by SHONA AITKEN

Special to the Sounder

Last Friday evening we received an after-hours page from someone who had seen an owl sitting by the side of Lampard Road, on the outskirts of Friday Harbor.

They called Wolf Hollow because it was still there when they came back half an hour later. By the time our staff member arrived, the owl had moved off the road and was struggling in the bushes nearby, unable to fly away. Given its location and condition, it had almost certainly been hit by a car.

In the past few weeks we have received six owls that have been struck by vehicles.

Why so many owls?

At this time of year it is dark when most people are driving home from work, or to and from evening activities, so there is a lot of traffic on the roads when owls are hunting, resulting in many being hit by cars.

Owls may be too focused on a mouse moving in the grass to notice the oncoming vehicle, or they can be dazzled and disoriented by bright headlights.

The owls we have cared for recently have ranged in size from a tiny saw-whet to larger barn and barred owls.

Two had relatively minor injuries and were able to be released after a few hours or days, but others had more severe problems and are still in our care.

The owl from Lampard Road, a large female barred owl, has an injured eye so we don’t know how long it will take her to fully recover.

When you’re driving after dark, remember to drive slowly and carefully and look out for owls and other wildlife such as deer and raccoons.

If you do hit an owl or other wild creature, call Wolf Hollow immediately (378-5000) so we can provide help as soon as possible. If it’s after hours, our answering machine will provide the pager number for the staff member who is on call that night.

Call that number and punch in your phone number when prompted, so we can get back in touch with you for details. In the case of a badly injured deer, it is best to call the San Juan County Sheriff’s Department at 378-4151.

As the daylight hours grow shorter in winter it is especially important to drive cautiously in the mornings and evenings when nocturnal wild creatures are active and often need to cross roads in their search for food and shelter.