Have you noticed how quiet it is lately? As we shelter in our own homes waiting for the all-clear, our neighborhoods have become softly still. This newly hushed world gives us a chance to witness spring as it unfolds in all its noise and vitality. Listen and you might hear the brash throaty call of a phoebe, the chirping hum of the spring peeper or the distance howl of a coyote under a starry sky. And if you are lucky you might hear, at dusk, winding its way through the woods, the thrilling hoot of one of New Hampshire’s owls.
Spring is the perfect time to hear the distinctive call of these nocturnal birds of prey as they defend their nesting territory, communicate with each other and raise their young. According to Mark Wilson, the author of “Owling: Enter the World of the Mysterious Birds of the Night”, you don’t have to be a night-bird to hear owls. During the spring breeding season owls are more vocal and can even be heard during the day. Just the other day while raking out his yard in Hancock, he heard the characteristic eight note “Who cooks for you, who cooks for you all” call of the Barred Owl, NH’s most common and most vocal owl.
Wilson knows this call well. After all, not only is he an award-winning author and wildlife photographer, he and his wife Marcia live with and care for 14 owls and two hawks. For over 25 years they have taught thousands of people about these secretive and rarely seen birds through their engaging and highly educational Eyes on Owls program that features many of their live birds of prey.
Wilson has traveled to many places to photograph and learn about the owls featured in his highly acclaimed book. From deserts and boreal forests to arctic snowscapes, he is a renowned owl observer. He has some advice for all of us who want to see and hear New Hampshire’s wild owls. “Owls don’t give up their secrets easily” he says. However with the recent quiet and slowing down of our human world, we have a better chance of actually noticing the owls living in our own neighborhoods.
It is much easier to hear an owl than it is to see an owl. Wilson suggests familiarizing yourself with our local owls and their calls. Since there are only a few species of owls in the Monadnock Region and each of their calls is unique, this won’t be that hard. Wilson suggests looking at Xeno-Canto or The Cornell Lab of Ornithology websites. There you can find the information you need to learn about the Great Horned Owl, Barred Owl, Eastern Screech-Owl, and the smallest owl in New England, the Northern Saw-Whet Owl. Spend some time learning the calls, the habitat, and the behavior of these birds and this will enable you to know what to listen for and where to listen.
The next calm night, without rain or high winds, go out before dusk. Find a comfortable place to sit, perhaps on the edge of a forest near a wetland. Wilson’s tips for hearing an owl include: slowing down, being quiet, listening deeply, and being present. He adds that being patient is essential and to try not to get discouraged if you don’t hear them the first time. It will be worth it in the end when you do finally hear the low hoots of a Great Horned Owl or even the horse-like whinny of the Eastern Screech Owl. But according to Wilson, it will be the familiar call of the Barred Owl that you are mostly likely to hear. He adds, “If New Hampshire had a state owl, it would be the barred owl.”
Since we are all spending time close to home, you might even consider improving your backyard habitat for owls by providing them with a nest box. You can find nest box directions for Barred Owls, Eastern Screech-Owls and Northern Saw-Whet Owls online at The Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s NestWatch and many other websites. Imagine having a pair of nesting owls and a couple of fuzzy owlets in your own backyard to watch!
We have time now and the quietness all around to step outside and deeply listen to the sounds of the forests, wetlands and meadows. In all the bustle of our lives before we might have forgotten to pay attention to the wild songs of owls but now we can make this our new night out. There is something undeniably stirring when we hear the hooting of these birds in the dark of night. Just knowing they are out there under the stars, raising their young and singing to each other is enough to help each of us find the good in the present moment.
Susie Spikol is the Community Program Director for the Harris Center for Conservation Education in Hancock