Overcast and cold
with a brisk northeast wind
With daylight quickly fading
and the temps down in the low 30s, we really did not need the stiff winds to
compliment the already uncomfortable conditions. But this is where the Short-eared owls are at this time of
year and if you want to see them, this is the best time of day. When we arrived at the Shawangunk
Grasslands National Wildlife Refuge, we were fortunate enough to gain access
out to the old runway where we could observe from the comfort (relative term)
of our vehicles. Eight members of
our birding club had assembled in the hopes of getting some good looks at the
late afternoon hunters along with their usual companions, the Northern
harriers. We were not disappointed
and the cold conditions were worth the views.
Early on, at about 4:00 PM,
the harriers showed up. We counted
a dozen in all, two of which were the eerie light gray plumaged adult
males. They are appropriately
referred to as “Gray ghosts”, and in the waning hours of daylight, the light
gray feathers seem to glow against the darkening background of the grasslands.
Finally, the first owl
appeared. Flying a bit higher and
with a slow deliberate wing beat, he was easy to distinguish from the
harriers. He flew only a short
distance and landed upon a large boulder in the middle of the field. One of our members had never seen the
Short-eared before making this a life bird for her. We were able to quickly get the scope on the perched bird,
allowing her a wonderful view, before the bird took off.
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We watched for the nest 45
minutes or so, the skies becoming darker and darker. Photography was difficult to say the least, but a couple of
shots against the sky were good enough to prove that we had the birds in
nothing else. The interactions
between the harriers and owls was a joy to watch, and just being out here and
having the opportunity to view
these endangered owls made the cold temperatures seem like nothing more than a
slight inconvenience. 
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