[birding] A few Willamette Park owls

[lisaaves at peak.org]

Don & I listened for owls at Willamette Park last night.  Before it got
dark, we looked at Cow Parsnip and Indian-plum/Osoberry leaves emerging,
and listened to lots of birds singing as it got darker.
At dusk we looked across the river at the tall cottonwoods at the north
end of the large heronry.  A pair of Great Horned Owls sang to one another
from somewhere in those trees.  Finally, we could see the male owl sitting
in one of the lowest heron nests, bending forward to hoot and cocking his
tail; very charming.  The female came over to join him and they continued
their duet.  We figured they might have eggs in that nest, but it could
have just been a nice perch.  During the owls' duet, a number of Great
Blue Herons glided in to roost and squawk in the heronry.
After it got fully dark, we enjoyed the beautiful night with abundant
stars and thin bands of clouds softening the bright moonrise.  As we were
walking toward the disc golf course, we heard a little Northern Saw-whet
Owl again, in the same place he was several weeks ago...just north of the
soccer fields, on the edge of the pine plantation near the riverside
forest.  He started up and called briefly, shortly after the last vestige
of sunset was gone, and we didn't hear him again, no matter how much Don
called.  Two Great Horned Owls, probably the same pair, started another
duet in Willamette Park.
At the disc golf course and nearby areas, Don called for Western
Screech-owl for about an hour with no luck.  We didn't hear any Barn Owls
either, but a few bats were out flying around while we waited.  Hard to
imagine what those little guys are eating these days.  It doesn't seem
like there are enough flying bugs to power a bat flitting around all night
long.
Lisa
www.neighborhood-naturalist.com