[Birdtalk] Boreal Owl

[Tim Avery]

Bryant, et all,

Thanks for your post.  Although it is hard to tell, I believe the singing you have recorded is actually that of a winnowing Wilson's Snipe.  If you listen closely the bird has a rough and somewhat twittering quality, as opposed to the clear rising and falling whistles of a Boreal Owl.

Here is Bryan't great recording in which the winnowing can be heard:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bryanto/2590242054/

Below is a recording a Wilson's Wnipe:
http://hawkridge.org/audio/Common%20Snipe.mp3

And here is a good recording of a Boreal Owl:
http://www.owlpages.com/sounds/Aegolius-funereus-1.mp3

Why I do believe that there are Boreal Owl inhabiting this area, and they are more common than most of us think, there are also a great number of the rather common Wilson's Snipe found, especially in wet meadows, and riparian edges in the Uinta Mountains. 

Another note is the timing of the singing.  Cliff Weisse may want to weigh in on this as he has much more experience with this than I, but I believe Boreal Owl are most active in the first couple months of the year, with most singing males quieting up by April (obviously there are freak birds, or other occurences where birds may sing in the summer, albiet quite rare).

Thanks again for posting, and I hope this helps.

Cheers,

Tim
Salt Lake City, Utah
tanager at timaverybirding.com
http://www.timaverybirding.com



  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Bryant Olsen 
  To: birdtalk at utahbirds.org 
  Sent: Friday, June 20, 2008 11:09 PM
  Subject: [Birdtalk] Boreal Owl


        Earlier this week I took a trip up to the Uintas and heard some BOREAL OWLS at Christmas Meadows on the Stillwater fork of the Bear River. I have heard Boreals up there for years, but I didn't know thats what they were until I checked out a tape on bird songs from the Library a few years ago, and I have been hearing them every year at Christmas Meadows ever since. This time I took a video( really just audio) of there song. Check it out at www.flickr.com/photos/bryanto/2590242054/ They come out about a half hour after sunset, and sing all night, at least in June. Because they can throw there voice, they seem to change direction as they call, causing a strange vertigo sensation, at least in me. The Mirror lake Highway is now open all the way, but there is still lots of snow,5ft, on top. Even at Christmas Meadow, about 9,000 ft, the aspens didn't have there leaves yet! but all the snow was gone except a few drifts.
        Enjoy
        Bryant Olsen
        bryant_olsen at yahoo.com
        Bryant Olsen
        bryant_olsen at yahoo.com
       




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