Pardon the terrible puns, but I wanted to grab your attention.
It’s dawn on a cold, snowy morning in upstate New York, and I’m quietly making my way through an evergreen thicket. It’s my third trip here, and I’m hoping this one finally meets with success. I stop every few yards to scan the trees in the dim light with my binoculars. Only an hour in, my heart skips a beat when I spot a dark, promising shape near the trunk of a hemlock, about 100 feet away. It looks like a Barred Owl, and she’s an absolute beauty. I get on my knees to minimize my profile, very slowly and quietly mount my camera to the tripod, and simply wait for the light to improve. So far, she seems unperturbed by my presence, and I’m determined to keep it that way.
Barred Owl
Sadly, not all owl encounters are as peaceful. All too often, owls are seen as avian rock stars, with throngs of people seeking to see and photograph them. Even regionally endangered species, such as Short-Eared and Snowy owls, often draw huge crowds of gawkers, many of whom have no clue (or don’t care) that they’re stressing the owls out. I’ve sometimes witnessed 30 or more cars lining rural roads, and nearly a hundred people mobbing nearby fields, as Short-Eared owls try to find their dinner. Local farmers get fed up with the crowds, and sometimes wish the owls (and people) would go away; at least one farmer told me he sets out rat poison, which also kills the owls. I refuse even to visit such popular places.
Short Eared Owl hunting for dinner
Unfortunately, social media often adds to the bird’s stress. While apps like eBird and Audubon are useful tools, well-intentioned but misguided users all too often post specific locations for sensitive raptors, like owls, even including details such as nesting sites. I think this is misguided at best, a possible death sentence at worst. Owls are easily spooked, especially at nesting sites; abandoned nests mean no owlets for the year, which puts further pressure on the population. I often see Facebook posts of stressed owls - wide or squinted eyes, raised ear tufts, elongated bodies - with admiring captions from “photographers” about their great skill in capturing the image.
Can owls please get some respect? They're not here to pose for photographs, or adorn Facebook pages. Owls are incredibly important members of their ecosystems, and work hard to stay alive and nurture the next generation. Skittish and shy by nature, owls are easily spooked, but they can be observed responsibly by following a few simple rules:
* Don’t get too close - give them space
* Move slowly, and keep a low profile
* Limit your time with an owl
* Learn to read their body language
* Stay on the sidelines if an owl is hunting
* Use binoculars, spotting scopes, & long telephoto lenses
* Let them find their own food (i.e. don’t feed them)
*Don’t share owl locations on social media, especially nest sites
Getting back to that Barred Owl I’ve discovered - luckily I had a wonderful time watching her at roost before the light became too harsh. She seemed relaxed - none of the obvious signs of stress, and more or less unaware of (or unconcerned about) my presence. Nonetheless, after about an hour, I figured I should move away, just to give her space. Happy with my private little owl experience, I hiked back to the car.
A stressed Barred Owl at "Owl Woods"
On the way home, I noticed a place marked “Owl Woods” on Google maps that I’d never visited, so thought I’d stop to see what it was about. It had a nice trail and a little boardwalk through a wetland, which I enjoyed, at least until I came upon a gaggle of “photographers” gawking at a very stressed looking owl on a low tree branch, loudly gabbing about all the great shots they were getting. Several people even crept within ten feet to get shots with their cell phones. I was steamed about the situation, and wanted to yell at everyone to back off, but I figured that would only make the situation worse (for the owl and for me), so I held my tongue. Thankfully, the owl soon flew off, buzzing the heads of several people nearby on his way out. Everyone oohed and aahed, as if they had witnessed a special moment in the owl’s life. I was disgusted, and quickly beat a retreat back to the car. I felt really sorry for the poor owl, and wished that someone would rename the damn preserve, just to keep the tourons away.
I can imagine how celebrities must feel about the paparazzi hounding them incessantly. Like the owls and ethical nature photographers, they probably just want to be left alone to enjoy their lives. So, let’s show them all a little respect - admire their talents and good looks, but do so at a distance, and show some restraint.