Same. I am incredibly fortunate to live in the woods. We have barred owls I can see and hear throughout the year. Mainly see them during the day but they only speak up in the night. February/March(very early signs of Spring when pussy willow catskins are breaking open, red wing black birds are back in the area) is their mating season in New England so there is much more activity. One tip I can contribute is if you have a facebook account, some states have a wildlife or nature groups where individuals post pictures and leads or state/local parks who have owling meet ups. Never heard about the above mentioned ebirds but that's an interesting tip to look into!!! I guess you have to think about an owls ideal survival conditions to track them down. Hope this was helpful! Best of luck!!