Interestingly, owls must be released within their home range of less than 3 kilometres from where they are found.    This one was found hit by a car near a train overpass.   We didn’t want to release it right there of course but found a quiet residential area with woods and a stream within less than a kilometre of where the owl was rescued to release it.   I will just let the photos tell the rest of the story.   It was wonderful to witness.

Norma releasing the owl

Flying strong

Into the woods

Gorgeous

Can you spot the owl?

Looking great!

Good luck little owl!

For more information about Sandy Pines Wildlife Centre and to read how you can help please read more here.

The post A New Beginning: Rehabilitated Barred Owl is Released appeared first on Leslie Abram Photography.

Barred owlet, about 4 weeks old.

The parents start to call loudly to each other in the sugar bush in March, just as maple syrup time is rolling full tilt.  The sugar bush is a mixed hardwood forest, with lots of sugar maples, as well as hemlocks, swampy areas, and old dead beech trees like the one they use for their nest.

Can you see the white fluff of the baby?

Timings have varied from year to year, but this year the mother sat on the eggs in the nest for the month of April, looked after the babies for a few weeks in early May with help from the dad, and then the little owls came out of the nest in late May.

First baby out!

I was quite surprised how early the owlets came out this year.   When I went into the woods for only the second time in May to check the nest, there was already an owlet out, climbing around in the hemlock tree next to the nest.

Hiding

I don’t think I would have known it was there if I hadn’t heard it quietly screeching for food, as they do all day unless they are sleeping!

owlet number 2

Owlet number two was in a tree not far away.   They always see me before I see them.

not ready to fly yet

This little one could barely keep its eyes open, and kept falling asleep.   It’s hard being a baby owl.   They don’t fly yet, and move around by climbing around in the trees using their beaks and talons.   At this stage of development they are called “branchers.”   They begin to fly short distances on their own in a couple more weeks.

Checking out the traffic.

The morning after I found the owlets, I got quite a surprise as I was walking my dog.  An owlet was sitting in a tree right by the side of the road.   Luckily our road is not very busy, and the owl was pretty high up the tree.

close up

Regardless, I got a chance to take a great look at the little owl without being in the sugar bush, which, as much as I love it, is full of biting insects.

Later in the day, the owlet had moved back into the woods.    And though I heard the little ones calling, and the parents hooting, I never saw the owlets again this year.   We went away on a trip, and when we got back the owlets would be flying around quite well on their own.

sleepy

I am so happy that our neighbourhood Barred Owls are such great parents.   We sometimes hear owls hooting as we walk, or when we sit out at night.   Not sure which ones they are, but they probably started off their lives in the sugar bush.

For more on this owl family over the years, see my posts from:

2014:
2015:

This post is brought to you by:

Papa Owl

and

Mama Owl

The post Owls in the Sugar Bush appeared first on Leslie Abram Photography.

Get it out!

What’s this owl doing? It’s regurgitating a pellet.   Owls regurgitate pellets about once a day, usually from a favourite roost.   They just open their mouths wide, make a terrible face, and push them out.   Bleh.  Why do they do this?   And what’s in a pellet anyway?

Barred owl just about to swallow a vole- all  in one piece.

Unlike us,  owls do not chew their food.   Instead, they swallow their prey whole.

The tail goes down last.

Their stomachs have two parts.   The first part is the proventriculus, which produces acid, enzymes, and mucus.  This part begins the process of digestion of the prey.     The second part of the owl’s digestive system is the gizzard.   The gizzard acts like a filter, catching indigestible  parts of the prey like teeth, feathers, bones, and fur.    The gizzard compresses these indigestible bits into a pellet, which will be regurgitated several hours after the owl has eaten.

Getting Ready…

When I found this Snowy Owl it was making the weirdest faces.    What I soon realized was that it was getting ready to expel a pellet.    Since the pellet partially blocks the owl’s digestive system, it needs to get rid of it before it can eat again.

Snowy Owl regurgitating a pellet

If you find a pellet you can take it home, take it apart, and find out what the owl has been eating.

Do I do this?   Yes.   Of course.  I’ve brought home lots of pellets.   I also collected Barred Owl pellets and brought them in for my Grade 2 students to dissect.   They were engaged and focussed for 90 minutes.   Just so you know, that is unheard of!

The Queen’s favourite roost.

In my last blog I wrote about my favourite Snowy Owl, the Queen of Gull Island.   She likes to sit on a duck blind for much of her day.  Sure enough, I found pellets scattered on the seat and floor of the blind when I looked in there.   I wrapped one up in a Kleenex, slipped it in my pocket, and took it home.   The only tricky thing was remembering which Kleenex it was wrapped up in, so I would not use it to blow my nose when I was hiking back to my car.

Snowy Owl pellet with feather and a whole lot more inside.

Here’s the pellet I collected the other day.   You can see feathers from the waterfowl this Snowy Owl hunts, as well as little bits of bone.

Jawbones, teeth and ribs of a little rodent.

Taking it apart revealed rodent jaws and teeth.   There are a lot of mice on Gull Island.

What did YOU do on Saturday night?

Here’s the mess I made.

An elusive Screech Owl

A pellet also revealed something fascinating about the elusive little screech owl that lives in my neighbourhood.     Last February I heard a huge disturbance in my backyard, birds squawking and going crazy.   I went outside and saw a Screech Owl roosting in a red pine tree.  By the time I got my camera it had flown away, but it left a pellet below its roosting spot.

No, it is not fruit and nut bread. It’s a Screech Owl Pellet.

I dissected it, fully expecting to find bones and teeth and fur of rodents.   Interestingly,  it was full of small pebbles, and the exoskeletons of some kind of invertebrate.   No fur, no bones.

Unexpected contents: pebbles and exoskeletons

Screech Owls have a really varied diet and are little opportunists.  My best guess is that the pebbles and exoskeletons I found in the pellet were from caddisfly nymphs who live in our backyard stream.

Caddisfly nymph covered in pebbles. Image credit: Bob, Aquatic Insects of Virginia

These little aquatic insects coat themselves in pebbles, sticks, and other bits and pieces from the stream bottoms where they live.   Good camouflage and protection for them- but apparently not good enough to elude the crafty Screech Owl.

What has this Barred Owl been eating?

Though the Screech Owl’s diet was certainly interesting, it wasn’t 100% surprising that it was finding its prey in the water.    When I collected this Barred Owl’s pellets and gave them to my friend’s little boys, they found crayfish exoskeletons in them.

Snowy Owl with Common Merganser for Dinner

Owl pellets give us clues about the lives and habits of owls that we might not ever have known about otherwise. If you find one, you have probably found an owl’s favourite roosting spot.   If you like, you can take the pellet home and dissect it.   Put out some newspaper, get some sharp tools to pull it apart with, and see what’s inside.   You might want to give the pellet a day or two to dry out, but don’t wait too long, or forget about it, as it will get moldy (maybe I’ve done this…).

Little balls of fun!

Sources:

The Owl Pages

Cornell Lab of Ornithology

The post Owl Pellets appeared first on Leslie Abram Photography.

Good Morning Presqu’ile!   Oh how I love you!

There are so many reasons to love Presqu’ile Park, no matter when you visit.You can show up early on a hazy fall morning, and observe as Presqu’ile’s beaches and offshore islands start to come alive with sound and activity.

Migrating shorebirds start to wake up, and begin their daily search for food.

If you sit or lie down very still, the shorebirds will walk right past you as they are feeding.   It is endlessly entertaining to watch them.

A fall drive around the park may reveal a Ruffed Grouse, foraging at the side of the road for breakfast.  Look at those gorgeous feather patterns!

As seasons change and the weather turns colder, the park becomes very quiet.    I think winter is when Presqu’ile really shows its magic.

Little by little the lake freezes over.   Depending on the wind and the waves, the lakeshore looks different every time I visit in the winter, and each time is spectacular.Presqu’ile is famous for its ice volcanoes.   When the wind is just right, water from the waves will spray up through these holes in the ice.  I like them best at sunset, when they are lit up like some alien landscape.   Snowy owls love to use the offshore islands to hunt. Even in the dead of winter there is so much beauty to be found at Presqu’ile.Spring comes to Presqu’ile, and with it, the busiest time of year.A walk along the boardwalk in Jobes Woods reveals little sprouts of green, and some unexpected company.Look who’s watching you now!Early spring also brings the arrival of waterfowl, who are great show-offs for their potential mates.   What characters. As the ice moves out of Presqu’ile Bay, huge “rafts” of waterfowl can be seen feeding along the ice edge.Spring also brings bugs- lots of them!   But isn’t that perfect timing? The migratory birds are on their way back north.

Lots and lots and lots of them!.   How exciting to be at the park when the trees and bushes are just full of colourful birds singing and eating and flying about.  I am very grateful to have met some very experienced and knowledgeable birders at the park, who can help me learn about all these birds, their names, and their habits.     The diversity of species at Presqu’ile is amazing!

One day I got stuck out in a thunderstorm down by the lighthouse so went into the duck viewing shelter to get out of the rain.   In the tree next to me were so many different kinds of little birds I could barely keep track of them.   Above is a little Yellow Warbler shaking off the rain.Oh, and “fallouts!”   A fallout is when weather or wind conditions cause many thousands of birds to come to the same area all at once.   I will never forget being at Owen Point early on a May morning this year, and experiencing a fallout of shorebirds.   They were everywhere the eye could see, in flocks in the hundreds, soaring around, and feeding on the beaches.

I think I took over 1000 photographs that day!    It was so great because the Ontario Field Ornithologists Young Birders were at Owen Point that morning too, and this enthusiastic group of young people got to experience this spectacle as well. I don’t think any of us will ever forget it.

Did I mention you could see a fox at Presqu’ile?   And if that’s not enough for you…How about watching a fox walk down the road and then having a deer cross right in front of it, say “Good Morning” and carry on.   Is this the Bambi movie? I don’t know.    Presqu’ile is so cool.On the first hot hazy days of the year, the momma snapping turtles will come out of the mud and start to lay their eggs at the side of the roads.     A couple of years I have been down there on just the right day and seen 4 or 5 of these beauties all in the same trip.  I love their long sharp claws!Of course, Presqu’ile is for recreation too!   Walter loves to swim and run on the rocky beach.    The sandy beach is for the shorebirds, and of course all the campers and day trippers that flock to Presqu’ile in the summer.No matter when I visit, Presqu’ile always has something beautiful to offer.    I’m never disappointed.

Presqu’ile Provincial Park is located on the north shore of Lake Ontario, just south of Brighton.   Check it out!

The post Why I Love Presqu’ile! appeared first on Leslie Abram Photography.

I’m pretty fluffy and cute, but look at my talons!

Yes, it’s that time of year again- time for the Barred Owlets to leave the nest and venture out on their own.

I see you.

When owlets come down from their nest, and climb up into the nearby trees they are called “branchers.”   They just crawl around the branches with their talons and beaks, flapping their wings.   They will learn to fly little by little, first by flapping and hopping from one branch to another one nearby, and then flying and gliding short distances on their own.

Tired

Mama owl seems pretty glad to be off her nest, and spends a lot of time sleeping high up in the treetops. Papa owl does a lot of the hunting so he is out and about.   He often brings his prey to the female, and she goes and feeds the babies. The female calls to the male with high rising call, telling him where she is so he can bring her food.   To hear this call, click this link to Barred Owl calls, then choose “female solicitation call.”   The Adult Barred Owls make a wide variety of sounds, which can be listened to on this page from Cornell Lab of Ornithology.    It gives me a thrill every time I hear them vocalizing near me in the woods.

What a perch

The little owlets crawl surprisingly high up into the tops of the trees!  I can only find them by listening for their sound, a high pitched hoarse little screech, then pinpointing where it is coming from.  To hear what their screech sounds like, follow the link and choose “fledgling begging calls.”

Hot up here

The owlets tend to find an exposed branch from where they can screech for food and watch for their parents.    It gets pretty hot up there, so I often see them panting.   When their parents come, it is often accompanied by a great deal of hooting and screeching from all members of the family.

Chipmunk dinner

Here’s Papa Owl, high above in the treetops, coming with dinner for one of the owlets.      Even at this small size, the owlets can swallow a chipmunk whole.

After eating, time for a nap!

I can’t believe how funny this little owlet is with its leg dangling off the branch.   Talk about relaxed!

And then there were three.

One night I was out in the woods and found a third owlet, still sitting on top of the nest tree.   It flapped its wings and teetered a bit on the edge of the tree, then went back down into the nest.  Eventually this little owl found its way down and climbed up into the forest canopy.

Mama and Owlet

One of the last times I saw the little owls, the mother owl was sitting on a branch nearby.   She then flew over to one of the owlets.    I thought she was bringing food, but she actually went over and started preening the little one’s feathers.   It leaned into her, and preened her too. Oh my goodness.   I can’t believe I got to see that!

I’ll preen you too, Mama

The owlets can often be found close together, with the mother nearby.    As time goes on, it becomes harder and harder for me to find them, as they learn to fly and can cover larger distances every day.

Getting Bigger

Here is a photo from one of the last times I saw the owlets.   By now they should be doing some hunting on their own, and have moved further away from the vicinity on their nest tree.

This is the second year in a row I have been fortunate enough to observe a family of Barred Owls growing up.    Sometimes, when I was out in the woods covered up from head to toe, doused in insect repellant, and not seeing or hearing a thing,  something amazing would happen and my patience would be rewarded.   That’s what it was like when I found the third owlet, and also when I got to see the mother and baby owl preening each other.    Both times, I had been just about ready to go home because I had been sitting still for so long.

It’s worth it

Back in the woods, it’s like I am in a secret world, and if I sit long enough that world will just carry on despite my being there.

It’s worth the wait, for sure.

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Curious little Barred Owl, Late October, 2014

I first came across this young Barred Owl at the end of October deep in the woods at Presqu’ile Park.

Young Barred Owl on its own, November 2014

Even after young Barred Owls leave their nest, their parents continue to feed them for many weeks.    The challenge comes late in the fall, when the young owls are left on their own to hunt, and to find a new territory for themselves.

Over the last few months I have seen the little owl a couple of times sitting on its own in a tree at the edge of the forest.   Though I often came across the adult owls in the park, I rarely saw the little one, so I always wondered how it was doing.

Today.  Hunting.   Look at that concentration!

Well, today I found out the young owl is doing just fine surviving its first winter.   I spotted it hunting in a field full of small trees and wet swampy ground, perfect for finding voles, its main prey.

Gotcha! Caught a vole for breakfast.

The young owl’s hunting skills are incredible.   It focussed intently on a spot in front of it on the ground, then silently flew down and grabbed a vole through the snow with its talons.   Sticks and weeds precluded photos, but I got to watch it!  I was down and sitting  on the ground to take these photos.  I guess it doesn’t matter that I went to my doctor’s appointment with wet jeans.

Taking off to another perch

After fiddling a bit with the vole, the owl flew to another perch, the vole hanging out of its mouth.

Down the hatch!

It then proceeded to swallow it whole.   That’s how owls eat their prey- whole.   My friend has seen them eat snakes whole.   That would be quite the sight!

Well fed indeed.

There is no doubt that my little friend is doing very well its first winter on its own.   What a great day it was today!

The post Baby Barred Owl’s First Winter appeared first on Leslie Abram Photography.

Last Sunday was my first day out at the park after having been away travelling for 3 weeks.   I hadn’t been to Gull Island since early November, so thought I would check for the Snowy Owls that had been reported there.   Sure enough, this young female was staring me down upon my arrival to the island.

Who’s There?

I got to watch her hunt and preen herself.  She was pretty sleepy and relaxed.

Missed a spot

This owl can be identified as a young female by her heavy dark barring.

Looking Good

For these shots I had my camera set up on a tripod and I was sitting on the ground, to try to make my profile as small as possible.

The Stick

This owl then flew to the famous Gull Island stick, upon which owls have been perching for years.   It is one of the highest vantage points on this otherwise treeless island, so I guess they like the view.  This stick is one of the stars of my photo library.

In the forest

On Tuesday I returned to the park, and  found this beautiful Barred Owl in the Woods.   She was quite active, flying from perch to perch and hunting.   Even though the trees are bare this time of year, I love the patterns and colours of the lichen on the tree bark.

Talons

I rarely capture the talons of the Barred Owl in a photo, as they tend to be tucked in under the belly feathers, but in this shot the sharp long talons are showing nicely.

Far away

On Wednesday I took my daughter to the park, and we saw this little owl tucked way back in the woods.   Even though we were quite far away for a photograph, we still had a good look at the owl and enjoyed watching it resting and looking around.

Angel

Early Friday morning I went back to Gull Island to see if I could find the Snowy Owl.  It was great fun to watch her, as she was really busy flying out over the lake and hunting for Long-Tailed Ducks.   I did not see her catch one but she sure was trying.

Wings

Her wingspan is huge- around a meter and a half!

I spy

I did feel like I was being watched as she flew by…

Siesta

I decided to look for the Barred Owl as well, and found this beauty resting in the woods peacefully.   Note the blood on its beak. Must have had a good meal the night before.

Hunting

After a couple of minutes the owl woke up, upon hearing sounds on the forest floor below.

Off

Barred Owls, like many owls, use the “sit and wait” strategy when hunting.   They don’t sit way high up in trees, but fairly close to the ground  ( 2 – 3 meters)  where they wait for movement , then take off to hunt.

Sebastapol Island

Today is Saturday, and my son and I went to Presqu’ile.  We started off by seeing the Snowy resting and preening out on a tiny island in Popham Bay called Sebastapol island.  Far away, but still really cool.

More siesta time

We then quite easily found this Barred Owl in a nice clear spot resting.  Adorable!  A wonderful way to  round off a great week of owling at Presqu’ile.

The post Owls at Presqu’ile Park appeared first on Leslie Abram Photography.

Today was the best.   It started when I found this Barred Owl hunting at the side of a field.

It moved through the wet field, swooping from tree to tree. The fields are full of voles, the owl’s favourite snack.

Owls are surprisingly difficult to see in this type of setting.   In the photo above I did not know the owl was in front of me until I was eye to eye with it.  I moved back, as it kept a close eye on me but did not fly away.

It blends right into the tree it is sitting on because of its feather patterns. I never get over this.  What an amazing adaptation.  Maybe that is why it is so much fun to find owls.  It is challenging for sure.

I left this owl alone to continue its hunting.   When I got back to the car I realized my feet and pants were soaked and muddy and covered with burrs.  Typical.

Next I decided to walk in the woods and see if I could find any owls there.   I couldn’t believe it – about 10 minutes into the walk I found another owl.   Or should I say, it found me.  Look how cute it is peeking down through the branches at me.

Judging by how this owl was poking its head out, curiously watching me and climbing around in the trees, I am pretty sure it was a young one.   I could see that it has been eating well by the blood on its beak, so that’s a good thing.

It actually flew out to a more open location to have a good stare at me.  Well hello there!

As hard as it was, I left this curious little owl alone, resting all fluffed up in a tree.   It will need all its energy come night time.

I headed home, got cleaned up, and then received a very pleasant surprise.  A birding friend called me to say he had located an Eastern Screech Owl and asked if I would like to come see it.   Well YES!

Apparently the blue jays had alerted him to its presence.

Tucked away deep in a bush was this funny little Screech Owl.   Look at that face.  They always look kind of irritated, I think.   But adorable all the same.  Eastern Screech Owls are by no means rare, but the thing is, they are really good at hiding.  And as far as I know,  they are strictly nocturnal.   You would never see one out hunting in the afternoon like the Barred Owls.  Therefore, we hardly ever see them.

If you are lucky, you might hear a Screech Owl calling at night.   Here is its ghostly call:

Screech Owl Call

This was the very first Screech Owl I have seen in the wild.   A magnificent day, for sure.

The post Look Who’s in the Woods Today! appeared first on Leslie Abram Photography.

Barred Owl 2010

The sighting of that little Barred Owl started a love affair with Barred Owls that continues to this day.   I have studied them extensively, know their local hangouts, and have (who knows how many) photographs of them.   Today’s blog will be a photo showcase of some of the beautiful Barred Owls I have had the pleasure to find.     These owls are not exotic or far away.   They are right in our local area.

Fluffed up on a cold day.

Barred Owls have beautiful striped feather patterns, that help them blend in with their surroundings in the woods.

On the Lookout

The Hunter- Brighton, Ontario

They will hunt rodents from an exposed perch such as a dead tree or an overhanging branch.

Owl Woods, Amherst Island, Ontario

Barred Owls are basically nocturnal.  Generally speaking when you come across a Barred Owl it will be roosting.   Though it will check you out and follow you with its eyes, it really does not want to move- it is resting.  If you move quietly and slowly, the owl may stay put.

Vision- Barred Owl in Jobes Woods- October 2013

This owl was only 7 feet up a tree, right next to the path I was on.   I would have had to walk right under it if I were to continue on down the path.   I just sat down quietly and watched it.   It watched me too.   Look at those eyes. Oh boy.

Barred Owl in the early morning light- Presqu’ile Park

Early morning is a great time to find Barred Owls.   This little owl was hunting, then settled in to roost.

My local sugar bush owl

Barred Owls are famous for their wonderful vocalizations.   “Who Cooks for you?  Who cooks for you-all?”   Once you have heard it you will never forget it.

Listen to the Barred Owl’s call here.

The highlight of my week this week was when I heard a Barred Owl calling in the woods near where I was walking.   Nobody else was around, so just for the fun of it I tried imitating it and calling back.    The owl flew over me, and with a big “whoooo-ahhh” settled into a tree just above my head. (!!!!!!)    Here it is:

October 2014- Barred Owl in the Dappled Shade

Love it.

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The post Where it all began: My love affair with Barred Owls appeared first on Leslie Abram Photography.

Before we begin, you must know one thing.  Owls always see you before you see them.

Hello down there!

Well yes, I have been watching you for some time now lady…

Owls are secretive.   Generally nocturnal. They pretty much sleep all day.  In trees. Plus, they have superb camouflage that helps them blend right in with their surroundings.

This Great Gray Owl was roosting all day in my back garden this March.  Look how well it blends in to the environment.

Sitting on the Fence

Grey Morning

This owl was out in plain sight on a small branch by the roadside, but its feathers blended in with the grey snowy day so well that I drove right past it, then did a double-take!

Finding owls is challenging, even when they are right in front of you!

I can see you…

So, lets say you want to go out searching for owls here in Ontario.   Here are some tips to get you started.

Tip #1:   Other birds really hate owls.   So if you hear a lot of angry bird noises in the woods, or see birds swooping down at the same place over and over again, there is probably an owl nearby.

Crow and Snowy Owl

Angry Crow noises were how I knew that I should look in my back garden to see what was out there this spring.   Sure enough, I eventually found the gorgeous Great Gray Owl fast asleep, right over where I keep my bird feeders…

Peaceful Great Gray Owl in my Garden

Crows have helped me find a lot of owls.   They will caw loudly and form large groups to harass an owl.   Once I saw more than 30 crows chasing after a Great Horned Owl.  It was really quite disturbing, but when I got home I read about it and the crows rarely actually hurt the owl- they just want to bug it enough so it will leave their neck of the woods.

After all, owls are opportunistic hunters who go out at night and hunt for roosting birds as part of their evening meal.   Not a good way to make friends with the neighbours.

Blue Jay harassing a Barred Owl

Blue Jays will also loudly voice their displeasure at having an owl around.   In the photo above,  the Blue Jay is in the upper right corner, and the owl is in the lower left corner.   The owl seems to care very little about the noise, and is in the process of falling back to sleep.

Baltimore Oriole Chatters down into Owl’s Nest

Here, a Baltimore Oriole was making a huge racket in the woods, chattering loudly down into a hole an old dead tree snag.   Sure enough, there was something down there to get worked up about!

Barred Owlet Waiting for Food

Wonder what’s for dinner?

Alright, on to owl-searching tip # 2:  Look for owl pellets and whitewash.

Owls will roost in the same place day after day.   As you walk through a forest or field, look on the ground for the pellets the owls have cast- full of the undigested bones, hair, and feathers of their meals.   Also, look for splashes of white poo, more delicately termed “whitewash.”

Barred Owl Casting a Pellet

If you find a pellet, you can take it home and look inside to see what the owl has been eating.   Just don’t do what I did and put one in a plastic bag in a drawer for a month.   It will stink up your house.

Tip #3:  Look on the tops of hydro poles!   Owls use them as vantage points from which to hunt. I could do an entire blog on owls I have found on hydro poles.  But let’s just look at a couple.

Snowy Owl in Wellington

This beautiful snowy owl sat on the same hydro poles north of Wellington, Ontario for most of the winter.

Great Gray Owl on the Lookout

This owl would swoop from pole to pole, in order to look for potential prey below.

Tip #4 isn’t really a tip.  It’s what you need:  Patience and time.  Go outside, look up, look down, listen, you never know what you might find.

If you do find an owl, please keep in mind that you should cause it as little disturbance as possible.    Keep your distance.   Do not use flash photography.  Be really quiet.   You can even sit down on the ground and stay very still- the owl may soon forget you are there and you may be fortunate enough to witness some amazing behaviour.

I end this blog today with a photo I took of a Barred Owl last fall at Presqu’ile Provincial Park.   It was early in the morning and I was walking down a boardwalk through the beautiful autumn woods.  I came around the corner, and this owl was sitting right next to the trail.   I would have had to walk right under it to continue, so I just sat down on the boardwalk as quietly as I could, and watched it for a while until it flew away.   Magic!

Barred Owl, Jobes Woods Trail, Presqu’ile Provincial Park, Ontario

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