17 November 08
Barred Owl
The who-cooks-for-you call, faint but unmistakable, interrupted the courting great-horned owls last night while I was trying to sleep… These birds don’t occur here, so it was almost certainly a trick of the wind that wafted the song across the creek from the Raptor Center, where this barred owl has been living for some time.
Barred owls, like their tawny and spotted cousins, have large black eyes with no apparent iris. Although I was able to see a slight reflection in the dark, “bottomless” eye, it’s not what I think of. Looking at this bird for the ten minutes I sketched it was like looking into two inkwells…
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Lovely! One of my favorite owls. We have them around these parts and it’s always a treat to hear them calling. I had a wonderful moment in our backyard last fall when one landed in a poplar tree near me. I was able to watch him for quite a while as he preened and got some photos, too, but not much of a catchlight in those dark, dark eyes. Love your description of them!
I love owl calls; they are so haunting and lovely. I hear mostly screech owls outside our windows, but occasionally hear the barred and the great horned. Was it fun to do the sketch?
Thank you both for your comments.
Teresa, it was fun to do the sketch, but seeing these birds in captivity is always a bit saddening.