Eastern Mass Hawk Watch Annual Meeting

Last night, Pam and I went with Paul and Diana to the Eastern Massachusetts Hawk Watch Annual meeting, which is always an enjoyable evening. There is a social hour, where just like any other gathering of birders, there is lots of talk about latest sightings, migrations, where people are traveling to next, or where they've recently gone to, etc. They also bring in a few vendors, a local bookseller that specialize in bird and nature books, Swarovski, Zeiss (who had their now famous Gummi-Binoculars packets) and others. The EMHW itself is an all-volunteer group that helps study and conserve raptors through monitoring annual migration, organizing hawk watches, and compiling information. Good group of people!
The stars of last night's show were Marcia & Mark Wilson, who brought their live owl program "Eyes on Owls" and talked about the local owls of eastern MA as well as a few that have traveled a bit to get to us. They are, of course, fully state and federally licensed to keep and care for permanently disabled owls and use them for educational purposes. I've seen their program a few times, and they are always wonderful. The highlights are the live owls. They first brought out two of our smaller owls - a Saw-whet Owl which migrates through here in large numbers in the fall, and the resident Eastern Screech Owl. Both of which are molting this time of the year, so these guys were looking a little ruffled!

They then moved on to some larger owls. There was a female Barred Owl, who unfortunately received severe damage to her right wing, and it could not be saved. She is otherwise living a very happy and healthy life with Marcia & Mark. They also brought along Great Horned and Snowy Owls, both of which are a treat to see up-close! Next up were two owls we don't get to see here in the US unless that are a part of an educational program like this one. The first was an Eurasian Eagle Owl, which is related to our Great Horned Owl.
Then they wrapped up with one that I have never seen live before and which I now feel the need to find in the wild - a Spectacled Owl.
Besides that smooth beautiful plumage and intense looking face, get a load of that beak!!! Wow.

After the meeting I was all jazzed up to go owling, but we needed to get home and get some rest. Today and tomorrow are going to be pretty big days for us!