Owls topic of first Moon Walk

Moon Walks in the Black Hills National Forest continue to be a summer highlight for many residents of the region.

So it was not a huge surprise when – despite threatening weather – more than 175 people found their way to the site of an old CCC camp south of Pactola Reservoir on Saturday (5/22/10). Our short walk in the woods was designed to share information about owls of the region. Coincidentally, the old Horse Creek CCC camp was established back in 1933 on May the 22nd -- the calendar day of this Moon Walk. This was the first of five Moon Walks planned for this summer by the U.S. Forest Service in the Black Hills region.

Tour guide for this early evening trek was Nancy Drilling, a biologist from the Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory in Colorado. A native of Waterloo, Iowa, Drilling has been with the observatory for more than six years. She has a Ph.D. in Conservation Biology from the University of Minnesota.

“There was a lot of speculation about the kinds of owls in the Black Hills, but nobody really knew,” said Drilling. That’s why she’s been conducting surveys in the Hills for the past two years.

“The surveys occur during March, April and early May, when owls begin breeding. They are the first birds to breed each year.”

Of course, it might have been a bit much for such a large group to expect to see an owl on this single outing, but we did hope one of the creatures might respond to the vocalizations that Nancy Drilling (shown at right) would play through a portable sound system.

After an easy walk down a two-track road for about a mile, Drilling gave an introduction to four common owls found throughout this region. They are the Great Horned Owl, the Easter Screech Owl, the Long-eared Owl, and the Northern Saw-Whet. She shared a bit of information about owls, including the fact that most owls are nocturnal. Their keen hearing and advanced night vision serve them well as birds of prey.

Owls seldom build their own nests, choosing instead to take occupancy in existing nests that are suitable. They love wooded areas, and some species will nest in knotholes of old trees. Interestingly, the female is larger than the male. Some owls prefer coniferous woods, while others make their homes in deciduous forest. A few even find their way into urban areas.

Persons wanting to learn more about owls in the Black Hills need only to contact the South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks Department to obtain a free booklet entitled Owls of South Dakota, which Drilling says contains good information and pictures.

After introductory remarks, Drilling played a few recordings to familiarize the group with owl calls. Frankly, we were surprised at the diversity of the calls. The entourage then wound its way along a creek into a more wooded area. Once situated near a grove of trees, Drilling played the various bird calls through the portable public address system.

Thirty seconds of owl calls – followed by 30 seconds of silence. That was the vocalization routine for this Moon Walk outing.

While the technique may not have elicited responding owl calls, it did create great interest among the group. We suspect that many Moon Walkers will be back on the trail one day soon conducting their own exploration for owls!

During this pleasurable two-mile round-trip sojourn, we snapped more than just a few photographs, which you’ll find in our Moon Walk Gallery, along with a bit more information about the event.

Residents of the Black Hills region have been enjoying these Moon Walks since 1996. Well over 11,000 people have participated in these programs, which have taken walkers from old mining towns and secluded caves to the Badlands and beaver dams. It's a terrific way to learn more about the beautiful Black Hills region. The next Moon Walk outing is scheduled for Saturday, June 26th in the central Black Hills, probably near Deerfield Reservoir. Forest Wildflowers will be the topic, introduced by forest botanists who will tell about the habitat, identification, and management of a variety of wildflowers.

All walks are held on Saturdays at 7:00 p.m. Directions to future Moon Walk programs will be posted here on Black Hills Journal, or you can go directly to the U.S. Forest Service website at www.fs.fed.us/r2/blackhills. You'll find an abundance of information there about a wide range of U.S. Forest Service activities in the Black Hills. Contact Amy Ballard at 605-343-1567 and request to get on the Moon Walk e-mail list!