 |
COLUMBIA - A Sandy Run family was among those who recently enjoyed a wild night out during the popular Owl Prowl at Congaree National Park.
"My mother brought me to the Owl Prowl when I was about the age my daughter is now," Sandy Run resident Job Jeffrey said. "I really enjoyed it, and that's why I brought my family tonight."
Jeffrey brought his wife, two children and mother-in-law to take the Owl Prowl tour for the first time. Eight-year-old Samantha Jeffrey, who was anticipating seeing owls and trees, said what she didn't want to see were snakes.
"We're going to be in the swamp," Samantha said.
Her 15-year-old brother, Daniel, added, "We're going to walk on top of it."
Walking on top of the swamp means walking on the elevated boardwalk that runs from the visitor center to Weston Lake. The round trip is 2.4 miles. The Owl Prowl is an easy, after-dark walk through Congaree National Park. According to Park Ranger Corinne Fenner and park volunteer John Galbary, these walks have been a popular attraction for approximately 20 years.
Fenner has been a park ranger for about three years, serving at Shenandoah National Park, the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia and at Big Cypress National Preserve before coming to Congaree in March.
"I wanted a job outside and one where I could help people understand and make responsible decisions about the environment and nature," Fenner said.
The tour starts after dark, and participants are asked to bring flashlights. The flashlights are covered in red cellophane to minimize glare once everyone's eyes have become accustomed to the dark.
While leading the tour, Fenner stopped periodically to discuss owl facts, the species of owls at the park and to answer questions. She said an owl's vision is eight times better than a human's vision and that if human eyes were as large as an owl's in proportion to body size, our eyes would be as large as grapefruits.
Fenner said three species of owls inhabit the park. The largest is the Great Horned Owl. The "horns" are really tufts of feathers, the park ranger said. When the owl elongates its body, this helps to camouflage it, she added.
The Great Horned Owl grows to be about two feet tall, has yellow eyes and eats larger mammals such as opossums, rabbits, cats and even skunks. It is better known as the "hoot owl" and takes over the nests of hawks and falcons during nesting season.
The Barred Owl is the second largest owl at Congaree National Park, Fenner said. It is named for the striped or barred feather pattern on its chest. This owl has no feather tufts on its head and is the only owl that has brown eyes. This is the least nocturnal owl, so it is often possible to catch a glimpse of it during daylight hours.
"The smallest owl in the park and also my personal favorite is the Screech Owl," Fenner said. "This owl also has feather tufts on its head like the Great Horned Owl and also has two color phases, the rufus, or red and the grey phase."
Fenner said the Screech Owl only grows to a maximum length of 10 inches but is a very fierce predator. She related a story of how an injured Screech Owl attacked a park ranger, causing serious injury to the ranger's face with its extremely sharp talons. These owls mostly eat insects and particularly seem to enjoy moths, but they have been known to kill and eat birds as big as blue jays, Fenner said.
The Screech Owl is the most nocturnal of the owls at Congaree and, like the Barred Owl, nests in woodpecker holes.
Fenner said there have been reports of Barn Owls at the park, but these sightings have not been confirmed by the park staff.
Park volunteer John Galbary there are many fall programs at Congaree National Park besides the Owl Prowl tour. They include: Nature Discovery guided walks from 9:30-11 a.m. on Saturdays; a Fall Lecture Series on certain Wednesday evenings through December and canoeing from noon until 4 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.
The Owl Prowl will be held on Friday evenings through Nov. 30. There is no charge for these walks; however, reservations are required and can be made no earlier than two weeks in advance.
Congaree National Park is located at 100 National Park Road in Hopkins. For more information on the Owl Prowl and other activities available at the park, call the park office at 803-776-4396 or go to www.nps.gov/cong.
T&D Correspondent Loretta Demko can be reached by e-mail at eeshtenem@yahoo.com. Discuss this and other stories online at TheTandD.com.