As an amateur birder with a little point and shoot camera, I
am having a tough time spotting and photographing owls. Now, surely, I don't
expect to regularly see them perched in an abandoned winter wood duck house,
like this screech owl in my back yard. Occasionally,
I might see a Great Horned in the woods while I'm hiking
with Baron, though I never see them before they fly off though and disappear
quickly through the trees. Again rarely, I might hear a Barred Owl calling at
night in my woods. "Who cooks for me? Who cooks for me?" That's it.
They’re just a distant call in the night.
Now, the highly respected DNR
(Department of Natural Resources) has apparently made it even more difficult. I
came upon this sign last summer while trout fishing in Beaver Creek State Park.
You are so funny!! This really made me laugh. I wish I could see an owl in the wild. I've never seen one on our property or when we're hiking.
ReplyDeleteI've only ever seen one in the wild and it flew across the road in front of me as I was driving to work one morning. I know we have them all around us here, but I've never been lucky enough to spot one. So, you can't hoot while you hunt? :c)
ReplyDeleteThat little owl is so cute. I hope to attend more Audubon owl-spotting walks this year. The barn owls have been very visible here in Utah lately. With so much snow on the ground, they are having trouble finding food at night, and hunger has forced them to do more hunting in the daytime.
ReplyDeleteReally neat picture of the owl in the box! I sometimes see them here but always hear them in the mornings. I love listening to their calls. So neat.
ReplyDeletevery funny! thanks for the laugh. :)
ReplyDeleteIt is neat how those little owls can just pop up. We have big silver maples that owls like to visit and live in. They are so much the same color of the bark of the trees that they aren't that easy to see.
ReplyDeleteThis is a cute post. You may have to give up on hooting, but I hope you will keep hunting with your camera.
ReplyDeleteWhen we saw that snowy owl last week, it was much bigger than I expected it to be! On my iPad so this will be short.
ReplyDeleteWhen we saw that snowy owl last week, it was much bigger than I expected it to be! On my iPad so this will be short.
ReplyDeleteHahaha! Great sign! I was thrilled to see my first GHO, even if my photo came out dark. There aren't many places for wildlife where I live, unless you count humans.
ReplyDeleteReal fun. I was trying to bring one closer with a call last week.
ReplyDeleteI'm green with envy! You have your own resident screech owl. I love him.
ReplyDeleteHow wonderful to have a screech owl in your backyard!
ReplyDeleteWe're very fond of owls.. they seem to be some of the only birds we see in the cold of winter.
Years ago we had a big Great Horned right in our backyard.
I dug it up - as it was indeed blogged. :)
http://ourfunwithfive.blogspot.com/2009/01/flying-tiger.html
You don't have to go far for Owl shots! I hear an Owl sonmetimes at night..the hoo hoo one, not so much now but in the spring and summer...of course I spend more time outside then too. Thanks so sharing the sign..good thing Owls cannot read:)
ReplyDeleteI hear owls on our farm, but I never have witnessed one! I want to very much. Maybe one day!
ReplyDeleteLooks like some editing was done on this sign. Good shot even if you didn't get an owl.
ReplyDeleteOwls are definitely reclusive, seldom heard but never seen in my parts. They are responsible for culling the neighborhood of rabbits, rodents and kitty cats. In Estes Park, CO we were driving down a country road when we saw a large owl carrying a rabit in its talons flying by in front of our car right at headlight level. Wow! That was a surprise. (Love the sign!)
ReplyDeleteThe screech owl is darling ... you are so lucky to have one at hand like that. The sign is just plain weird ... do they mean "no hooting to attract the owls?" or did they just forget the S as the first letter?
ReplyDeleteThat's a cute little owl and a funny sign! I wonder if the owls have read it. ;)
ReplyDeletexo Catherine
I'm thinking defacing signs might also be prohibited. ha ha Luv your sense of humor. It's rare that I ever hear an owl and even more rare to see one.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the bluebird clarification you left on my blog. I need all the help I can get went identifying birds.
Love owls -- hear them in early winter. One year was fortunate to view mom and her owlets roosting in a nest in the tree. Well the owlets were quite big so mom was near watching them. One of the wonderful highlight of my life. So long ago -- itched in my memory -- except for the kind of owl it was. Darn. -- barbara
ReplyDeleteI love your sign interpretation!
ReplyDeleteI'm always thrilled to see an owl, but photographing one is a real challenge. Funny to see one perched in the wood duck house.