Subject: Re Northern Hawk Owl
Date: Jan 10 08:58:45 2000
From: D Marven - marven at home.com


It is interesting to read all the despondent stories about the missed
Hawk Owl,something is missing from most of these stories and that is the
lack of checks on the surrounding areas by birders. I have been lucky
during my birding career to have observed several hawk owls, many were
not in the same area to which they were first found.
Let's first start with the owl itself after a couple of days these owls
can clear an area of rodents, as there appears to be other owls in the
same area the rodent population could soon be depleeted.
Many times when i would go to look for Hawk Owls they were upto 5km away
from the original location
Remember that birds have wings and will fly.
Hawk Owls love old farm yards and open orchards also cemetery's when
they are out of there native habitat,these areas in and around of Chelan
should be checked by everybody.
Hawk Owls also use a route system where by they will return to an area
where food was located before, i think this is why some people have been
lucky and some have'nt. Unlike us they don't go to the same table each
day to eat.
Then we have the birder a strange creature who when told that a bird was
at a location will stake out this spot and not move for fear of missing
the bird in question.They will also sit in their cars waiting for the
bird to land right in front of them,this is especially noticeable when
the temperature is low,the lower the temperature the less active the
birder. Know i now a lot of you did check the area but i'm sure you have
all experienced the rare bird chase and turned up at the spot and seen
lots of birders standing around and as you drive up you think it must be
here look at all the birders, only to be told the bird has not been seen
so what are all these people doing standing around for. Some are
discussing the weather some are bragging about the last rare bird that
they saw, some are even telling themselves they should have gone to work
and how will they explain to there spouse that they lost a days work and
did not even see the bird. I'm sure this is ringing some bells for some
of you, we have all experienced some sort despondency while chasing rare
birds, but how many of you can honestly say that while you were there
that you covered the area well and did your bit to find the bird.
This is not a knock on any birders on tweeters but this is what happens
most times at rare bird chases.
I would suggest that next time you go chasing a rare bird or any bird
that you want to see, do your homework but more than that do your bit
for birding and check the area well, then if you fail to get the bird,
you can tell yourself i tried but there's always nextime,that's why
birding is such a great pastime you always get a second chance.

Derrick Marven
Duncan B.C.
home of the hybrid

marven at home.com