Owl's well that ends well

As we say goodbye to summer we also are say farewell to a good friend, Dr. Bierregaard. Over the years, donned in a hard hat, climbing harness, safety glasses and leather neck guard, you may have noticed him climbing a ladder on Paw Paw Nature Trail or in nearby Freedom Park checking on Barred owls (Strix varia) and their owlets or whistling for the adults to land on our Deck. Dr. Bierregard (we call him Dr. “B”) would often provide impromptu lessons for visitors about the interesting lives of the city owls.

Every year we eagerly anticipate the weighing and tagging of the owlets. Just before the owlets fledge, Dr. B would bring the fuzzy, oval-shaped birds onto our Deck and weigh, photograph and band the birds. Museum guests were invited to experience a special up-close encounter with these special creatures and help us track the birds on their life’s journey.

After tagging and releasing the owlets, we would scan the trees, hoping to catch a glimpse of the fluffy fledglings before they took flight, charting their movement and looking for them as they tested their boundaries on Charlotte Nature Museum’s grounds. This year Dr. B gave us a special gift, a nesting box, with the entrance facing our Deck equipped with a camera. Hopefully our feathered friends will choose this new site next season (January/February, in case you are wondering)as a nest for their year’s brood, and which will allow you a bird’s eye view of the babies via the “owl–cam” without disturbing the nest (or, from our Deck catch a glimpse of Mama and Papa tending to their flock!).

For more than a decade, Dr. B studied Barred owls in the Charlotte region. We are grateful for the knowledge he shared and the affordance of serving as a research station for his important work. Taking a nod from this year’s fledglings, Dr. B has flown the coop and is moving to Pennsylvania.

Dr. B is well known in this neck of the woods; have you had the opportunity to observe his work or these fascinating birds over the years? Share your experience and comment below.

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