Shhh! Try not to disturb owls when snowmobiling

farmland into a vast welcome mat of grasslands and other terrain at Rollins Savanna, forest preserve officials are keeping an eye on human activity to make sure one skittish visitor isn't scared off.The short-eared owl, an uncommon winter resident in north and central Illinois, has found the district's largest habitat restoration to its liking. With snow now falling, some birders are concerned the roar of snowmobile sleds could scare them off."They're pretty cool looking," says Beau Schaefer, a biology teacher at Libertyville High School and avid birder."I've seen the short-eared owls there on a number of occasions the past two weeks, and I've never seen them before. Motorized vehicles would be disturbing to them, I think."Jim Anderson, the district's natural resource manager, agrees it's something to keep an eye on."We're going to be monitoring it very closely," he said. "It's become a pressing issue."Anderson said the owls and northern harriers have been observed at Rollins the past three winters. Both hunt voles, small burrowing rodents. Compacting the snow could have an impact on the voles as a food source.Frequent birders will be looking out for the owls, which are an endangered species in Illinois.They're not yet nesting at Rollins, but getting them to do that would be considered a victory."It's a bird we would certainly love to have staying in the area," said Anderson, about the short-eared owl.Anderson noted that snowmobiling has been popular at Rollins long before the district acquired the property. The issue came up last year, he said, but the snowmobile season was so short that no action was needed.Rollins is one of several locations in the forest preserve system where snowmobiling is allowed. The trail is part of a larger system provided by the Northeastern Illinois Association of Snowmobile Clubs.The club gets permission from landowners along the way, including the forest preserve district. Trails are marked by the club as directed."We haven't heard of anything," regarding owls or other birds, said Jim McNeil, president of the Gages Lake snowmobile club who assists in trail marking."If there's a change in direction, we'll work with them."Schaefer, in a letter he says he'll be sending to district officials, cites national parks where snowmobiling is limited or prohibited because of effects on wildlife."It would be a real tragedy, I think, to lose such a rarely seen bird because of a recreational activity," the letter says.McNeil said snowmobile clubs have a code of ethics that includes not chasing animals."It's whatever they want as landowners," he said. "We just all try to get along."