A real who’s hoo

Two of my children and I, and about twenty other folks, gathered this past April one evening in Orwell, all with the same hopeful intention. From raised hands, I learned that for the majority of us, this would be our first Owl Prowl. The event has become so popular over the years that more dates have been added each season to accommodate the eagerness and curiosity of Islanders. This final outing happened to coincide with one of my wee folks birthdays, so I resolved this would be the time we actually attended. Spending a few hours among like-minded strangers trying to communicate with an elusive bird of prey is a proper rite of passage for entering the double digits, I should think. 

We arrived at Macphail Woods in the long hold of late Spring dusk. The sun was going down in its usual way, someplace off in the West, but obscured by steel blue masses of roving altostratus clouds. The sky held its exit in monochromatic sheets. We were welcomed into a presentation area just inside the old homestead building and directed to where we could access the facilities or have a seat. My crew headed up front to get nearer the taxidermy raven and barred owl. I would later be told seeing these up close was one of their favourite parts. 

Gary Schneider was our host for the evening, and I’ve had the pleasure of being led around various woodlands for various reasons by Gary over the years. He shares his knowledge in a very conversational manner; it’s not rigidly structured, more audience-guided and interest-led. While presenting the various kinds of owls known to inhabit or pass through PEI, he encourages folks to ask questions as we go and elaborates where eagerness calls for it. This is a man who holds his experience and whimsy for nature unabashedly out for you to learn from. It’s delightful. 

I consider myself to be “bird nerd light.” I don’t intentionally go birding but wherever I go, I am looking at the birds. In the last number of years I’ve tried to familiarize myself with more calls because I don’t have the quickest eyesight. And yet, I was unaware of the variety of sounds that come out of the variety of owls we could encounter in our Island nights. 

We somehow lucked into an evening that was neither windy nor rainy, but calm, still, and seasonally chilled. Wandering the property together, hopefully asking the trees, “Who cooks for you? Who cooks for you all?” We heard but never fully encountered a Barred Owl, which we were told initially is a possibility. It’s really up to the owls if they’re interested in looking at us. The kids and I lingered after all the rest of the participants had left and made a few more attempts. Our calls became quite strong then and while mildly disappointed to depart without spotting our quarry, both said they’d still do it again.