We finally saw the Barred Owl that has been calling around our cabin. Their distinctive call, “Who cooks for you. Who cooks for you all,” is unmistakable. They are a deep woods bird with unusual dark eyes; most owls have yellowish eyes.
Barred Owls are hard to spot. They roost quietly during the day, and are sit-and-wait predators at night. We saw this one just before sunset, quietly watching the chickadees at our feeder. It was probably waiting for an unwary squirrel to make an appearance. They also hunt smaller mammals such as mice and voles. Their prey becomes harder to find in winter when deep snow covers the ground.
Since the owl has been around we have seen fewer red squirrels – a favorite food. Unfortunately our flying squirrels have also disappeared.
I think he would make a good woodcarving someday. Right now I’m working on a flying Great Horned Owl. I’ll post some photos as I carve him.
I came across your video of your osprey carving and I am a novice carver. It inspired me so much that I carved an osprey just landing with a fish in claw. I hope you don’t mind that I did copy yours the best I could, but the outcome surprised me. I have a long way to go but I will keep carving thanks to you. As I am in 4th stage liver disease it keeps my mind on something else, so thank you for that. When I get home from the hospital I will send you a picture of the osprey for your critique. Thank you so much.