We all have our own secret little birding spots, those nooks of habitats that we find so magically. One of my spots is a little dirt road on the north side of the Ninepipe National Wildlife Refuge. So many times I have crept along this road as the dust settles from one of the occasional passing trucks, and sighted a Short-eared Owl perched on a fence post. As the one of these owls silently bursts into flight, the Mission Mountains loom in the background. The owl circles round several times before swooping over the rolling landscape and melding into the valley. I have visited that spot for years, and I have every intention to continued to do so. But, it is a secret I like to share, and nothing beats the joy of someone seeing their first Short-eared Owl.
