A Pair of Barred Owls!

We left the boys at their late-afternoon soccer practice and headed into the woods adjacent to the playing fields. Late afternoon early fall - we thought we could find a migrant warbler or perhaps a sparrow.

This was not to be. The woods were lovely in the golden light of the low sun, with delicate lady ferns yellowing underfoot and newly-fallen orangey needles of the white pines scattered over the still-green sprouts of white oak and lycopodium.

Two Lycopods, front and center is Diphasiastrum digitatum, at right edge is Lycopodium obscurum. The fruiting plant at top is Partridge Berry, Mitchella repens.  With thanks to Bob Capers for the identification.

Eventually a mixed flock entertained us - with Tufted Titmouse, Black-capped Chickadee and White-breasted Nuthatch calling in the Witch Hazel and birches. Farther along the trail we had both Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers, and as the woods darkened at sundown we thought - owls!

Jorge tried a couple of hoots - the Hoo-hoo hoo-hoooo, Hoo-hoo hoo-hoooawww of the Barred Owl and the Hoo hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo hooo of the Great Horned. No response - we walked along, enjoying the quiet trickle of a tiny tributary of the Fenton River in our little forested valley.

Bufo americanus, the American Toad.

We paused again to listen to a calling Pileated Woodpecker in the distance and suddenly heard a Barred Owl, not too far away. Jorge called back and it responded, along with its mate! Before long, the two birds lighted in a tall White Oak about thirty meters from where we stood.

Foliage concealed them from view, so we shifted around to get a better look and flushed them off. The pair flew to another, more distant oak where we lost them again. How cool was that? Not one but two Barred Owls - calling to us and each other.

"Spotted Wintergreen", Chimaphila maculata, maybe should be called Striped Wintergreen!  Thanks again to Bob Capers for help with identification!

more photos to come
ciao
Sue