Birdnotes: [BIRD NOTES] March 6, 2007

Bird Notes

Owls Are Sounding Off

Step outside for a few minutes after it gets dark and cup your ears. It’s the best time of year to hear the local owls. So far we have received two reports; the first was from Susan James in Guilford and the second on March 4^th from Ned Pokras and Meg Kluge in W. Brattleboro, both were hearing Great Horned Owls.

Loudest are the Great Horned Owl: (hoo hoo hoo-hoo hooo hooo) and the Barred Owl: (who cooks for you, who cooks for you allll). Barred Owls are very curious and sometimes will answer any call that comes close to resembling their own.

We were once out at night owling in an area that we knew harbored Barred Owls. In the hopes of getting them to talk we gave a very poor imitation three times, waiting about a minute between each. No response. But out of the corner of my eye I caught some movement against a light portion of the sky. I retrieved a flashlight from the car and pointed it into the trees overhead. There peering down at us was a Barred Owl sitting on a branch not twenty feet above us. It wasn’t talking, but it sure was curious.

Believe It Or Not, Migration Has Started

Here is a list of birds that you could expect to see during the 2^nd week of March. (Courtesy of Vermont Institute of Natural Science)

Red-winged Blackbird

Brown-headed Cowbird

American Kestrel

American Robin

Common Grackle

Northern Pintail

American Widgeon

Turkey Vulture

Northern Harrier

Northern Flicker

Eastern Bluebird

Song Sparrow

Rusty Blackbird

VPT Reminders

In case you missed it, “Winged Migration” will be shown again this evening at 9:30 on Vermont Public Television.

Watch “Birding in Vermont” on Vermont Public Television, Wednesday, March 7@ 8:00p.m. Lifelong birdwatcher Bryan Pfeiffer leads a yearlong tour around the state in search of species ranging from common backyard birds to the elusive Spruce Grouse and rare Bicknell’s Thrush. Along the way, he offers tips on how to make birding fun and successful. It will be repeated on 3/10 @ 12 p.m.; 3/11 @ 6:30a.m. and 6p.m.; 3/15 @ 7:30p.m.; 3/18 @ 8:30a.m.