Hawk & Owl Times

Nature Article nn2802 by Earl Plato
As I age I tend to look back more. Five years ago I wrote the following article. Good memories, but I think we should look more to presnt nature opportunities. Plan for future events. Make it happen!
“Retired people can just drive around looking for things. George and I were looking for hawks. George picked me up and in his truck we roamed `the back roads of Fort Erie, Port Colborne and a portion of Niagara Falls. We saw 12 red-tailed hawks in our mid-week morning drive. George sighted one red-tail with very white coloured under wings. A white morph, I thought. The bird flew, as Buteos do, circling leisurely to the east. Then George said, ”Look back in the woods.” There were five more hawks perched in the trees. Their white breasts stood out as we looked at them with our bird glasses Now most of us who are hawk watchers know that the red-tail is seen usually alone. Could it be the start of match-making time? I think so.
We returned down Bowen Road. I wanted George to see the blue heron rookery. You know what? We didn’t see that many nests from last year. Did the major tree cutting affect the nesting sites? One red-tail hawk was perched below a few of the yet visible heron nests. I wonder.” ***
“It’s a Saturday and we’re on the road with Rob and Tim . This is good for me for both these naturalists are good birders. I’m the fortunate one. A half hour passed and no hawks. Out to Bertie Boat Club and then north. We had heard that the week before birders had gathered to sight a pileated woodpecker! No kidding. Unfortunately I was in a meeting about Point Abino lighthouse just a few hundred yards away. Do we have a pileated woodpecker , that giant of all woodpeckers in Fort Erie? Are they kidding me?
Over to Burger Road and then across to Ott Road and then we headed south. Tim saw them first. They looked like crows to me until we got closer. Perched high in the poplars on both sides of the road were five short-eared owls. Rob scoped two of them in a cedar tree. Tim looked next and said, “Look at their eyes.” I did. The dark face discs emphasized the yellow eyes. Spectacular look through the scope for the owls were in a shaded area among the trees and the contrast was great. We watched as more of these day hunting owls floated around in the sky “moth-like” looking for voles and meadow mice. Two landed in a juniper tree near the road. Yes, they are crow-sized. I counted about eight of these owls that day. Rob and Tim counted more. In a distant field to the west of Ott Road two birds were perched high in an old maple. They said, “Two more short-ears.” I couldn’t tell. I thought they could be crows. I didn’t argue.
Wife, Elaine, and I returned the next day and saw five short-eared owls at the same place. Four days later I returned with my brother, Ed, and the owls had moved on to better eating places. Check your bird book for these periodic visitors to Greater Fort Erie.”