Tag: #BarredOwl

Straight Out of the Tree Hole

I think I know which tree hole the baby was in. I just was never there to see it stick its head out. So the first time I saw the owlet, it was after it had fledged.

Straight Out of the Tree Hole- The mother barred owl

The dad is traveling the woods hunting for dinner. The mom perches on a branch of a tree within eyesight watching her youngster. She is trying to encourage it and keep it safe.

Straight Out of the Tree Hole- Barred Owlet – This was high up in a tree.

It has rained a lot this spring and it has been very windy at times. It has reduced the number of times I have been out looking for owls. I see a lot of new downed trees in local woods. The night I took these it was cloudy and near sunset, so the conditions were very dark. Here’s hoping if you are experiencing a drought you get some rain, and if you are getting too much you get a reprieve. Happy Friday!

Superb Owl Sunday

What is Superb Owl Sunday? It is a day to celebrate owls while others are immersed in football. Some go on hikes, trips to the zoo, or a wildlife refuge where owls have been known to be. Here is one kind of owl I saw recently: the barred owl.

Superb Owl Sunday

We have experienced a few minor snow storms to date that have only left a few inches of the the fluffy white stuff. This was after one of these storms. This owl did not look too happy about it.

Superb Owl Sunday

It was a dark and dreary day after the snow fall. When I took the above picture it was from an angle with less light. This the the first time I have seen a barred owl sitting parked in a tree hole. I have seen the owlets do this, but not an adult. The parent will stay inside the hole in side the tree when there are eggs and when there are owlets not ready to fledge. I have only seen the owlets at the hole just prior to fledging.

If you were not into the Super Bowl I hope you were able to get out an enjoy something else like the Superb Owl Sunday.

Barred Owl Family Number 2

I found two barred owl families this spring/ summer. The first family had three owlets and they were making the hissing like noise they make when hungry while inside the tree. This second family, in another location, had one owlet.

Barred Owl Family Number 2- most likely the mom

The first family had a great horned owl family come into its territory. Either the parents moved the owlets farther away onto private land, or the great horned owls got them, which they will do. I saw the second family’s baby for several days, then saw it no longer. To be fair, it was very close to private land when I saw it. Owls will have the baby move around, although it seems no further than about a 1/4 of a mile from the nest, when it is still relying on parents for food. I am hoping the story on this one is they moved to private land.

Barred Owl Family Number 2– they had one owlet

The parents are savvy and hide in the shade. The owlet seems to relish the light from the sun. Enjoy your week!

Barred Owl Basking in a Sliver of Light

I do not know how people get owls in great light. I never see barred owls especially, out in the open. They are usually hiding in a bush, within the dark part of the woods, or within branches.

Barred Owl Basking in a Sliver of Light – One eye open
Barred Owl Basking in a Sliver of Light – Eyes closed

Luckily I found this barred owl basking in a sliver of light. These are not recent shots. Enjoy your week!

Barred Owl in a Bush

If a barred acts like it is sleeping, sometimes the birds leave it alone. Sometimes if I stand there and watch it for a while they leave it alone.

Barred Owl in a Bush

I guess the birds figure the owl will not try to hunt them while I am there. I have yet to see an owl catch a bird. I usually see them get chipmunks etc. Either the owl is either catching a very short nap or is pretending to sleep. I don’t know if you would call this a cat nap. Would you?

Nothing to See Here

Nothing to See Here – Barred Owl

I came upon this barred owl when I heard birds going nuts in the woods. I was about to walk this way and saw this owl. Its mate was hunting nearby. I felt like the owl was thinking there is nothing to see here, move along. I took a picture then left. Sometimes the male hunts for food for the female, and sometimes they are hunting to feed the young. I have seen the male bring the female his catch . Have a great holiday weekend!

Barred Owl 2020

I took this photo in 2020. Instead of hiking around Manhattan, I was hiking in the woods north of the city. I think I can say many altered their lives in significant ways after March of 2020, although for some it may have been temporary.

Barred Owl 2020

Have you made changes that you stuck to? For me it was probably taking more animal pictures. What about you?

Barred Owl Open and Shut

The barred owl has a facial disk. The disk is composed of feathers that grow around the owl’s head. These feathers help make the bared owl a skilled hunter. These feathers they say help direct sound to the bird’s ears. They say it is the same effect as cupping your hands behind your ears. The disk feathers allow them to hear the movement of a mouse in the grass, the flapping of feathers in the night, or the slithering of a snake in a tree or on the ground.

Barred Owl Open and Shut- In a brief window of light from the setting sun
Barred Owl Open and Shut- Cloudy

The hunter becomes the hunted in the Pacific Northwest. The government wants to cull barred owls. The barred owl is being blamed for the decrease in population of the spotted owl. The barred is more indigenous to the east coast, but has been moving over the the Pacific Northwest. Therefore, the US Fish and Wildlife wants people to kill 500,000 of them. It is very controversial as it will eliminate a species in one area to save another. What do you think?

The Barred are Back!

This pair has been in and out of public land at one of the many places I hike. It has mostly been outside of public land past two years. Too many things have happened and continue to happen that keep them on private lands. Tonight the pair crossed the border into public land.

The Barred are Back!

I actually saw one of them on Sunday morning. I was looking at another bird and the owl made one of the many sounds a barred owl makes. Turns out it was in a neighbouring tree. I would like to think it was saying hi!

The Barred are Back!

I have not heard any of the usual telltale signs they are near in the past several months such as the complaining of robins, bluejays, chipmunks, etc. Birds complain when a hawk or owl is nearby. Tonight was the first time I heard the signs, but it was well after I saw it.

The Barred are Back!

The pictures above and below are at sunset. It actually caught something on the ground and carried it to a neighbouring tree to its mate. The mate ate a little then carried it off towards private land. I think they will only be occasional opportunities on the fly to see them again this year.

The Barred are Back! It caught something on the ground right after this picture.

I hope I see them again in the future. This was unexpected, but great nonetheless.

Owl Door Dash

I started hearing mayhem amongst the birds in the woods. Crows, a blue jay, some other bird with an annoying call were complaining loudly. I went towards the sound and thought maybe the owl or a hawk caught a bird. The following pictures were taken right before sunset in the woods.

I saw what I believe is the female owl sitting patiently looking up in the trees in the direction of the sound. It turns out the male owl had caught an animal. The birds slowly one by one flew away complaining. After things had quieted down I saw what looked like the other owl fly to a tree and make a short who sound.

The father owl then flew to a neighbouring tree. The mother owl flew over to the tree he had gone to first. The father had left an animal for the mom to eat. How nice of him! I could not tell what it was at first.

I love the heart shapes in her lower feathers by her tail.

The mother owl was nice enough to take the animal and fly off to a neighbouring tree branch where I could get a better view. It appears to be a chipmunk. We are seeing more chipmunks and squirrels now, but not nearly as much as in past years it seems. Many people in this area are commenting the same.

The mother owl spent a lot of time trying to swallow this, give up, then appear to try to rip it or bite pieces, then repeat.

When she was done she flew to another nearby tree and perched for a while. I always feel lucky to see this pair. They have not been together much this year so far. I hope I did not gross you out too much. Enjoy the end of your week!