Hilliardton Marsh Centre research shows healthy owl population in northern Ont.

Morning North4:36Backroads Bill - Owls

We reached Bill Steer, a.k.a. Backroads Bill to talk about owls on our Good News program. Volunteers are banding owls in the Hillardton March and the good news is... the owl population is doing well. Bill was happy to provide us with some details.

Northern Ontario adventurer Backroads Bill Steer spent a night in the dark near New Liskeard, Ont., trying to shed some light on the owl species.

"We didn't know much about them," said Steer.

But that is changing, thanks to the work of the volunteers at the The Hilliardton Marsh Bird and Wetland Research and Education Centre.

The volunteers use recordings to lure owls, capture them in nets unharmed, check on their health and then band them.

While there Backroads Bill said he observed a "triple crown" of three species: a saw-whet, boreal and long-eared owl — all caught in the same night. 

"It augers well to say that we have a healthy owl population," said Steer.

Within three weeks the volunteers captured and banded 75 long-eared owls, 58 boreal owls and 475 saw-whet owls. 

Backroads Bill is an outdoor adventurer, and founder of the Canadian Ecology Centre, near Mattawa. Check out Bill's website here, or look him up on Facebook at Steer to Northern Ontario. And don't forget to check out some of his other segments on our website.