AKA BIRD NERD

Photos By Shawn Weigelt
January 14, 2009
New Harbor, Maine

Last week I read some e-mails from fellow Maine birders (I am part of an e-mailing list) of a Northern Hawk Owl sighted in a small village on the mid coast of the state.  Unable to immediately drive down due to my busy schedule and familial responsibilities, I continued to monitor the e-mails, longing for a chance to go, as this species would constitute a, “lifer,” sighting for me (a bird I could check off on my, “life list”).  I was disheartened, however, when I learned via the e-mails and amidst a great controversy, that some ignorant and misled people (non-birders by the sounds of it) had been feeding the owl live feeder mice purchased from a pet store.  I became so irritated by this, learning that the owl had been nearly hit by a car as a result,  that I almost refused to make the trip.  I resolved to go, however, for the hopes of seeing such an awesome bird of prey for the first time.  My lovely wife, Malia, agreed that we would make the trip down together along with our three year old daughter and four month old son.  Anyone who has kids knows that a one way two and a half hour trip with little ones this age is no easy task!  The kids did great, though, and as we approached the area where the owl had been seen, Malia and I spotted a dark silhouette perched at the top of an old dead spruce.  I initially (and foolishly) blew it off as a crow, but my wife with her extremely sharp eyes, recognized it as the Northern Hawk Owl!  I was ecstatic!  So much so that as I pulled onto the shoulder I got our minivan stuck in the snow!  Fortunately for some hearty Maine men passing by (for whom I am extremely grateful) we were able to get the vehicle back on the road so I could find a more appropriate place to park!  Enough of that and on with the owl!  Watching it and photographing it exceeded my expectations.  The casual observer would probably think, “big deal, an owl sitting in a tree.”  For me, though, it was great!  The bird did spend a lot of time perched near the top of the spruce with its head on a swivel searching for prey.  It sometimes went to another perch within the same tree to scan another area.  I wasn’t able to observe the owl for as long as I would have liked to, primarily because the temperature was in the mid teens with twenty to thirty mph wind gusts.  It was one of those raw January days in Maine, though the sky was clear and the lighting was good, making for excellent photographic opportunities.

On one occasion, I witnessed the owl leap from its perch, hover briefly, and then make a half hearted dive at a group of very frightened chickadees who were quick to take cover in some bushes below.  These photos show the owl on the return trip to its perch, swooping upwards in a fashion characteristic of the species.  I was initially surprised that it went after some birds, but when later reading about hawk owls, I learned that during the winter months they shift much of their diet from mammals to birds, sometimes taking species as large as ptarmigan and grouse!  This must be quite a feat to witness as ptarmigan and grouse can outweigh the Northern Hawk Owl by quite a margin!

Coming in for a landing

The Northern Hawk Owl measures slightly smaller than a crow, and, according to The Sibley Guide to Birds, averages only 11oz or 320grams.  Looking at the shape and markings of the bird, one can tell that it is aptly named, “hawk owl.”  It has a very long tail for an owl, reminiscent of accipiters (Sharp-shinned hawk, Coopers Hawk, Northern Goshawk).  It flies similarly to these hawks as well, very fast with quick wing beats and often at low level.

This owl is one of three species referred to as, “winter owls.”  The other being the much larger Great Gray Owl and Snowy Owl.  These owls are often observed during the daytime and are very diurnal (meaning that they are active during the day).  This really should come as no surprise understanding that in the extreme northern areas where these birds breed during the spring and summer, it is daylight for longer periods of time.  Perhaps living in these northern areas explains why the Northern Hawk Owl is so tame and seemingly fearless of people.  This particular individual could care less that I was there almost at the base of its tree.  It only seemed to acknowledge my presence on a couple of occasions with a fierce expression on its face.

Casting a rare glance down at me

I was so grateful for the opportunity to see this magnificent example of God’s handiwork.  What a creature!  Thank you to Malia, Lana, and Ezra, for putting up with my obsession for birds!

Surveying its domain

All images taken hand held with a Nikon D80 and a 70-300mm VR lens at 300mm, ISO 100, f/5.6
Shutter speeds (from top photo to bottom):
1: 1/400sec, 2: 1/500sec, 3: 1/400sec, 4: 1/500sec, 5: 1/320sec, 6: 1/320sec

Tags: Bird Photo, Field Trip, Weigelt Photos // 2 Comments »