Applegater Fall 2018
13
BIRD EXPLORER
The fledging of Great Gray Owls
BY PETER J. THIEMANN
This is a story of some Great Gray
Owls that I have known for five years
now. This year they switched from a
known nest to a different one, but not
far away. The viewing angle at the new
nest was not very good because trees
blocked the way and I couldn’t get high
enough to get a good look inside.
Nevertheless, the female owl could
be observed, though often barely visible
on the nest. Late in the nesting season
we were able to see that she had two
owlets, one about a week older than
the other.
I had observed the fledging of Great
Gray Owls in previous years and knew
that this is the most stressful phase of a
young owl’s life. Great Gray Owls jump
out of their nests not knowing how to
fly. They glide down, flapping their
wings to break the fall, often landing in
tree branches or on the forest floor. This
is when they are the most vulnerable,
as predators can pick them up for a
quick meal.
We have learned to help the owls
a little by installing some climbing
snags at a 45-degree angle near their
landing zone. We put up several of
those climbing snags this year to help
the owlets get back up quickly to avoid
danger. A year ago I had observed one
owlet actually jumping from the nest,
but could not find it anywhere. Not
wanting to interfere with the owls’ lives
then, I gave up looking.
The timing of a visit to the owls’
nest to observe fledging is tricky—the
estimated date of hatching is inaccurate,
at best. So we were in luck one day in
June when we arrived shortly after the
actual jump.
We found one owlet sitting
motionless on a very short broken tree
stump on the forest floor and calmly
staring at us. We immediately retreated
to the nest a short distance away. Not
more than a half hour later, the male
Great Gray Owl delivered a vole to the
waiting adult female and remaining
owlet in the nest. What a sight! But it
got even better
Peter J. Thiemann
when the fledged
owlet came stumbling along on the
forest floor toward the climbing snags
that we had put up over a month before.
Can you believe the joy we
experienced when that little owl chose
one of our snags to climb about 15 feet
using its talons and beak? The photos
tell the story—a “National Geographic
moment.”
Peter J. Thiemann
peterjthiemann@yahoo.com
Photos courtesy of Peter J. Thiemann flickr
photo stream.
Is it really a monarch?
BY LINDA KAPPEN
As of this writing in late July, the
northward spring migration of the
monarch butterfly has passed for 2018.
This has been a troubling year for the
lower numbers of monarchs migrating
in the Pacific Northwest. In fairly
normal years Washington state would
see the monarch by the first week of
June. But this year, the first confirmed
sighting in Washington was June 20.
Situations for the monarch this past
spring delayed its spring migration
from central California overwintering
sites. Some contributing factors were
that the overwintering population had
lower numbers, the first generation of
monarchs were late to develop due to a
cooler spring, and milkweed plants were
not completely out of the ground in
some locations at the time of migration.
These and possibly additional reasons
resulted in less optimal conditions for
the spring migration window.
Reports from the public help
scientists figure out when and where
the monarchs will show up. There
is a new butterfly mapping site (see
last paragraph for more information)
for the public to report monarchs by
submitting a photograph or a detailed
description—the only sure ways to
tell if a monarch has been sighted.
Believe me, I had to explain myself to
a reporting site once because I did not
have a photo.
In late June, monarchs typically
stay where they are and reproduce.
Then, usually starting in mid-August,
September, and sometimes the
beginning of October, monarchs
will begin their fall migration to
overwintering sites on the central
California coast.
Many times people will report a
sighting of a monarch when, in fact, it is
a different butterfly species. The photos
on this page show the differences
between the two most common
butterflies mistaken for monarchs:
the Western Tiger Swallowtail and the
California Tortoiseshell.
Western Tiger Swallowtail
The Western Tiger Swallowtail is
having a very successful year with
many of them being seen in the Pacific
Northwest. This swallowtail is bright
yellow with black borders and tiger
stripes on the wings. Its 3.5- to 5-inch
wingspan makes it larger than the
monarch, and the wing shape differs
from a monarch’s. The Western Tiger
Swallowtail does not migrate.
California Tortoiseshell
The California Tortoiseshell is again
having a burst in population this year
as it did in 2017. It can be seen at
high-elevation mountain passes in very
large numbers as it migrates north, then
south again in August and September.
Some will overwinter here as adults
(for more information, you can read
my article about this butterfly in the
summer 2017 Applegater). In the photo
to the right, look at the differences in
the wing shape and size. The California
Tortoiseshell is more of a russet to
orange color with a black border and
black spots on the wings. It is smaller
than a monarch.
Monarch
The monarch butterfly is large,
reaching a 3+-inch wingspan. It is a
deep orange color with black borders
and veins. Within the borders are
two rows of white dots. Its head and
thorax are black with white polka dots.
Looking at these photos side by side
really shows the differences.
As fall migration nears, monarch
reports need to be as accurate as
Monarch
possible. If you have a
chance to photograph
a monarch to report,
please do so. If the
monarch has a tag,
a photo is best, but
if you are without a
camera and can clearly
see the letter and
number of the tag, try
to memorize them or
write them down. Tags
are to be reported to
Western Tiger Swallowtail
the email address on
the tag.
Many citizen
scientists report
sightings of eggs,
caterpillars, and adult
monarchs, including
overwintered
tagged monarchs in
California. Many also
help with conservation
projects and plant
milkweed on their
properties or in their
backyards
Monarch sightings
during fall or spring
California Tortoiseshell
migration can be
reported at any time to a new online tool Butterflies in the Pacific Northwest,
for tracking the western monarch—visit are much appreciated as well and are a
monarchmilkweedmapper.org. Also, quick way to get the word out.
messages sent to the Facebook pages of
Linda Kappen
two monarch sites, Southern Oregon
humbugkapps@hotmail.com
Monarch Advocates and Monarch
Butterfly photos by Linda Kappen.