Flammulated Owls are a species that even the most intrepid birder may have missing on her list. The raptor is the second smallest owl in North America and its variegated feathers of brown and sienna camouflage it into the tree trunks it makes its home. Because sightings are so rare, there is little known about the bird but Plumas Audubon Society is on the case.

I joined a San Joaquin Audubon Society led trip for a chance to see the conservation project up close. Plumas Audubon Society initiated a study of Flammulated Owls around Lake Davis in 2012 in collaboration with the Plumas National Forest Beckwourth Ranger District.  Their goal is to better understand this vulnerable species so it can be conserved  on all national forests. Lake Davis was chosen because it has the largest and densest population of the species in the northern Sierra Nevada. Plumas Audubon Society Executive Director, David Arsenault, brings over twenty years of biology experience to the project. He is assisted by interns who monitor bird boxes, band birds, and geotrack them. 

My group of excited owlers included bird lovers from all over the state, including a couple from Orange County who had driven ten hours with nothing more than a hope and a prayer that we would see these tiny raptors. Fortunately, we were all in luck. 

David directed us to a cavity that had been used the year before by an owl family. We watched with delight as two owlets bobbed their heads out, calling for their supper. At around 8:00 p.m., dad came swooping in to feed his hungry offspring.

Click here to watch this video on YouTube.