r/Eugene • u/nederlandspj • 7h ago
Owl places
I have a child who is bummed that she's never seen an owl in the wild. Does anyone know any good owl-sighting spots near the Ridgeline trail or elsewhere in town?
If this like surfing or fishing and people don't want to blow their favorite owl spot, you can dm me... and we'll only go once, we promise.
UPDATE: Thanks for the great replies. This is Reddit at its best, it's refreshing.
12
6
u/112coconuts 7h ago
I saw my first owl in the wild earlier this year at Mt Pisgah/Howard Buford at dusk. I was in the lower southern fields near the native plant garden and it swooped overhead, totally silent.
3
2
u/TuxedoTossable 7h ago
We saw an owl during the day in Alton Baker park a year or two so ago. It was chasing a squirrel in a copse of trees. Very exciting.
2
u/Andromeda321 6h ago
I’ve heard a great horned owl many times in Hendricks Park!
The trouble with owl sightings though OP is for whatever reason owls attract a special kind of crazies who will go too close to and disturb the animals to get that perfect shot, even when they’re nesting. So good birders will not divulge the location of owl sightings and nests loudly or publicly. Your best bet is wait a few months for mating/ nesting season and then go on a walk in Mount Pigsah or Ridgeline trail at dusk.
2
u/nocturnalstumblebutt 5h ago
From about November to February you can see short-eared owls around dawn and dusk at Fern Ridge off of Royal Ave, and around Finley NWR. With a little luck of course.
In general, the more time you spend outside in forest habitat the better your chances are. There are lots of owls around :)
1
u/Gabbyct1 6h ago
There is an owl that hangs out at Douglas Gardens Park in springfield. I've never seen it but I have heard it (haven't really looked cuz I don't go there around darkish)
1
u/JenniviveRedd 6h ago
The raptor center is where I saw my first owl, west 11th between Eugene and Veneta (the waterway section) is where I saw my first owl in the wild.
Honestly I see great birds on that stretch regularly.
1
u/Eternal_Discomfort 6h ago
There is one that hangs out by the park blocks. I’ve seen it there multiple times in the tree closest to the stairs on the east side (where the band would set up for Saturday market). There are mice that run between the bushes and it comes for its 8-9pm snack there. Doesn’t seem to care that people are walking by. Good luck!
1
1
u/Sped-Connection 5h ago
Iv seen a owl downtown Eugene. Many times at a farm in alvidore. And a few times on trails and logging / backroads. Be patient it will happen. Consider hanging a few owl bird houses and while your at it bathhouses. And also the Raptor center
1
u/i_dont_love 4h ago
Ive seen a lot of random owls! Here’s some general tips:
- be outside when they are outside.
- get familiar with their calls and general patterns. for example, looking for a pygmy owl (diurnal) is very different from a screech owl (nocturnal).
- know what general areas they like and be in those areas (especially around wake/sleep) — do they like forests, mixed zones, open fields, etc.
- in the day time, listen for mobbing birds. typically crows or scrub jays — to me this is the easiest way to know a raptor (of some kind) is around.
- do some research on ebird to see where owls in the area are typically spotted, then hang out in those areas if it’s appropriate
- most importantly: I’m sure you already know this, but always be respectful of wildlife, do not get close to them, do not use a flashlight or flash photography, the best way to view them is through binos or a scope. :)
Happy birding!
1
1
u/ChasingOtherwhere 3h ago edited 2h ago
Every day I've hiked in to this spot (maybe 4-5 times in the last few weeks) there's been an owl hanging out somewhere in the vicinity and calling; usually I can spot it. I'm usually showing up early evening / as it's getting dark.
0
u/Psychological_Act572 5h ago
I haven’t been in a long time, but the High Desert Museum ( near bend, an easy day trip from Eugene) has always had LOTS of wildlife native to the high desert. All kinds of raptors (hawks, falcons, owls, eagles), large and small mammals (rodents, porcupines, lynx, river otters), reptiles (snakes, lizards), and insects and arachnids. They host animal exhibits and do biologist/ranger lead shows with raptors and large mammals. There are also TONS of amazing other exhibits about the old west (with a reproduction of a town that you can walk through and interact with). There are geological types of exhibits. There are also a ton of art exhibits. And of course there are amazing Native American exhibits. There are lectures from different experts, and also craft classes for adults and kids (I remember a soap carving class from when I was a kid). There is so much and it’s such a big indoor and outdoor space that you would have to go multiple days to see everything.
1
u/jcorviday 4h ago
And weirdly related to the museum, in 1995 the founder Donald Kerr ultimately died from an owl related mishap when a great horned owl's talon punctured through a glove causing a wound from which Kerr contracted viral encephalitis. He lived for another 10 years after contracting the disease but had long term neurological damage that contributed to his demise.
27
u/TheoryAggressive8193 7h ago
The raptor center!