ML628150898

Observation details

— — Lifer for all three of us! — — 3-4 heard singing well! And saw one! Recorded. One pair together on ridge top to south. And One pair ends up just behind us very close to us at 5910 ft. Both pairs doing interaction calls. Almost certain these are two distinct pairs. (Still hearing one of the south pair as the two others are close behind us, three owls at once). Only other option is that one of the owls of the distant pair, after hanging with its partner for 30-min., then flew over to us and joined up with a different owl and became a pair with them instead for the end of the morning. Which doesn’t sound likely … — Original field note: — — 4:01a response to tape, both very distant upslope, one extremely distant . We had played a tape for at a recent ebird pin we found and owls are barely audible heard in response from here. — — 4:15a many chickens begin full singing. — — We climb higher upslope, but owl still very distant. Now we only have one owl singing. — — by 4:30am we are at 5800 ft., has been very steep walking, and one owl responding but not coming closer , sounds like maybe down in draw to south of us? Singing from due south of us, recorded. 0.8-miles from Rancho cabins, on the motorless trail to Volcano Crater, then took turn following signs to “PE1 Chamuka / PE2 Chieka”. Despite 20-min. of trying it is not moving in closer to us. — — 4:57am after playing for whiskered screech and hearing it respond with song to south and east, now hear our CIOW duetting with another! and interaction calls. We are at 5850 ft. and the Cinereous pair is due south and either in the draw to south or maybe on the next upslope other side of the draw. They are apparently totally uninterested in checking us out, won’t come in closer. — — wow, 5:24am a Cinereous flies right into pine tree beside us , (at 5910 ft.), excellent recordings and Colby attempted photo. We had just been playing for nightjars unsuccessfully, hadn’t played a Cinereous tape for 25 min., but just after the nightjars Colby then played one tape for Stygian Owl and that brought a Cinereous in close almost immediately. After 6-min. of sitting in the pine tree so close to us singing, just above us really, it flies away back to its partner. The pair are not down in the draw, they are up on the next slope over to south. — — by 5:45am we have a pair loud right behind us. There is still one of the original area pair singing over to south ridge top at same time, so hearing 3 Cinereous at once.