worldpress_spottedowls-5242
Christopher Mccafferty, a biologist with the U.S. Forest Service, pauses to listen for signs of northern spotted owls while bushwhacking through forests near Newport, Ore. In the background is fellow biologist for the forest service, Brandon Henson. The wilderness areas here are among the thickest and best-suited for northern spotted owls with a number of old-growth trees scattered through the area. Teams here are using more passive techniques to survey for owls, mainly camera traps and audio recording devices scattered through the forest. Mccafferty has previously spotted a new female northern spotted owl in the area and is trying to find her again. Mccafferty has seen a lot of changes throughout these forests in the 30 years that he's worked on spotted owl studies. On this trip, he was unable to find the owl again. "They're like freaking ghosts," he says. "You find something, and then it's gone again."