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On the evening of Apr. 14=2C Dorothy Poole=2C Gary Selig and I did my Lapla=
nd/Laconia owl monitoring route #35. It was a great night to be out with i=
t being quite bright and a clear sky and temperatures ranging from plus 4 a=
t the start to plus 5 at the end. There were tons of wood frogs and spring=
peepers at just about every stop. We ended up with 11 barred owls and one=
long-eared owl. This is the first year that we did not have a barred owl =
sit long enough to get good looks at one. We had one barred owl that flew =
between Dorothy and I just as a car was coming by so it disappeared into th=
e woods not to show again. =20
=20
The long-eared owl was very interesting. We heard it first before any play=
back and both Gary and I thought that it might be a coyote. After the fir=
st boreal play back=2C the call sounded exactly like a boreal owl. Shortly=
after playing the first boreal owl Dorothy spotted an owl flying across th=
e road. The location of this owl was at a stop at the top of a hill with a=
somewhat large field there. The owl could be heard calling and moving aro=
und and along a wooded break alongside of a field on the other side of the =
road. It kept calling and moved right around us. After the play-back was =
over we were still trying to determine if the owl was a boreal or a long-ea=
red owl. It could be heard to call along the edge of the field closest to =
us and we could see it on the ground at the field edge. This owl appeared =
to move around very fast but was not flying. It later came out into the mi=
ddle of the field of which I saw it there and my other members of the team =
had gotten back into the car. I watched the owl actually run very fast alo=
ng the edge of the field. I've never heard of an owl running before and th=
e speed of such was greater then I expected. Has anyone else ever seen an=
owl run rather then fly along a field or open area? I would have expected=
hopping rather than running. Dorothy came back out of the car and observe=
d the owl with binoculars as it continued to move further away from us alon=
g the field edge. From the actions and the habitat it definitely was a lon=
g-eared owl and an exciting experience. It was interesting that it did not=
seem to respond to play back of a long-earred owl but was very excited and=
vocal when a boreal owl was played. I know that Fulton mentioned this abo=
ut long-eared owls that he found on the latest Lunenburg Christmas Bird Cou=
nt. They too would not respond to long-eared calls=2C but were very excite=
d by the boreal call. =20
=20
James R. Hirtle
Bridgewater =
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<body class=3D'hmmessage'><div dir=3D'ltr'>
On the evening of Apr. 14=2C Dorothy Poole=2C Gary Selig and I did my Lapla=
nd/Laconia owl monitoring route #35. =3B It was a great night to be out=
with it being quite bright and a clear sky and temperatures ranging from p=
lus 4 at the start to plus 5 at the end. =3B There were tons of wood fr=
ogs and spring peepers at just about every stop. =3B We ended up with 1=
1 barred owls and one long-eared owl. =3B This is the first year that w=
e did not have a barred owl sit long enough to get good looks at one. =
=3B We had one barred owl that flew between Dorothy and I just as a car was=
coming by so it disappeared into the woods not to show again. =3B <BR>
 =3B<BR>
The long-eared owl was very interesting. =3B We heard it first before a=
ny play back and both Gary and I thought that it might be a coyote. =3B=
After the first boreal play back=2C the call sounded exactly like a boreal=
owl. =3B Shortly after playing the first boreal owl Dorothy spotted an=
owl flying across the road. =3B The location of this owl was at a stop=
at the top of a hill with a somewhat large field there. =3B The owl co=
uld be heard calling and moving around and along a wooded break alongside o=
f a field on the other side of the road. =3B It kept calling and moved =
right around us. =3B After the play-back was over we were still trying =
to determine if the owl was a boreal or a long-eared owl. =3B It could =
be heard to call along the edge of the field closest to us and we could see=
it on the ground at the field edge. =3B This owl appeared to move arou=
nd very fast but was not flying. =3B It later came out into the middle =
of the field of which I saw it there and my other members of the team had g=
otten back into the car. =3B I watched the owl actually run very fast a=
long the edge of the field. =3B I've never heard of an owl running befo=
re and the speed of such was greater then I expected. =3B =3B Has a=
nyone else ever seen an owl run rather then fly along a field or open area?=
 =3B I would have expected hopping rather than running. =3B Dorothy=
came back out of the car and observed the owl with binoculars as it contin=
ued to move further away from us along the field edge. =3B From the act=
ions and the habitat it definitely was a long-eared owl and an exciting exp=
erience. =3B It was interesting that it did not seem to respond to play=
back of a long-earred owl but was very excited and vocal when a boreal owl=
was played. =3B I know that Fulton mentioned this about long-eared owl=
s that he found on the latest Lunenburg Christmas Bird Count. =3B They =
too would not respond to long-eared calls=2C but were very excited by the b=
oreal call. =3B <BR>
 =3B<BR>
James R. Hirtle<BR>
Bridgewater<BR> </div></body>
</html>=
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