March 19th Owl Prowl

[Matt]

I was in that area over the weekend, and the thought passed my mind to enter the wood, but ... not without my camera.

[ApproachingLight]

So this sounds interesting.Can someone expand, as I am not a bird guy? Do they migrate here this time of year. Is morning the time to see them in action? Why is braddock's bay a draw? Will a 70-200 with an 1.4 extender and mono-pod do the trick? Polarizer helpful? Should I bring live mice!?

Gosh so many questions.

[mrbirdnerd]

Good morning David,

I'll answer what I can of your questions, but I would say that Matt has set up a very good informational page on Owls located here - http://nyfalls.com/wildlife/Wildlife-birds-owls.html

The Owls that we may be able to locate in Owl Woods are the Saw-Whet and Long Eared. Last year I was fortunate enough to have my first sighting of 2 Great Horned Owls in these woods.

Both the Saw Whet and Long Eared do migrate during this time of the year, mid March - end of April, being the best time to spot them. Both Owls are nocturnal and will roost during the day, making any part of the day a good time to look for them.

Long-eared Owls feed primarily on mammals. In most areas voles are the most common prey, but deer mice are the most important prey in other areas. Other mammal prey includes squirrels, bats, chipmunks, gophers, shrews, moles, and cottontail rabbits. Birds are also taken, occasionally on the wing. Most bird prey are smaller species that occur on or near the ground. Bird prey includes meadowlarks, blackbirds, juncos, Horned Larks, doves, bluebirds, and thrashers. Larger birds such as grouse and screech-Owls are occasionally taken. Long-eared Owls sometimes eat insects, frogs, and snakes. Long-eared Owls hunt mainly by ranging over open rangeland, clearings, and fallow fields. They rarely hunt in woodlands where they roost and nest. They hunt mainly from late dusk to just before dawn, flying low to the ground, (1 to 2 meters (3 to 7 feet)), with the head canted to one side listening for prey. When prey is spotted, the Owl pounces immediately, pinning the prey to the ground with its powerful talons. Smaller prey is usually swallowed immediately, or carried away in the bill. Larger prey is carried in the talons.


Saw Whet Owls hunt mainly at dusk and dawn and most often use the "sit and wait" tactic to drop down onto prey on the ground from low hunting perches. They will also range through wooded areas and hunt in heavy shrub cover. When prey is plentiful, a Saw-whet Owl will kill as many as 6 mice in rapid succession, without consuming any of them. The excess food is cached in safe places and, in winter, is thawed out later by "brooding" the frozen carcass. When food is plentiful, it is common for only the head of each prey to be eaten.
Northern Saw-whet Owls feed almost entirely on small mammals, Deer mice being the primary prey, followed by shrews and voles. Other mammals include squirrels, moles, bats, flying squirrels, and house mice. Small birds are sometimes taken and include swallows, sparrows, chickadees, and kinglets. Larger birds such as Northern Cardinal and Rock Dove can be killed by one of these small Owls. Frogs and insects are also part of their diet.

Braddock Bay is a very good area for these Owls due to the large number of food sources, the coniferous and deciduous trees with thickets of second-growth or shrubs and large open fields adjacent . And Braddock Bay is a great stop over point for these Owls to 'refuel' during their northern migration.

As to seeing them in 'action' it is very doubtful.

The 70-200 and extender should definetly be enough. The Saw Whets are easily approachable as their main defense mechanism is to 'freeze' and they are generally located from 5' to 15' in the pines. The Long Eared are a bit more skittish and will sometimes flush when being approached. They will also 'skinny' up against the trunck to blend in to the tree.

Sorry long winded, but tried to answer a few of your questions.

[ApproachingLight]

So you know a little something about owls. Thank you, this is very awesome. I sense others will be inspired to head out for the outing because of this. Great detail.

Been seeing a resurgence of Hawks in the finger lakes area, AND the addition of an Eagle family last year on Canandiagua on the west side almost 3/4 of the way down. Wondering if a healthy raptor community indicates an increasingly healthy environment/habitat.

I hope to make the outing to learn more. David

[Kelly]

Should I bring live mice!?

Good one David!

Great info, Mr. Bird Nerd! Really looking forward to this!

[ApproachingLight]

Well, sometimes you need a snack. Trail mix and water just doesn't do it!

[hobkyl]

What is the average focal length that photos of the owls are taken at?

[Matt]

that depends on if you are carrying a mouse or not.