Outdoor Ontario

Discussion => General Discussions => Topic started by: josullivan on November 23, 2008, 01:48:42 PM

Title: Owl question
Post by: josullivan on November 23, 2008, 01:48:42 PM

I live close to an area where I find both Saw-whet and Long-eared Owls--in season.   Generally, the area where I find the Saw-whets is separate to the the area where the Long-eareds are usually found.
   My query is: do Long-eareds prey on the smaller owls?  If I find Long-eareds in a certain area is there no point in looking for Saw-whets in that particular area? I know on Amherst Island both species are found regularly in the Owl Woods but that area is considerably bigger than "my area".  I realise Great-horned and Barred Owls will take the smaller owls but I was just wondering about Long-eared--and Short-eared,   for that matter.

Thanks in advance

Brendan O'Sullivan

Title:
Post by: Anonymous on November 23, 2008, 05:19:08 PM

Yes, they do.

That holds true for practically any bird of prey.

Title:
Post by: Axeman on January 06, 2009, 10:49:42 AM

Sorry, I know this was covered not too long ago...but any tips for owl spotting?

I live in an area of lots of cedars...and mixed softwood with a bit of hardwood around...and lots of rabbits and other rodents...but have never seen an owl around....(Ayton ON -- its about 30 mins. south of Owen Sound)

Title: Ref: Owls
Post by: JTF on January 06, 2009, 02:33:46 PM

Norhtern Saw-Whets are often found in cedars close to the trunks.

Title:
Post by: Kin Lau on January 06, 2009, 03:28:25 PM

Look for whitewash. Many owls roost in the same spot for quite a while, so the whitewash/poop trails are quite visible.

In Amherst, if there hasn't been any fresh snow, you can often see how many pellets have been coughed up in the trees that have roosting owls.

Title:
Post by: Pat Hodgson on January 06, 2009, 04:37:41 PM

they can be very hard to find in areas with a lot of habitat - places where people find them more often are often very small and isolated areas of habitat that can be more thoroughly searched

if you can't find any in the winter, go out in the evening in April with a screech owl tape and a flashlight

Title:
Post by: Brian Bailey on January 06, 2009, 08:05:46 PM

Owls can be extremely difficult to spot, even when you know they're there.  I'm sure I have walked past far more of them than I have seen.

It can be helpful to get a bright sky behind the tree you are searching.  That lets you see the tree in silhouette, making it easier to pick out suspicious lumps.

BB

Title: Owl question
Post by: josullivan on January 09, 2009, 11:30:40 AM

To return to the original topic, I have been informed by someone who I would consider an expert, that Long-eared Owls generally do not prey on the smaller owls, except under extreme conditions when their normal rodent food is scarce: Amherst Island this winter is a perfect example where voles are plentiful and all the owls seem to be co-existing quite happily.
             I would agree with one of the previous respondents that the best strategy for finding owls is to find a relatively small grove of evergreens and search that---- finding owls, particularly Saw-whets and Boreal, in large areas of habitat is very difficult as these smaller owls do not flush if you are near them so one has to be very lucky, and sharp-eyed, to find them.
             The strategy I use in the winter is basically just to scan carefully and slowly every tree--it is time-consuming and tiring but also exciting and suspenseful as one never lknows when one will hit the jackpot. Quite often the chase is just as enjoyable as the eventual find.