I've been owled :)

[patandchickens]

(If you don't think this is in the right category, hey, owls are sort of a resource, right? Yeah? Maybe? )

I was just out haying the horses, walked out of the barn afterwards and paused at the gate to sorta look around (it's a nice clear still night), and after about 10 seconds <whoosh> suddenly there's this little owl sitting on the post at the other end of the gate. I couldn't see it well enough to tell what kind of owl, not much bigger than a pop can, but I could see well enough to tell it was looking at me.

We just stood there and hung out for about four or five minutes. Then I guess I moved or something, and it flew up onto the high beam of the horse shed and I lost sight of it.

Pretty cool though. I feel honored. Also lucky not to be a mouse

Just had to share

Pat

 

[reinbeau]

Small owl - maybe an Eastern Screech? Or a Northern Saw Whet? Those are really small. Here's a neat page about small owls. I'm waiting to hear the Screech Owls begin their mating banter. We've got them, Barred, Great Horned, Barn, and I'm sure others I've not heard (never mind seen!).

 

[dacjohns]

That is cool. It was probably a Screech Owl or Northern Saw-Whet Owl. They are both small owls.

While I was messing around doing other things besides checking my bird books Reinbeau beat me to the post.

 

[punkin]

Very cool experience, P&C. I don't think I've ever seen an owl in the wild. We hear them alot, though. I just have to stop and stand and listen to them for a while.

 

[me&thegals]

That's wonderful! Those moments when we stop to be quiet and are graced by a presence like that one! Last week, I paused by my kitchen window to take a minute to just look out and saw 2 pileated woodpeckers on the same tree within 15 yards of my house Happy birding!

 

[enjoy the ride]

I love those sorts of encounters- reminds me that not only does the world not revolve around me, it doesn't even revolve around my species.

 

[Henrietta23]

(If you don't think this is in the right category, hey, owls are sort of a resource, right? Yeah? Maybe? )

I was just out haying the horses, walked out of the barn afterwards and paused at the gate to sorta look around (it's a nice clear still night), and after about 10 seconds <whoosh> suddenly there's this little owl sitting on the post at the other end of the gate. I couldn't see it well enough to tell what kind of owl, not much bigger than a pop can, but I could see well enough to tell it was looking at me.

We just stood there and hung out for about four or five minutes. Then I guess I moved or something, and it flew up onto the high beam of the horse shed and I lost sight of it.

Pretty cool though. I feel honored. Also lucky not to be a mouse

Just had to share

Pat

Very, very cool! I love owls as long as they're not near my birds.
We used to have a friend visit and stay late into the night. We'd walk him out on summer nights and stand very still after he left. More than once we'd feel just the whisper of wings going past and a barred owl would be sitting up in our hemlock tree looking at us!
They're starting to hoot here. Mating season is coming!
When I get home I'll share pictures of the baby barred owl that grew up in a tree around the corner from us.

 

[sylvie]

It's times like that which make me feel humbled and honored to be in the presence of nature. A rare gift of closeness allowed by your little visitor. So cool!