With cold winters and long dark nights comes the opportunity to experience the unique magic of being outdoors in the brightness of a full moon on snow.
On Thursday, February 17 at 6:30PM, join the Chocorua Lake Conservancy for an evening Owl Prowl with US Forest Service wildlife biologist Chris Costello. We’ll take a walk in Hemenway State Forest, listening and calling for owls and experiencing the world of nocturnal animals by the light of a near full moon. Snow, rain, or wind date is Friday, February 18, 6:30PM.
As one of nature’s amazing “living mouse traps,” owls play an important role in the fields and forests of this area, even though we may not see or hear them often. Special feathers, eyesight and hearing serve owls well as nighttime hunters. As we walk, we’ll try some experiments that will help demonstrate some of these unique owl adaptations.
Great horned owls and barred owls are some of the earliest nesting birds here in NH, laying eggs during the months of January through March in spite of cold temperatures and snow. Listening for their calls at night is a wonderful way to locate where they may be living in the surrounding forests. A moonlit night affords the possibility to see their shadowy silhouette as well. No guarantees that we will find owls on this walk, but you won’t regret spending time out in the bright winter night.
Meet by 6:30PM at the parking area for the Great Hill Fire Tower, at the corner of Great Hill Road and Hemenway Road. Please wear warm layers, bring a flashlight or headlamp, and snowshoes or ice grippers—our path will depend on ground conditions, but you will likely want one or the other. This event is free, and all ages are welcome; kids, please bring an adult with you. Space is limited; please register in advance below. Parking is also limited—please carpool with a friend if possible. Want to learn more about owls before the walk? You can find CLC Stewardship Director Lynne Flaccus’s presentation “All About New Hampshire Owls” HERE.
Chris Costello is a wildlife biologist with the US Forest Service and has worked on the Bartlett Experimental Forest (BEF) in Bartlett, NH for over 25 years. She’s assisted with wildlife monitoring and research on a variety of species including songbirds, bats, terrestrial salamanders, small mammals and raptors. She has spent many winter evenings surveying for barred owls on the BEF and looks forward to sharing what she has learned about this elusive species as well as some of our other native New Hampshire woodland owls.
After you select the number of people you are registering and click “register”, be sure to scroll down and fill out all required fields. Thanks!
Banner image: An owl flies across the winter night sky. Image from the In Winter winter ecology crankie.