Now for a little drink. Smart owl, not drinking the water it sat in. However, smaller birds soon showed up to drink from the first one.
Barred Owls are named for the vertical stripes on their chest which is excellent camouflage.
Oh those eyes!
I'm as curious about you as you are about me.
Coming in for a landing is my favorite view. Majestic.
Barred Owls prefer swamps. Good luck finding one of those around here.
Who?
It may be hunting in the daytime to avoid its main predator the Great Horned Owl. You can read more about Barred Owls in this Audubon guide.
Although the owl has moved down the creek a bit I still catch a glimpse every now and then. This past Thursday I saw him/her fly across the road while being chased by a deer. No kidding. Wish I had a photo of that to share!
I'll be watching every day in the garden.
Such a handsome bird! Owls we rarely see but on those rare occasions they are a treat.
ReplyDeleteWe have so many fascinating creatures in our garden, but some, like this owl, really catch my imagination.
DeleteJust.....wow. Wow! What an amazing privilege to be able to witness this simultaneously majestic and whimsical creature visiting your spaces. And an owl being chased by a deer? I don't want to imagine what set that encounter up but I'm betting that is a once in a lifetime sight.
ReplyDeleteWe have much smaller owls and occasionally hawks flying overhead and it always slightly takes my breath away to see them. Amazing post and thanks so much for sharing!
I do think I remember a flurry of activity just before the doe gave chase. There was a fawn nearby so I'm pretty sure that was the reason.
DeleteShirley, what a treat! Thank you so much! So exciting to watch this creature close!!!
ReplyDeleteThe same for me, it was only a few feet away at times.
DeleteYou lucky, lucky gardener to watch this gorgeous bird!! Can I move in with you?? Beautiful shots of a beautiful bird. I can imagine what the deer/owl chase scene must have been like--so amusing. I wonder if this is a youngish bird? Maybe grown, but still a bit playful? Thank you so much for sharing this--what a treat!
ReplyDeleteIt is large but does seem more playful and curious than a wise old owl should be.
DeleteWhat great photos Shirley! Thank you so much for posting them and sharing your sightings of this beautiful owl. Hope he/she comes again for another photo session!
ReplyDeleteWe hope so too! It does appear the owl has returned to the nightlife scene.
DeleteThese are the best Barred Owl captures I've ever seen! Wow! Thanks for sharing the photos and the information about these amazing creatures.
ReplyDeleteWow, the best! Thank you Beth. Much of it is the owl appearing literally on our doorstep in the daytime. Much easier that way.
DeleteHe's a very handsome fellow! It's amazing that he's comfortable coming so close to the house. I'd have loved to see the deer chase scene.
ReplyDeleteIt was interesting though a bit dangerous, I don't want to hit a deer with the car even at slow speeds.
DeleteWow! This post is wonderful! I guess that bowl might be the smallest swamp ever enjoyed by a barred owl.
ReplyDeleteIt is a tiny, but effective swamp.
DeleteWow! What a great post! You got some fab pictures, and the little movies are so cool. Thanks for sharing those.
ReplyDeleteThank you Alison, I love those little movie files too.
DeleteWe were marveling over a show about wolverines on Nature last night. It's got nothing on you!
ReplyDeleteSoon I'll post some video of what happens in the dark of night around here. Amazing. I'll check out that Nature show.
Deleteand wonderful to hear an owl hoot in the night. I miss that from Porterville!
ReplyDeleteYou are capturing some incredible scenes, Shirley. If I'd known you were seeing him every day, I'd have had to stop by last week to see for myself! It's interesting to see how different the barred owl's all-black eyes are from the more human-looking screech owl's. I wonder what accounts for the difference.
ReplyDeleteI did just find this link explaining why owl eye color differs among different species: http://animals.mom.me/eye-colors-owls-5412.html . They say black eyes like those of the barred owl indicate a night hunter. They compare those to orange- and yellow-eyed owls, but unfortunately nothing about the green-eyed screech owl.
ReplyDeleteI've never seen one that close, let alone well, S. Fox. Then you captured the look and those dark eyes. Simply amazing...just remember me when you're in Ntl Geographic!
ReplyDeleteThe feathers on the owl are amazing, so thick like wearing a cloak. The shot with its wing and tail feathers spread out is fantastic. Sometimes I have heard an owl with it's queries about identity in our woods, but I've never gotten to see it. (Whoo, whoo.)
ReplyDeleteStunning photos/videos of this majestic bird! How lucky you are to have such gorgeous visitors to your garden!
ReplyDeleteOh these are fabulous shots Shirley....he is a beauty and fun to watch. We sometimes have a rare daytime sighting.
ReplyDelete