News | TheReview Wednesday, June 27,1990 — Alg

Long-eared owls often take over nests

Today, we happened on a pair of
long-eared owls, a widely distri-
buted species which occurs in
some numbers in the boreal forest
as well as in treed areas much
farther south.

We have found them even in the
deserts of Arizona where they
show marked preference for the
margins of streams supporting
healthy growths of cottonwood,
willow and ironwood.

Our nest today was in an old
crow’s nest about 20 feet from the
ground and contained six roun-
dish, somewhat glossy, white eggs
with one of the birds, probably the
female, incubating.

Elsewhere, we have found them
occupying the abandoned nests of
broadwinged hawks, redtails,
sharpshins, Cooper hawks, great

screech owl. However, in the long-
eared owl the horns are much
longer and are located nearer the

LONG-EARED OWL

blue herons and red squirrels. On
the western prairies of Canada and
in the deserts, they very often take
over nests of the black-billed mag-
pie, even at times retaining the
roof.

We at length spotted the other
member of the pair, presumably
the male, perched silently in a
nearby tree with ears erect and
eyes half closed (see photo).

In this species, both adults
spend a good deal of time in the
immediate vicinity of the nest and
share the gathering of food items
for the growing brood. ~-

The ‘horns’ are of course feather
tufts which are also characteristic
of the great horned owl and the

Cy Hampson photo

centerline of the head rather than
at the outside comers.

Our photo happened to catch the
long ears in a particularly conspi-
cuous attitude; when lowered
against the head, they are often
difficult to see. The long-eared owl
is garbed in soft wood-browns and
is intermediate in size between the
much larger great horned owl and
the smaller screech owl.

Long-eared owls, unlike the
short-ear, are very nocturnal in
their hunting behavior, confining
most of that activity to late dusk, -
night and very early dawn.

During this time they capture
shrews, packrats and moles which
also tend to be nocturnal or cre-
puscular. They also take meadow
voles, a few young hares and a
relatively small complement of
birds.

Eggs are laid a couple of days
apart with incubation beginning
with the laying of the first egg, so
that the chicks are staggered in
size and leave the nest in succes-
sion. This pattern is also followed
by the ground-nesting short-eared
owl but in that species the partly
fledged chicks often scatter much
more widely on leaving the nest.

The calls of the resting long-ears
include very soft, drawn-out hoots
but they can shift gears unexpect-
edly when disturbed at the nest.

Then they snap their beaks
sharply and often drop to the
ground and thrash around in the
leaves, crying and wailing horren-
dously or mewing like a cat in
great physical pain.

Long-ears are often very loath to
leave the nest and chicks, even
when an observer climbs to the
nest and looks over the rim.

At such times, they assume a
defence attitude with wings
extended in a great rainbow arc
about them. They tuck the chicks
away from view behind the wings,
snapping the beak and hissing
ferociously.

DAM

will cease on this basis.

NOTICE OF
REFERENDUM
RESULTS

APPLICATION FOR A CLASS “D” LIQUOR LICENCE
TO OPERATE A
NEIGHBOURHOOD PUBLIC HOUSE
AT

7147 WEST SAANICH ROAD
BRENTWOOD BAY, B.C.
In accordance with Liquor Control and Licensing Branch guidelines, a
referendum was conducted between February 16 and March 17, 1990.
For the application to proceed, a minimum of 60% of those voting must
vote in favour of granting the licence. ae
A 60% majority was not achieved in the referendum. The application

New Democrats road show away

NDP leader Mike Harcourt took
his proposed Environment and
Jobs Accord on the road this week
in what he calls a “pre-election
tour” of the Okanagan.

The accord, to be implemented
if the NDP forms the next govern-
ment, is to end the land-use con-
flict over the use of British Colum-
bia’s forests.

ye OVEREATERS
OA UNONYOLS

You are not alone If you've lost
control of your eating try OA.
Weekly meetings offer support and
understanding. Call Pat: 652-0433.

Harcourt proposes an all-
encompassing policy that will put
and end to the war being waged
“valley by valley, watershed by
watershed.”

THE BRAT PACK

Invites you to

SIDNEY DAYS

July 1 & 2

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munity????

ARE YOU INTERESTED??

* In how our community is being developed?
¢ In how your tax dollars are being spent??
° In why great peninsulas are being built out
into the street along Beacon???
¢ In having more open Government in our com-

If you are, then why not come along and join
us at the Inaugural Meeting of the

Sidney Rate Payer’s Association
Sanscha Hall
Thursday July 5th, 1990 at 7:00 p.m.

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