Photo: Gary Meszaros
I've got a wealth of photos and subjects to share - that's nearly always the case - but couldn't resist promptly posting this wonderful photo of a Barred Owl, Strix varia. The bird was imaged by master nature photographer Gary Meszaros near Cleveland. Barred Owls are faring well in much of Ohio, the beneficiaries of an overall maturation of Ohio's forests. Even well treed neighborhoods often have their complement of these fabulous hooters, and people often are curious about them, especially when they hear the unearthly squalls and hoots that a talkative owl can produce.
As said famed bird researcher Arthur Cleveland Bent: "The antiphonal hootings of a pair of these owls, heard at any time of the day or night, will hold the hearer spellbound; when heard close at hand at night, they are fairly startling, as if a pair of demons were fighting".
Demons battling in the backyard are sure to arouse the curiosity of the average suburbanite :-) Thanks to Gary for sharing his work.
1 comment:
Great pic of the Barred Owl. We have been hearing it for almost two years but have not seen it…until today!. It slept in a tree outside our window in the evening then flew off so fast. It's wing span easily three feet.
Your blog image was on Google images and helped me identify this "Southern Ohio Owls" bird. Thanks.
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