This coming weekend, January 30-31, is the peak time for Great Horned Owl courtship.  They are in their most active hooting time of year and with the full moon on the 30th, what a great time it is to get out and do some owl listening.  This is not so easy these days with all of the man-made noises in the neighborhood.  Although it would make sense to get out and listen in the evening, traffic noise is too great.  You may wish to get up at 4 AM and try it then.  The world is a much quieter place at that time of day. 

Places to go?  I like Bradley Palmer State Park in Topsfield.  Other places are Crane’s Beach, Pye Brook Park, River Park in North Reading, North Liberty Street in Middleton, and the Town Forest in Reading to name but a few.

Listen for the quiet Hooo-HoHo-Hooo Hooo.  If you hear two, the lower pitched is the male and the higher is the female.  The Barred Owl has a louder “Who cooks for you, Who cooks for you all” where the “all” is descending in pitch.  If you see the owls courting, watch the body posture of the male and then tell us all what you have seen!

Click on the Hooo to hear a recording from the Macaulay Library at Cornell.