5 replies to this topic

[Sparrow Hawk]

This year has been a really good year for me seeing owls.. Last weekend I finally got to see a Snowy Owl although not up front and close. Today I watched 5 Short-eared owls that have been seen in a field of winter wheat 10 minutes from home. They have been there for several weeks now and  today put on quite a show. They arrived about 45 minutes before dark and were coursing over the field hunting for a late day meal. One landed not 20 feet from my truck and sat on a fence pole for 10 minutes or so. Their vocalizations were impressive too. A great show !

[Possumbird55]

Sounds like a great year indeed...I am very jealous!

[Sinuous]

You are so very lucky!

I remember my first time seeing an owl on the way to picking up my father's paycheck. While we were driving, I was hoping to see one and just kept talking about it (as my father has reported seeing some at work), so this was quite a surprise for me (and a coincidence.) Just as we were approaching my father's work building, a fluttering of wings was coming towards the direction of our car. It flew right past the front window and I could tell it was a great horned owl. It then later landed on a nearby lamppost. It was just such a marvelous event for me, I couldn't stop thinking about it, even days after.

[illin]

It has been a great year for Owls. I have seen numerous GH and Barred Owls. In Dec. I got my lifer Screech Owl. On new years day I got my lifer Snowy Owl. In Feb. I saw nearly a dozen Short-eared's hunting a field, and I got my lifer Saw-whet and Long-eared Owls. The only Owl species I have not seen this winter that resides in Illinois is Barn Owl and they are very scarce.

[meghann]

As I'm typing this, I'm being serenaded by two barred owls somewhere in the trees behind my house. We also had a first last week, the kids and I saw two GH owls at sunset right across the street from our house. It's not very often that all four of my kids are able to spot something like that, and even my 5 year old could see them as they flew away. 

[Sinuous]

suprm2001:

As I'm typing this, I'm being serenaded by two barred owls somewhere in the trees behind my house. We also had a first last week, the kids and I saw two GH owls at sunset right across the street from our house. It's not very often that all four of my kids are able to spot something like that, and even my 5 year old could see them as they flew away. 

I really want to see a *barred* owl!