A Shelter Island Owl-free Prowl is still a hoot: Birds elude searchers but inspire fun

No actual owls were seen or heard at the third annual Owl Prowl held at Sylvester Manor on Friday, Oct. 11, led by master birder Tom Damiani.

Owls were discussed. There was a walk in dark woods in search of owls. Mr. Damiani raised his voice in a pitch-perfect imitation of a screech owl, but failed to summon even one lonely owl. Never mind. The moon was bright, the weather was clear, and dozens of participants had a good time. 

Nine of the 40 who crammed into the Sylvester Manor Farmhouse for the pre-prowl slide show looked to be younger than 8 years old. Mr. Damiani showed photos of the local owls, including the great horned owl, a creature he described as a powerful bird of prey.

“I am four, and I’m so strong,” yelled one of the most engaged members of the audience.

Mr. Damiani described the incredible night vision of owls and demonstrated their astounding ability to triangulate the exact location of their prey by using their faces as a sort of radar dish, and their ears to determine minute differences in distance.

He introduced the Red Face Eastern Screech Owl, the owl we would seek on that night, which elicited some hooting and screeching calls from the audience.

“Dude, you have to be quiet or we are not going to see any owls!” said Jay Sliger to his son, Knox, who was one of the participants of elementary school age. Although Knox had many questions during the presentation, outside he was all about seeing an owl.

Mr. Damiani gave the group a few minutes to let their eyes adjust to the dark and get their sillies out, and repeated that they would have to be very quiet, and led the way, without flashlights, to a spot in the woods.

He began to call out in the high-to-low falling tones of the screech owl. When he got hoarse, he used a recording.

On the way back to the farmhouse, Ruthie Landry, carried by her father, was a little weary from all the excitement. “I saw the moon owl,” she said.

“We read a book called Owl Moon,” Matt and Claire Landry explained.