Fall Path, Weir Farms NHS, Connecticut. NPS Photo.

Connecticut’s Weir Preserve and Weir Farm National Historic Site will host their 17th annual Halloween Owl Prowl on Friday evening, October 30, 7:30–9:00 PM. Owlers will gather in the Burlingham Barn at Weir Farm National Historic Site for a pre­sen­ta­tion by Frank Gallo on owls that live in this area. Using slides and props, he will review the unique char­ac­ter­is­tics of these birds—talons, hear­ing, eyesight—that make owls such effec­tive rap­tors of the night. He will also dis­cuss some of the mythol­ogy that has grown up around owls. Following his pre­sen­ta­tion, the group will pro­ceed to nearby fields where Frank will attempt to call in screech owls, barred owls and great horned owls.

Frank Gallo is Director, Coastal Center at Milford Point, of the Connecticut Audubon Society. He is a vet­eran of bird walks and owl prowls in Weir Preserve. In ear­lier prowls, screech owls, barred owls and great horned owls have responded to Frank’s calls and have been seen.

Weir Farm National Historic Site is located at the cor­ner of Nod Hill Road and Pelham Lane on the Wilton-Ridgefield bor­der. There is no park­ing at the site, so prowlers are required to park at the Branchville Elementary School on Florida Road near the inter­sec­tion of Rt. 102, across from Ancona’s Market, in Ridgefield. Shuttle vans will take vis­i­tors to and from Weir Farm National Historic Site there­fore ensur­ing that owls are not dis­turbed by the car traffic.

Parents are urged to bring chil­dren of all ages. There is no charge for the event, and no rain date. Questions may be directed to Weir Preserve pro­gram direc­tor, Bruce Beebe, 834‑5066.

Weir Preserve is a 110-acre con­ser­va­tion area assem­bled by Wilton res­i­dents begin­ning in 1967. It was owned by The Nature Conservancy Connecticut Chapter until trans­fer to Weir Farm Art Center in 2005. The Center is a pri­vate sup­port orga­ni­za­tion of Weir Farm National Historic Site, Connecticut’s only national park and the only national park ded­i­cated to American paint­ing. The Weir Preserve and Weir Farm National Historic Site are named for J. Alden Weir, a lead­ing American Impressionist painter at the turn of the last cen­tury. Weir and his fam­ily spent sum­mers at the farm which he acquired in 1883. Weir Preserve was ini­ti­ated with a land dona­tion by Cora Weir Burlingham, daugh­ter of the artist.

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