Now that the snow is gone, the ice has melted and the trees are once
again bursting forth with buds, leaves and birds, I find myself itching
to get back out into the woods and onto the water. Just this past week I
spent some time birding at Moose Hill Wildlife Sanctuary in Sharon, MA,
where I was delighted to see early returning migrants, including
metallic-blue Tree Swallows hunting in swooping arcs over meadows, their
liquid chirps filling the air. The Eastern Phoebes were also around,
perched conspicuously on still-bare branches at the edge of a field,
tails bobbing.
Along the boardwalk the skunk cabbage was starting to emerge from its
long slumber beneath the frozen mud and as I walked along I suddenly
heard, very distinctly, the sound of a Barred Owl calling in the
distance to my left. I paused, listened again, and there it was -
repeating - at first I thought perhaps someone was playing a recording
of a Barred Owl, but then I heard another one calling
from the other side of the boardwalk. I have heard these birds many
times at night, and their distinctive "Who cooks, who cooks for you ?"
call is one of the easiest for me to remember. Beginning birders are
often told that if they hear hooting or cooing during the day, its most
likely a dove or pigeon, but this was definitely two Barred Owls making
their presence known, in broad daylight.
After a little research I
learned that it is actually not uncommon for these highly territorial,
non-migratory birds to call during the day. I was positively delighted
to learn this new fact about Barred Owl behavior, something I wouldn't
have known if I hadn't had the strange experience of standing on a
boardwalk in a wetland in the middle of the day and been taken by surprise by
the calls of a bird I know well in another context. This is what I love
about birding and outdoor exportation in general - there is always
something new to discover and explore, and one never knows when one of
these moments will occur.
Thanks for reading.
Copyright Daniel E. Levenson 2014.
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