love your report Jennifer and a super great photo. i remember the drought
of 2011 when the city insisted on mowing the extremely dry grass in a park
near us, every two weeks when there was nothing to mow.
danny
Oh, how I hate the City of Lubbock. I arrived at Clapp Park as soon as I
could get there after I saw the alert, about 11am. I stepped out of the
car
and what to my wondering eyes should appear? One of the city's commercial
grade mowers going all around the stand of trees that the owl had been
reported in. And not just around, but under each tree as well. I cannot
tell you how many times I have gone to Clapp Park and had my birding
ruined
by their mowing. Oh wait, I can. Almost every time. It had not rained
since
October, everything was brown, not even a weed had managed to grow. Do you
think they could fill that time by picking up the copious amounts of
trash?
No. Maybe fix the irrigation wells that are uncovered where someone could
break a leg if they accidentally stepped in? Nah. Waste resources and
create a dust cloud while mowing dead grass? Of course! Makes perfect
sense.
Cursing, and being surrounded by the mower as I walked (how rude could he
be?!?), I decided to progress towards the tree stand anyway. I did my best
to search, but I have never seen a Long-eared Owl before. The last owl I
saw was perched at eye height right in front of me, surrounded by people,
and I still had to ask where it was! I walked through the stand, found
where I am fairly certain a homeless person lives, and was circling the
perimeter when I glanced up and froze. Could those be ear tufts? I
couldn't
even be certain that it was the owl without raising my binoculars...and
there it was. You could have knocked me over with a feather! (Hahaha! Take
that as a pun if you like!) I slowly backed up as far as I could and
stayed
still and quiet. It continued to watch me, but it finally started to
blink.
I figured it was relaxing a little. It swung its head around to look
behind
it, I looked down for a second, heard wings, and it was gone. Sigh. I had
really tried NOT to flush it, but given that the mower had clearly just
been in the area where I was standing, I'm sure the owl was unhappy
already. I saw it fly to the left, so I turned to the right and walked
quietly back towards the road. Something made me look up and I couldn't
believe it! There was the owl again! A grackle called nearby and it
jumped.
Ok, how can I back away without flushing it? Trick question! I looked to
my
right to find my way out and heard wings again. Double sigh. I cannot
express just how slowly I had been moving. This time I saw more than the
general direction in which it flew, I saw where it landed. I could drop to
my knee and still get a good view even though it was now on the other side
of the trees, at least 30-40 feet away. I watched it for few seconds and
looked away again (you would think I would have learned by now). Ready to
guess what happened next? It was too far for me to hear its wings, but I
looked back again and surprise! It was gone. I had no idea which way it
had
flown this time, I just knew it hadn't flown by me. I felt crazy guilty.
Still do, really. I hope after Brian and Danny left, it was finally able
to
get some rest. I am sure that they were careful and respectful of the
bird,
but it was really on edge!
A BIG thank you to Jordan Cochran for helping me get my lifer Long-eared
Owl!
I was able to get one good photo through my scope before it took off the
first time. Hope you enjoy it!
Jennifer
--
Jennifer Miller
Lubbock, TX
{o,o}
/)_)
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