So, my calendar says I was leading a Cayuga Bird Club trip on Sunday, 9 March. Knowing my success with owls, this may have been doomed from the start. Apparently, the entire rest of the world thought I was leading an owl prowl on Saturday, 8 March. O dear. I'm sorry. Ann Mitchell was kind enough to call to see if I was coming, but she has an unlisted phone number that I don't know. O dear, o dear. Sow's ear number one.
Months ago when scheduling this tragi-comic event, I forgot about Daylight Sayings time and 7:00 PM was about an hour too early for any anticipated owl. Fortunately, I had the brilliant idea of going around the back of the airport to listen for American Woodcock, of which there were none that we could hear. More sows' ears. Incredibly, there were two Short-eared Owls at about 7:20 flying around the northwest corner of the airport, which I will trade for American Woodcock anytime. Two silk purses. Proceeded to the north end of Wood Rd and heard, some even saw, a pair of courting Great Horned Owls. At this point, we should have gone home with our silk purses and called it quits. No screech or saw-whet. Stopped at three more locations on Wood Rd. No saw-whet, screech or Barred Owl. No Screech along Lower Creek Rd. Stopped at three locations on the Recreational Way for no screech. Stopped at three locations on Thomas Rd with no screech or saw-whet, although I have had both along that portion of the road within the last month. Stopped on the west side of Freeze Rd., just north of the bridge over Fall Creek and did get a screech owl to respond. The bird moved around and changed its song so that there could have been 1 to 3 owls. Back to the lab, and on my way home stopped at Thomas Rd., and got a screech owl to respond north of the bed and breakfast. cheers, John Cayugabirds-L List Info: Welcome and Basics<http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME> Rules and Information<http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES> Subscribe, Configuration and Leave<http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm> Archives: The Mail Archive<http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html> Surfbirds<http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds> BirdingOnThe.Net<http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html> Please submit your observations to eBird<http://ebird.org/content/ebird/>! -- -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
