Ten Owls in 24 Hours!
Thurs Feb 21
Snowy - 3 Crabs road 4:15pm
Short eared - Dungeness Rec Area 5:30
Long eared - DRA 5:30
Barred - Ward at Woodcock road 6:10
Barn - Towne road 6:25
Great horned - Dungeness Village 6:40
Western Screech - Holland road dip at Graysmarsh 9:05
Northern Saw whet - Wood road MP3.4 10:15
Fri Feb 22
Northern Pygmy - Palo Alto road MP9.5 6am
Burrowing - Gibson Point 8:30am
The Snowy was perched on a roof peak on N side of 3 Crabs road near Pettitt road. The Short ear came up from heavy orchard grass and, as it began hunting flight, was immediately intercepted by the Long eared flying in from the E. They sparred for a few seconds, parted, and went separate ways [40 yards distance]. The Long ear is [probably] the same owl first seen on Jan 26 by Ryan Merrill and several others since. The Barred was called out from woods along the river at Ward and Woodcock road. The Barn was perched on a fence post along Towne road. The Great horned is the male who's been calling along the river in Dungeness for weeks. The Screech was called out from the woods along the dip on Holland road at Graysmarsh. The Saw whet consistently found along Wood road took several trys and some time, but finally answered. As the sky lightened two Pygmys answered to calling back in the forests along Palo Alto road. And the dawn walk on Gibson Spit was rewarded with the Burrowing owl standing on a log not far from it's burrow. Thanks to Michael Barry and Bruce Paige for the re-seeing of the Burrowing owl, cuz it was this find along with seeing the Long ear that gave the reality of 10 Owls in a Day a chance of happening.
Where else but Clallam County could one encounter 10 owl species in a single chunk of time and have the luck of two code 5s giving the final say to the venture.
