Trip report
Eyes On Owls presentation and walk
Hiking/Walk DATE: 03/17/2012 - 03/17/2012
Trip/Event Location: Concord, NH
US
Trip Leader(s): WalkaboutBrian , markus24
Max # People: 10
Trip Guiding / Event Fee: Yes, but only to cover shared expenses, and I too am paying
Difficulty Level: Easy
Come join Mark and I on a two part event to the NH Audubon McLane Center. The first part is the owl presentation “Eyes on Owls” which will have a cost of $8 to $10 and registration through
...Take Interstate 89 to exit 2, turn left off of the ramp onto Clinton Street. At the first blinking light, turn right onto Silk Farm Road. The enterance to the McLane Center is on the left.
Trip Report/Photos
Six of us met at the Audubon center early for the presentation so we decided to stroll around the building. We browsed through a live reptile exhibit room where there were many types of snakes basking under sun lamps and turtles showing their best talents of sitting around doing nothing. There also was a large taxidermy collection along the walls. We than slipped out a side door to check out an exhibit building which housed a live Bald Eagle, Peregrine Falcon, Red-Tailed Hawk, and two Barred Owls all in four humongous cages. There also was an Eastern Screech Owl cage nearby, but those little guys were hiding in the dark. All these birds were receiving a second chance in life at the center due to rehabilitating issues that prevent them from being released back into the wild.
At 1pm we filled the presentation hall along with a mix of adults and children. All eight in our group were present. Presenters Marcia and Mark Wilson kicked off their presentation first with a 20 minute slide show of Marks photography, than they brought out each of their owls while sharing information on them, they answered many questions, and Marcia showed her hooting abilities with each of their calls. The one question that almost every adult may want to ask, but most often refrained from was brought up by one of the very young guests up front. Do owls pass gas? The answer was 'yes'. The six owls Marcia presented to us were a Northern Saw-whet Owl, Eastern Screech Owl, Barred Owl, Great Horned Owl, Snowy Owl, and an Eurasian Eagle Owl. Marcia was a great presenter and it was said that she was born and raised by owls.
After the presentation, about 2:30pm, the eight of us gathered at the trail head to the wildlife preservation and began a casual walk. We strolled the mostly dry trail to the edge of Great Turkey Pond. As we stopped near the pond we heard two Barred Owls calling to each other not far away. After some hesitation we decided that they were real owls calling each other and not Marcia running around in the woods. The owls sounded like they met together and chatted to each other for a bit, than fell silent. I successfully led the group down the wrong trail in the 14 acre preserve. After noticing the trail map was wrong and did not match the trails we were following we backtracked to an alternate route to return. After just over an hour we found ourselves back at the parking lot.
After the walk six of us went to a local burrito restaurant for a bite to eat than we departed.
This was an exciting day to see so many types of birds and learn about them. I would encourage everyone to stop by the Audubon Center to visit the wildlife exhibits and walk the trails. And, many thanks to everyone who joined Mark and me. It made the day all the more fun!
There are 38 photos in Album (Note: Move mouse pointer over larger pic and click on NEXT for better viewing)
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