A Barred Owl, so named for the bars that appear on his feathers, sits perched in a tree about 40 feet up in Lincoln Park. Nature Guide Stewart Wechsler conducts Owl Prowls and other guided tours of the natural world right here in West Seattle through his company Stewart's Stewardship Adventures. CLICK ON THE PHOTO ABOVE TO SEE MORE
West Seattle nature guide and ecological consultant Stewart Wechsler has a wide ranging set of interests but his recent forays into local parks to reveal their hidden treasures are starting to get popular. On Feb. 4 he led a group of more than 40 people through Lincoln Park on an "Owl Prowl" , seeking to show off not just that remarkable bird but along the way, some other interesting aspects of the natural world preserved in our largest park.
Wechlser began his nature walk with an introduction near the entrance, sharing his knowledge of the species of owls and other flora and fauna that the park holds. Fees were collected (donations of anything from $1 to $20) and the journey started.
On the way to some likely roosting spots for owls, Wechsler stopped to notice some plant life, and an abandoned hummingbird nest then pointed out how you can spot owls yourself. "Look up and down the trunks of trees, because owls like to roost near the trunk and look for pellets and droppings below." He noted that they normally hunt just before and after sunset.
Arriving at a spot he knew an owl had been roosting the crowd was directed to look up, and about 40 feet high was a large Barred Owl. "They haven't started the new nest yet but they will start soon," he said, "about mid-February. In the past I heard them courting and not long after they mate, produce eggs and within a month of that will have the chicks. Once they fly you can't tell how big they are." Wechsler has been seeing Barred Owls in the park for 12 years. They are not native. They arrived only 60 years ago or so. Their first record in British Columbia is 1946. Then they moved west and south and became abundant."
He said they primarily eat rats. "When I check their pellets they most often contain a rat jaw," he said.
The entire tour takes about 2 to 2 1/2 hours and much of it is conducted in the dark so flashlights and good walking shoes are recommended.
You can learn more about Wechsler's nature walks locally by visiting his website http://www.stewardshipadventures.com/
