Joann Merritt's Essays

WHOO-WHOO-DUNIT?
May, 1988

Characters:
Inspector - Don
Investigator - Joann

This case began a few months ago when strange objects appeared along the Secret Trail where Detectives stalk mysterious birds, animals and insects. The Trail is located in the scariest part where the thickest and biggest mesquite trees grow against the west fence. “whodunit?” was the question asked. Could this possibly a new “feces” of bird? The answer came from the Inspector: “Probably a dog or fox.“ Enquiring minds didn’t even want to know and dismissed this valuable piece of evidence. There were no new leads on the case until one day the Investigator noticed more objects and muttered something about owl pellets, but dull minds did not pursue this line of thought.

Then early one morning while stealthily walking the Secret Trail the Investigator observed an owl - a Long-eared Owl! Now inquiring minds want to know! Are the strange objects really owl pellets? If so, how long has this owl been here Why does this owl have pale facial disks instead of orange? Could this owl have been here for months without being discovered by the birders who live here and the many birders who frequent the two acres? An investigation is quickly instigated with several assistants being put to work. We even had a motorized division with the BWS patrolling the area aboard his electric steed.

Donna finds additional pellet sites. I know all the books and experts say pellets are simply fur and bones of prey eaten but not digested, then regurgitated, but I say that whatever exit is used, it is what it is! I might use sticks and stones to find the bones, but I don’t touch it with my hands. This part of the investigation reveals that these are indeed Long-eared Owl pellets - 3/4th of an inch in width and 1 1/2 inches long, gray in color with small bones imbedded. The abundance of pellets leads us to conclude he has been around a long time.

There’s a saying, “If you soar with the eagles in the morning you can’t hoot with the owls at night.” Since the resident Midnats are early risers, we “soared” when we should have been “hooting”. We missed a major clue when the mice and rats disappeared from the woodpile. Miss Kitty got the credit. We got our big break in this case of Whoo-Whoo-Dunit when the owl was apparently startled by loud noises and flew into an open area.

The leg work done, we go to the bookwork. There’s still the mystery of the pale face and underparts to be solved. Allen and Frances verify these field marks that the Investigator noticed. In “The Owls of North America” Allan W. Eckert writes that the noticeably paler facial disks, breast and belly plumage are field marks of the Western Long-eared Owl, a subspecies of the Long-eared Owl. The Western race is also more reclusive and less vociferous, being generally quiet throughout most of the year except during the breeding season. Last mystery solved, case closed.

Would that Ted Jones, the Midnat Long-eared Owl expert had been here to enjoy and help us solve the mystery of the Western Long-eared Owl.