Cameron Pass Boreal Owl

[Andrew Bankert]

I took my second trip of the season up to Cameron Pass in search of Boreal Owls, and I was able to find one this evening.  The bird, along with the CSU basketball game, ended up being heard only despite an effort for visuals.  My first trip in late February might have been too early for the owls to be singing, and the owl tonight was only singing intermittently unlike the near constant singing I heard in late April last year from multiple birds.  Hopefully there will be more birds singing later in the season.  From what I observed tonight, it would not have been possible to hear the bird from the road (about 1.5 miles) and I did not hear any in the Michigan River drainage (one of the best spots to hear them from the road) despite excellent conditions.  The bird tonight was heard from the Thunder Pass Trail just past the Michigan Ditch, but it was still pretty distant and uphill. 

Good Birding!

Andy Bankert

Fort Collins, CO