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Short-Eared Owl
The dark and drizzly conditions of the night of November
11, 2003 were likely the cause of a Short-eared owl standing
in the middle of a driveway on Pilot Hill Road, beneath
a utility wire with a drooping left wing. The owl had
a broken ulna and radius. After being cared for through
the night and part of the next day while travel arrangements
were being made, the owl was transported from Block Island
by boat to a raptor rehabilitator in Wickford, RI.
 The
range of Short-eared owls is quite extensive throughout
North and South America, but according to Edward Forbush's
Birds of Massachusetts and Other New England States,
in Rhode Island it is an "Uncommon migrant, and rare summer
resident". On Block Island the occurrence of Short-eared
owls is generally in the fall and winter months. Like
many migrants, the Short-eared owl likely finds Block
Island to be a convenient, if not life saving, way station.
Once here, the Short-eared owl finds a hospitable environment
in which
to linger with a plethora of mice, open fields and marshes.
There are two Short-eared owls in the Elizabeth Dickens
Bird Collection at the Block Island School. According
to Elizabeth Dickens' notes, the first was "Salvaged from
a gunner by Arthur T. Hale, Jr. October 14, 1925"; the
second was "Presented by Evan Dodge November 10, 1930."
This medium sized owl (15 inches) that breeds in northern
Canada and Alaska is not a woodland owl, rather it prefers
open fields, marshes and tundra. The following descriptions
are too beautiful not to include and will provide insight
to the jizz* of the bird that may aid you in identification
as you keep an eye open for this Island visitor.
From Frank Chapman's Birds of Eastern North America
(1895):
| "This
species might well be named Marsh owl, for, unlike
most of our Owls, it does not frequent the woods,
but lives in grassy marshes. It is not shy and does
not take wind until almost stepped upon, when it
arises noiselessly and flies low over the marsh.
Sometimes it alights on a knoll or slight elevation
and watches the intruder in the intent, half-human
manner of Owls." |
From Edward Howe Forbush's Birds of Massachusetts and
Other New England States (1927):
| "The
Short-eared Owl is a bird of the open. Over prairie,
marsh, meadow, savannah and even over the sea its
tireless dappled wings bear it on and on in soundless
wavering flight. In air it exemplifies the poetry
of motion. Its pinions press softly on the resistant
element and waft the bird gently about over its
favorite moors as lightly as a night-moth." |
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