On the Owl Hunt In Lima

Despite leaden skies Dawn and I took a chance on seeing some Short-eared Owls out in Avon and Lima. The trip was pleasant enough, but since the owls don't typically become active until very late in the day I wasn't holding out a lot of hope for good pictures.

We drove down Doran Road in Lima and turned west onto Townline Road shortly after 3PM, but we found no activity in the fields. One bird I should have been watching for is the Northern Shrike which (I am led to understand) is usually easy to spot in this area. I'll have to keep that one on my list for a future trip.

Anyway, we drove up and down Townline Road a couple of times without spotting anything, so we decided to give Nations Road in Avon a try. It's about fifteen minutes away, and with the light decreasing steadily, I wanted to get over there as soon as I could. We were a little low on fuel in Dawn's Subaru but I figured we had enough to get us there so I drove past several gas stations on our way through Avon. We didn't find any owls there, but just before reaching Hogmire Road, a pale bird crossed over the road right in front of us. I only got a quick glimpse, but I saw the unmistakable white rump patch of a Northern Harrier (Circus cyaneus). I pulled to the side of the road, and in our rear-view mirrors we watched it drop low over the ditch at the roadside, then fly toward us, skimming the grass. Just before it reached our position the bird veered right, into a field behind some trees. I pulled up a little more and we watched it through a gap in the trees. It was Dawn who ID'ed it as an adult male, the beautiful "gray ghost". Unfortunately I wasn't able to get a good shot at it with my camera.

We turned around and parked near the field where it had come from, hoping for more views. We spotted another harrier, this one a dark female or juvenile, but it was much further out, only visible through binoculars.

We were bingo fuel, and I wanted to see if we could make another try around Doran Road in Lima, so we headed into the village for a gasoline stop, then back to Lima. I went down Clay Street rather than Doran Road, because it's flatter, and with the light really beginning to fail I wanted to move with all dispatch. I'm glad I did, because just as we passed Briggs Road we got a look at our first owl of the afternoon:


The shot is through the car's windshield and the owl didn't stay around for long, heading southeast toward Townline Road. We followed, driving up the road until we spotted a car pulled off to the side. In the nearby field I found Joyce Miller with her dog Casey, shooting pictures of an owl that was perched on a fence post. I headed out to join her, but Casey came to greet me and the owl took off. I hope Joyce got a few decent shots of it before it flew.

Back at the roadside, Dawn and I picked up more owls in our optics before too long. The light was horrible at 4:35PM, but I managed a couple of shots:
     

My favorites of the day were these two:
     

Not my best photography, but I'll take it given the circumstances. If the owls stay around, I can hope for a late afternoon free from clouds, which should make the task of photographing the darting, wheeling owls a little easier.

Out of Town Visitors Relax in Rochester

With the onset of winter weather it was only a matter of time before the yearly visits from the Snowy Owls (Bubo scandiacus) began. Reports frequently placed one or two owls at the Charlotte and Summerville piers, but despite several trips down to the Port of Rochester, I never got a look at the arctic aliens.

Yesterday brought sightings of an owl just a few miles west of the port, so after another fruitless trip to the piers this morning, I drove into the Town of Greece hoping for better luck.

I was not to be disappointed, as it turned out. Rounding a bend in Edgemere drive, I found three men standing on the side of the road. Their raised cameras and binoculars, and intent stares shouted "birders!" I rolled down my window and asked after the owl. Receiving vigorous acknowledgment, I found a spot to pull off the road and grabbed my camera. I didn't even have to get out of the car to get a clear view of the owl:


Aside from the wind rustling its feathers every now and again, the bird didn't appear to be ruffled by the attention it was receiving, or the presence of people within a dozen yards or so. Just in case, though, I grabbed several more shots from the car before crossing the road for a closer look.

It was alert, checking us out and searching the sky when something caught its attention:
     

I jockeyed around for a better angle on the owl and took many more pictures. The cloudy sky made for some dim shots, but after a few minutes the sun found a gap in the gray clouds. The light helped the photography considerably:
          

I'd have gladly stayed all morning watching this beautiful northern visitor, but I was late for work as it was, so I packed up after only 200(!) frames. My only regret is that I didn't get a chance to photograph the owl in flight, but perhaps if it stays around a while longer I'll get that opportunity.

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At lunchtime I went up onto the roof of the Kodak Office buildings downtown in search of the interloping Peregrine pair that has been reported in town for over a week. Of course, I brought my camera, but the bright mid-day clouds ensured that any pictures I took would be drab.

I'd begun my search atop Building 9 with a survey of the south and west sides of the tower, but came up empty. Moving around to the north, I spotted a falcon on the northeast corner of the launch pad. It's back was turned toward me, so I couldn't tell whether it was the salmon-breasted female or her presumed mate:
     

It wasn't until I scanned the east side of the cupola that I spotted the second Peregrine, sitting on the capital of a decorative column:


It's white breast matched pictures of the male that other watchers had taken recently, so I assume these are the same two that have been previously seen together at the Kodak tower as well as on various downtown buildings. The male spent most of the hour asleep, but when the female stirred and stretched her wings he took immediate notice:


In turn, the tierel engaged in a bit of grooming:
     

I was hoping I might get to see some flying from these falcons, but they were both content to keep their perches:


Before leaving, I spied a few hardy souls out on the pedestrian bridge who were also keeping an eye on these non-resident raptors:


In a couple of these pictures you can see the netting that was recently erected to discourage Mariah from trying to nest on the ledge where her nest box had been installed. Contrary to earlier reports, the netting does indeed enclose the catwalk and is sealed at the top to prevent a bird from penetrating its perimeter. Hopefully this will be sufficient deterrent, but we won't know with certainty until Mariah returns in the spring.

It's unclear what will happen when she does. In the absence of Mariah and Kaver, these two falcons appear to have made themselves right at home. They certainly looked comfortable, ensconced as they were on the east side of the tower's cupola. If they spend the winter here we may have a territory battle on our hands when Mariah blows back into town. Until then though, we can continue to enjoy the visitors of all varieties.