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Re: March 19th Owl Prowl

Posted: Wed Mar 23, 2011 2:18 pm
by ApproachingLight
Next outing I'm wearing a wig and a full beard.david.

Re: March 19th Owl Prowl

Posted: Sun Mar 27, 2011 7:31 pm
by hobkyl
I stopped out yesterday and only found this guy near the long boardwalk. I suspect its the same one that we saw last week, same tree and about the same size.

Image


Mike,
To view the osprey nest...where do you go? I went down the trail that you pointed out and after sloshing through the mud and water for about 20 mins I ended up on the beach next to a home. I turned around went back and took a side trail and ended up near some other homes. There was an interesting trail that spurred off from here with 20'ish poles (maybe 12 or so) that had cordage strung from them. It would appear that maybe they attached birds to these cords and they flew around-drawing in larger birds. However, I didnt see a way to catch the larger birds.

Re: March 19th Owl Prowl

Posted: Mon Mar 28, 2011 2:44 am
by mrbirdnerd
Kyle,
You did go in the right direction to see the osprey platform, you just needed to go a bit further west. The area to the west is called Rose Marsh. Very hard to navigate this area, there are not any well traveled paths that I know of.

Here's a picture of the platform that I took back in January 2007. It was very hard to get back to the area back then, and I can only assume that it has gotten more difficult now.
Image

As to the corded poles, I am not sure what they are used for without seeing them, but I would assume that it is exactly as you stated. It is possible that maybe they set up some mist nets around the area to catch what would come in.

Did you happen to have any photos of the corded poles, Kyle ? It has been a few years since I have ventured back to that area of the woods. Did you happen to notice the 'old' banding station that is back in that area, it would have been on the east side of the trail as you were heading back toward the beach.

Re: March 19th Owl Prowl

Posted: Mon Mar 28, 2011 12:23 pm
by hobkyl
Would this require entering a field at some point? Where I took the side trail..there was a junction...one way went into a large field (which might have been the same field that the hawk banding occurs in-but I didnt want to sludge through the standing water), the other was the way I followed. If you were to head down the trail that you pointed out, you would make a right turn. Follow that to its end and you will see some homes a couple hundred yards away. Continue on and there will be a small trail to the right that will have the poles. If you take that trail, you will end up in a large field with a couple of small outbuildings in it. I'm guessing that this field borders Manitou Beach Road just north of the parking lot based on the houses lined up.

I didnt take any photos, now I wish I had.

Re: March 19th Owl Prowl

Posted: Mon Mar 28, 2011 6:46 pm
by mrbirdnerd
It's been a few years since I have been back in that area, Kyle, and I am sure that the trails have changed a bit. I will be getting out of work this morning at 6 AM, and I plan on heading down to Owl Woods to walk through. I will head down the trail to the beach and try to get my bearings once again. I will let you know what I find.

Re: March 19th Owl Prowl

Posted: Mon Mar 28, 2011 7:13 pm
by hobkyl
Ok Mike...make sure you wear some waterproof boots...its pretty bad back there. If you're going to look for the poles...go right at the 4 way intersection and keep going past the yards and the small trail will be on the right.

Re: March 19th Owl Prowl

Posted: Tue Mar 29, 2011 11:52 am
by Matt
I made it down the beach a few years back. It's not much of a beach. Someone had put up an obstacle course of 2x4s to get over some of the really muddy/flooded areas. That was pretty fun.

Re: March 19th Owl Prowl

Posted: Tue Mar 29, 2011 12:50 pm
by hobkyl
Those rickety 2x4s were a saving grace