Short Eared Owl of New York Study for 2008-2009 season.

New York State DEC Short Eared Owl Study 2008 - 2009

2/18/2009

This years the Short Eared Owl study is off to a good start, we have captures 7 Short Eared Owls to date, banding and collecting scientific data of the owls.

3 of the Short Eared Owls were captured in the Town of Hartland which were banded and scientific data collected which then the owls were then release back into their area from which is was captured.

4 more Short Eared Owls were caputered in the Town of Wheatfield.

2 of the Short Eared Owls were fitted with Satellite Transmitter which will send the owls location so it can be monitored and tracked through outs it's travels.

The other 5 Short Eared Owls were fitted with Radio Transmitters to be monitored in the area in which it was captured and released in.

Chuck Rosenburg is a New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Biologist who is in charge of Region 9s Short Eared Owl Study. Chuck spend countless afternoon and evening hours with many volunteers who use Bal-Chatri, Carpet Noose and a Bow Net trap to capture the owls which starts as early as 2pm and could last til 9pm into the night.

Short Eared Owls are a State listed Endangered species, at several sites in western NY.

One objective of the study is to document short eared owl wintering locations in western NY. The information will be used to establish a long-term population monitoring program. Another objective of the study is to monitor short eared owl movement to identify important foraging habits and roost sites.

The findings of the study will ultimately be applied toward developing a conservation plan for this endangered species.

My name is Tom Poczciwinski and I volunteer at the study areas taken many photos of the Short Eared Owls while they are being processed for scientific data. There are several photos of the volunteers who have dedicated countless hours observing and tracking the owls through the evening hours.

These photos that I'm sharing with you will show several of the Short Eared Owls that were capture and released during the study and several of the volunteers who attended the study sessions.

Saw Whet Owl on the BOS Owl Prowl trip.

Here are some photos from this weekends BOS Owl Prowl trip with our leader Chuck Rosenburg. This year the owl prowl was in Niagara County starting & ending at the Summit Park Mall. The group saw a Great Horned, 2 Barred, Short Eared, 2 Eastern Screech & a Saw Whet Owl. Other birds of prey that was sighted during the trip was a Bald Eagle, Turkey Vultures, American Kestrels, Red Tailed & Rough Legged Hawks, The trip was great, stopping at several locations & walking to owl sighting areas using spotting scopes and binoculars to view the owls while several people enjoyed taking photos.

Great Horned Owl on it's nest. Not a great photo but it shows

how the owl blends into it's enviroment so well.
Here are 2 Ring Billed Gulls watching the group of Owl seekers
trudging through the snow.

Saw Whet Owl at the Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge.
Almost invisable to most walking through the area,
roosting low in a pine tree covered by dense needle covered branches.

You can take Professional photos right in your own backyard or by traveling to local areas not far from your own home. Many people think you have to travel to far reachs of the world to take great photos. I structured this blog showing several of my photos which were taking in my backyard and other that were less then 40 miles from our home. While taking photos at a Zoo or Aquarium use your backgrounds to your advantage and use a zoom lens for those close-up shots. With digital cameras you can take several photos of one subject changing setting and delete what you don't want. I enjoy using a macro len getting that close up look, letting everybody see things in a different prospective.

Here a Gray Squirrel is sitting patiently, pondering

why the dog is not trying to chase it.

Rose Mallow-Macro

A boat leaving the Olcott Harbor,

with the Toronto shore line in the back ground.

This photo was taken at the Niagara Falls Aquarium

this past summer, putting the flash strobe right against the tank glass.

Garden Spider spinning Water Bug into Silken Sac

which was hanging from our pools edge.

This photo is the boat launch area at Golden Hill State Park.

I do a lot of my photography work is this area

which is not far from where I live.

I took this photo of this Red Breasted Merganser which was trapped

in the Golden Hill State Park boat launch bay in a 15 foot open area

for close to a week. The shore line ice went out about 300 yards

which prevented it from flying out of the bay area.

Hummingbird Moth while I was working in one of our backyard gardens.

Lake shore Walrus Ice form taken while photographing

30 Mile Lighthouse and shore line during the winter.

Barn Owl at one of our Iroquois Observation weekend programs.

Tony Wagner was our program presenter with birds of prey.

Pied Billed-Grebe getting a running start.

Lake Ontario at Golden Hill State Park.

A pair of Mallard ducks in flight at the Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge

while walking down Feeder Rd.

This is a Scenic photo taken at Lake Ontario at the 30 mile Lighthouse site.

A Brown Bear at the Buffalo Zoo looking content.

Sucker fish in our home aquarium.

Oldsquaw duck at Golden Hill State Park
near the boat launch bay.

White Tailed Deer - behind by parents house

which is part of the Hartland swamp area.

Pileated Woodpecker - Hartland Swamps

Common Idia Moth at our hummingbird feeder using a Macro Lens.

Other wildlife and nature photos you'll enjoy.

Full Moon - our universe.

Common Gray Tree Frog

Waxing Crescent Moon

Robin fledgling

Jack-in-the-Pulpit

Belted Kingfisher - Golden Hill State Park.

Barker Polar Bear- Just having fun with photography

Morning Glory in backyard garden.

Indigo Bunting in our neighbors apple tree.

Summer Lightning Storm.

Sora Rail -Swallow Hollow Trails INWR.

Fragrant Water Lily- Reinstein Nature Preserve.

Ruby Throated Hummingbird - Backyard feeder.

American Toad - night time photo.

Baltimore Oriole on feeder.

Short Eared Owl, Hartland NY .

Long Eared Owl at Golden Hil State Park, Somerset NY.

Snowy Owls on Lake Rd, Somerset NY .

Northern Hawk Owl , Rt 18 & Rt 63 area.

Eastern Screech Owl on our backyard tree.

Gray Squirrel in our wildflower rock garden area.

Marsh Wren - Tonawanda Wildlife Management Area

during the Iroquois Observations, Secretive Birds of the Marsh program.

Great Blue Heron - Olcott beach boat dock area.

Snow covered pine in our backyard.

Another Spotted Turtle at my parents house.

Spotted Turtles at my parents house.

Adirondacks - Mirror Lake in Lake Placid.

A Long Eared Owl while searching for Short Eared Owls.

Common garden spider on our back patio.

Gray Squirrel with Chipmonk on back lawn.

Cedar waxwings at Golden Hill State Park.

Cooper Hawk in neighbors tree.

Red-tailed Hawk.

Northern Mockingbird -Hartland NY .

Golden Hill State Park - Somerset NY .

Niagara Falls.

Ring-billed Gull -Olcott Beach.

Icy Morning - Somerset NY.

Bald Eagle - Feeder Rd, Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge.

Northern Lights from our backyard.

30 Mile Point Lighthouse Somerset NY.

Canadian Geese at Golden Hill State Park boat launch.

Swallow Hollow trail at the Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge.

Monarch Butterfly taken in our backyard garden.

Eastern Bluebird at the Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge.

Barred Owl - during one of our Owl Prowls

American Toad in our wildflower garden.

Rhododendron slightly inhanced.

Short Eared Owls of Hartland NY

I have volunteered to help with the Short Eared Owl Study being conducted by: Chuck Rosenburg, a DEC Biologist with the New York Department of Environmental Conservation. The study is to document Short Eared Owl wintering locations in Western New York. Information is used to establish a long-term population monitoring program. Another objective is to monitor there movements to identify foraging habits and roost sites. Small radio transmitters will be placed on the owls so their movements can be tracked. I have been helping in the trapping of the owls using safe capture traps, known as carpet noose pole traps, Bal-chatri traps and a Bow Net trap. I started checking an area on 12/31/07 in Hartland NY when 7 Short eared Owls were sighted flying out of several smaller spruce trees while checking out an area where they would roost during there wintering migration. I have done Nature Photography for many years, so I put my camera to work taking photos from the being of this study. Several Short-eared and Long-eared Owls have been trapped, banded, radio & satellite transmitters placed on the Short-eared owls then released. My blog will have photos from the beginning to when the Short-eared owls take off for there northern
breeding grounds. During our trapping study we

have captured 4 Short Eared & 2 Long Eared Owl
through out our study program being tagged and
data taken. As of 3/30/2008 the Short Eared Owl
with the satellite transmitter backpack has been
tracked from it capture/tagging site to
Pennsilvania then into the center of Ohio.

First sighting of the Short Eared Owls on 1/2/2008

Short Eared Owls roosting in spruce tree.

Short Eared Owl #2 being released.

Short Eared Owl # 4 being released.

The ear canal of a Short Eared Owl.

Underwind research photo of the same # 4 SEO

Up close photo of the Short Eared Owls on 2/25/08

Short Eared Owl perched in orchard near it roost site.

Short Eared Owl in flight at the Toad Hill TreeFarm trapping site.

Short Eared Owls beforebeing released.

Sherry holding the Long Eared Owlafter being tagged ready for it's release.

Long Eared Owls being tagged