Date: 1/8/25 11:42 am From: Carole Winslow <cjwinslow94...> Subject: Clarion Co- Short-eared owls for the yard list
For many years, I have watched the fields right around my farm for short-eared owls, my own reclaimed strip field and the one across the road from my house. Despite all of the hours and days of watching, I have never seen them nearby to add to my yard list. But that changed Monday night. Don was up at the strip field hunting before dark, and at 5:32 pm he called me to say he was sure there was an owl hunting below him in the field, it had just appeared and flew around briefly before flying across the road. He has been out with me many times to watch for them and so I had no question that he was seeing one. I grabbed the bins from the kitchen and ran out onto the porch on the slim chance I could look down across the driveway and see them if they crossed over. Just like that, my dream was finally realized.. there they were, not one but two owls, flying about together over the snowy field. I watched them for several minutes as it got darker, and they moved off out of sight. I couldn't believe they were actually there. It's not that it's that unusual, as I watch them regularly just several miles away on Rankin Rd, but after so many years, I had given up seeing them here. Last night, I went out around the same time, and sure enough, there was one again flying about through the falling snow in the fading light. Both these fields were stripped in the 70's, but the one they were in has been mowed periodically for horses and such, so it's not totally overgrown. Our own field we mowed at least a third of this year for the first time in years, and so I believe that's what attracted them possibly. But I also suspect it is a good year for them based on the numbers I have seen, and so they may be spreading out more around here to make use of more habitat. Either way, a thrill for me to finally have them here. Tonight, I plan to get out earlier and walk down the road to hopefully see them more clearly.
