Date: Sun, 7 Jan 2001 19:43:12 -0800 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: Kevin Graff Subject: Cromwell Valley Park Owls MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Yesterday 1/6/01, Jim Meyers, his family and I went to see the owls again for the fourth or fifth straight year and doing the calling and sightings survey of Great Horned Owls. Arrived around 4:30pm and first call was faint sound at 4:47pm 10 sec. Few minutes later, one calling at 4:54pm 12 sec., another calling few seconds later and both birds calling at 4:55pm 25 sec., afterward, single bird calling in high and low notes. One or both still calling and ended at 5:09pm 40 sec. Male first spotted near the radio tower and perched on top of a tallest tree and excerise his wings few times, then at 5:15pm 12 sec. he took off again southwest to the wood edge overlooked the field and nearby Sherwood Mansion. Jim and his gang went on to see the male at the field while I'm staying until the female would take off. 12 minutes later, she was spotted across the hill past the tower and perched near her nest and she still remain there when I left at 5:30pm. Two weeks ago, Jim reported seen and possible heard 6 owls, up from 5 in 1999-2000 winter year. That is a good sign. The sixth bird (female) was heard with a male we seen for several years at the long narrow ridge across street from the park. They are now at different roost due to hunting blinds set up last year near the male's favorite site which he used for years. I will return to Cromwell Valley Park this coming weekend to do more weekly survey until nesting time. I can't give you exactly location of the owls roost, they need their privacy. Few times Jime seen them at different locations due to heavy traffic on the trials and dogs barking. I know where their roost are. And anybody is welcome to join me to search for GH Owls on weekends (let me know, my schedules may vary). We have names of the roost we usually calls them: Dead Owl's Hide (where female died couple years ago), Cuckoo Creek Pine (where the cuckoo sometimes nest), and the "Ridge" (across street from the park) Kevin Graff Baltimore, MD hawkwatch_21206@yahoo.com __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Photos - Share your holiday photos online! http://photos.yahoo.com/ ======================================================================= To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey =======================================================================