Spotlight on Science Writers: Mark Wilson
“..my classmates bestowed the nickname of Birdman, as they noted my intense and somewhat geeky interest in birds. I adopted the name as a badge of honor. ”
For the past 40 years, my life has revolved around birds as an observer, scientist, and photographer. Ultimately, as an author, I was able to tell the stories from all of my adventures.
Throughout my childhood, I had the privilege of spending many days outside exploring the woods and marsh at the end of my suburban road. Each trip contributed to my perception of these surroundings, and I realized that there is more richness in the natural world than I ever imagined.
I began crafting poems and journaling about the Great Horned Owl, Ruffed Grouse, Wood Turtles, or Connecticut Warbler I discovered in a patch of woods near my house. Recording my observations in my journal always seemed like a natural thing to do.
When my family bought a 16-foot canoe, my horizons expanded. I quickly learned how to carry it down to the river on my own. Lying in the bottom of the canoe one fall afternoon, watching hawks migrate overhead as I floated along, I saw my first Peregrine Falcon — a raptor capable of reaching 200 mph in the air!
Wanting to share my experiences with others, I pieced together words and photographs. Capturing these moments took a toll on my dad’s binoculars and Nikon 35mm camera, and helped solidify my reputation. By 8th or 9th grade, my classmates bestowed the nickname of Birdman, as they noted my intense and somewhat geeky interest in birds. I adopted the name as a badge of honor.
In Arizona’s Sonoran Desert, author and wildlife photojournalist Mark Wilson watched this male Elf Owl peek from its nest cavity in a saguaro cactus just after sunset. The male soon flew out to begin his hunt for insects and lizards. Elf Owls are the smallest owls in the world. Photo © Mark Wilson, used with permission
Fortuitously, I have upheld the nickname and was granted a contract to write and photograph a kid’s owl book about all the owls that nest in North America. However, there was one slight obstacle — I had never observed or photographed 7 of the 19 species that would appear in the book! Having lived all my life in the eastern United States, I’d never seen the western owls. I was now tasked with not only finding, but photographing each missing species.
One-month long trip into the desert, canyons, and mountains of southern Arizona turned up most of the missing owls. A favorite memory was observing the Burrowing Owls lolling in 120-degree heat. The sunlit sand was so hot that the little owls had to hotfoot it across to the “cool” shade of a creosote bush, where it had to be 100 degrees or more.
On this same trip, I couldn’t find the secretive Flammulated Owl — I had struck out on finding “Flamms” more than once. Most of the time, I was in dark woods where I could hear the tiny owls, but I couldn’t see one. I had to hire an owl guide and ended up finding seven Flamms in one night!
Embarking on a deeper knowledge of nature can seem overwhelming at first. But I've learned that by reading, noticing, observing, and recording you can slowly but surely grow your own knowledge and appreciation of nature. I was lucky to have the opportunity to combine my love for birds with my writing and photography skills. For the next generations, I hope you continue to explore the wilderness and find your own connections to nature as I did.
About the Author
Mark Wilson is an award-winning wildlife photojournalist who has written about and photographed birds for more than 40 years! He and his wife run Eyes On Owls, an educational program that brings live owls to schools and groups. He lives in Dunstable, Massachusetts.
His book, Owling: Enter the World of the Mysterious Birds of the Night, was the winner for the 2020 AAAS/Subaru Book Prize in the Middle Grades category.
GOING FURTHER
Book/Author Resources
EYES ON OWLS brings live owl programs to schools, libraries, garden clubs, land trusts, nature centers, museums and private functions throughout New England and New York. Check out his website to learn more about owls or book a program.
Watch a YouTube video chat with three of Mark Wilson’s educational owls.
Owls
Owls aren’t always the secluded, deep-woods birds we make them out to be. In fact, they could be a lot closer than you think—maybe as close as that woodsy little park across from your school, that sweet smelling hay field down the road from your home, or that shady cemetery next to the freeway. Use Wilson’s Owling: Enter the World of the Mysterious Birds of the Night to locate these elusive birds in your community.
Owls often swallow their meal whole, then spit out the fur and bones that can’t be eaten. This conglomerate of materials come out in a small pellet, a little smaller than an egg. Dissecting an owl pellet is a good way to learn about the eating habits of birds of prey. Owl pellet dissections are a common science classroom activity, but if you don’t have a pellet handy, try a virtual dissection by Kidwings.
What has the author been reading? Set in remote eastern Russia, this story chronicles the difficult and at times discouraging efforts while studying a little-known, salmon eating owl- Blakiston’s Fish Owl. Owls of the Eastern Ice: A Quest to Find and Save the World’s Largest Owl by Jonathan C. Slaght highlights the challenges of field research, especially when working in remote, hard-to-access areas studying a secretive owl that few people have seen or even know about.
Barn Owls are the most widely distributed owl in the world, and may be one of the most common, as well. Investigate how the Barn Owl has adapted to so many different geographic conditions with this AAAS/Subaru Loves Learning “Owl Quest” Activity.
Citizen Science
For the past 30 years the Owl Research Institute has been monitoring 10 owl species in Montana and Alaska. Check out the ten different long-term research projects and possibly help as seasonal volunteers. Additionally, check out this program’s live cam partnership with Explore.Org to watch the secret lives of owls from the comfort of your own home.
If you are in Illinois area, consider joining MOON (Monitoring of Owls and Nightjars), a volunteer-based monitoring program. Participants monitor specific stop routes for owls and nightjars from the months of June to August to estimate species distributions, migrations, and population trends. To learn more visit wwx.inhs.illinois.edu/research/moon.