Thursday, October 30, 2008

Saw-whet Owl Banding Eco-trip

A group of five owl enthusiasts traveled to the Hidden Valley Banding Station outside Pottsville, PA to participate in the Saw-whet Owl banding program. These tiny owls migrate the most actively on cool, clear nights. Conditions were perfect and we caught 12 owls in five hours! The head of the banding program, Scott Widensaul, chatted the entire time while he went through the techniques used to band, measure and track the owls. Everyone in our group learned so much from Scott and fell completely in love with the little balls of feathers! The following day, we visited Hawk Mountain in hopes of spotting some larger birds of prey as they made the migration south. Unfortunately, the weather was too perfect and the hawks were flying too high in the sky. We did get some excellent views of Turkey Vultures and a quick close-up glimpse of a Sharp-shinned Hawk while sunning ourselves on the rocks at the South Lookout. We will definitely run this trip in the future so I hope to see you there!
~Kristen Facente, Public Programs Coordinator/Environmental Educator

For more background information on owls, a full recount of the trip and explanation of banding procedures, please feel free to come to our Brown Bag Lunch on Wednesday, Nov. 12 at noon. Some snacks and drinks provided; bring lunch. If you can, please RSVP to 215-887-6603.


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