This winter I reported up to 14 Long-eared Owls were roosting in the banding station woods. The need to keep out of view from both above and below and a need for a horizontal perch keeps their wintering locations to a minimum. When that many large birds roost side-by-side they will eventually be seen by birders and bird predators. In this case a large bobcat has been seen walking in the areas where the owls had a winter roost but what the bobcat doesn’t automatically know is that the Long-eared Owls were only wintering so this one was in for a surprise when it visited the roost. Two bobcats have been seen off-and-on in the banding station net lanes, even during the afternoon like this one.
Ranch Roads
Reflecting on Chico Basin Ranch.
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