Tiffany and I are cursed by the draw of finding elusive creatures and owls may outdo all others. Our research on how to find them suggested first learn their habitat and how to look for clues leading to the tree they call home. Top clues on our list: whitewash and pellets. We started our investigation at a local nature reserve, Mormon Island Wetland.
We hoped to find signs of whitewash aka bird poop, which is a combination of uric acid and excrement, and theoretically should be clearly visible on the side of a tree an owl inhabits. We saw many trees that looked perfect, but we saw zero whitewash.
The other clue we wanted to find is called owl pellets and is what they regurgitate when they can’t digest part of their meal and might include a skull or teeth. But it looks sorts like a falafel. We found this:
Maybe? If any readers have owl pellet experience, let us know what you think. This is our first owl expedition.