It was a stare-down contest Monday between me and the big barred owl
(Strix varia) who lives somewhere near the country lane that serves as public road in these parts. It swooped over the truck to perch on an overhanging white oak branch, its head swiveling like a top. I cut the motor and stared. It stared back. I hooted my best version of the barred owl hoot. It stayed silent. There we sat for about 5 minutes, hooting, staring, head-swiveling, and then staring in silence.
When it flew off, it looked like a big fat football with wings.
(Images courtesy of The Cornell Lab of Ornithology.)
© Peter R. Stettenheim/CLO
Later that day, I had the pleasure of crossing paths with a pair of wild turkey, the regal birds of the forests.
© Bob Schmitz/CLO
