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Re: Long-eared owls

From:

RICHARD JILL WOOD

Reply-To:

RICHARD JILL WOOD

Date:

Tue, 13 Mar 2007 01:32:44 +0000

Hi all,

I'm not talking about JUST Maryland Bald Eagles.  On a national scale, they 
WERE almost all killed do to hunting.  Hawk Mountain was founded by people 
that were against the hunting of raptors, which were viewed as "vermin".

Richard



>From: Christian Kessler <>
>Reply-To: 
>To: 
>Subject: Re: [MDOSPREY] Long-eared owls
>Date: Mon, 12 Mar 2007 21:28:25 -0400
>
>I believe it was DDT spraying, not hunting, that drove Bald Eagles so close 
>to extinction.  and it was the termination of DDT use that permitted them 
>to come back so well that a trip to the Potomac on either side of the river 
>is likely to produce a sighting. chris kessler
>falls church
>
>RICHARD JILL WOOD wrote:
>>Hi all,
>>
>>I'm going to ask a couple of questions about these owls that I am probably 
>>not the only person out there wondering about:
>>
>>A.  What about those of us that have seen Long-eared Owls in our "birding 
>>careers", and have seen them just by accident?  I suppose we were 
>>"harming" them, too?
>>
>>B.  Why do we single out these owls for this special treatment?  What 
>>about all of those people that trekked to see the Kingbirds, Flycatchers 
>>and other rarities in the area?  Are we not stressing them as well?
>>
>>I've seen Long-eared Owls before, and quite frankly, I want to see them 
>>again.  And not just because of a "tick" (I hate that term).  I want to 
>>see them as many times as I can before their habitat is gone and they are 
>>here on this planet no more.  It really shames me that I am a part of a 
>>society that "celebrates" the comeback of species like Bald Eagles, when 
>>it was us that nearly HUNTED them to extinction.
>>
>>As far as those more "knowledgeable folks than me" that say, "we are 
>>probably disturbing a pair that want to breed", I think we are guilty of 
>>this almost everywhere we go to bird.  What about those that DRIVE their 
>>cars on Padre Island in Texas, where Snowy Plovers breed, while these 
>>stressed birds are breeding?
>>
>>Good birding,
>>Richard
>>
>>
>>
>>>From: Gerald & Laura Tarbell <>
>>>Reply-To: Gerald & Laura Tarbell <>
>>>To: 
>>>Subject: [MDOSPREY] Long-eared owls
>>>Date: Mon, 12 Mar 2007 15:20:36 -0500
>>>
>>>I am going to admit some ignorance as to the owls we have been viewing. I
>>>thought they were probably migrating thru and were not likely to stay 
>>>here.
>>>That's because I never bothered to consult my only Owl book. Although it 
>>>is
>>>dated, -Alcorn, 1986 - it says and I quote, "It is not highly migratory 
>>>and
>>>the winter range is approximately that of the breeding range."
>>>     I have been advised by more knowledgeable folks than me that we are
>>>probably disturbing a pair that want to breed. The fact that they keep
>>>moving only underscores the likelihood that we are disturbing them.
>>>     With this in mind, I recommend that the tours stop. I know another 
>>>tick
>>>on a list is exciting, but I for one have decided to discontinue visiting
>>>Morgan Run for a while. I hope others act responsibly and do the same. It
>>>practically took somebody hitting me over the head with it.
>>>     For reference I stole the page out of Birder's Handbook on them, so 
>>>here
>>>are some more interesting facts:
>>>
>>>BREEDING: Conifer and mixed conifer-deciduous forest, especially near 
>>>water;
>>>occasionally deciduous forest, also parks, orchards, farm woodland.  1
>>>brood. Mating system is monogamous
>>>DISPLAYS: Courtship: male flies in erratic zigzag with deep, slow 
>>>wingbeats,
>>>occasionally gliding and clapping wings together beneath body.  Courtship
>>>feeding.
>>>NEST: Usually in abandoned nests (especially crow, also squirrel, hawk,
>>>magpie, heron, raven).  Perennial.  Rarely scrape on ground, of small
>>>sticks, inner bark strips, pine needles.  Female selects site.
>>>EGGS: White. 1.6" (40 mm).
>>>CHICK DEVELOPMENT: Female incubates. Incubation takes 26-28 days.
>>>Development is semialtricial (immobile, downy, eyes closed, fed). Young 
>>>are
>>>able to fly after 23-26 days. Both sexes tend young.
>>>DIET: Overwhelmingly rodents, rarely amphibians, reptiles, fish, insects.
>>>Hunts over open areas, strictly nocturnal.  Ejects pellets.
>>>
>>>CONSERVATION: Winters s to c Mexico.
>>>NOTES: Occasionally nests in loose colonies; prey density may determine
>>>breeding density.  Pair bond long-term where sedentary on year-round
>>>territories.  Male feeds incubating female.  Young hatch asynchronously;
>>>female broods.  Young fly at about 34 days; parents feed them for 56-63
>>>days.  Perform distraction display in groups when colonial.  Family unit
>>>retained perhaps until winter.  Roosts, often communally, in dense cover,
>>>less often in caves, rock crevices.
>>>
>>>
>>>Copyright © 1988 by Paul R. Ehrlich, David S. Dobkin, and Darryl Wheye.
>>>
>>>     Jerry Tarbell
>>>     Carroll County
>>
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>>

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