Three Owls Triple The Fun

Kate St. John holding a banded northern saw-whet owl, 26 Oct 2016 (photo by Doug Cunzolo)
Kate St. John holding a just-banded northern saw-whet owl, 26 Oct 2016 (photo by Doug Cunzolo)

If you’ve never seen a northern saw-whet owl, now’s the time to visit Pittsburgh’s Project Owlnet!

Bob Mulvihill of the National Aviary has been banding them at Sewickley Heights Park since 2013.  Three years of statistics indicate that the best nights for northern saw-whets are dark evenings with a north wind in late October so I went out there last Wednesday, October 26.

Bob sets up the mist nets and “toot” speakers at dusk. Placed near the nets, the speakers play the owls’ own tooting sound to attract them. Helpers and spectators wait at the picnic tables for the periodic net checks.

I arrived late — at 10:00pm — and heard that I’d just missed an owl.  Oh no!  Would there be more?

At 10:15 the banding helpers came back with TWO owls.  There’s one in the white bag in Bob’s hand.

Bob Mulvihill at the owlbanding picnic table. There's a northern saw-whet in the white bag (photo by Donna Foyle)
Bob Mulvihill at the owl banding picnic table. There’s a northern saw-whet in the white bag (photo by Donna Foyle)

The owls are very calm in the hand. Notice the feathers on her eyelids.  (All the owls are female.)

Bob examines a northern saw-whet owl prior to banding (photo by Kate St. John)
Bob examines a northern saw-whet owl prior to banding (photo by Kate St. John)

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Northern saw-whet owl being examined before banding (photo by Donna Foyle)
Northern saw-whet owl being examined before banding (photo by Donna Foyle)

These talons are needle sharp for catching mice.

Northern saw-whet leg and talons. Those talons are needle sharp! (photo by Donna Foyle)
Northern saw-whet leg and talons. (photo by Donna Foyle)

Receiving her band…

Bob Mulvihill applies a band to a northern saw-whet owl's leg (photo by Kathy Miller)
Bob Mulvihill applies a band to a northern saw-whet owl’s leg (photo by Kathy Miller)

Bob spreads the bird’s wing to examine the color of her feathers.  The combination of newer and older feathers indicates her age.

Bob spreads the owl's wing to examine the color of the wing feathers and determine its age (photo by Kathy Miller)
Bob examines the owl’s wing (photo by Kathy Miller)

Northern saw-whets like to be scratched on the head. They close their eyes when you do it.

Northern saw-whet owl in the hand (photo by Donna Foyle)
Northern saw-whet owl in the hand (photo by Donna Foyle)

After the birds are banded, we get to see them up close.  So soft!

Kate St. John pets a northern saw-whet owl (photo by Barb Griffith)
Kate St. John pets a northern saw-whet owl (photo by Barb Griffith)

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Donna Foyle pets the owl (photo courtesy Donna Foyle)
Donna Foyle pets the owl (photo courtesy Donna Foyle)

Two owls at once!

Two! northern saw-whet owls (photo by Donna Foyle)
Two! northern saw-whet owls (photo by Donna Foyle)

A close look …

Up close with a northern saw-whet owl (photo by Donna Foyle)
Up close with a northern saw-whet owl (photo by Donna Foyle)
Up close with a northern saw-whet owl (photo by Kate St. John)
Up close with a northern saw-whet owl (photo by Kate St. John)
Happy owl with closed eyes (photo by Kate St.John)
Happy owl, closed eyes (photo by Kate St.John)

Three owls are triple the fun!

Northern saw-whet owl at banding, 26 Oct 2016 (photo by Donna Foyle)
Northern saw-whet owl at banding, 26 Oct 2016 (photo by Donna Foyle)

 

Want to see these owls up close?

Project Owlnet continues on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, sunset to midnight, through December 3.  Be sure to check the details here before you go.  Weather is a factor!

 

(photos by Doug Cunzolo, Donna Foyle, Kathy Miller, Barb Griffith and Kate St. John)

8 thoughts on “Three Owls Triple The Fun

  1. Kate thanks. What a neat little guy. The wise young owl. Thanks Rob for link to their calls. That “potoo” (sic) owl is quite an oddity. What a sense of humor the designer of it’s call. I will put it on my phone to use at inappropriate times.

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