Nature By Tom: February 2008

Friday, February 29, 2008

2007-2008 Short Eared Owls of Hartland NY

I have volunteered to help with the Short Eared Owl Study being conducted by: Chuck Rosenberg, 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 had 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
Pennsylvania then into the center of Ohio.