Barred owl has been chosen as April Bird of Month

The next time you are playing at Boyd Pond Park, stop a minute to think about the animals and birds playing there, too.

The park is home to much more than softball and soccer fields. It is home to all manner of wildlife, and the recreational area pays homage to its winged inhabitants with its "Bird of the Month" recognition.

April's bird is the barred owl, also commonly known as the hoot owl.

Park Supervisor Vincent DiPietro said that with every site he's supervised, he wants to bring into focus the natural and cultural resources to augment the experiences of park visitors.

But that hasn't always been simple. The site he previously supervised was the Statue of Liberty National Monument and Ellis Island, and it wasn't easy to notice the fowls that made the park their home.

"Although this 210-acre property was formally an employee recreation area, it is much more. It is a living experiment, demonstrating its own life cycle in relation to the world around it," DiPietro said.

So when thinking of how to highlight the "living experiment," DiPietro took inspiration from his pet bird, a parrot named Leopold.

"Personally, I wasn't always interested in (birds) until I became the owner of a 12-week-old parrot several years ago, which we named Leopold," he said. "I soon realized just how intelligent, independent and influential these beautiful and interesting creatures are."

The barred owl can be found in the Eastern United States and is primarily gray and brown with white touches. According to the Carolina Raptor Center, barred owls are loud and vocal birds with "Hoo-hoo-to-hoo-oo, hoo-hoo to wha-aa" vocalizations, which can often sound like, "Who cooks for you? Who cooks for you all?"

Ron Brenneman, owner of Birds & Butterflies and a member of Aiken Outdoors, helped install barred owl nest boxes in Hitchcock Woods several years ago and continues to monitor them.

"We've had no success yet (in getting the owls to nest there)," he said. "But we've had some raccoons, various and sundry animals. All owls are neat animals."

DiPietro encourages those interested in barred owls or bird watching in general to visit Boyd Pond Park, noting he has had the opportunity to see dozens of birds there.

"It's a bird watcher's paradise. Each species brings their own contributions, beautiful songs and lessons for us to learn. Knowing them better can only bring a more complete understanding of just how important they are and how important parks are, as well. That's why I focus on a different bird each month," he said.

Boyd Pond Park is located at 373 Boyd Pond Road and can be reached at 642-0314.

Breakout

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