Last night, well after midnight, we were awoken by the calls of the Barred Owl who lives in the pine forest near our home. For a time there was only the familiar ‘who-cooks-for-you’ as the male called out, and then the female arrived on the scene, and the calls shifted. The male called out with simple ‘hoots’, and the female answered with a sound like a monkey in the jungle, transforming our little northlands cabin into a tropical hide-away. For a long while their calls filled the otherwise silent night.
This morning we ventured out to see if we could find any sign of them, and were lucky enough to see one of the owls in person! It wasn’t difficult to find, as it was being mobbed by a band of crows. It wouldn’t let us get close, but we managed to get a few shots. The crows were perched nearby, calling out in their most raucous voices and swooping in for furtive attacks.
After a time the owl made its escape, flapping off on silent wings — hopefully to find some shelter from the marauders until night once again falls over the landscape.
Posted on March 16th, 2009 by Kenton Whitman
Filed under: Birds
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