Subject: Re: How to see W. Screech Owls
Date: Mar 1 14:15:37 1996
From: Christopher Hill - cehill at u.washington.edu


Hi Charles,

The two keys I have always used are:

1) decide where the view would be best and then go there and call the
bird to you. If you can lure them out of the spruce and into the
leafless maple, things will get much easier, and

2) Don't turn on a flashlight until AFTER you have spotted the silouhette
of the owl. You can almost always get an angle where you have relatively
bright sky as a background - look for the distinctive owl shape so that
when you turn on the light you will be pointing it directly at the bird,
not waving it around. If it's really dark, use binoculars to look for
the silouette of the owl, they help a LOT.

Good luck,

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


On Fri, 1 Mar 1996, Charles E. Vaughan wrote:

> Two W. Screech Owls have moved into my backyard (at least from the calls I
> assume that's what they are). My ninth grade daughter has been out the last
> two nights with the tape recorder and my birdcall tape conversing with them.
> So far, even though we know which tree they are in, we have been unable to
> see them. Any suggestions from experienced owlers?
>
> Charles Vaughan
> cev at rocket.com
> Woodinville, WA
>
>