Can't seem to find any owls any tips and tricks?

[blong10]

I live in the northwest part of PA and on my property I've heard some owls at night. I'm trying to go to the location I heard the calls but I'm not seeing anything. I've gone to the site for about a week straight and nothing. Is there a way to get better luck at finding them or is it kind of luck. I want to photograph them so bad lol

 

[DRwyoming]

I live in the northwest part of PA and on my property I've heard some owls at night. I'm trying to go to the location I heard the calls but I'm not seeing anything. I've gone to the site for about a week straight and nothing. Is there a way to get better luck at finding them or is it kind of luck. I want to photograph them so bad lol

It's definitely a bit of luck and mostly a matter of a lot of field time in good owl habitat.

The signs I look for when walking around in hopeful owl terrain is looking for whitewash on frequently used perches and if I think it might be a frequently used owl roosting spot I'll spend some time looking around on the ground underneath the tree looking for owl pellets that they regurgitate and spit out onto the ground.

That's when I'm looking for places they've got a good chance of coming back to and applies pretty much year round. The biggest real time clue that there's an owl or other large raptor perched is smaller birds mobbing the bird. Basically smaller birds don't like large predators hanging around and will take turns dive bombing and squawking up a racket. If I hear something like that going on when I'm out with my camera I head towards the noise. Owls seem to put up with this longer than hawks so you might have a bit of time to find an owl this way. Of course if you get there and find whitewash and owl pellets on the ground then it's worth noting the location and returning.

The best luck I've found in terms of locating owls is to look for nests any time of the year and return to those nesting locations in late winter through spring. Some owls like Great Grays often nest in an abandoned Northern Goshawk or other large hawk's nest. So if you find large stick nests up in the crook of a strong tree it could well be used by a hawk one year and an owl the next so it's worth noting these locations and checking in on them from time to time but mostly in the spring when most large birds nest.

And of course nests aren't always sticks in trees. There are cavity nesting owls and barn owls that will nest in the rafters of open buildings. But the clues like a lot of whitewash and owl pellets laying around are pretty much the same.

 

[Ron G]

Long term, you can always put up an owl nesting box on your property.

 

[Charlie Lasswell]

Very good advise from DR. I too would suggest that you also look up nesting season for the owls you're interested in and plan to spend some time at those sights. Young owls can consume up to something like 6 times what an adult eats. This keeps the parents very busy during hours that they normally rest (daylight). This also means there's a lot more activity and a lot more calls to follow. I've been following a Barred Owl that's been nesting in the same tree cavity for the last 5 years and a Great Horned owl that's been in the same area of a park for the last 6 years. Once you find them, it can be a lasting encounter.

One more tip for finding owls in your area - check e-bird. Sometimes you can get very good info on owl locations.

 

[Deleted member 115]

All good advice above. I spend a lot of time hiking I pay attention to my surroundings. Early in the winter is a good time to pay attention to where nests are located, soon as the leaves fall. Some of them will have owls move in at some point.

My personal belief is that I will never reveal the exact location of nests online for everyone to see.

 

[DRwyoming]

My personal belief is that I will never reveal the exact location of nests online for everyone to see.

Agreed and I'd also put it out there that there's a lot of ethical concerns with nest photography. I don't go every day to an active nest, if well off trail as a lot of these are I'll approach and leave via different routes to avoid beating in an obvious trail. And if the birds react aggressively to my presence then I just pack up and leave. If I work from far enough away and don't overstay my welcome they tend to just go about their business which is what I want to photograph anyway.

 

[Deleted member 115]

Agreed and I'd also put it out there that there's a lot of ethical concerns with nest photography. I don't go every day to an active nest, if well off trail as a lot of these are I'll approach and leave via different routes to avoid beating in an obvious trail. And if the birds react aggressively to my presence then I just pack up and leave. If I work from far enough away and don't overstay my welcome they tend to just go about their business which is what I want to photograph anyway.

Agreed 100%

 

[Whiskeyman]

Agreed and I'd also put it out there that there's a lot of ethical concerns with nest photography. I don't go every day to an active nest, if well off trail as a lot of these are I'll approach and leave via different routes to avoid beating in an obvious trail. And if the birds react aggressively to my presence then I just pack up and leave. If I work from far enough away and don't overstay my welcome they tend to just go about their business which is what I want to photograph anyway.

I base my activity around nests upon the nest environment.

If it is absolute wilderness and I happen to find it or am guided to it, then I minimize my time and exposure around it. If I do anything and I see that the birds are constantly watching me, I try to leave to a position where they do not do so.

If it is in a very busy place where the birds are exposed to lots of human traffic, I'm likely to spend more time, but try to limit my exposure to the nest as much as practical. Case in point, I recently found a Great Horned Owl nest near a pavilian in a state park. I have no problem with taking photos from the pavillion, especially when it is still used for gatherings frequently. However, I do minimize noise and stay a fair distance from the nest. I also try to maintain behavior somewhat like that which the birds routinely experience, or what they "should" be reoutinely exposed to.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission has rules and guidance for nesting area behavior posted online, and I do my best to follow their guidance.

WM

 

[Deleted member 115]

Whiskeyman, I feel pretty much the same way. We have a few Great Horned owls that live in our neighborhood so those are a little different. They still deserve their space while nesting but when they fly down while we are outside that is on them....lol Just this morning at around 6 AM I was walking our doggy. A large mother Owl was sitting on a pad mount transformer and her juvenile was sitting on the ground screeching at us so I pulled Elmer back and took him around the other way. The Mother flew into some Russian Olives in the desert and the Juvie flew past us into a large willow.
One time I was out in the middle of the night with our old boy Tater and a large owl swooped so close Tater hit the deck. Tater was 125 pounds so the owl just flew over and landed on a picnic area.

I get Molly Hatchet stuck in my head now...lol