When it rains, it pours and a barred owl!

Holy cow, I love rain, we need rain, but all at once!?  That was one heck of a storm.  Over 4" were recorded in some places.

I usually water early in the morning to beat the heat.  Due to the aforementioned event, I didn't have to water.  So Kate and I went to North Point State Park super early this morning to let Dooley and Rooster get their run on.  We weren't in the woods 20 yards when a huge bird flew from one branch to another, crossing our trail about 15 feet up in the canopy.  We at first thought hawk or eagle since we see both regularly at North Point.  But when it landed it looked so owl like and it didn't make any noise flying or landing that we thought, owl?

Out came the binoculars and sure enough we were looking at a mature barred owl.  The book says they get to be 21" tall with a 42" wing span and this bird was all of that!  So we watched it and it watched the dogs and it was cool.

So I thought I might talk to it. A barred owl's call sounds like "who cooks for you, who cooks for youuuuuuuuu"  I can mimic that by modifying my mourning dove call I do with cupped hands.  So I call a couple of times and the bird perks up.  Then we started hearing a a weird little screeching kind of call from behind us and it seems to get closer to us as I call the owl.

Then, out of nowhere, a baby barred owl lands in a branch right over our head and is looking down at us.  It seems that baby thinks I'm mommy.  Way cool.  I stop calling and we watch the baby mesmerized.   After a few minutes of watching this cool little owl 15 feet over our head, we headed down the trail so momma and baby could reunite.

As soon as we were about 30 yards down the trail momma flew to baby.

And that is what it is all about!