[birding] Northern Saw-whet Owls at Willamette Park

[Lisa Millbank]

Tonight, fellow birders Sally Shaw and Tristen Gholson met Don & me at Willamette Park for owling.  As the sun was setting we watched a few HAIRY WOODPECKERS and other forest birds.  We heard a male WRENTIT singing and a pair of BUSHTITS seemed to be by themselves and not part of a flock, maybe getting near nesting time.  An Accipiter, probably a SHARP-SHINNED HAWK, glided by.  
Sally had to leave us before sunset, so the three of us went on to the site at the heronry where we'd had Great Horned Owls before.  While we watched the GREAT BLUE HERONS, COMMON MERGANSERS, another SHARP-SHINNED HAWK and DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANTS flying by, we started to hear the faint calls of GREAT HORNED OWLS, along with a RED-SHOULDERED HAWK.  We were never able to get close to the owls, and it seemed like they were moving around quite a bit.  While we waited near the soccer fields for the owls, we had flock after flock of GREEN-WINGED TEALS and AMERICAN WIGEONS pass by.
We then tried calling for Western Screech-Owl, all through the disc golf course and south of it.  No luck at all.  I wished that we would get those, although it was such a nice night with a waxing crescent moon and a clear, starry sky, that it was just nice to be out.  I was hoping we might have something exciting for Tristen to see, as he's a young birder who is interested in owls. 
We decided to call for Northen Saw-whet Owl at the southeast corner of the Ponderosa Pine plantation.  I didn't expect that we would get anything, and figured that the one we had heard weeks ago had probably moved on.  But just seconds after Don started calling, we had 2 NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWLS calling back, making their regular "toot" calls and the squealing call that supposedly gave them their name, saw-whet.  One of the owls whizzed past our heads and then after some time, one came and hovered briefly right in front of Don before flying off.  Twice we caught one of the owls in flight in the beam of our spotlight, and another time one landed inside the small pine Don was standing next to.  Probably the best moment for Tristen was when one of the owls flew past his face so close that he could feel the wind from the owl's wings against his face.  I saw it fly just a couple of inches from his cheek.  Finally we decided it was time to let the little owls go back to their business, so we left them alone.
We tried for Western Screech-Owl along the Crystal Lake area with no luck.  But we certainly had a great time with those Saw-whets!
Lisa
www.neighborhood-naturalist.com
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