FALMOUTH, Maine — Brown and grey barred owls blend into the winter foliage so well they are hard to see, but that isn't stopping Mainers from sighting them.
Nick Lund of the Maine Audubon guided NEWS CENTER Maine on a walk along the ice-covered trails at Gisland Farms in Falmouth in hopes of spotting one. The farm's expansive trails, free to the public (but sorry, Fido, no dogs allowed), make it a great place to look for wildlife.
For every barred owl he spotted, Lund was convinced he passed by ten well-camouflaged others, which means the recent spike in owl sightings in Maine is significant.
Barred owl sightings on the rise in Maine
The summer of 2018 was known as squirrel-pocalypse for a reason (seriously, you've never seen so much roadkill!). The boom in rodents last year fed more hungry barred owlets leading to the beefing up of the population in 2019. Lund said we are simply seeing more owls because there are more.
That and March is a hard month for owls.
"It is hard enough for humans in a Maine winter. Imagine if you had to find your food under the snow or on the ground. It isn't easy."
Having made it through the long New England winter, as most Mainers can sympathize, surviving owls are feeling fatigued.
"They will go anywhere they need to find food. Really, any place there is open ground," Lund explained as he walked.
Barred owls, which usually stay close (about a mile) to their high nesting grounds, are wandering farther this spring to look for breaks in the snow where an unsuspecting rodent may wander. Barred owls have impeccable hearing and sharp talons giving any prey a slim chance to survive.
While out searching for food, barred owls are also searching for a mate this time of year. Lund said, you can hear mating calls at night that sound like, "Who cooks for you."
"Even though they are big birds, they don't make a ruckus," Lund pointed out. One tip he suggests: listen for crows. When crows see a bird they don't want around, like a barred owl or hawk, they will be loud and dive back and forth. A cluster of crows may mean an owl is near.
"They're so beautiful, and they are a rare treat to see in the day time," Lund said.
If you have the privilege of spotting a barred owl or any animal in nature please send it to us on Facebook.