2017-10-01 Birds & Bloom

6 birdsandblooms.com OCTOBER I NOVEMBER 2017

With my binoculars

FROM THE EDITOR

KIRSTEN SWEET, EDITOR

LEFT, OWL: BOB KOTHENBEUTEL

A New View

On page 52 of the August/

September issue, Kenn and

Kimberly Kaufman said that the

center of a sunflower is actually

a cluster of tiny florets that

hold nectar. After I read that, I

took my camera to my backyard

and focused on my sunflowers.

I captured this busy bee as it

looked for the tiny drop of nectar

in each “bloom.” Thanks for

helping me see the tiny flowers.

Ed Moore FREMONT, CALIFORNIA

THE

HOT LIST

Have some fun with your

backyard birds like Janet Kirk

of Fort Myers, Florida, did!

She gave each of the young

screech-owls in her yard a

name—Henry, Phoebe and Leo.

1

Say sayonara to the basic

jack-o’-lantern and carve a

bird-themed pumpkin! Kirsten

carved this one last year. Share

your masterpieces with us at:

birdsandblooms.com/submit

2

3

from a
reader

Kirsten’s roundup of the

season’s must-sees and –do’s.

raised and my neck craned so far back that I almost tipped over, I

tried my hardest to locate the eastern screech-owl that I knew was

hidden high in the tree. “I think I see it,” I remember saying on the

boardwalk at Magee Marsh Wildlife Area in northwest Ohio. I’m still

not 100 percent sure that I ever laid eyes on that well-camouflaged

bird. Many owl species have barred or streaked brown feathers that

let them blend in with tree bark. And despite

their upright posture and large size (even small

owls are bigger than the average songbird),

these evasive fliers are incredibly difficult to

spot, even when they’re perched on a branch or

peeking out of a tree cavity.

If you yearn for your very own owl visitor, it is

possible to attract these wise guys to your yard.

All you need is a few expert tips (find them on

page 56) and a little diligence. Janet Kirk of Fort

Myers, Florida, has proof that patience pays off. She put up a nest box

four years ago, and a female eastern screech-owl finally moved in at

the beginning of this year. A month later, the owl’s mate showed up,

and eventually Janet and her family watched three young owls fledge.

As you page through this issue, you’ll notice we give these

mysterious birds a lot of well-deserved attention. Get to know the

great horned owl (our cover model) on page 10, find out how owls fly

so silently on page 13 and meet the most common North American

owls on page 30. Then flip to the back cover to see my favorite photo

in this issue—a pair of young barred owls. I dare you to not say aww.

PSST! Spread bird and garden cheer

this holiday season! Give a Birds &

Blooms subscription for only $10.

Visit birdsandblooms.com/givetoday

to get the deal. If you order and pay

online, give a second gift for FREE!

Go on an owl prowl. Grab

your friends and family for a

nighttime hike to look and listen

for owls like this long-eared.

Use a

pattern or

stencil!