Live raptors from the Mountsberg Raptor Centre will be one of the main attractions of this year's annual Owl Prowl hosted by the Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority.
The Owl Prowl goes tonight at the Morrison Dam in Exeter and Conservation Educator Denise Iszczuk explains they'll actually host two Owl Prowls, one at six o'clock and the other at 7:30 and each 90 minute session will consist of a presentation about owls in general, followed by either a hike outside looking for owls, which is the actual Owl Prowl and then a meet and greet with the live Owls provided by the Mountsberg Raptor Centre. Iszczuk says going for a hike at night is a new experience for many of their visitors and they provide a unique experience, not only in the hike but with the actual Owl Prowl. She explains they play a recording of the call of the Eastern Screech Owl and then wait for an owl to respond.
Iszczuk says once in a while they actually get to see an owl but they usually at least get to hear an Eastern Screech Owl respond to the call and when that happens is very exciting. There's no fee to attend the Owl Prowl but all donations received go towards conservation education programs.
“First of all a presentation about owls in general, followed by either a hike outside looking for owls, which we call the Owl Prowl, and then also a meet and greet with the friends at Mountsberg Raptor Centre.”
“What we do is we play a call of the Eastern Screech Owl and then we wait and we look and we listen for the owl to call back because we won't hear the owl actually flying cause they are silent flyers.”
