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EnvironmentWildlife17TuesdayJune320142014CongratulationsPWKGraduatesAwishforthegraduateHopeyourfuturebloomsbrightwithsuccess.CongratulationsFortSmithHealthandSocialServicesAuthority867872-6200SmithsLandingFirstNationP.O.Box1470FortSmithNTX0E0P0Ph867872-4950Fax867872-5154SmithsLandingFirstNationwouldliketocongratulatethe2014graduatesontheiracademicachievements.WoodBuffalosurveyorsgetanearfulofrareowlsByMARIACHURCHItsabigyearforrareowlsinWoodBuffaloNa-tionalPark.Forthefourthyearinarowvolunteerowlsurvey-orsledbyParksCanadastaffcombedtheWoodBuffalowoodsafterdarktocounthootsandforthethirdyearanunusualowlwasheard.Onlythistimearoundthenocturnalbirderspickedupthesoundsofnotonebutthreenon-nativeowls.SharonIrwintheleadsurveyorforWoodBuffalosaidtheteamheardthecalloftwobarredowlsandanorth-ernsaw-whetowlduringthefour-weeksurvey.AccordingtoIrwinbothspeciesofowlarenotnor-mallyfoundthisfarnorthbutovertheyearsseemtohavebeenexpandingtheirrange.Therangemapshowsthemfurthersouthbutweveheardthemafewtimesbe-foreshesaid.TheannualsurveywhichissplitintotwoperiodsfromMar.20toApr.10andApr.11toMay5hasvolunteerowlerstrompingaroundeightto11routesandstop-pingeveryfewkilometrestoplaypre-recordedowlcalls.Theteamsusuallyintwoswouldthenstraintheirearsforthesoundofareturnhoot.ItcanbereallyfunespeciallyinthesecondperiodwhenthefrogsarestartingtosingandyoumighthearotherbirdsIrwinsaid.Thisyearstotalowlcountisdownbutthatsmainlyduetothecoldspringthatkepttheowlsquietduringthefirstpe-riodshesaid.Itwasreallycoldandreallywindysothecon-ditionswerenotverygoodforowling.Theytellyounottogooutifitsalotcolderthanaverage.Somepeopledidgooutanywaysandtheyeitherheardnoth-ingormaybeoneowlIrwinsaid.ThecoldertemperaturesweregoodnewsforafewnewsurveyorsthisyearwhojoinedtheteamfromFortChipewyan.TheywereabletotakeonanewsouthernrouteduringtherstperiodwhiletheiceroadintoWoodBuffalowasstillopen.Intotal38owlswerecountedintheparkcomprisedof19borealowlsthreegreathornedowls12greatgreyowlsthethreerareowlsandoneunknownowl.Whilethedatashowsade-crease-lastyeartherewere63andtheyearbefore49-thesurveystyleisnotyetreliableenoughtousefortrend-set-tingpurposesbytheparksscientistsIrwinsaid.Wedependonvolunteersandsometimespeoplearebusyorsometimespeoplesaytheyllcomeoutbuttheweatherdoesntworkoutortimingdoesntworkout.Comparedtothelasttwoyearswehadfewerroutesdoneshesaid.Thedataisnotfornothingthough.ThenumberofowlscountedinAlbertaissenttotheBeaverhillBirdObserva-torynearEdmontonforitsan-nualAlbertaNocturnalOwlSurveywhilethetotalcountissentbytheobservatorytoaNorthAmericanequivalent.PhotocourtesyofJohnMcKinnonThenorthernsaw-whetowlwasoneofseveralforeignowlsheard.Surveyorsfound12greatgreyowlsinanannualsurveyofWoodBuffaloNationalPark.PhotocourtesyofGaryMStolzU.S.FishandWildlifeService