Bad News
Geoff Graff (ggraff@erols.com)
Wed, 03 Feb 1999 23:43:23 -0500
Hello all,
To those who been to Cromwell Valley Park before with Jim and me
seeing owls. The bad news was a female Great Horned Owl was found dead
on Sat. Jan. 30th with a rat in her beak. Jim Myers and Mike found her
hanging on the branches facing down. They think it was rat poison.
She was our famous owl in the last four years, producing 2,
sometimes three owlets during late winter of 1995, 1996, and 1997. Her
home was at the west end of the park, where we heard the pair calling
before seeing them in flight for several years. She was part of our
family and will be sorely missed. She was sent to Oregon Ridge Park
where they will mallet her and put on display for the visitor to see.
I'm going to the Oregon Ridge to say farewell to her after knowing her
for 4 years. The total numbers of Great Horned Owl at Cromwell is now 4.
The four remained owls are: The male who lost his mate last week
from the "west side of the park"; A pair from "east side of the park"
(the only pair left at the park, female possible at nest), and the
fourth one who lost a mate last year, from the ridge across street from
Cromwell Valley Park.
Today, Jim Myers, his brother and sister, and my friend Chris
Beattie and I went to the park to see the owls. The male of the "east
side" was heard calling to his mate at a nest and was seen later in
flight several times. The other male from the "west side" was seen at
the dead tree in the open field at 6:12pm (he was probably doing a
mournful calling after a death of his mate on Sat.)
I know it may be hard for us. Still, the other owls can be seen and
heard everyday.
Kevin Graff
Baltimore, MD
ggraff@erols.com