HOO Are You?

Owls are regarded as one of the planet’s most successful nocturnal predators, which unfortunately for birders means that they’re very hard to get a look at. Some species of owls have such high-resolution vision and sharp hearing that they are able to detect the slightest movement of a rodent buried deep under a snow bank from a great distance away. Like a ghost in the night the owl takes flight never making a noise, and then falls from the sky, plunging talons-first into the snow, and onto their unsuspecting prey below. Impressive is an understatement. So how does one go about locating, and then seeing, a nocturnal predatory bird in the wild? Well, that is the whole goal of this workshop.

Raymond has been wandering through the woods at night looking for owls since he was a child and he’s developed quite a knack for locating these secretive creatures.

This workshop consists of an evening presentation, during which time Raymond will teach you all of his tips and tricks for finding, seeing, and identifying owls in New Mexico, as well as the morals and ethics behind it. Additionally we will enjoy two night hikes where we will gather in the woods to put our new skills to the test, with chances of encountering multiple species of owls that call Ghost Ranch and the surrounding wild lands their home. Owls or no owls we promise to deliver two wonderful nights of instructional owling under the stars and a welcoming and safe space for ALL birders to enjoy the great outdoors at night.