In the summers of 1992-4, I was working at Mount Rainier National Park,
and several evenings I had owls much as you describe along Sunrise area
trails (above 6400'), eventually concluding they were Long-eared. This
also is outside the usual published summer range for this species.

Cheers,

Alan Grenon
Seattle


< Over the years, we have received a number of reports of what are most
likely long-eared owls in the high country of Olympic National Park in
the summer. They seem to center on the Bailey Range, in mixed subalpine
meadow-forest. I once had a reasonable view, but in very poor light, of
what was most likely a long-eared owl near Appleton Pass. Like many of
the sightings that have been reported, I watched a medium sized, dark
colored owl at very late dusk foraging over meadows with a
characteristic floppy winged flight, very unlike the most likely species
for that habitat, the great-horned owl. I squeaked the owl in and it
perched at about 20' from me on a small subalpine fir before flying off,
just outside of the range of my cheap headlamp.

< Most range maps do not show this species as a breeder in western
Washington, and most records are of wintering individuals at low
elevations. Has anyone encountered this species in the Olympics
for certain?

< Scott Gremel
< Port Angeles, WA
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