Stalking the Barred Owl

[mymantra]

I went tromping around this little bit of swampy woods near my house today for about three hours, looking for the Barred Owl that I hear often, have managed to see twice, and have yet to photograph. Not easy work, the underbrush is thick and full of briars. After about two hours of trying to get a look at every tree, I finally caught a glimpse of him. Only a silhouette, as it was cloudy here, and he was in the shadows in a little cedar tree. As I was trying to maneuver through the brush into a better position for a photo, he was gone. The day wasn't a total loss though, I did manage to find a pair of Coopers Hawks. I had no idea there were any so nearby. I got a couple of pics through my Nikon 3X teleconverter. Here's one of the female, I believe. I also located the nest of my pair of Red-shouldered hawks. I'm going to have to stake it out one day soon. Oh, and as I was walking out of the woods, exhausted, what do I hear, but "Hoo Hoo Hoo Hooaw!"

[steve_nova]

You'll get there Paul.
Nice story and a great capture of a superb bird all the same.

[Beverlybaynes]

Nice picture of a Coop, Paul.

Your 'local patch' sounds terrific, in spite of the briars. I look forward to seeing any pictures you get of those gorgeous Barred Owls.

[KCFoggin]

This was the first hawk I added to my life list. They are magnificient.

[Screech]

Thanks for the read. Nice pic of Coop, thats some productive piece of woods you have there. Good Luck finding your Barred.

[KCFoggin]

I just took a peek at all of your hawk photos Paul and they are wonderful. The kestrel shots are beautiful. They are such skitterish birds that getting shots like that make me jealous. Obviously it wasn't aware you were there.

[Cindy M]

hi Paul, I enjoyed reading about your 'stalking' the barred owl.. the hawk photos you've shared are just beautiful. Have you ever thought of setting up a blind in order to observe the owls closer? Not only do owls have keen eyesight but extraordinary hearing, so they are aware of our movements even when we're stealthy. The Barred Owl I photographed recently showed us proof of their keen hearing- it would sit and stare at what appeared to be empty snow, then pounce and come up with a small rodent- it didn't see the rodent, it heard it through over a foot of snow with a crust of ice on top. The fact that it could hear the small noises of that rodent under the snow was just awesome.
to gain more insight into the natural history of these wonderful birds, you might enjoy this website-
Barred Owl-cam (http://www.owlcam.com)
They'll be nesting here soon and I look forward to many nights of that resounding call of 'who cooks for youuuu allllllllllll'.. wishing you many wonderful barred owl days (and nights) ahead :)