FLAMMULATED OWLS

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FLAMMULATED OWLS Landbird Monitoring
Program
2005
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FLAM BACKGROUND

• Neotropical migrants
• Arrive early to mid-May
• Feed primarily on nocturnal moths
• Not captured via other monitoring efforts
• Habitat requirements (whats known)
• Large snags (Pileated WP or N. Flicker holes)
• Open PIPO, D-Fir for foraging
• Dense patches for roosting

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2005 USFS - LBMP GOALS

• Develop workable R1 protocol for Flammulated Owl
  surveys
• Determine distribution especially east of the
  divide
• Expand understanding of habitat
  associations especially west
• Establish repeatable routes
• Detection probability ????

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Protocol and Planning

• Protocol used based on talking to owl experts,
  Vita Wright, USFS biologists, and reviewing the
  literature. (not much written)
• Combined understanding of owl behavior and
  phenology together with logistical realities..
• Nocturnal Surveys
• Foxpro hooters
• Spatial data via GPS
• Standardized calling procedures
• Where to survey???????

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WHERE TO SURVEY???

• Extensive surveys on some forests, nothing on
  others use these??

• GIS MODELING
• Overall, cast a wide net
• Use current vegetation layers
• R1_VMP or SILC???
• Use age class (old growth or mature), size
  class, canopy cover??
• Stands within 500m of roads or trails

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STANDARDIZED DATA FORMS
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THE FIELD SEASON

• Successful season!!!
• Cold wet June
• No night-time encounters with Mountain Lions,
  drunken locals
• No one fell asleep and crashed while driving back
  to camp
• There are owls out there!

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BY THE NUMBERS

• Set up and ran 267 transects (2721 pts)
• Resampled on 5 forests 549 pts again
• Detected 243 FLAMS 8.9 of points
• On all but 3 forests LC, Custer, Gallatin
• Top Forests
• Nez Perce 21.4
• Lolo 16.5
• Helena 15.7
• Bitterroot 15.1
• Kootenai 6.9

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More Numbers

• Owls detected May 9-July 21
• first and last day of surveying!
• Detections did drop off after mid-June - but
  this was variable.
• 65 of detections made after playing caller
  even in prime season

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Other Owls

• 49 Great Horned Owls
• 24 Barred Owls
• 21 Northern Saw-whet Owl
• 5 Northern Pygmy Owls
• 4 Boreal Owls
• 3 Western Screech Owls
• 2 Great Grey Owls
• 2 Long-eared Owls
• 1 Short-eared Owl

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REVIEWING GOALS

• Develop workable R1 protocol for Flammulated Owl
  surveys
• Determine distribution especially east of the
  divide
• Expand understanding of habitat
  associations especially west
• Establish repeatable routes
• Detection probability ????

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• A FLAM was calling from the ridge in the
  foreground in early July. 
• Primarily Douglas-fir, with large P pines a few
  large snags on ridge. 
• Bertie Lord Creek watershed, Sula Ranger
  District, Bitterroot N F.  
• http//scotthaywood.com/nature/flam -- Scot
  Haywood, BNF technician

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• FLAM found here in early June calling from a
  Douglas-fir (right). 
• Note the large ponderosa pines and the snag at
  the far left of this southfacing slope. 
• Sheep Creek watershed, West Fork Ranger District,
  Bitterroot NF 

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• Two Flammulated Owls called from within 50 meters
  of this location in mid-July.
• Woods Creek watershed, West Fork Ranger District,
  Bitterroot NF

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DISCUSSION

• Can Flam monitoring happen on individual forests
  without extra technicians?
• Process to agree upon and adopt a protocol that
  all use?
• What to do with the data ASC vs Fauna?
• How can or will you use these data?
• How interesting are incidental owls?
• Anything else??

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THE OFFICIAL WINNERS AREFirst Owl of season 
Sean Hagerty (Idaho crew) snags one on May 9 -
the first day of surveying!Most Points set up
Harley Winfrey (ID crew again) wins hands down
with 382 points!Most Owls Also to Sean -
somewhere around 65 (though officially maybe a
quarter of these were seen when the transect was
repeated - something that was done on some
forests and I'm not sure what the rule book says
for these).Latest point surveyed (in the
morning)  Scott Haywood on the Bitterroot wins
this with his last point one evening at 314
am!Latest Owl detected in the season  Julie
White on the Helena - July 21 - long after most
folks had quite.  Hmmm.  And I think I was to
give a prize for anyone who took a great photo of
a FLAM but I'm not sure anyone even saw one in
daylight hours.  Next year..........
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Cutworms (Noctuidae) This is the largest family
in the order Lepidoptera Adults