A standing room-only crowd that spilled into the library’s upper balcony area had an up-close and personal look at the world of owls on Friday at the “Owls up Close” program.
More than 150 people from preschoolers to seniors attended the event, which was presented by Dunstable-based Eyes on Owls’ founders Mark and Marcia Wilson. The program included an interactive slide presentation and a meet-and-greet with six live owls.
Following the slide show, one by one, the owls were removed from their wooden carrying cases by Marcia Wilson, who then escorted the owls around the room. The Wilsons shared information about owls’ lives, including how they adapt to their habitats, their unique behaviors living in the wild, what they eat and where they can be found.
The crowd even had a chance to practice hooting and gain tips on how to spot owls in trees and help protect them.
A variety of owl species was presented, including North America’s smallest falcon, the American Kestrel, which weighs only five ounces; the Eastern Screech-Owl; the Barred Owl; the Barn Owl; the Great Horned Owl and the Eurasian Eagle Owl, a behemoth of a bird capable of feasting on small dogs, foxes and badgers.
The Wilsons said their American Kestrel lives on a diet of frozen mice, which they purchase for $1.50 each from a company in Indiana.
“They ship to us FedEx on dry ice. One day, the driver dropped the order off at the wrong house,” Mark Wilson said. “The neighbor called us and said, ‘I think we got your order by mistake. It says there’s a rat in the box, and it says fresh meat, so the people were probably wondering what we were eating.'”
There was a bit of a delay introducing the Great Horned Owl due to technical difficulties caused by the library ceiling fans — it seems the three-pound owl had been spooked by ceiling fans at a previous program and was fan shy.
While library staff members scrambled to turn off the fans, the crowd oooed and awed when the bird finally appeared, slightly agitated as he furiously flapped his wings and, no doubt, was relieved when he was returned to the safe confines of his travel case.
“This will be a test,” Mark Wilson said. “He’s quite preoccupied with spinning fans. I’m sorry you are only getting a good view of his throat because he is looking up at the ceiling. He’ll have to go into therapy.”
Despite the ruckus, 6-year-old Lorenzo Aaronson said his favorite owl was the Great Horned Owl.
“His eyes were really cool,” Aaronson said.
Mark Wilson said the owl had been found in Southeastern Massachusetts after it fell out of a red-tailed hawk’s nest.
“He was a chick and thought he could fly, so he jumped out of the nest. The homeowners took him into the house. After a month, they got the bright idea of returning him to the nest, but that’s not how it works. Once they (owls) leave the nest, they are out for good. The homeowners called Mass Wildlife and asked how they could put him back in the nest only to learn it’s illegal.”
The homeowners then gave the owl to the town’s fire chief, who, by luck, knew Norman Smith, who live traps Snowy Owls at Logan Airport to save them from getting killed by jets.
“After about five minutes, the owl came up to Norman and started playing with his shoelaces, so it was clear this bird had imprinted and could not go back to the wild,” Mark Wilson said. “He asked us if we would be interested and that’s how we got him.”
Five-year-old Lorrenzo Aaronson said his favorite owl was the Great Horned Owl.
“His eyes were really cool,” Aaronson said.
Mark Wilson then introduced the Eurasian Eagle Owl, which he said is the largest owl in the world and closely related to the Great Horned, only “much bigger.”
“Look at her feet, her talons are massive and about the size of a bear’s paw,” Mark Wilson said.
Following the presentation, attendees had a chance to purchase two books on owls written by Mark Wilson – The Snowy Owl – Scientist and Owling: Enter the World of the Mysterious Birds of the Night.
Huckleberry Hill School fourth-grader Emily Conlon bought both books, saying she thought the owls were “really cute and cool.
“I got a little afraid when they started flapping their wings, though. I’m excited to read the books and read them to my siblings. I liked the presentation a lot.”
When asked if she would like it if her parents got her an owl of her own for the backyard, Conlon didn’t hold back.
“YEAH” I would like that a lot!” she said.
The event was sponsored by the Friends of the Lynnfield Library and presented by the Tree Committee.
“Everybody loves owls,” Tree Committee Chair Jane Bandini said. “I think everyone got a lot of bang for their buck today.”
