Stewart, tweets,

I saw Barred Owls in the vicinity of the screeh-owl territories quite a few years ago. I suspect Great Horned Owls are only sporadic visitors and not an issues. My back yard Screech-Owl has a resident pair of Barreds to contend with also.

Does anyone know of good cases of Barred and Screech in peaceful coexistence?

Gene Hunn.
18476 47th Pl. NE
Lake Forest Park, WA 98155
enhunn323 at comcast.net
----- Original Message -----
From: Stewart Wechsler
To: Eugene and Nancy Hunn ; tweeters at u.washington.edu
Sent: Sunday, February 25, 2007 7:22 PM
Subject: RE: [Tweeters] screech owls - Seward Park and general Seattle trends


I've led a number of owl walks in Seward over the last 2 - 3 years and some about 5 to 6 years ago. While one older participant told me that she used to hear Screech Owls there years ago, I never saw or heard one in all those owl walks. I played screech owl tapes a number of those times, though I have been concerned that I might attract a screech only to bring in a Barred to its dinner bell. I have heard of reports of Screech Owls in some of the smaller wooded areas that don't seem like prime Barred Owl habitat to me. I'm now wondering if the Screech Owls will be largely restricted to smaller wooded patches that are used less by the Barred Owls. That said, I expect if the Barred Owl population continues to grow, I imagine that they too would start to use smaller wooded patches more than they currently seem to.

Stewart Wechsler
Ecological Consulting
West Seattle
206 932-7225
ecostewart at quidnunc.net

-Advice on the most site-appropriate native plants
and how to enhance habitat for the maximum diversity
of plants and animals
-Educational programs, nature walks and field trips
-Botanical Surveys


-----Original Message-----
From: Eugene and Nancy Hunn
Tweets,

I used to be able to find up to half-dozen territorial WESTERN SCREECH-OWLs at Seward Park, mostly around the loop road on top, and quite vocal in winter. I hadn't been there for quite a few years but tried a couple of weeks ago on a fine night and had no responses. Has anyone heard or seen screech-owls in Seward Park lately? If not, I fear it's a bit more evidence that they are indeed suffering a widespread population decline in western Washington.

On the other hand, early this morning one was calling in the ravine behind my house. Last year I heard one February 25 until March 7, apparently a male seeking in vain for a mate.