You can walk off that Christmas turkey while hunting for owls next week.

The Great Dismal Swamp Wildlife Refuge is holding its winter owl prowl on Dec. 28. Visitors will meet at the Jericho Lane parking area at 5:15 p.m. and hike for about a mile along the Jericho Ditch Trail, said Sara Casey, the refuge’s office assistant.

The hike will last about an hour.

“We’ll walk out into the swamp and look for owls, bats and night critters,” said Casey. “It can be hit or miss. But if we get lucky, we’ll spot an owl or two.”

The refuge has hosted several owl prowl events annually for the past few years, Casey said. Approximately 25 bird enthusiasts from across Hampton Roads turned out for the most recent one at Halloween.

Owls remain in the Great Dismal Swamp year round. But, according to Casey, they are easiest to spot in the treetops during the winter, when leaves have fallen off the trees.

The refuge has become increasingly well known among birdwatchers for its annual spring birding festival. Owl prowls are a major attraction among the hundreds of birders who attend, because they get access to the refuge at night to hear the birds.

The 10th annual birding festival is scheduled for April 21-23.

To register for the owl prowl, call 986-3705.