Owls and Ice

Barred Owl

I suspect many of the owls at Pheasant Branch Conservancy are used to people. Throughout the day, the roosting birds observe joggers, bicyclists, hikers, people with pets, and birders, too. Unbeknownst to most trail users, owl eyes often follow them as they pass by. Still, whenever I'm in the presence of any owl, I keep my visits  brief and maintain a respectable distance. Here's a list of owling ethics that appeared in the Winter 2013 issue of The Passenger Pigeon compiled by Randy Hoffman:

• Sleeping owls are happy; if you notice open eyes on a species such as Long-eared, Saw-whet, Boreal, or Screech Owl, back away.
• If you notice these same species becoming slimmed down, looking skinny or branch-like, they are trying to hide - back off.
• Be a steward of a roost. Take care in whom you let know about the roost. Supply data to eBird after the roost is abandoned.
• Do your best to educate others about the stress that can affect owls.
• If you cause an owl to fly, do not pursue it.
• Do not bait owls with rodents.
• No flash photography.
• Stay on trails and road shoulders and ditches. Do not block traffic.
• No sound devices.
• Do not report owl sightings on the internet or bird hotlines.
• Speak in soft tones or whispers.
• Do not linger in front of an owl for more than a couple of minutes.
• Keep a minimum distance. It's best to observe with a scope.

After birding the woods, I headed to the prairie. I didn't find the Northern Shrike this morning, but I did see a Bald Eagle, Northern Harrier, Rough-legged Hawk, and Red-tailed Hawk. It was pretty cold and it's just going to get colder come Monday. Perhaps the neatest prairie feature this morning were the thick ice crystals that had formed on many of the prairie plants overnight:











I might try to do some macro photography of snowflakes next snowfall (perhaps Sunday). I found only 25 bird species this morning at the conservancy, but I wasn't surprised.  Still, it was worth braving the near-zero temperatures this morning. Even colder weather is on the way.

Pheasant Branch, Dane, US-WI
Dec 7, 2013 10:30 AM - 1:30 PM
25 species

Northern Harrier
Bald Eagle
Red-tailed Hawk
Rough-legged Hawk
Ring-billed Gull
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Barred Owl
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Blue Jay
American Crow
Horned Lark
Black-capped Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
White-breasted Nuthatch
American Tree Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Northern Cardinal
Red-winged Blackbird
House Finch
American Goldfinch
House Sparrow

All images © 2013 Mike McDowell

Snowy Owls!

Waunakee Snowy Owl - December 2011

By now most of you are aware Snowy Owls are on the move. There are even a few places in Wisconsin where multiple snowies are being observed. As stated on Cornell's All About Birds website, "Fluctuating prey availability and weather conditions influence the whereabouts of this nomadic species during the breeding season as well as winter." Though speculative, this relatively rapid surge seems to have followed the last cold blast of arctic air that came through. Looking at the map below, it appears the east coast is experiencing the bulk of the northern visitors. Amazingly, one Snowy Owl was even spotted in Bermuda! Be on the lookout. You never know where these birds are going to show up!


Snowy Owl sightings 11/01/2013 to 12/02/2013

Link: eBird - Got Snowies?

Snowy Owl © 2013 Mike McDowell

Northern Shrike Portraits

Early this morning, the Northern Shrike was perched in the shadow of the drumlin. I thought black and white would look better in this particular light. I probably could have simply desaturated color images in Photoshop. However, I feel that the effects of chromatic aberration present in backlit and high-contrast color images leaves artifacts to contend with even after desaturation. Actually, I think the shrike looks neat in black and white! Eventually, the shrike moved out to the open prairie where I switched back to color mode.





Pheasant Branch, Dane, US-WI
Dec 1, 2013 7:30 AM - 10:00 AM
36 species

Canada Goose 
Mallard 
Ring-necked Pheasant 
Cooper's Hawk 
Red-tailed Hawk 
Sandhill Crane 
Ring-billed Gull 
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove 
Barred Owl 
Red-bellied Woodpecker 
Downy Woodpecker 
Hairy Woodpecker 
Northern Flicker 
Northern Shrike 
Blue Jay 
American Crow 
Horned Lark 
Black-capped Chickadee 
Tufted Titmouse 
White-breasted Nuthatch 
Brown Creeper 
American Robin 
European Starling 
Lapland Longspur 
American Tree Sparrow 
Fox Sparrow 
Song Sparrow 
White-throated Sparrow 
White-crowned Sparrow 
Dark-eyed Junco 
Northern Cardinal 
Red-winged Blackbird 
House Finch 
American Goldfinch 
House Sparrow 

All images © 2013 Mike McDowell

November Ends

Pheasant Branch Prairie and Oak Savanna

This month sure seemed to go by quickly. It was a beautiful day for a long hike through various sections of Pheasant Branch Conservancy. We got a few inches of snow earlier in the week, but much of it has since melted. There are still a few patches here and there, especially along the creek corridor where cover ice is forming.

It was a good day for finding birds of prey. Just before sunrise, I spotted a Great Horned Owl hunting from a nearby utility pole. Later on in the morning, two roosting Barred Owls were discovered in the woods. Raptors included Cooper's Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk, and Northern Harrier. Though I missed the Northern Shrike, another birder reported seeing it, so it's still there.


Roosting Barred Owl

I was a little surprised to see a Wilson's Snipe along the creek corridor, but I do occasionally find them there during the Christmas Bird Count. Unfortunately, I didn't know it was there until it flushed. It didn't fly far, though. There must be good things for a shorebird to eat along the bank of the creek. The snipe put me at 59 conservancy bird species for the month of November, beating my previous record of 55.


North Creek Corridor

American Tree Sparrows and Dark-eyed Juncos are the most abundant songbirds now. It looks like a few White-throated Sparrows will overwinter near the Conservancy Condos once again. There was one Fox Sparrow and one Song Sparrow with them, but no sign of the Eastern Towhee I saw a week ago.


Red-tailed Hawk

All images © 2013 Mike McDowell

2014 Phenology Calendar!

The Friends of Pheasant Branch Conservancy 2014 Phenology Calendar is out!

See a preview or order yours here!

Shrike Strike!

It was a mere eight degrees Fahrenheit by the time I set foot on the prairie this morning. Last night I wasn't even sure I was going to go birding in the morning for the promise of intimidating cold weather. But I knew that Northern Shrike would likely be there and most other conservancy users would probably stay inside until it warmed up a little more.


American Tree Sparrow

I made my way down the main gravel path and found a large flock of American Tree Sparrows near the centrally located kiosk. The sprightly sparrows also had a few Dark-eyed Juncos and at least one White-crowned Sparrow with them. It's exceedingly more challenging to get sharp photographs when it's so cold. My eyes tend to water. Plus, I didn't allow any time for my spotting scope to acclimatize; internal turbulence hadn't settled before I started digiscoping the sparrows.

American Tree Sparrow

After getting a few nice sparrow photographs, I decided to make my way toward the back of the prairie in search of the shrike. It wasn't long after that a harsh series of recognizable call notes got my attention.


Northern Shrike

It was the shrike! Unbelievably, two American Goldfinches perched a few feet away from it. Were they going to try and harass it? At first the shrike paid little attention, but without warning it gave chase. Remarkably, the finches got away, but at the same moment an American Crow was flying toward the drumlin, and so the shrike went after it! I tried to follow the action in my binoculars, but eventually lost both birds in the sun's glare. I seriously doubt the crow had anything to worry about, but what an attitude!

Scanning with my binoculars, I relocated the shrike perched in the oak trees about halfway down the drumlin's slope. To my astonishment, it took flight and headed in my direction. There was a Blue Jay in some dense tangle behind me and that was the shrike's target. It was so amazingly cool watching it fly toward me in my binoculars. In a matter of seconds, the shrike flew within a dozen feet of me and entered the thicket to chase the jay. But then a second Blue Jay arrived on the scene which appeared to weaken the shrike's resolve, prompting it to make the return trip back to the oaks. Retreat? Nah!



It had been an hour or so that I last saw the shrike when it appeared out of nowhere, darting across the width of the prairie, perching in the oak tree near the parking lot. It seemed intensely interested in something in the tangle of brush just below. Suddenly, the ferocious songbird dropped from its perch like a small missile. I lost sight of it for a few seconds, but when it reemerged it had a small rodent pinched in its bill, perhaps a shrew or vole. The shrike made quick work of things by using one foot and branches to impale its prey, then pulling back to tear it apart.







No wonder they're sometimes called butcher birds!



Pheasant Branch, Dane, US-WI
Nov 24, 2013 8:00 AM - 12:00 PM
31 species

Canada Goose
Mallard
Ring-necked Pheasant
Northern Harrier
Red-tailed Hawk
Rough-legged Hawk
Sandhill Crane
Ring-billed Gull
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Northern Shrike
Blue Jay
American Crow
Horned Lark
Black-capped Chickadee
White-breasted Nuthatch
American Robin
European Starling
Lapland Longspur
American Tree Sparrow
Song Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Northern Cardinal
Red-winged Blackbird
House Finch
American Goldfinch
House Sparrow

All images © 2013 Mike McDowell

Quick update!

American Tree Sparrow

Lately it's been cloudy and rainy, or just drearily cloudy. I had the day off work on Tuesday and was fortunate to have sunny skies for photography. I didn't spot the Northern Shrike that's been frequenting the prairie, but there were a lot of American Tree Sparrows.


American Tree Sparrow


American Tree Sparrow

There are around a half dozen White-crowned Sparrows lingering at the prairie.


White-crowned Sparrow 

And the Sandhill Cranes are still here.


Sandhill Crane


Sandhill Cranes

Pheasant Branch, Dane, US-WI
Nov 19, 2013 8:45 AM - 11:45 AM
37 species

Canada Goose
Mallard
Ring-necked Pheasant
Northern Harrier
Cooper's Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Sandhill Crane
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Great Horned Owl
Barred Owl
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Blue Jay
American Crow
Horned Lark
Black-capped Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
White-breasted Nuthatch
Brown Creeper
American Robin
European Starling
Cedar Waxwing
Eastern Towhee
American Tree Sparrow
Fox Sparrow
Song Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Northern Cardinal
Red-winged Blackbird
House Finch
American Goldfinch
House Sparrow

All images © 2013 Mike McDowell

On Reporting Owls

Pheasant Branch Barred Owl

The first wild owl I ever encountered was a Great Horned Owl at Pheasant Branch Conservancy sometime in the early 1990s. I recall the experience lifting me into pure awe at the bird's majestic and stoic appearance as it leered down at me from its perch. Twenty years and thousands of conservancy visits later, I have a pretty good idea where most of the owls there spend their time. An attentive and mindful walk through the woods can reveal much!

There are at least three pairs of resident Great Horned Owls and two pairs of Barred Owls at the conservancy. It's quite possible there are more. Even non-birders often see owls along the 2-mile creek corridor trail. There are also migratory owls that spend just a short time at the conservancy, perhaps a week, or only a day or two. Over the years I've observed Long-eared Owls on a couple of occasions, but only one Short-eared Owl. About a decade ago, the conservancy was briefly visited by a Snowy Owl. It wasn't until last fall that I finally saw Northern Saw-whet Owl near the Conservancy Condos. I'm aware of two Eastern Screech Owl reports, but I have never heard or seen one there. The apparent shortage of screech owls may be due to the population density of larger owls that would likely eat them.

I no longer consider an encounter with an owl a rare experience, but each observation is still special in one facet or another. Sometimes I'll observe a new behavior, like the time I visited the conservancy late one night and watched a Barred Owl hunting for fish along the creek corridor. Another time I took a short video of a young Barred Owl wetting its whistle. I mean, of course they drink – but to actually see it! I especially like finding the same individual owls over the years. As such, I've grown a little protective of these wild creatures. Naturally, they don't belong to me, or anyone else; I view them as free wild beings that can take care of themselves.

The reason I don't usually share locations of owl nesting or roosting sites is because of the bad apples out there. I know from experience that most people who stumble upon an owl in the wild will treat it with the respect it deserves. However, I also know there are people who cannot be trusted around owls. In the context of birding ethics, owls seem to make people do crazy things. They'll approach too closely, break posted conservancy rules, or even bait owls with live animals in order to get photographs; they let their personal interests override the impact they may have on the bird's welfare, or even risk injury to themselves. In fact, there have been at least two owl attacks on people at the conservancy over the past decade. It's rare, but it does happen.

On the other hand, an owl in a public park or conservancy often plays the role of educational ambassador, which gets more people interested in the lives of birds or birding as a hobby. I recall the Middleton Great Gray Owl earlier this year, and the creek corridor Barred Owls feeding their young in plain view in April and May. But even during these wonderful educational opportunities, there were moments of disappointing behavior on behalf of onlookers and photographers. Each owl encounter has to be carefully weighed and considered for the owl's welfare. To share, or not to share – that is the question. Some nesting sites are not reused or are safely beyond human the range of interference. On the other hand, some roosting sites may be more prone to abandonment by the owl (or owls) after repeated disturbances.

Sometimes when I include a photograph of an owl in my posts, someone will write asking me for the location of the bird. If it's an established roosting site I feel is susceptible to disturbance, I can't in good conscience reveal the location. All I can advise is that if you go for a walk in just about any woods in the Madison area, there's a pretty good chance you're very close to an owl. They're even easier to find this time of year now that the trees have shed their leaves.

Barred Owl © 2013 Mike McDowell

Shrike!

Windy conditions kept most songbirds low in the grass, but my first Northern Shrike of the fall season may have also played a role in their apparent nervousness. I found the shrike within a few minutes of arriving at the prairie. It flew from a bush along the road to the middle of the prairie and perched in some dead plants near the second retention pond. The fierce hunter didn't remain stationary for long; something caught its attention and off it flew in quick pursuit. Goldfinches and tree sparrows beware!


Northern Shrike


American Tree Sparrow



To escape the blustery winds, I retreated to the woods north of Century Avenue. Almost all the trees are bare and parts of the forest floor are covered with leaves. Many White-throated Sparrows and American Tree Sparrows have taken up residence along the end of the creek corridor near the condos. This is where a good number of them will spend the entire winter. There's a small springs that remains open, lots of nearby stocked bird feeders, plus excellent cover from predators.




Barred Owl

This venerable Barred Owl was discovered at one of its usual roosting trees. After taking a few quick photographs of the owl from the trail, I decided to observe it from a distance with my spotting scope. The stoic bird went unnoticed by everyone who walked, jogged, or bicycled past. Why would they ever think to look up in a tree? The owl's reaction to noisy people was a little comical; it would open its eyes as wide as possible and crane its neck around the tree to make sure they were leaving. A few times when its concern seemed somewhat elevated, I thought for sure it was going to fly off. Eventually, a yawn was followed by closed eyes, and then rest. A few times falling leaves captured its attention. When a flock of geese flew overhead, it looked up at them. I think it's worthwhile to be reminded as we're walking through the forest that we're passing through the homes of woodland critters.



While we're well past peak, there are still a few patches of striking fall colors.

All images © 2013 Mike McDowell

November Bluebirds!

I found four Eastern Bluebirds perched in fabulous light atop the drumlin this morning. It was cold. Temperatures were in the upper twenties and the bluebirds appeared to be finding dead (or dying) insects on the ground to eat, but they were also feeding on sumac berries. Between sorties, they would perch on the branches of a nearby oak tree and scan the ground. When something caught their attention from below, they would fly down to grab it. At one point, two of the bluebirds perched on sumac within a few feet from me, which prompted me to take several steps back. It's pretty amazing to see beautiful birds like this so close!











All images © 2013 Mike McDowell

A foggy morning!

It was a chilly sunrise with dense fog blanketing low-lying areas. Only a faint outline of the drumlin was visible when I arrived at the prairie. Within minutes, a heavier fog rolled in and reduced visibility to mere yards. For a while there was perfect calm and no shadows.



To wait out the fog, I stationed myself at the small hill near the parking lot and almost felt like it was the extent of the universe. Of course, it was illusory; I could hear various songbirds on essential errands and bugling Sandhill Cranes as they prepared to depart the marsh.



The prairie was covered with frost, giving everything a hoary monochromatic appearance. It remained in this form for an hour or so, but eventually the sun reemerged and began to render a little color to the fields. Before the fog burned off, there was enough time to photograph a naturally filtered sun, revealing several sunspots.



And then something unexpected happened ... a fog bow to the west! It was rather mesmerizing, actually.



Once the light was restored, I set my sights on a small flock of Dark-eyed Juncos a short distance from the hill where I was standing. Closely observing them, I could see they were alternating between eating seeds and nibbling on frost to quench their thirst.


Dark-eyed Junco

After visiting the juncos, I walked the perimeter of the prairie to see what other birds were present. There are still dozens of Fox Sparrows, though I didn't see the leucistic one today. Every so often I heard the rapid seep-seep-seep of American Pipits and the chuckling calls of Lapland Longspurs as they flew over.


Fox Sparrow

Most of the White-throated Sparrows have moved on, but there are still many White-crowned Sparrows on the trail that runs adjacent to the agricultural field. Perhaps the most abundant bird at present is the American Tree Sparrow. Even though they just arrived, there is little respite; they'll be pursued by hawks and shrikes throughout their winter stay at the conservancy.


American Tree Sparrow


White-crowned Sparrow

One by one, or a few a time, bird species become seasonally absent from the conservancy. For the first time since early spring, my conservancy birding visits are yielding species counts in the thirties. It's probably still possible to get forty or more, but I would need to include the creek corridor, confluence ponds, and the north fork marsh. In a couple weeks it'll be twenties and thirties until late March. The long wait begins.

Pheasant Branch, Dane, US-WI
Nov 3, 2013 6:30 AM - 10:30 AM
33 species

Canada Goose 
Mallard 
Ring-necked Pheasant 
Sharp-shinned Hawk 
Cooper's Hawk 
Red-tailed Hawk 
Sandhill Crane 
Ring-billed Gull 
Mourning Dove 
Red-bellied Woodpecker 
Downy Woodpecker 
Blue Jay 
American Crow 
Horned Lark 
Black-capped Chickadee 
White-breasted Nuthatch 
American Robin 
American Pipit 
Lapland Longspur 
American Tree Sparrow 
Fox Sparrow 
Song Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow 
White-throated Sparrow 
White-crowned Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco 
Northern Cardinal 
Red-winged Blackbird 
Rusty Blackbird 
Common Grackle 
House Finch 
American Goldfinch 
House Sparrow 

All images © 2013 Mike McDowell