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concentric rings...



Each action in the forest throws out concentric rings just as a pebble
tossed into a pond would do.  When the pebble hits the water rings go out in
all directions.  The same thing happens when we walk through the woods, we
throw off rings in all directions.  The animals and birds understand these
rings, they know what the rings sound like and what they mean.  Birds are
the best place to start recognizing these rings as they are constantly
telling the concentric ring story with their songs and alarms.  They send
out alarm calls when a snake is in a tree trying to get eggs, they alarm
when a fox is stalking underneath or a hawk is perched nearby and hunting.
Just as they give off companion calls to each other when no predators are in
the area or sing their beautiful songs.  It's a great thing to start to see
and understand.  Here is an experience I had the other day.

I was stalking slowly and quietly down the trail that leads off my porch and
into the woods surrounding our camper when I noticed the only sound grabbing
my attention was the constant alarm call of a chickadee.  I stopped to get a
bearing on the sound and then looked at the silhouettes of the trees around
me to find this little guys movement.  A few moments later I saw him buzzing
around the top of a large willow oak just like a bee around a flower, the
whole time giving out an alarm.  I noticed the towhees and sparrows were
going about their normal routine on the ground, so the threat had to be in
the treetops.

That's when I made out a dark form on one of the larger upper branches way
up on the oak.  At first I thought it was a raccoon trying to catch some of
the days last rays of sun, but when its head rotated and looked directly at
me I could see the eyes and make out the ear tufts of a great horned owl..
man what a beauty!!  And it was still sort of light out, what a treat!

The owl didn't seem to mind my presence, he sat there for a while until he
was confident no meals were in the area and then lifted off in search for a
new perch.  I watched where he went and followed his direction through the
trees before he dropped out of sight.  He went back the way I had came, past
our camper and across the gravel road to the woods on the other side.  So I
began stalking back in that direction to find him again.

I wasn't halfway back to my camper when I heard cardinals across the street
giving off their alarms, and not long after that the wrens chimed in.  I
followed their sound until I knew I should be able to see the owl and looked
for him in the treetops again.  He'd found another nice perch that gave him
full view of an old leaf covered dirt road going into the woods, this time a
little closer to the ground too.  Guess the road wasn't much for action
right then as he took flight again and headed up a hill through the woods
toward a large field.  This time as I approached more cardinals and now a
mockingbird told me where to find the owl.

He was perched on the edge of the woods on the dead limb of a loblolly
checking out the field.  I wasn't even close enough for him to hear or see
me when he took off again heading across the field.  I quickened my pace as
he was way out of my sight range and also beyond where I could hear any
rings he was throwing off.   I was halfway across the field when I hear the
cardinals again, he was over in the northern corner of the field.  It was
getting darker by the second by this time.  I followed his rings for a while
longer until I could not see at all anymore.  The cardinals stayed up late
urging the owl to hunt elsewhere, they would normally be silent by this
time.  I could clearly hear where he was at I just couldn't see him any
longer so I decided to call it a day and head for home.  

I thanked the owl for taking me on such a wonderful hike and showing me the
sunset from the large field on top the hill.  It was a wonderful time.

If I had relied solely on sight the owl would have lost me with a quickness,
but thanks to the concentric rings he was throwing I was able to stay with
him for a lot longer.

Take care, Craig