What a Hoot! The Norman Bird Sanctuary's Owl Prowl Takes Flight Friday Night

The 's popular seasonal Owl Prowl takes off again Friday night, following a big unexpected turnout at the last event held Dec. 29 that surpassed the registration goal by more than 50-percent.

The next two-hour outing from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday night is the second in a series of three special winter hikes to bring humans a bit closer to Aquidneck Island's winged neighbors, whose mating season occurs in the winter and means bird watchers have a greater chance of hearing them screech and hoot as they call out to each other this time of year.

Interested partisipants are encouraged to call ahead first to ensure spots are still available for the next prowl. With the target to sign up 20 participants for the last outing, 25 adults and 8 children had showed up to learn about the winter nesting habits of the somewhat mysterious creatures of the night, with lessons taught both in the classroom and on the sanctuary grounds.

At the last outing held in late December, NBS Educator Rachel Holbert led the group through the two-hour program which kicked off with a craft activity for the children in attendance.  Before heading out onto the chilly trails under the cover of night in hopes of sighting or hearing the owls in their natural habitat, Holbert shared insights into the anatomy of the owl as well as interesting facts about the winged creatures, such as the way their wings have evolved to be virtually silent and how they can turn their heads all but a few degrees all the way around. She also discussed the barred owl, named as such because of the stripes across their mid-section. The barred owl is the most commonly seen owl during the day, she noted.

The Owls of the Norman Bird Sanctuary:

The sprawling Norman Bird Sanctuary is home to both eastern screech owls and great horned owls, as well as to the NBS resident barred owl "Micah," who came to the NBS from Wind Over Wings in Connecticut where he had been rehabilitated after hit by a car. Micah could not be re-released into the wild so he lives at the Norman Bird Sanctuary where he participates in educational programs.

Micah's last NBS Owl Prowl appearance was his largest lecture appearance to-date, NBS educators noted.

Into the Night:

After some group discussion, the group headed outside for a night hike through some of the seven miles of trails found at the Norman Bird Sanctuary.

For bird-watchers, winter is a very special time of year, as it brings the mating and nesting season for the owls which means they are particularly active.

The night was cool with hard snow crunching underfoot and only the starry sky providing any light. Flashlights would scare the owls, as would noise.

The first Owl Prowl of the season at the end of December was the only time of the season that the NBS naturalists would attempt to "call in" the owls. Holbert explained that by mid-January at the second Owl Prowl, the owls would be more engaged in nesting and that attempting to call them in by then would disturb them. The group moved from one location to the next, playing the eastern screech owl call at each stop. There was some technical difficulty with the great horned owl call, so calling for that species was not possible. Unfortunately, it is very hard for more than 30 people to trek through the snow without making much noise and Holbert suspected that might have been a "contributing factor" as to why the group did not hear any returned owl calls, other than that of Micah from his enclosure.

Another factor that Holbert believed contributed to this is that other staff members have recently heard great horned owls calling, and because they are predators to the eastern screech owl, it was likely that the screech owls were acting more covertly to protect themselves.

Owl Pellets:

After a 45-minute hike, the group gathered back at the classroom where the younger members dissected "owl pellets" and everyone enjoyed cookies and hot chocolate or tea to warm up.

Holbert explained that owl pellets are created when an owl regurgitates food parts that it cannot digest, such as fur, bones, teeth and feathers, before it's able to eat again. By dissecting pellets, the kids get to learn first hand about how owls eat birds, mice and moles, and also gain a little more insight into the mysterious lives of our Aquidneck Island owls.

 If you miss tonight's Norman Bird Sanctuary Owl Prowl, another similar event is scheduled to take place Friday, Feb. 11. Both outings take place from 6 to 8 p.m. and cost $8 for members and $10 for non-members. Participants are encouraged to call ahead to ensure the event has not sold out.

For more information, go to www.normanbirdsanctuary.org.