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The three routes that I run have definitely seen habitat removal and destru=
ction since I started them. Many of the stops when you drive through durin=
g the day show miles of clearcut the other side of a roadside tree border. =
Also, many houses have been built right where my stops are since I started=
. There are also stops where trees had been where owls nested and they've =
removed these trees with selective cutting leaving no nest sites behind. I=
t definitely has had an impact in those areas dropping them from three spec=
ies of owls to one or two species and finally to none for the past two or t=
hree years. It is sad to see this.
James R. Hirtle
LaHave
________________________________
From: naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca <naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca> on beha=
lf of Richard Stern <sternrichard@gmail.com>
Sent: May 5, 2017 11:26 PM
To: NatureNS
Subject: Re: [NatureNS] NOS - a great night for ambiance
I have run my owl survey for many years now - nearly always with Bernard Fo=
rsythe - who probably knows more about owls than anyone else in the Provinc=
e, and more recently with Rick Whitman as well - an excellent set of ears. =
I nearly always do it in late April, and on a night with light winds - so r=
easonably comparable conditions.. There has been a steady and progressive d=
ecline in the number and variety of owls, which I rightly or wrongly ascrib=
e to the increasing amount of clear cutting and logging going on there (the=
South mountain above and behind Falmouth). At a recent BNS meeting Bob Ban=
croft showed an alarming slide of a stylized aerial view of the increasing =
amount of clear cuts in that area over the last few years. This is not a sc=
ientific study, but an n=3D1 personal observation, but I suspect there's a =
connection, as there are progressively fewer places in that area for owls t=
o roost and nest.
On Fri, May 5, 2017 at 5:03 PM, Susann Myers <myerss@eastlink.ca<mailto:mye=
rss@eastlink.ca>> wrote:
Like you, Randy, I ran my owl survey last night - my route is at Earltown. =
This runs through great habitat, and surveyors have often had counts of ov=
er 20 owls in past years.
Despite the bright half moon and light winds at the start of the survey, I =
wasn't expecting great results on this survey, because winds had been stron=
g through the day, only becoming light in this location in late evening. I=
n my experience, the owls don't sit up to do territorial calling unless the=
y've first had successful hunting in the afternoon and evening, and they di=
dn't get that in yesterday's winds.
The results bore out this idea. I had only one very brief call from a Barr=
ed Owl in the first seven stops. Then after 11:00 p.m., when winds had bee=
n light for about 3 hours, I began to hear owls. I had five Great Horned O=
wls calling in the last 3 stops, two pairs and a single, all giving quiet c=
ontact calls. Also, one Barred Owl flew in after the second Barred playback=
, giving Who-cooks-for-you calls. After 7 quiet stops, it was wonderful to=
hear owls.
Unfortunately, we can't wait for an ideal night. With a week of rain forec=
ast, I needed to get my survey done while I could. I don't like to do a su=
rvey on a less-than-perfect night, because I don't think that the level of =
analysis given to survey results is adequate to identify and adjust for iss=
ues such as afternoon wind speeds. Without that level of analysis, however=
, how meaningful is the data in monitoring population trends?
Like Randy, I had an enjoyable night apart from owl results. A fox crossed=
the road at dusk, I saw Snowshoe Hare and deer, Woodcock were peenting at =
a few stops and one was sitting in the road, and I had one snipe winnowing,=
as well as a Ruffed Grouse drumming in bright moonlight at the final stop.=
Pretty idyllic.
Human disturbance was a factor, this year. The road, which is not plowed i=
n winter, had some condition issues, including a washout on a sharp corner =
above a very steep drop into a ravine. A couple of residents who know me f=
rom past years took on the (unnecessary) responsibility of protecting me fr=
om this hazard, and wound up making a great deal of noise and disturbance a=
t two stops. Hard to complain about such caring behavior, though! Also, i=
n its own way, pretty idyllic.
Cheers,
Susann Myers
From: Randy Lauff<mailto:randy.lauff@gmail.com>
Sent: Friday, May 05, 2017 9:21 AM
To: NatureNS<mailto:naturens@chebucto.ns.ca>
Subject: [NatureNS] NOS - a great night for ambiance
Last night I ran my Nocturnal Owl Survey (http://www.birdscanada.org/volunt=
eer/atowls/) under ideal conditions (low-no wind, very bright half moon, ve=
ry little run-off noise) with a student, Danny MacDonald who had not yet se=
en an owl in the wild. We had grouse, snipe, woodcock, porcupine and a not =
so distant pack of coyotes, but not a single owl.
Oh well, as I tell my students, "zeroes are data, too."
Randy
_________________________________
RF Lauff
Way in the boonies of
Antigonish County, NS.
--
#################
Richard Stern,
Port Williams, NS, Canada
sternrichard@gmail.com<mailto:sternrichard@gmail.com>
###################
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<head>
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1">
<style type=3D"text/css" style=3D"display:none;"><!-- P {margin-top:0;margi=
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<div id=3D"divtagdefaultwrapper" style=3D"font-size:24pt;color:#000000;font=
-family:Calibri,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" dir=3D"ltr">
<p>The three routes that I run have definitely seen habitat removal and des=
truction since I started them. Many of the stops when you drive throu=
gh during the day show miles of clearcut the other side of a roadside =
tree border. Also, many houses have been
built right where my stops are since I started. There are also stops=
where trees had been where owls nested and they've removed these trees wit=
h selective cutting leaving no nest sites behind. It definitely has h=
ad an impact in those areas dropping them
from three species of owls to one or two species and finally to none for t=
he past two or three years. It is sad to see this. </p>
<p><br>
</p>
<p>James R. Hirtle</p>
<p>LaHave </p>
<br>
<br>
<div style=3D"color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
<hr tabindex=3D"-1" style=3D"display:inline-block; width:98%">
<div id=3D"divRplyFwdMsg" dir=3D"ltr"><font face=3D"Calibri, sans-serif" co=
lor=3D"#000000" style=3D"font-size:11pt"><b>From:</b> naturens-owner@chebuc=
to.ns.ca <naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca> on behalf of Richard Stern &=
lt;sternrichard@gmail.com><br>
<b>Sent:</b> May 5, 2017 11:26 PM<br>
<b>To:</b> NatureNS<br>
<b>Subject:</b> Re: [NatureNS] NOS - a great night for ambiance</font>
<div> </div>
</div>
<div>
<div dir=3D"ltr">I have run my owl survey for many years now - nearly alway=
s with Bernard Forsythe - who probably knows more about owls than anyone el=
se in the Province, and more recently with Rick Whitman as well - an excell=
ent set of ears. I nearly always do
it in late April, and on a night with light winds - so reasonably comparab=
le conditions.. There has been a steady and progressive decline in the numb=
er and variety of owls, which I rightly or wrongly ascribe to the increasin=
g amount of clear cutting and logging
going on there (the South mountain above and behind Falmouth). At a recent=
BNS meeting Bob Bancroft showed an alarming slide of a stylized aerial vie=
w of the increasing amount of clear cuts in that area over the last few yea=
rs. This is not a scientific study,
but an n=3D1 personal observation, but I suspect there's a connection, as =
there are progressively fewer places in that area for owls to roost and nes=
t.
<div class=3D"gmail_extra"><br>
<div class=3D"gmail_quote">On Fri, May 5, 2017 at 5:03 PM, Susann Myers <sp=
an dir=3D"ltr">
<<a href=3D"mailto:myerss@eastlink.ca" target=3D"_blank">myerss@eastlink=
.ca</a>></span> wrote:<br>
<blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin:0 0 0 .8ex; border-left:1=
px #ccc solid; padding-left:1ex">
<u></u>
<div id=3D"m_-6855904968530619327m_-2203733452621233907MailContainerBody" n=
ame=3D"Compose message area" style=3D"padding-left:10px; padding-right:10px=
; padding-top:15px">
<div><font face=3D"Calibri">Like you, Randy, I ran my owl survey last night=
- my route is at Earltown. This runs through great habitat, and=
surveyors have often had counts of over 20 owls in past years.</font>=
</div>
<div><font face=3D"Calibri"></font> </div>
<div><font face=3D"Calibri">Despite the bright half moon and light winds at=
the start of the survey, I wasn't expecting great results on this survey, =
because winds had been strong through the day, only becoming light in this =
location in late evening. In my experience,
the owls don't sit up to do territorial calling unless they've first had s=
uccessful hunting in the afternoon and evening, and they didn't get th=
at in yesterday's winds.</font></div>
<div><font face=3D"Calibri"></font> </div>
<div><font face=3D"Calibri">The results bore out this idea. I had onl=
y one very brief call from a Barred Owl in the first seven stops. The=
n after 11:00 p.m., when winds had been light for about 3 hours, I began to=
hear owls. I had five Great Horned Owls calling
in the last 3 stops, two pairs and a single, all giving quiet contact=
calls. Also, one Barred Owl flew in after the second Barred playback,=
giving Who-cooks-for-you calls. After 7 quiet stops, it was wonderfu=
l to hear owls.</font></div>
<div><font face=3D"Calibri"></font> </div>
<div><font face=3D"Calibri">Unfortunately, we can't wait for an ideal night=
. With a week of rain forecast, I needed to get my survey done w=
hile I could. I don't like to do a survey on a less-than-perfect=
night, because I don't think that the level of analysis
given to survey results is adequate to identify and adjust for issues such=
as afternoon wind speeds. Without that level of analysis, howev=
er, how meaningful is the data in monitoring population trends?</font></div=
>
<div><font face=3D"Calibri"></font> </div>
<div><font face=3D"Calibri">Like Randy, I had an enjoyable night apart from=
owl results. A fox crossed the road at dusk, I saw Snowshoe Hare and=
deer, Woodcock were peenting at a few stops and one was sitting in the roa=
d, and I had one snipe winnowing, as well
as a Ruffed Grouse drumming in bright moonlight at the final stop. P=
retty idyllic. </font></div>
<div><font face=3D"Calibri"></font> </div>
<div><font face=3D"Calibri">Human disturbance was a factor, this year.=
The road, which is not plowed in winter, had some condition issues, =
including a washout on a sharp corner above a very steep drop into a ravine=
. A couple of residents who know me from past
years took on the (unnecessary) responsibility of protecting me from this =
hazard, and wound up making a great deal of noise and disturbance at two st=
ops. Hard to complain about such caring behavior, though! Also,=
in its own way, pretty idyllic.</font></div>
<div><font face=3D"Calibri"></font> </div>
<div><font face=3D"Calibri">Cheers,</font></div>
<div><font face=3D"Calibri">Susann Myers</font></div>
<div style=3D"font:10pt Tahoma">
<div><br>
</div>
<div style=3D"background:#f5f5f5">
<div><b>From:</b> <a title=3D"mailto:randy.lauff@gmail.com=0A=
CTRL + Click to follow link" href=3D"mailto:randy.lauff@gmail.com" targ=
et=3D"_blank">
Randy Lauff</a> </div>
<div><b>Sent:</b> Friday, May 05, 2017 9:21 AM</div>
<div><b>To:</b> <a title=3D"mailto:naturens@chebucto.ns.ca=0A=
CTRL + Click to follow link" href=3D"mailto:naturens@chebucto.ns.ca" ta=
rget=3D"_blank">
NatureNS</a> </div>
<div><b>Subject:</b> [NatureNS] NOS - a great night for ambiance</div>
</div>
</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div dir=3D"ltr">Last night I ran my Nocturnal Owl Survey (<a title=3D"http=
://www.birdscanada.org/volunteer/atowls/=0A=
CTRL + Click to follow link" href=3D"http://www.birdscanada.org/volunte=
er/atowls/" target=3D"_blank">http://www.birdscanada.org/vo<wbr>lunteer/ato=
wls/</a>)
under ideal conditions (low-no wind, very bright half moon, very little ru=
n-off noise) with a student, Danny MacDonald who had not yet seen an owl in=
the wild. We had grouse, snipe, woodcock, porcupine and a not so distant p=
ack of coyotes, but not a single
owl.
<div><br>
</div>
<div>Oh well, as I tell my students, "zeroes are data, too."</div=
>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>Randy<br clear=3D"all">
<div>
<div class=3D"m_-6855904968530619327m_-2203733452621233907gmail_signature">=
______________________________<wbr>___<br>
RF Lauff<br>
Way in the boonies of<br>
Antigonish County, NS.</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</blockquote>
</div>
<br>
<br clear=3D"all">
<div><br>
</div>
-- <br>
<div class=3D"m_-6855904968530619327gmail_signature">#################<br>
Richard Stern, <br>
Port Williams, NS, Canada<br>
<a href=3D"mailto:sternrichard@gmail.com" target=3D"_blank">sternrichard@gm=
ail.com</a><br>
###################</div>
</div>
</div>
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