Finally got a chance to head out to count our owls on Saturday nite. It had been postponed three times before because of the weather. I think we nailed it on Saturday as it was beautiful.
I hosted dinner before our count. Sticky chicken legs, baked baby potatoes and broccoli. Mary made a salad and Ginny desert. Ute was responsible for the snacks out on the road.
At about 6:30 we were ready to hit the highway. We gathered for a picture. Please excuse the 500 layers of clothes on us but it does get a bit chilly out there. We started out at +8 and ended up at 0 by the end of the night.
We head up the highway to a designated starting spot and then work our way south along highway 129 - every 2 - 3 km or so we stop to play a tape then listen for any response. There are 10 spots. It was a beautiful night - no wind and a clear sky. I had a device that amplified the sound as I can't hear the owls normally. It hooked up to my headphones so they did double duty as ear muffs and a hearing aid.
The bottom picture is of the snacks Ute made for the road. We don't go hungry on our excursions. I munched on grapes and Ritz crackers and a Baby Bell cheese round. Very Good!!
We heard Sandhill Cranes and saw a hawk fly by. And on our last stop - as usually happens - we heard the Barred Owl - actually 2 of them in different locations. I only heard one call but that was enough to make me happy.
All over Ontario people were out doing the same thing - listening for the owls and reporting their findings back to Bird Studies Canada who keeps track of all the data we collect. All volunteers as well.
We have so much fun that it really doesn't seem like work to us. I look forward to this night and spending time with my friends doing something that matters.
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