February 23
The first twitch of the year. A Boreal Owl was spotted in Edmonton on Monday so birders were out in force looking for it yesterday. I was fortunate that others had done the hard work first and found it before I arrived in the area around ten o’clock. It was roosting (sleeping of the day) so I took a couple of shots and moved on. I returned a couple of hours later and it was hunting, which is unusual as it is normally nocturnal. It was out for about 30 minutes before it went back to roost. Fortunately, it was in the same spot when I returned with Connor after school. It is a lifer bird for Connor and I.
I ran into a couple of birders I hadn’t seen in a while. These two guys specialize in owls. They have put nest boxes up throughout the city and travel the province in the dark hours looking for owls. They have seen several boreal owls in Edmonton over the past couple of years. They do a lot of work to find the owls and are rewarded with unique sightings. So a rarity for us, is more common for them. It is all about the effort.
Stay Well
