FortWhyte Owlive?

Quick - what bird do you think of when you think of FortWhyte Alive?

If you would answer, "Canada Goose", you would be in good company.  We had our start when our founders released some geese back in the 1950's, back in the days when the bird's numbers were in serious decline.  One of the first logos for Fort Whyte Centre featured stylized geese.

This winter, a different type of bird is giving the geese some serious competition for becoming FortWhyte Alive's avian mascot.  These days, it seems one cannot turn around without encountering owls!

The Northern Hawk Owl, last seen around of the New Year, popped up again last Saturday in the extreme northeast corner of FortWhyte's property.  Though I've been advised the Northern Hawk Owl (or, NHO, if your into brevity) is not a capital-letter-worthy Rare Bird, it is unusual, and certainly beautiful.

The NHO isn't our only beautiful owl.

This Great Horned Owl (GHO) pic was snapped by Stuart O. about two weeks ago, near our Tree House.  In the winter of 2007-2008, we had a pair of GHO's choose this forest neighbourhood for a nest, and we got to see their family grow from egg to owlet to owl.

Just in case you're not feeling owl overload yet, I'd like to mention a Great Gray Owl (GGO?) and a Snowy Owl have also been seen at FortWhyte Alive since January 10, 2010.

Simple ecological principles tell us we'll never see as many owls as geese - owls need larger habitats, because they eat higher on the food pyramid.  However, I would suggest owls as a fitting icon for FortWhyte's urban forest - certainly this winter, at least.

Speaking of iconic - what has four legs, claws, teeth, and is coming to the touch museum?  It's going to create quite a stir...not a roar, cuz this animal cannot technically roar...but it's going to be BIG!!!

Tomorrow:  Weather Maps - which are best for your purposes?

'Til then, all the best.

-Barret

CTV News at 6 and 11 - and another picture of the Northern Hawk Owl

Happy New Year!!!

CTV News Winnipeg just left FortWhyte Alive.  A crew was out to capture some of the fun and excitement that is the last day of the school holiday here at FortWhyte.  Maple Taffy, Sod House Pioneers, Toboganning, and a quick mention of the Hawk Owl might make the newscast at 6pm and 11pm tonight.  So, if you are near a TV during those times, check it out!

I also was the fortunate recipient of a beautiful picture of the Northern Hawk Owl taken by a visitor to FortWhyte Alive.  I've been given permission to share it - so, behold in all of its mid-winter splendor, the Northern Hawk Owl!

isn't it a beaut?

-Barret

UFO Pictures from FortWhyte Alive

Yup, you read the title right:  I am posting pictures from yesterday's Unidentified Fluffy Owl encounter at the Bird Feeding Station South of the Interpretive Centre.

After ruling out species I'm familiar with, I consulted field guides to try and classify the owl.  I think it is a Northern Hawk Owl - but as the saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words...please, birders, give me your thousand words of confirmation, disagreement, etc. so I can correctly ID the owl!

(A HUGE thanks to Tara for the use of the photo!)

The owl seemed fairly unconcerned with the human attention it drew, but was distinctly uncomfortable when a flock of chickadees surrounded it.  The chickadees did not actually "mob" the owl, as I've seen crows do, but surrounded it and started "looking at it funny"...after about a minute of being surrounded by chickadees, the owl flew to a different perch, where there were no chickadees to hassle it.

After about 45 minutes of being admired, the owl flew away into some dense forest.

The Manitoba Rare Bird Alert system states the Northern Hawk Owl is a rare (about one sighting per year) bird in the Southern Manitoba Prairie region.  I count myself very fortunate to have been in the right place, at the right time, to see the owl.

If you have seen this owl - or if you'd like to confirm or dispute my ID- please do so!

A very Happy New Year to everyone.  Keep it fun, keep it safe, and get outside today or tonight...it's cold, but it's beautiful!

City TV spot - and a Northern Hawk Owl?

Hello, everyone out there in Blogland!

Two quick updates from today:

1.  City TV Winnipeg will be airing an interview (or parts thereof) with yours truly tomorrow morning (Dec. 31st) at 6 am, 7 am, and 8 am, on the hour, as part of there news programming.  The interview looks back at the environmental year that was in Winnipeg, and what we can do to make 2010 greener and cleaner!

2.  During out public snowshoe orienteering program this afternoon, two of our volunteers saw an unusual bird.  We watched the bird for the better part of an hour.  The bird was an owl of some sort - but every time we thought we had an ID, some characteristic ruled the ID out.  Back at my desk, I consulted a field guide, and am 99.9% sure we saw a Northern Hawk Owl.  Pictures will be posted ASAP - if you are a birder, an owl fan, or a FortWhyte Alive fan, please check them out to confirm my ID, dispute my ID, or just for the fun of seeing an owl!

Happy New Year!  I'll be writing again next year!

-Barret

PS:  Don't forget the snowshoe biathlon - see yesterday's post for more details!