Long-eared owl at Humber Arboretum

[BillSimpson]

Came upon two long-eared owls in the pine trees behind the Humber Arboretum visitor centre. I have been looking for owls there for a couple of years, since there is lots of evidence of activity (pellets, droppings etc.) around the place. Finally got lucky, although it was too gloomy to get a really clear picture.

The nuthatch was an added extra - it sat still for so long, I thought it must suffering from the cold...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/22198292@N02/5294673243/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/22198292@N ... otostream/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/22198292@N ... otostream/

[ravynne40]

Nice shots! umm hope you don't mind I commented on your flickr pages

Irene

[Niloc]

Very nice!

[Howieh]

Hi Bill,

Considering the conditions (I know how difficult it can be to shoot in those trees!) the pictures are great. Any sign of the white winged crossbills? I'm hoping to get out there soon 'cause I'm pretty bored with chickadees, cardinals and sparrows (even the squirrels have disappeared, for now anyway).

[BillSimpson]

Lots of activity around the feeders: juncos, chickadees, house finches, cardinals, goldfinches, doves, but no crossbills that I could see.

You are right about how hard the owls are to find. A couple minutes after my pictures and they were gone.

A very lucky day. Plus the fact the autofocus on my camera behaved for once!

[Howieh]

Yup, sounds like the same crowd I always see there. I've never seen it but the staff of the visitor centre told me there is a great horned owl in the woods to the south just about every winter.

[angieinto]

Don't mean to be a party pooper, but would much appreciate it if you'd remove your post or at least the "Where" part of where you saw the owls. It's become quite clear that some people care more about the great shot of these birds then the birds well being, and the fewer places people know where to find them, the better. Not saying your one of them, just looking out for the well being of the owls.

[BillSimpson]

I guess there can be reasons to keep the location of birds secret, but I don't see it here. These owls are/were at the Visitor Center at the Arboretum, so they are hardly sensitive to human presence. This is a well visited area and I am one of many birders and photographers to be poking around there on the look out for an interesting sighting.

In any event, I expect these owls to remain as elusive as ever, regardless of whether I report them or not.

Bill Simpson

[Niloc]

I guess there can be reasons to keep the location of birds secret, but I don't see it here. These owls are/were at the Visitor Center at the Arboretum, so they are hardly sensitive to human presence. This is a well visited area and I am one of many birders and photographers to be poking around there on the look out for an interesting sighting.

In any event, I expect these owls to remain as elusive as ever, regardless of whether I report them or not.

Bill Simpson

Totally agree with you Bill...the more people see the more we appreciate and yes there are those that do not respect the wildlife but I don't think it is positive to punish all the people that love to see these special breeds!

[Howieh]

Bill is absolutely right. The real wackos (i.e.tree climbers, nest disturbers, etc.) know where the owls are or are supposed to be, and nothing we do or say will stop them from acting like idiots!

[JW Mills]

Sorry guys but I'm with Angie on this one.
It's one thing to post the general area or to share the site with your fellow photogs but to post a play-by-play guide  as to where exactly these guys are so that every kook can now find them is quite another. LEOs spook too easily and this site is far too accessible.
 
Bill you posted:
 "A couple minutes after my pictures and they were gone".
Why do you think that is? I'd say they were gone because you spooked them.
 
Bill you also posted:
"These owls are/were at the Visitor Center at the Arboretum, so they are hardly sensitive to human presence. This is a well visited area and I am one of many birders and photographers to be poking around there on the look out for an interesting sighting"
First of all, that spruce grove is not a place where the average visitor goes prowling. Second, I've been up there several times and have yet to see 'any' let alone 'many' photogs or birders poking around.
 
Howie you posted:
"The real wackos know where the owls are"
Well, thanks to this post a lot more wackos now know where the owls are!
 
Colin you posted:
"there are those that do not respect the wildlife but I don't think it is positive to punish all the people that love to see these special breeds!"
I say,  why should we make things any easier for the idiots?
 
Rule #1 of the ABA Code of Birding Ethics is 'Promote the welfare of the birds and their environment'
Just because there are kooks out there who won't abide by this rule doesn't mean we shouldn't either.

[angieinto]

Thanks Zed, I appreciate the support.

When I first joined this board one of the first things I was told by some long time members was "not to post" exact locations of owls, for their own well being.

If I knew there was a chance of an owl coming to harm because of me posting it's location I wouldn't risk it, it's not worth it, but that's just me.

Like I said in my first post, I am not saying you are one to put a bird at risk, but a lot of photographers who don't give a hoot about the owls well being stalk this board for the information you so easily provided.

[Niloc]

This is the problem with humanity too much privileged elitism here....who are we to decide what animal can be seen or photographed give me a break the problem is not the responsible people that love looking at or photographing wildlife but the people who are careless and don't care about wildlife.

I don't suppose anyone on this site would appreciate it if they went to Peru or Costa -Rica or any other birding place and were told they could no longer see any of the birds they dreamed of seeing because the locals deemed anyone wanting to view these birds as a threat...

With responsible dialogue and not elitist thinking is when things get done and habitats and animals become protected.

For me one of the beautiful things about this site is people telling me where certain birds are and sharing information, now that I have been birding and photographing I have a real deep appreciation for these wonderful animals as well as their environment, I don't want to live on a planet where only the elite few are allowed to actually visit and see wildlife.

I would also hope and from what I gather about the people on this site is that they love animals and the environment just as much as I do so for me sharing information so somebody can see something beautiful in nature will always be and option for me....btw the John Shaw quote I use sums it up for me!

[ravynne40]

We cannot control the kooks, we can only be wary of them, I for one, have had an experience in which I have learned to push the sadness I felt after another list posted the whereabouts of an owl I had seen in a common park,
It was my first LEO..I was excited, it was beautiful and I was truly amazed as it stared back at me with my camera through the branches..this is the memory I hold onto, I often look back at these photos of mine and smile. That is something someone told me..do not let anyone take away the "moment" of your sighting, the feeling of the thrill of seeing a LEO

I agree with Colin, being elite is not the way to go.

The owls will show themselves if they want to, they are elusive, and if you disturb them, they will let you know by simply flying away.

that's just my two cents
Happy birding and enjoy every thing you see!

[angieinto]

I think my point has totally been missed.

I loved the pics, and I too share experiences and places of where I have had encounters.

I never meant to imply that I didn't want people to see or even photograph these majestic creatures, I was just trying to protect the information of exactly "where" they were on a public board, that is all.

This is the last comment I am going to make on the matter, if everyone on the board was an animal, bird and nature lover, it wouldn't be an issue, but sadly that is not the case.


Happy birding fellow bird lovers, and all the best in 2011.