The second half of my birding adventures today came in the form of Owling with my good friend Chris. Chris is not really a birder in most forms of definition. However, he does enjoy birds to a degree that he will often ask about their biology, ecology (he too is a conservation biologist), and identification, particularly if we are out for a hike. With the presence of my field guide next to my computer, and brief small talk about the owls found locally, we decided to go out for a night of owling at some local spots. Unfortunately the owls did not get the same memo.

The only owl that we were able to pick up was a calling GREAT HORNED OWL that we heard the last “Who” of as we rolled down our windows at a spot near the enterance of Lake Taghkanic State Park in Columbia County, NY. However, despite the low numbers of owls (1) not all was lost. One certainly can’t complain of shared moments with good friends. There are always stories to tell, and jokes to make to pass the time. So if anything, it helped us get out and do something different we normally wouldn’t get a chance to do together in the ‘excitement’ of Columbia County. Perhaps next time the owls will get the same memo as us.

~Chad (2/21/06)