Owl Prowl at Backus
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Getting a call-back from an owl is not guaranteed.
“It’s always kind of a surprise when you do have one call back,” said Fiona Street, outdoor educator at Backus Heritage Conservation Area.
“We did a Creatures of the Night hike in the summertime, and we heard the screech owl calling first. Sometimes we’ll respond, and screech owls – they’re very small owls – they move closer.
“In July we had a screech owl in the tree above us. We couldn’t see it but it was calling back to us. Everyone in the group tried the screech owl call, because it’s one of the easier calls to make, and it would call back to them each time. It’s an interesting interaction, if you’re able to call an owl.”
Great horned owls, she said, although they are in the area, are not easy to get call-backs.
“We have in the past had a barred owl call back,” she noted.
Backus Heritage Conservation Area is once again hosting its popular Owl Prowl program on Saturday, Sept. 14.
Discover how to identify owls while on a summer night hike into the forest. Learn how to call owls, and be prepared for owls to call back.
The Owl Prowl program starts at 7 p.m. in the Conservation Education Centre with a craft activity for children, followed by a guided walk at 7:30 p.m. that usually lasts about 45 minutes to one hour.
Learn about native Ontario owls and their nocturnal adaptations through an engaging multimedia presentation, owl pellets, and a moonlit guided hike to call for owls.
“We look at taxidermy, and I share the different calls,” said Street, “and some facts about their habitat and hunting behaviour. Why owls are powerful predators in the forest, what makes them special hunters.”
Owl Prowl admission is $2 per child, $4 per adult, or $10 for a family. Pre-registration is recommended as spaces are limited. Contact outdoor educator Fiona Street at 519-586-2201 (ext 5) for more program information or to register.
This is the third of four Owl Prowls scheduled this year.
“We had 82 people last year,” said Street. “It seems to be a popular program.”
In March they had more than 30 people, and in July it went up to 51.
They had good response from owls, both in March and July 2013.
“Both times we had screech owls call back. The event in March, we saw a screech owl as well. We could see it with our lights and we had some close encounters with the screech.”
Backus Heritage Area is located on Second Concession Road, 2 km north of Port Rowan. To see the Backus events calendar online, visit www.lprca.on.ca.