Short-eared Owl Camouflage
I can’t understand why the Short-eared Owl has this plumage…it’s really tough to tell from these photos! You can also see the bird did not enjoy yesterday’s late afternoon snow, sleet, rain mix. I’m glad so many people have been coming by to enjoy watching our occasional owl at Stratford Point, and most are being very kind and respectful. Please keep it up! Stay on our trails and keep your distance while letting the owl hunt and fly around. It may end up providing terrific views if you stand in place considering how active it is at certain (varying) times. Scott...
Read MoreShort-eared Owl
You have seen a lot of Snowy Owl posts from me during this terrific irruptive season, and they are still with us in early 2018. However, I was lucky enough to enjoy this Short-eared Owl (Asio flammeus) actively hunting yesterday afternoon at Stratford Point. The bird may have just joined us that day as it was certainly very conspicuous, and it seemed quite hungry – though it was exceptionally talented at hunting with multiple kills! Short-eared Owls are ‘endangered’ in New York and their wintering population is ‘threatened’ in Connecticut. Undisturbed grassland...
Read MoreWinter Raptor Survey Training January 11
Winter Raptor Survey Training Wednesday January 11th, 2017 @ 6PM Grasslands are amongst the fastest declining habitats in the country, and the bird species dependent upon vast stretches of waist-deep grasses are disappearing at alarming rates. In effort to learn more about these imperiled species within New York State and to protect remaining populations, the Department of Environmental Conservation has been conducting winter raptor surveys—specifically monitoring Short Eared Owls (endangered) and Northern Harriers (threatened). The NYS DEC has also enlisted the help of other environmental...
Read MoreJuvenile Northern Harrier
I recently wrote about our winter raptors, and boy oh boy, did we ever get the winter in Chautauqua County! Short-eared Owls (Asio flammeus) and Northern Harriers (Circus cyaneus), like the juvenile recently photographed below, are able to hunt and survive in deep snow, but we may be pushing the limit for some birds in the region now. The snow cover and frigid temperatures are shaking up the local mix of birds of all sorts of species, from ducks to songbirds. A Short-eared Owl was spotted in the county earlier this week, and no doubt others may be easier to find now as they hunt the white...
Read MoreGray Ghost & Winter Raptors
We are now in the beginning of meteorological winter and nearing the start of astronomical winter. Our birds, as usual, are already prepared for the season however we wish to define it, having migrated, irrupted, or dispersed to wintering grounds throughout the region, continent, or perhaps even out of our hemisphere. Those that remain with us have evolved to cope with the freezing conditions and heavy snowfall. One such species is the Northern Harrier, and last week I photographed this adult male “gray ghost” while it was hunting. Look at that gaze – magnificent! The Roger...
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