Barred Owl
 

Tonight, I was returning to the cabin from the barn. Coming up the road at the top of the hill, there are a couple of t-posts on each side of the road where electric fence is attached.

Perched on one of the posts was a juvenile barred owl. When I realized what I was looking at, I was no more than 5-8ft from him. I guess the headlights on the buggy must have blinded him because he sat perched on the post for what seemed like 5 minutes, doing gawky owl-things with his head before he flew off.

We see and hear lots of these guys out here and it seems like they're getting used to us being around...we've seen them fairly close to the cabin in the evenings and several times have come across them perched on a fence post at the side of a road out here on the place.

Tonight was about the closest I've ever been to one outside of the Brevard County Zoo.

What a place I live in.

Very cool! Where I used to live We used to get Snowy Owls or atleast white ones. not sure if theres many others. they were very cool to see and would let you get somewhat close. I love owls, Such unique birds

Are those the owls that are famous for their poetry?

I love owls too.

"To be or not to be"... that's a Bard owl. :)

*Facepalm*

Here's my owl thread Owl on gate post. This one was sitting on a gate post early one morning. I was about 18" from it unlocking the gate when we realized each other was there. It got all bowed up so I backed off and shot this picture. I hear and see them all the time.

lovely creatures, had them in rural OK when I moved here. You could hear the rustling of the wings at night in the elms and it scared the hell out of the cats....

I read somewhere that Owls can't move their eyes, is that true? :D

We have a pair, actually more but 2 living close, that you can hear a lot of nights.
Saw one high in a tree late one evening, BIG maybe 18" tall, but they can bereally loud too at night.
When they perch in the trees right around our house they will wake you.

Figure they help keep the mice and squirel population in check.

Can't move their eyes... that is why they can move their heads so far around..
Isn't a barred owl what caused so much fuss in the NW with regard to logging ?

Wait, you actually saw the owl, and it didn't immediately take flight?

It's probably rabid.

You should totally kill it.

:rolleyes:

MV

I think you're thinking of the spotted owl. Forests were saved to protect the spotted owl, but now the barred owls are moving in and killing the spotted owls anyway.

We really enjoy having the barred owls around our neighborhood. We've never had a siting "in the wild" as close as the one Randy relates, but we do see them occasionally. They are sometimes out and active before it has gotten really dark.

More often, of course, we just hear them. They have an interesting variety of vocalizations. In addition to their "Who-cooks-for-you?", they do some "monkey calls" that are just wild!

I like that owl on the clash of the Titans movie. :D