StettlerLocal.com March 26, 2022 @ 12:10pm
At the Buffalo Lake Nature Club, we give a hoot and care about the creatures that do too! The Buffalo Lake Naturalist Club has been involved in an Owl Survey route northwest of Stettler for more than twenty years. In 2021, we picked up a second route south of Erskine. We collect the owl data using a scientific method, and that data is used to determine owl population trends and habitat integrity.
The Owl Survey requires that a ten-mile route be surveyed at one-mile intervals, beginning one half-hour after sunset and ending before midnight on an evening with minimal to no wind and precipitation. At each mile, a CD is played, which intersperses a few minutes of silence with the calls of the Northern Saw-whet Owl, Long-eared Owl, and the Great Horned Owl. The volunteers then listen for owls in the area to respond. The full survey protocol is outlined in the Alberta Nocturnal Owl Survey Booklet and is coordinated by STRIX Ecological Consulting, collaborating with Alberta Environment and Parks and Bird Studies Canada.
At the club level, it’s fun to hang out with our friends of the night! There is usually a fashion contest to see who is brave enough to wear their most gaudy winter wear. I select my warmest snowsuit, even though this owl survey event takes place in ‘spring.’ When you stand absolutely still outside, listening intently for eight to ten minutes, it always feels cold enough to warrant winter gear. Keeping warm makes for a much more enjoyable outing.
The sounds of the night have included a deer that snorted and stamped at us, frogs croaking, coyotes howling, dogs barking, horses trotting and snorting, all while airplanes, satellites, and meteors cruise across the sky. We may hear distant trains, vehicles, tummy rumbles, and other human noises, though we want it as quiet as possible to detect the owls in the area. In 2021, one of the routes tallied owls at eight of the ten stops and did have all three species counted!
Does this sound like something you would like to do? Connect with the Buffalo Lake Nature Club at buffalolakenc@gmail.com to let us know your interest. Owl surveys are usually impromptu due to personal availability and weather constraints. You’re welcome to ‘give a hoot’ with us!
Claudia Lipski
Buffalo Lake Nature Club