Screech Owl and Pheasant

 

January 29th

          This afternoon after watching our Michigan Wolverine basketball team get trounced by the MSU Spartans, we decided to follow a lead on an Eastern Screech-Owl at Woodlawn Cemetery.  Very recently, someone had seen an owl in Section 13 of the cemetery and we saw a picture of the tree cavity where it was roosting (a very good lead indeed!).  We arrived, looked around, and Mike immediately spotted the owl in the same cavity.  Easy find.

          Screech Owls have an undeserved reputation for cuteness, but they are fearsome little predators. They will swoop down, disable a hapless rodent with their claws and talons, and swallow the still alive victim whole.  Screech Owls are non-migratory and like an open wooded habitat since tree cavities are their favored roost and nest sites.  Screech Owls come in several different color morphs including gray, light brown, and rusty red. 

          Next, we went to look for a Ring-necked Pheasant.  We went to a known pheasant spot near the lakeshore off of route 2 and were lucky to see a male pheasant out in the open.  Pheasants were introduced from Asia in the 1880’s and quickly became a popular game bird.  Pheasants are members of the grouse family. The males are gaudy birds with red faces, an iridescent neck with a bold white ring, and a long tail.  They usually forage on the ground for grain, seed, or insects.  Pheasants usually walk or run and only occasionally resort to flying. (2 new species, total 117)  

          Eastern Screech-Owl

          Ring-necked Pheasant (scarce)   

                                                        Eastern Screech-Owl

                                                    Ring-necked Pheasant

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