The Owl Whisperers

What makes an owl whisperer an owl whisperer? Generally I have found these personality traits to be true.  Owl whisperers tend to go rogue and follow their own intincts. They are intensely curious people, often looking for their owls in different habitats off the ebird grid. They have no fear of going off the beaten path to find their owls. When they go out to bird, they are often calculating in their heads where an owl could be hiding. They very rarely chase other people's owls; they find their own. Even when they are pretending to have conversations with people, they are still thinking about owls:)  They tend to be solitary birders and work away from well known and established birder locales. They are the gypsies among us. 

There are some people who are really into owls and understanding them. I call them the Owl Whisperers. I am not one of them, but I know a  few birders who are. And there's not many. On one hand, I can count 2 or 3 people. People, birders and non-birders alike, go crazy for the owls.  Everyone wants their pictures and to get as close as they can to them.  It's a bizarre dynamic that puts this kind of birding into its own category.  It can turn into a soap opera of triumphs and accusations.  There are people who want to unlock the owl's secrets but rely on those few owl whisperers to leak that information out. And then there are others who claim or pretend to be owl whisperers....

                                            not an owl, just nerdy about grouse and quail, California Quail

In this blog post, I will write about what it's like to be an Owl Whisperer in a community of people who go crazy for owls; so crazy that they can jeopardize the safety of these amazing birds. To walk among a snowy forest KNOWING that there are some special owls hiding gives me goose bumps.  I don't have to see them to appreciate them.  I can just hear them and smile.  Khanh and another birder I know, Tommy D in AZ, are truly owl whisperers.  From years of practice and study, I can find our AZ owls here but I don't have the urgent need to see them.  I just need to hear them.  However many people won't count their lifers if they don't see the bird and so that puts a little extra stress on the guide. And owls. I know it stresses me out. 

I have seen people over the years, who call themselves birders, break the rules utilizing unethical tactics to get their pics of birds. For me, owls just happen.  I am more interested in their habitat and requirements.  This year I found evidence of a Short-eared Owl in the San Rafael Grasslands.  I didn't need to see the bird to know it was there. I just knew. To see the bird, I've learned that this ground dweller, when not in flight, will be active during rain or snow.  That is the best time to see them. I taught myself this by doing my own field work. 

If an owl, like this Western Screech-Owl, is sleeping, I'm not going to knock on the tree to wake it up.  I'm just going to look at it and count my blessings that I got to see the bird. Photographers will do all kinds of crazy things to get that "perfect" pic. 

If I'm out in the field and I hear ravens or jays in the forest yelling at something, I'm going to look and see what they are yelling at.  And I make a promise to myself, and the owl, that I will not get any closer than needed if they are present. 

                                                               Northern(Mountain subspecies) Pygmy-Owl

If I randomly see an owl, I will watch from a safe distance and be careful about who I share that information with. If at all. 

                Black-and-white Owl hunts near a light post. Artificial lighting already provided:)

Any owl I see, I will keep hidden in my ebird records from the public.  I've watched too many people get too close to the bird.  Photographers will buy voles to lure the Great Gray Owl out for THAT shot.  That's not birding and it's not ethical. That's photography, not birding.  If you want to see an owl, you MUST learn about the owl and know its habitat.  Then you'll see the owl.  Maybe not right away, but with practice and PATIENCE it can happen. 

I watch my owl whispering friend work his magic, especially with this owl.  Great Gray Owls ain't easy.  Or they can be.  But I do know that a couple of my friends put in A LOT of hours of research and money on these birds. Sometimes they dip.  And sometimes it's like a jackpot.  Visiting birders can stress me out at times when it comes time for that search to finding their lifer Southeastern AZ owls. I know what to look for, but they aren't always where they're supposed to be unless they are on a nest. Often I'll give them tips what to look for and sometimes they find them on their own from that info! That's pretty exciting to watch happen. I go to known areas where I've seen them and look. It's really like the lottery. 

People get angry at the owl whisperers and demand that they share their hard earned work with them instead of doing their own research. The Owl Whisperers do share their knowledge from time to time.  And sometimes they get burned and it turns them away from the birding community.  I've been burned a couple times over the years.  And today, I refuse to go owling with people I don't know.  Now if they want to see sparrows, I have no problems helping them work through ID's. :)

Over the years, I've become an expert on Great Horned Owls as they have nested at my work site for over 20 years. We created a safer nest for the pair as the parents decided to nest high up on our building.  The owlets, when fledging, would often fall to their deaths. We had Tucson Wildlife come in and train us on what to set up, etc. It was a great opportunity to teach students and faculty about these amazing birds. Each morning, I would come in and evaluate the adults and fledglings from a distance.  I had a window where I'd look down into their nest and collect notes.  

On cold winter days, when I'm bored, I search through the farmlands near my work site and monitor our slowly growing Burrowing Owl colonies.  Thankfully, there is a program now protecting them in Marana.  But these birds have also spread out beyond the site provided.  Unfortunately, the spread of construction has displaced many of them out of their original burrows in Tucson.

                      I nearly walked into this Spotted Owl because I was focused on the trial

With owls, it's the extra layer of skill and time along with the owl's safety that matters.  Some people will do whatever it takes to get that "shot" and then the bird never returns back to the nest or roost they inhabited in the first place. 

                                       a Hawaiian Short-eared Owl(Pueo) glides over my head 
How does one even begin to understand the mysterious nature of owls?  Each species is unique.  Some are more confiding than others.  Once I had to prove myself to a new mentor that I was an honest person. I wanted to learn about the Northern Saw-whet Owls.  He banded them yearly on their migratory route in October back in Wisconsin. However, he had a bad experience with a volunteer who he thought he could trust.  The person learned where he was banding these owls and started poaching them.  Eventually he was caught and had several of these owls living in his apartment!  After that my friend was leery of people who wanted to help with the banding projects.  I gained his trust and was able to band several of these owls on my own. Back in Arizona, once I had a grasp on this species, I was ready to work on a theory, similar to the one I had with Monk Parakeets in AZ.  One of my projects was to find the small colony of Northern Saw-whet Owls up on Mt. Lemmon.  Amazing stuff! And amazing that they make it down this far south in the US. 

Last year on an owl outing in Panama, I saw 3 new owl species and just looked at them through my binoculars. Then I fell asleep in the car.  

For my defense, I had been birding a full day in super swampy and humid weather.  That evening was breezy and cool.  And I'm going to admit this now.  Sometimes I just want to be a birder with my binos.  And I was that night.

Our first owl was the Striped Owl.  I snapped a shot with my iphone for proof:)  And I remember having taken a stock shot of the bird in a Mexican Zoo.  Cheating photography wise?  Maybe.  BUT.  I did see a wild Striped Owl without having to pressure myself or the bird when that moment came. I just got to enjoy that relaxing moment of.....WOW!

Owling at night is just plain fun.  Without having a camera, it's even better. Then I fell asleep on the drive back:)

We found a Tropical Screech-Owl and the same thing.  

Then there are some owls that will sit for you or flush.  In AZ, the Long-eared Owls never sit still long enough for you until during that one time, they do. If you're in your car, stay in it and look at the birds.  There was controversy on this owl as well.  I went with a new friend who wanted to see this owl for his AZ list and once we saw it, we moved on from the group.  The guide accused us of going back to the bird and trying to get better pics. We didn't do that at all.  With limited time, we had to get to another spot and find a Sprague's Pipit. It made me mad though that someone who didn't know me would start those rumors. But that's a legit feeling because there are so many people who have broken that trust with their guides. I did let someone know that we had to leave since he was in the middle of a presentation, but apparently he never got the message. We eventually talked it out and thankfully mutual friends came to my defense. Owling.  It's its own thing. Full of drama.  

Or it can be as magical as a Snowy Owl on a Harry Potter style home in Maine. 

Either way, I hide the checklists now.  And I wait a bit to post a newly found owl.  My best recommendation is to attend conferences on these magnificent birds.  Listen to your friends who know these birds.  Do your own studies. Become a detective.  And if your friends share with you their special birds, think twice before sharing it with others, especially ones you don't know.  Most of all.  Just appreciate the bird from a safe distance OR get a nice big lens to snap from a comfortable place.  Owls are often harassed by corvids and other birds; they don't need the extra stress of people.  Those jealous of the Owl Whisperers often like to spread rumors about them which is not cool. It's hurtful and mean spirited.  And it pushes these very same people away who just want to share their love of owls with others. 

But most of all.  Just enjoy the journey.  You never know what you'll find.  Most owling events are with friends since it's late at night. Often there are others things that go bump in the night and make for great storytelling. Make the most of it and create those special memories for these incredible birds.  Eventually, it all happens.  It has taken me over 10 years to get to know most of the North American Owls.  I still have a few more species to learn better, but overall, it has been a satisfying journey. 

                                                            a beautiful Rough-legged Hawk
 As May comes to a close in southeastern Arizona, many of our owls will go silent as they are raising young or will be raising young in their nesting cavities.  Best time to owl here in Arizona is late April and most of May. In June it gets a little tricky. Then in July many will be training their little ones in the ways of being an owl.  The first 2 weeks of July in the canyons are always fun as you'll see adults or fledglings peaking their heads out of tree holes or cavities in the trees:) Until next time....