anyone is interested.  The Owl Prowl will occur right 
after the banquet on Sat. night, Apr. 2nd (the banquet is a special 
salmon dinner at the new Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe Community Center!).  
We have a limit of 10 people on the Owl Prowl field trip, so it may 
fill up early.  We have all sorts of other great field trips scheduled 
around the north Olympic Peninsula during the festival, to welcome new 
spring migrants and winter holdovers.   Olympic Peninsula Audubon 
Society is the prime sponsor of the festival, with all proceeds going 
to support the Dungeness River Audubon Center (a very worthwhile 
cause!)  Check out www.olympicbirdfest.org for festival information and 
registration.

Bob Boekelheide
Sequim