Subject: RE: Barrred Owl at Lincoln Park, West Seattle
Date: Jan 18 08:38:00 1996
From: Tracee Geernaert - Tracee at iphc.washington.edu



Russell writes>>>
>Last night, David Wright, Mary Ellen Ahearn, Jim Jaekline, and myself,
>went out on a Screech Owl quest to Lincoln Park in West Seattle last
>night.

>We did get at least three, maybe four, responses from Western Screech
>Owls, but the big surprise was a Barred Owl that flew in, in response to
>the tape of a Screech Owl. We had a really good look at it - as it looked
>down on us from about 15 to 20 feet up.

>This was the first Barred Owl that I have heard of in West Seattle. Would
>anyone else know of any other reports?

>I have also noticed that the Screech Owls have been less responsive to my
>efforts to find them than they were 2 years ago. I would think that the
>presents of a Barred Owl in the park might have something to do with this.
>I don't know if the intention of this Barred Owl was just defending
>territory from other owls, or if he was coming in to hunt down and eat a
>smaller cousin.

>Any comments out there on relationship of big and small owls in the same
>location?

Russell

The very first Barred Owl I saw was in 1982 near Cowichan Lake, B.C. and it
responded to a Screech Owl tape. We had seen a Screech Owl fly across the
road which is why we stopped and tried the tape. After the Barred showed
up the Screech Owls were very quiet. I think if I remember correctly the
Barred Owl we saw was number 16 for Vancouver Island (boy has that number
gone up since).

Tracee Geernaert
tracee at iphc.washington.edu