The recent column about great horned owls that took over an osprey’s nest triggered several stories from readers, including photographs from Jeff Harris of three great horned owlets just outside of Spokane.
They were being raised in a usurped nest, possibly a red-tailed hawk’s nest.
The electrician’s approach to taking the shot was unusual. He used a high-reach vehicle (bucket truck) to be 45 feet up at eye level and about 120 feet away.
“There’s just something about owls that makes you stop and wonder,” Harris said, perhaps a sense of mystery that seems to accompany them.
The amateur photographer described himself as “just a dad with a camera for the boys and their sports. I took it to work when I found out about the nest with owls. I couldn’t resist.”
Dave Cuvreau of Shoreline had a totally different owl experience, an encounter at age 15 on Dubuque Road near Machias with what he has been calling a great northern owl.
“It was one of those moments you never forget. It was phenomenal. It was the most fantastic thing I’ve ever seen,” said Cuvreau, now 56.
He was a front-seat passenger in the family car when they thought they saw a dog in the road about 150 yards ahead.
“Then it took off and flew right toward us. … It made eye contact with me at about 50 feet and came within 2 feet of us. It was the most fantastic, magnificent creature.”
At the time, to a young Cuvreau, it seemed like its wingspan was 8 feet, although that would be a few feet wider than our largest owls.
Whatever the species of the owl or wingspan numbers, the experience has lasted a lifetime. For me, that’s the beauty of birding.
New and natural: The Beebe Springs Natural Area in northeast Chelan County opened to the public May 12. The state Department of Fish and Wildlife’s 180-acre site is along Highway 97 south of Chelan.
Various partners have worked for seven years to create side channels to the Columbia River, build walking trails and restore wetlands and shrub-steppe land. It’s a work in progress.
Whistler action: Add skis and snowboards to mountain bikes and the result is the Crud 2 Mud Downhill event May 22 at Whistler. Competitors start at the top of Whistler Mountain then, ditching snow transportation for bike pedals, they race through Whistler Mountain Bike Park, which opens today to the public.
The bike park is often called the world’s most popular lift-accessed mountain bike park.
Information: www.whistlerbike.com.
You’re not alone: At least if you’ve volunteered to help at Washington state parks. Last year volunteers set a record by logging a staggering 326,800 hours, the equivalent of a 157 full-time employees worth $4.2 million. It’s the fifth year in a row of increased volunteer hours.
The program, now in its 31st year, began with 31 people and 1,426 hours. In 2009, 362 groups, 1,364 individuals and 682 campground hosts dedicated time and skills.
Information: 360-902-8583; www.parks.wa.gov/volunteers.
Step with care: Whether you’re digging clams or just walking the beach, pay attention to the closed sections of Long Beach and Twin Harbors in southwest Washington. The closures protect federally threatened western snowy plovers that are nesting in soft sands.
Landing zone: Neotropical migrant birds such as tanagers, warblers and flycatchers are landing in the Olympic Peninsula from now through June for the nesting season. Once domestic chores are done, they’ll head back to Mexico and South America.
Columnist Sharon Wootton can be reached at 360-468-3964 or www.songandword.com.
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