Subject: [Tweeters] Eastern Screech Owl heard near Chism Park, Bellevue - is this even possible?!?
Date: Thu Oct 7 23:08:21 PDT 2021
From: Dan Reiff - dan.owl.reiff at gmail.com

Hello Emily,
Northern Saw-whet owls have a wide variety of calls.
Probably the most likely of the options for what you heard.
And they are in migration now.

All though several species of owls can make some unexpected calls.
Dan Reiff
MI

Sent from my iPhone


> On Oct 7, 2021, at 10:12 PM, Emily Winstrom <emily.winstrom at gmail.com> wrote:

>

> 

> We live a mile up from Chism Park in Bellevue, WA. Chism Park is on Lake Washington, and there are many large Douglas Firs and Cedars in our surrounding neighborhood. Barred Owls frequent Chism park vicinity as well as Great Horned Owls. This evening, about 8:30, we heard a strange call from our backyard area - where there are many large Doug Firs and Cedars as well as native plant "wild" areas between houses. We opened our back sliding door, and very close by heard what seems like a pretty bizarre owl call. I'm not kidding - it sounded like the Eastern Screech Owls we have heard many times over the years when we visit Sanibel Island in Florida. On Sanibel Island there are Eastern Screech Owls in abundance. The call we heard this evening starts with a higher pitch, descends smoothly in pitch, closing with a whinny sound. I don't know anything about calls made by Great Horned Owls or Barred Owls that could sound something like this. I know these species have a wide variety of calls and sounds they use. I wish I had had Merlin with Sound Identification all ready to go, but I haven't got that set up yet. I think my best recourse is to share with the Tweeter expert community and get your take on this. What birds around here could make a sound that sounds just like the Eastern Screech Owl? That pretty much sums up this mysterious sound we heard tonight. Thanks for your help!!!

>

> From Emily Winstrom, Bellevue, WA

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