By Rick Cuzner
Over the last several years, there have been as many as four (maybe more) long-eared owls wintering over along the Salisbury coast. Last weekend, myself and a friend took a ride along the coast to try and find one. It didn’t take long.
The birder with a spotting scope gave it away. To our surprise, there wasn’t one, but rather two long-eared owls buried in the pines. We took a few photos and checked them out with binoculars for a bit. After a bit of time, my friend found a third, in the same tree. This owl was so well camouflaged that no one else had seen it. Then we saw a fourth!
While long-eared owls are not exactly rare, they are usually so well hidden that they are never seen. These owls are known for grouping together in the same tree. Several years ago, I found seven in one tree in Lexington. Incidentally, a group of owls together is known as a parliament of owls.
The Marblehead Current is proud to partner with photographer Rick Cuzner, who has been photographing local wildlife for nearly 20 years
