Monadnock Rotary Club Bulletin for the Week of January 17. 2016

Fellow Rotarians and Friends of the Monadnock Rotary Club:

 

Our speaker for the week of January 17, 2016, was our own Tom Warren.  Tom, who is recognized as an expert in Ornithology, showed photographs and talked about the various owl's that might visit the Northeastern United States as well as other areas.  Owl's are predators and play a significant role in controlling pests such as mice, chipmunks, etc.  The most common owl that we might see in the Monadnock Region is the Barred owl.  It gets its' name from the brown "streaks" on its' body which look like bars on a window. Tom said that February is a good time to look for owls as it coincides with their nesting season.

 

  

 

Tom dispelled some myths about owls stating that their eyesight is about equivalent to a  humans.  However, they can change focus must faster than a human  He also told us that their hearing is very acute and because their ears are asymmetrical, they can use the very minute timing difference in when sound waves reach their ears to locate mice and other animals even when they are covered with snow.

  

Tom's talk was not only informative but give us all an appreciation for these magnificent birds.  Tom concluded by saying he would be willing to go for a guided "bird" walk if interested.  

 

I would encourage everyone to keep a lookout for these birds.

 

Our next meeting will be January 26, 2016, at the Dublin Community Church starting at 7:30 AM.  Our speaker will be Beth Bradford who will talking about International Child Advocacy.  Rob Harris has the Invocation and Bill Gurney has the Hat.

 

Rob Harris

President 2015-2016