In the same way that I like to look for signs of spring, now, in the fall, I enjoy the countdown to winter.
I have a short-term goal as well — the countdown to Halloween. How many "ghoulish" things in nature can I find during the next few weeks? Owls came first this year.
Many cultures associate owls with death or bad luck, and they are tightly bound to the stereotypical Halloween witch as friends and messengers. So, they fit the "ghoulish" category. And right now, every night for the past couple of weeks, the haunting calls of barred owls have been echoing through the woods in my backyard.
This past weekend, while out exploring the edges of the swamp behind my house, I startled a large owl (actually, it startled me) into gliding noiselessly off, deeper into the swamp. This could have been a great horned owl, but given all the ruckus at night and the habitat, I’m guessing it was a barred owl.
Barred owls are big, almost as large as great horned owls. And the swamp is the perfect place to see them. Swampy bottomlands, preferably with lots of old, dead trees, are their all-time favorite habitat. Aside from hunting a variety of small mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and invertebrates, they like to hang out in trees and drop down to grab fish. According to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, they will even wade into the water to catch fish and crayfish. Finally, they are also the owl you are most likely to see out and about during the day, though they do most of their hunting at night or right after sunset.
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The only natural predator that barred owls really have to worry about is the great horned owl. While these two species often occupy the same general area, if a great horned owl moves in, the barred owl will generally move out. Both species like mature or old-growth forests with their abundance of snags — dead trees with pre-existing nest cavities – and an open understory that makes it easier to hunt with their "sit and swoop" strategy. While great horned owls are a great candidate for "haunting" with their unblinking yellow eyes, barred owls have one of the most eerie calls imaginable and are, therefore, a terrific ghoulish reminder that Halloween is on its way.
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Why are barred owls calling so much right now? According to the Maine Nightjar Monitoring Project (mainenightjar.com), barred owls “are territorial throughout the year and are vocal year-round. During February and March, calls (“Who- cooks-for-you? Who-cooks-for-you-all?”) are most frequent with birds being more vocal between 6 and 8 p.m. During the breeding period, males usually roost and hoot in the vicinity of the nest. Females may respond or the pair may sing strange-sounding duets referred to as caterwauling.” It isn't the breeding season until February, so my best guess is that what I’m hearing has something to do with a territorial dispute. Or maybe they know Halloween is coming and just want to freak us out?
Want an eerie start to fall? Listen at night for an owl that sounds like it is saying, "who cooks for you? ... who cooks for you all?" or, better yet, caterwauls like a crazed, ghoulish, monkey. What better way to usher in Halloween?
Susan Pike, a researcher and an environmental sciences and biology teacher at Dover High School, welcomes your ideas for future column topics. Send your photos and observations to spike3116@gmail.com. Read more of her Nature News columns online at Seacoastonline.com and pikes-hikes.com, and follow her on Instagram @pikeshikes .
This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Owls usher in the Halloween spirit with 'who-cooks-for-you' call: Nature News
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