Hi Brenda,

I would say that (1) the different owl species do not all hit their peak
in vocal responsiveness at the same time, and (2) most of them will respond
to some extent if not incubating, so (3) the time of year you go looking
is not crucial. What is crucial is the weather. What you want is a
night that is dead still - no wind at all. Silence is definitely golden
when you're owling. Of course you mentioned that your site is on a
highway, so total silence may not be an option :). Still, try to select
a wind free night, and try to call owls when there is minimal traffic
noise, even if it means getting up at 3a.m.

Eastern Screech-owls have two separate periods of the year that
they are quite vocal. One period in March-April, when they are pairing
up, one in August-September when the young birds are dispersing to new
territories. I know you don't expect to find ESOs, but they are one of
the few owls whose calling behavior has been studied systematically.

Unpaired male Saw-whets call basically incessantly for a couple weeks in
early spring (Feb-March), but Saw-whets in winter are quite responsive to
playback even though they are quieter in terms of spontaneous calling.

It's always seemed to me that Barred Owls were most vocal in the cool wet
spring months, March and April.

Most birders go owling in the winter, and I think the reason for that has
less to do with the owls than the people. In May you can look at
shorebirds, warblers, migrants of all kinds. In winter most other birds
clear out (well, Cascadia is spoiled in winter, but for most places it's
true), while the owls by and large stick around. Besides, there's so much
DARK in the winter, you've got to do something with it (and Cascadia
certainly doesn't get shortchanged on winter darkness). It's true that
Great Horned Owls pair up in late fall and early winter, I think, though
the pair that nested near my house in Massachusetts one spring duetted
faithfully most nights on into April and May.


Cheers,


Chris Hill
Everett, WA
cehill at u.washington.edu



On Thu, 7 Dec 1995, Brenda Senturia wrote:

> Tweeters -
> A question for the owl experts out there...
> Through the WETNET Program of Seattle Audubon, I work with a small group
> of community birders at a wetland - Cavanaugh Pond on the Renton-Maple
> Valley Highway. I would like to take them owling some night, but am not sure
> what the best time of year would be for the highest possibility of
> getting some response(s). My guess is February, but would like some
> opinions. Thanks.
> Brenda Senturia
>