Page 40 - Greet HWY 68 Loop 03.25

WITH WHOM WE SHARE OUR NEIGHBORHOOD

Great Horned Owl
Owls are mostly nocturnal and very difficult to find an owl while on the there are a few things to consider that
active, mainly at night, for hunting. move, so stop. Scan up the tree trunk, might suggest your yard is not an ideal
Our local short-eared owl can be seen then systematically scan the length of site. Many owls eat rodents; as such, they
by day, but most are out and about as a branch. If you don’t see the owl, scan are prone to poisoning from ingested
the sun goes down and into the night. back to the trunk, up, and then out the rodenticides. If you or your neighbors
I recently learned of an owl-watching next branch. Repeating this process is a use such products, your home is not a
tip, which was explained to me by a great way to find owls. good place to attract owls. Busy roads
friend and avid bird watcher. While an Building an owl box in your yard is are another consideration, as well as
owl’s call can carry for miles, an owl a great way to attract owls. The Cornell small pets that might be considered prey.
can also be much closer than it sounds, Lab of Ornithology’s website provides Lastly, consider the lighting around your
particularly in a dense oak or pine a wealth of knowledge about birds, and home. They like the dark.
forest. If you hear an owl, move toward here, you can find tips about building the
the sound. It may sound far, but it is right box for the species of owl you are Curious about the flora and fauna that lives around us?
Contact Laurie.Martin@n2co.com and we’ll put in a request
likely much closer than you think. It is trying to attract. Before doing so, though, for Jon to tell us more!

Jon Hoech has an academic background in the biological sciences. He worked at the Monterey Bay
Aquarium for 35 years, with a career focusing mainly on ocean conservation. He also has a passion
for the observation of terrestrial wildlife. Jon lives in Corral de Tierra with his family and is inspired
by the coast live oak forest and its inhabitants.

OWLS BY JON HOECH, CORRAL DE TIERRA

ulturally and spiritually, they color, presence of ear tufts, hunting
have evoked a wide range of behavior, and vocalization. Not all
Cemotions and respect. They owls hoot! Barn owls, for example,
are feared as symbols of death, and have a harsh, raspy screech—you can
destruction, and associated with evil, sometimes hear them as the sun goes
fear, and darkness. They are also down. Barks, whistles, and hisses are
icons of wisdom and strength. They also common owl sounds. Mountain Pygmie Owl
are seen as messengers, signs of hope, Owls are birds of prey, deadly
and liaisons between the spiritual and night predators, equipped to hunt.
physical worlds. They have fascinated Their wing feathers have serrated
and baffled scientists, entertained and edges that channel wind and dampen tested, and it is able to hone in on mice
amazed birdwatchers, and they live sound, which is further quieted by in complete darkness just by picking
here, amongst us, along the Highway their velvety texture. They also have up on sound. Much like our own, their
68 corridor. Owls. relatively large wing spans, allowing eyes are positioned to each see at the
There are over 250 species for more gliding and less wing flapping. same time, creating a single, crisp 3D
worldwide, with more than seven Together, this allows an almost silent image and providing incredible depth
living in Monterey County. Those fight, which is less distracting to the perception. And while they cannot
that live locally range in size from owl as well as undetectable by their move their eyes within the socket, owls
the iconic great horned owl (up to 25 prey. They have asymmetrical hearing: can rotate their head 270 degrees. They
inches tall) to the mountain pigmy owl ears in slightly different locations have large talons and a toe that rotates
(up to 6.7 inches). Indeed, owls come on either side of their head, allowing backward or forwards. These stealthy
in different sizes and are identified by pin-point detection of sound. The barn hunters prey on rodents, frogs, snakes,
their variation in eye color, feather owl has the best hearing of any animal birds, rabbits, squirrels, and others.

40 March 2025 Greet HWY 68 Loop 41