owls – New England's Narrow Road

Photos have been sitting in my camera all winter, but I finally downloaded them and managed to get them a bit organized. This barred owl was a regular visitor to my backyard. He had a favorite branch where I’d watch him sit for hours, but one day he perched up on this post. If he caught me moving around in the house he’d stare right at me with those dark eyes. He sure is beautiful. I know that they are common where I live, but I enjoyed it when he’d keep me company while I worked at my desk.

I’m not a good wildlife photographer at all, but this photo came out pretty good. I don’t see him any longer now that Spring is here, but I do hear the cry, which is very distinctive. I suspect there are many living in the woods around here.

Lately a red cardinal has been showing up late in the evening to pick through the dirt for who knows what. And I suddenly realized it’s May, and I need to hang my hummingbird feeder. Funny how the time just sneaks up on us.

My thoughts have been on gardening and putting up my mini deck-greenhouse. I also ordered another fabric pot to fill and plant in again this year which will expand the planting areas in my small backyard garden space. But birds are a big part of gardening and I want them around to help control the bugs. Owls are welcome too to keep the mouse population down. This year I had very few mice in my basement – that I heard / saw anyway. So we all have to work together – owls included.

For the past week or so we’ve had owls hanging out in the vicinity of my house. We were watching TV one night and my son muted it and said, “what’s that noise?”
It was a long hissing, screech sound which I can’t explain, but when we looked outside we saw a big bird swoop through the trees. It was almost 9:00 PM and it had to be an owl. Not only one- but I think there were three. A few nights later, after putting up with their constant screeching back and forth to each other – all night long – I saw one sitting in the dead tree outback.

We went out on the deck and it just stared at us. After a moment another one swooped up from the woods and the two of them watched us intently until the flash from my camera scared them off. The photo isn’t too good, but here they are. It’s been quiet lately so maybe they have moved on. I hope so. I loved seeing them, but enough with the noise already!

I had to look them up, but I think they are Barred Owls which are common around here.