After a few errands this morning in Anchorage, I drove south about 150 miles to Kenai and Soldotna. There was a bit of new snow coming down and a bit of slush on the road, but otherwise it was an uneventful trip.
After I arrived in the Kenai area, my time was split between looking for the recently reported Great Gray Owl and looking for Short-eared Owls. Neither quest was successful.
The Great Gray Owl quest was led by Laura Burke (with baby on her back) and one of her sons. We searched the areas where they had seen the owl yesterday, ducking under spruce branches and checking out many, many spruce trees. It was a very nice walk with much potential. but….
After a couple of hours, I went where I had arranged to meet Ken Tarbox off Cannery Road where Short-eared Owls have been seen, but the result was the same.
Bottom line: to see birds that you want to see, you must go looking for them, but that is no guarantee that you will see them. It’s early in the year – I will keep trying.
119 species so far
Lynn Barber's Birding Blog 