This is a Rufous (brown) morph Eastern Screech Owl. There is also a grey morph but he hasn’t shown up yet. Males claim the holes, the female will inspect it and might move in.
They are small and agile, and about 7 to 10 inches tall and have a wingspan around 18 to 24 inches. We knew he was around but some friends we travel with pointed him out yesterday. This bird is invisible. These shots were as close as we would go, they live here, we just visit.
Tiny But Mighty, Screech OwlTiny But Mighty, Screech Owl
He did what all Screech Owls do, opened one eye to check us out. I have never seen a Screech Owl do anything other than that.
When I first looked at the owl shots from the other day the angle and missing head feather details struck me. I deleted most and held a few aside to review.
After another walk through I had one of those ‘good grief’ moments.
Of course the feathers were off… they are not true feathers. This bird still has some facial down, baby fuzzy.
Young Barred Owl
There are several active Owl nesting spots nearby. This bird probably came from one of them.
I recently received a message from WordPress (this site hosting company) that I had published articles/photographs daily for the last 1,000 days, have over 11,000 pages, and 27,000 + photographs.
Brown Wood Owl
Good grief, I think it’s time for a break.
For the next week or so the site will just have a few scheduled photographs.
A new spot for Owls. At least for me, probably not him.
A side trail behind some swamp areas usually reserved for small warblers has been invaded by this Barred Owl. Maybe he came to visit the Warblers too.
Out Of Place, Barred Owl
With lots of thick branches and Spanish Moss an Owl can rest here, hide, and wait for some type of opportunity.
Out Of Place, Barred Owl
Barred Owls hunt by dropping down, or silent gliding, to prey from above. Most times prey is pinned to the ground for some time before the Owl flies off. Barred Owls here prefer Crayfish, and people don’t seem to get as queasy about the hunting routine for them. I know I don’t. They’re called ‘mud bugs’ for a reason.