New Year Reflections Hike Join us for a 2.5-mile, round-trip hike and take this opportunity to reflect on the passing of the old year and the arrival of the new. Sat., January 2 10:00 - 11:30 a.m. Cinder Cone Hike Learn about volcanoes and the volcanic activity responsible for the lava flows in the park. Hike to the top of the Snow Canyon cinder cone during this 1.5-mile, roundtrip hike. Sat., January 16 10:00 - 11:30 a.m. Moonlit Hike Join park staff for a moonlit ,two-mile hike. Enjoy the unique opportunity to see the canyon by moon-glow! Fri., January 29 7:00 - 8:30 p.m. Geologic History of Snow Canyon Travel back 200 million years to a time when great floodplains and deserts inhabited this area! Join Marc Deshowitz, retired geologist for Shell Oil Co., as he discusses forces that

formed the canyon and enable us to see the exposed Kayenta and Navajo chapters of earth history. Fri., February 12 7:00 - 8:30 p.m. Under a Desert Moon Expand your lunar knowl-edge! Enjoy an evening of moon gazing with guest astronomer, Laura Cotts, as she discusses this long celebrated feature of the night sky! Fri., February 26 6:30 - 8:00 p.m.

Lava Tubes Tour Join park staff for a two-mile, roundtrip hike and the chance to explore the unique formations of a lava tube! Sat., March 6 10:00 - 11:30 a.m. Nature Sketching Explore the fun of nature sketching on this 1.5-mile, roundtrip hike! (previous art experience not necessary). Sat., March 20 10:00 - 11:30 a.m.

Winter Calendar of Events VOLUM E 6, IS S UE 3

DE CEM BER 19, 2009

All listed events are free and open to the public. Space is limited; registration required. Program registration is held two days proceed-ing the scheduled event.

Register by phone or in person. For more information or to register for a program contact park staff at (435) 628-2255.

Snow Canyon State Park

Winter Snowfall, 2007 photograph by Maria Werner .

1002 Snow Canyon Drive Ivins, UT 84738

Snow Canyon State Park Does the dead of winter sound like a good time to nest? It does if you are a Great Horned Owl! This permanent resident of Washington County, Bubo virginianus, is actively engaged in ‘family affairs’ this frosty time of year. These early nesters begin courtship by November and December; you may hear males hooting in the early evening and pre-dawn hours as they establish breeding territories. After a brief courtship, a male and female will mate and select a nest site. Why do great horned owls choose the coldest months of the year to nest? The answer may be connected in part to where they prefer to nest. They often use abandoned nests of other large birds, such as red-tailed hawks. Since they nest in winter, they do not have competition for nesting sites from other birds. Most birds, including eagles, will not challenge the owl’s presence if finding one in their former abode. Would you? Eggs are usually laid in January and February. Clutches average three to four in size and incubate for 30 to 37 days. The female spends most of the time on the nest, while the male brings food. Though the young will be able to fly after 45 to 49 days, they may remain with the parents until the following winter.

Because of their nocturnal habits, few people ever see these hunters of the night. However, you have proba-bly heard their trademark call—“hooo-hoo, hoo-hoo, hoo-hoo”. The great horned owl is the most widespread North American owl, breeding in all types of habitats. If you want to find out if any are in your

neighborhood, go out some winter evening and ‘hoot’ as loud as you can (don’t worry what your human neighbors think)! Watch and listen… maybe one will hoot back or even fly by to see Whooo is in their territory!

Phone: (435) 628-2255 Fax: (435) 628-9321

Email: snowcanyon@utah.gov Web: www.stateparks.utah.gov

Utah State Parks: Providing opportunities to

enhance the quality of life by preserving natural, cultural,

and recreational resources for the enjoyment, education, and inspiration of this and future

generations.

Whooo Likes it Cold? The Great Horned Owl, That’s Whooo!

Great Horned Owl and Young, photo from SCSP collection

Did You Know: • Female owls are usually larger

than male owls. • The barn owls’ hearing is so

highly developed that they can hunt their prey in total

darkness! • The world’s smallest owl is the

elf owl, which is the size of a sparrow and weighs 1.5 ounces.

• Owls swallow their prey whole because they have no teeth—after about 12 hours they cough up the feathers, bones, and fur in a football shaped pellet.

• Owl feathers are fluffier than other bird’s feathers—it dead-ens the sound of flapping so they can fly silently.

Great Horned Owl , photo from SCSP collection