Owling Kern County

The owls of Kern County include Barn, Short-eared, Long-eared, Great Horned, Spotted, Western Screech-, Flammulated, Northern Pygmy-, Northern Saw-whet, and Burrowing.
Up Breckenridge Mountain, Western Screech-Owls occur as low as the Cottonwood Creek crossing on Breckenridge Rd. They become common at about the 17-mile mark and occur where oaks predominate up to about the 20-mile mark. (Mile markers are on the reflective paddles alongside the road.) Once you pass the 22-mile mark and pines become common, Northern Saw-Whet Owls may be seen/heard at just about any stop. I have had Spotted Owls from this same point all the way to the campground at the top, but a pair has been at the 25-mile mark for several years, including 2007-2008. At the very top, along the crestline from about 28 miles to the entrance to the campground, I have heard as many as 6 Flammulated Owls. Northern Pygmy-Owls are quite common from 22 miles to the top at dawn and for the first few hours after. Great Horned Owls are not common, interestingly enough, although I have had them in the area of the campground at the top of Breckenridge Mountain. This may be more a function of their not being sought as much as the others. I have called the other owls in, but have never attempted calling Great Horned.
March 21 trip, 2008
I didn't manage to get out early enough to hear the "good stuff." I arrived at the 26-mile mark of Breckenridge Mountain about 5:30. It was still dark, but showing some light on the eastern horizon. I played the Spotted Owl, but had no response. Shortly thereafter, a Northern Pygmy Owl began to sing, spontaneously. There was a distant answer. Off and on for the next hour, the Pygmy continued to sing from various perches, near where I was parked. I couldn't proceed higher because the snow fields were becoming larger and deeper on the road. I turned around and headed down. I played both Western Screech- and Pygmy to attract songbirds. Both birds called back at multiple locations. The lowest elevation response fromt he Pygmy was at 20 miles.
After extensive reading, I assume Flams arrive the last week of April. I'll try then. Saw Whet and Spotted are around, but I haven't tried for them. Maybe in the next couple weeks, I'll try to get back up there. It was only 38 degrees at the highest elevation, so snow will continue to melt.

May 2-3 trip
In conjunction with the 2008 BioFest, Gary File and I led an owling field trip up Breckenridge Mountain. We found 5 Flammulated Owls from mile 29 to mile 33 at the crest of Breckenridge Rd., leading to Breckenridge Campground. We also had 3 Northern Saw-whet Owls in that same area. These were the first occurrence of Flams so far this year, including those seen at the top of the Greenhorns on a May 2 field trip led by Dan Lockshaw. Our Flams were calling spontaneously, for the most part. The territory at about mile 29 (the top of the hill coming from the west) had two owls. The other three were singletons.

June 14, 2008
This trip was with Nick and Mary Freeman, from Pasadena. We started in Breckenridge Campground where, much to my surprise, there was a Flammulated Owl located by Mary, using her ipod recording of a Flam as encouragement. The owl responded at dusk, before complete darkness set in, and we could watch the bird flit from tree to tree, finally getting a spotlight on it for a few seconds. We worked from about the 29-mile mark. A Saw-whet responded at that spot, but did not come in. About .5 miles toward the campground, another Flam responded and we found that one in the light, as well. (A Flying Squirrel was a weird addition to the night animals at the next stop.) At the third stop, a Saw-whet AND a Flam responded. And at the fourth stop, a Saw-whet gave a virtual recital of calls, some of which I had never heard, before. We didn't try for any other species. I departed as the sun rose, and much to my chagrine, the Freeman's didn't find a Northern Pygmy in the morning. Ugh! I should have stayed and gotten them that bird.
The Freeman's are expert birders and owlers. I think I learned much more than they. Watching them was a real lesson in owling and a treat for me. All I did was get them in the territory and they did the rest.
July 5, 2008
Bob and Chita McKinney traveled all the way from Rochester, New York, to try for Flam, Pygmy, and Spotted Owls on Breckenridge. We departed at about 1 a.m. and were playing Spotted recordings by about 2:30. No luck. I don't think the Spotted Owls are present on that part of Breckenridge, this year. At the same starting point as usual, at the top of the hill above the vacation cabins, there were three Flammulated Owls. We stopped every half mile and had two Flams at each of the next two stops. After trying again for Spotted Owls working down from mile 27+ to about 25.5, there were no responses, so we awaited dawn. But we did have another Flam responding the Spotted Owl recording at about 27.5 miles. That was the first time I've had Flams below the 29-mile mark. Once the sun was up, we had 3 Northern Pygmy Owls and visuals on two around the 26 and 27-mile marks.