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Short-eared Owl



I'm not terribly surprised at Tom seeing three Short-eared Owls on Hooper Lane. 
I have seen one of these birds a couple of times since December about a mile
upstream in the French Broad River floodplain on some private land.  As it has
been on private land (our local Audubon Society is working with the state
Wetlands Restoration Program to try to purchase it and preserve it) I have not
announced it.  But I have long believed that some of the unusual species seen
at Hooper Lane probably occur at other spots in this large floodplain area in
Henderson and Transylvania Counties, but most of this land is private and not
accessible.  Hooper Lane is birded so intensively that it is natural that these
rarities are seen here more often.  It's a great place, but I think there may
be some other great opportunities that are being missed because no one is
looking.  I wish I was retired so I could spend lots of time exploring these
kinds of places.  Marilyn Westphal   email:  mjwestphal@unca.edu