Late-season Hotspot for Small Mountain Owls

I participated in a work conference at Aspen Grove Family Camp and Conference Center this past Thursday and Friday. Aspen Grove is a mountain resort that is owned by the LDS church and is used for family camps, recreation, and a range of conferences. It is located just up the road from Sundance Ski Resort in Utah County, Utah. The conference I was attending allowed for free time Thursday evening after dark so I drove up the Alpine Loop Road from Aspen Grove to where I thought the habitat was right for Flammulated and Saw-whet Owls. I wanted to see if I could locate owls and then show them to my boss and coworkers. I went searching solo at first because I didn't want to drag away a group of non-birders just so they could watch me stand in the dark making strange sounds. I wanted to have some confidence from finding owls before inviting others to join me.  I knew it was getting late in the season for Flammulated Owls because they typically migrate south to Mexico around the end of August and the beginning of September. I thought it would be an interesting test to see if Flammulated Owls were still in the area so I used an app from my phone to produce a Flammulated Owl call. I heard an owl call back to me after a couple of brief attempts with the app. The owl was calling from some aspen trees on the hillside below me. A few minutes later I heard an owl responding from the tree behind me. I moved parallel to the tree while staying on the road to triangulate and pinpoint the location from which the owl was calling. Once I honed in on the right location I put a light on it and found this cool little bird which is about seven inches long from head to tip of tail. For what it's worth the Flammulated Owl is the only small owl in North America with dark irises.

Flammulated Owl in Utah County, UT USA

After finding the Flammulated Owl and hearing a second one I decided to conduct another test. I tried to call out a Northern Saw-whet Owl using my own whistling call.  These owls aren't as vocal or responsive to calling after they've completed their breeding season so this would be another challenge on most occasions this late in the year. Luck was on my side again, however, and I had two Saw-whets responding to my calls within minutes. I used the same triangulation process to pinpoint the location of one owl and then put a light on the spot to reveal this cool little guy. The Northern Saw-whet, about eight inches tall, is my favorite species of owl. I like the following image because it includes both deciduous (an aspen in this case) and conifer trees, the preferred habitat for both Flammulated and Saw-whet owls.

Northern Saw-whet Owl in Utah County, UT USA

Northern Saw-whet Owl in Utah County, UT USA

I believe the following images are of a second owl. The first owl showed a light tip on the upper bill. This one has a solid dark bill all the way to the tip. This Saw-whet flew into and began calling from a nearby tree so I spent a few minutes photographing it as it alternated between watching me and looking in other directions.

Northern Saw-whet Owl in Utah County, UT USA

It is always interesting to watch owls twist their heads so freely. I captured the image below after the owl had turned its head 180 degrees to observe something behind its location.

Northern Saw-whet Owl in Utah County, UT USA

As I was getting back into my truck I heard an owl begin calling from the other side of my truck. This one was at eye level and did not flush as I moved around to the other side of my truck for a very close look. The focused look on the face of the owl below captured the curiosity this bird had in the whistling call I was making.

Northern Saw-whet Owl in Utah County, UT USA

Northern Saw-whet Owl in Utah County, UT USA

After a brief interaction with both species of owl I went back down to the conference center and invited my boss and some coworkers to return to the location with me. I was able to call in and point out a handsome Saw-whet owl for them. They were thrilled to have such a unique experience with a curious little owl. It was fun to hear them puzzle over how I was able to find the owl for them.