Kramberger: Essential to respect nature at well-liked municipal inexperienced areas

Let’s observe owls and different wildlife from a protected distance whereas taking time to discover native inexperienced areas.

Writer of the article:

Albert Kramberger • Montreal Gazette

Publishing date:

Feb 11, 2021 • 26 minutes in the past • three minute learn

A barred owl perches on a department in Terra Cotta Nature Park in Pointe-Claire. Photograph by John Mahoney /Montreal Gazette

A barred owl ceaselessly noticed across the Terra Cotta Nature Park in Pointe-Claire over the previous month has develop into a neighborhood celeb, which has additionally sparked some debate over people encroaching on suburban wildlife.

With COVID-19 security measures limiting gatherings and indoor actions since final March, an increasing number of West Islanders have been flocking to nature trails or have taken up fowl watching, together with pictures.

The owl’s recognition — shared via social media posts — prompted the town of Pointe-Claire to subject a public discover, asking guests to be respectful by staying on designated paths, preserve a distance and keep away from disturbing it. That is particularly noteworthy since barred owls nest in late February or early March. Throughout this time, it seeks calm and safety. As properly, the nocturnal owl should be capable to relaxation in the course of the day in an effort to are likely to its eggs or younger at night time, the town suggested. The barred owl is considered one of three species that could possibly be noticed at Terra Cotta, together with the great-horned owl and the japanese screech owl.

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About two years in the past, the town made Terra Cotta Nature Park extra accessible for winter activities comparable to snowshoeing, up to date info indicators and maps on the virtually 40 hectares of woodland, situated simply northeast of the Freeway 20-St-Jean Blvd. interchange.

After all, not everybody was happy the town inspired extra guests and added metal benches on the park however there may be an total profit for individuals to have entry to pure inexperienced areas, whether or not or not it’s Terra Cotta, the Morgan Arboretum in Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue or a regional park comparable to Cap St. Jacques in Pierrefonds.

Whereas I feel going for a stroll and attempting to identify the well-camouflaged owl — or perhaps a woodpecker — is a enjoyable journey, for younger and outdated, I made a decision to verify with a neighborhood aviary knowledgeable to again me up as being eco-friendly.

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“Hen pictures has definitely taken off within the pandemic,” stated Kyle Elliott, a professor on the division of Pure Useful resource Sciences at McGill College’s Macdonald Campus.

“It’s nice that folks have extra consciousness of the outside and … recognize the inexperienced house round them,” he added. “However definitely for owls particularly, it’s commonplace for photographers to focus on them. You will get a incredible . I might simply encourage them to take action from a distance (and use a telephoto lens).

“When you’re not skilled in owl behaviour, you won’t understand you’re stressing out the owl,” he continued. “Simply having photographers there on a regular basis may stress the owl out. Or if anybody goes too shut.”

Banging on a tree to wake it up and calling out to the owl are particular no-nos.

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As for the owl’s approaching breeding season in late winter, Elliott notes it’s a delicate interval for them and there’s additionally often not a lot meals round.

For each barred and nice horned owls, their dwelling vary is about 300 hectares (equal to 1.6 km X 1.6 km), though that’s extremely variable. As soon as they’ve a favoured roost, owls typically return to that spot as noticed in Terra Cotta, Elliott famous.

There’s most likely a nice line between appreciating nature firsthand and trampling over it. Let’s hope individuals respect the Terra Cotta owl’s house — and different wildlife — as we benefit from the outside throughout this attempting pandemic.