And we saw ...
... many Long-eared Owls, hiding in the trees.
I see you!
At one point we wandered in to a grove of trees, a roosting area, and owls just came pouring out. We estimated that there were at least fifteen owls, mostly Long-eared but with perhaps a couple of Short-eared Owls mixed in as well.
The birds were swirling about the roost, and thus us, as we tried to walk out. More birds being spooked by our presence? The same birds coming back to roost and finding us still there and spooked again?
I was surprised at how skittish these birds were. All of the Long-eared Owls I had previously encountered tended to stay put as we gawked and snapped away with our cameras. But even though we were in a nature preserve known (and preserved!) as a roosting area, we were asked not to mention the location online. It seems there have been problems with folks harassing the owls, explaining perhaps why they were so skittish.
Anyway, it was one of those magical moments, having a dozen owls flying about at the same time.
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