I got a tip a couple years ago about a lady who had complained about being kept awake at night because the snipes were making too much racket.  But it had been too early in the season and I had a sneaky feeling it wasn’t snipes that were keeping her awake.

So, when I paid them a visit a couple weeks ago, I pulled out my I pod and speaker and asked if this is what she had heard.  “Oh yes”, that’s it she insisted.  “I could never forget that call.  And they’re back!  I have been hearing them again almost every night. ”

This was exciting news to me, because the call I had played was not the display flight of the common snipe.  Instead I had played the territorial call of the boreal owl.  She was quite surprised that it was a small owl she had been hearing. Continue reading →