An Owl By Any Other Name...

Since our move to the country 2 years ago many times we've heard owls calling back and forth to one another in the early morning hours. Knowing they're around I will often open a bedroom window at night in hopes of hearing them. I find the owls amazing, and I just feel like we are privileged to something unique in being able to hear them.

Virginia is home to four types of owls. And, over the last several weeks we have been hearing and catching glimpses of what Carl and I were totally convinced was a "Great Horned Owl." We had one that took up residence around us last year, so why wouldn't it be the same one this year? Even though the calls we have been hearing were a little different, we were still very sure it was a Horned Owl. My attempts to get a picture of it didn't meet with any success until Thursday when I had the dogs out for a late afternoon walk. I caught a glimpse of it on the edge of the woods, and ran back inside to get my camera. I was so excited by what I was able to get pictures of and a little surprised to find that it is not a Great Horned Owl after all, but a Barred Owl instead. But it doesn't matter, "an owl by any other name, is still an owl!" I still love having it around and hope it'll stay.
~~Their sound says: "who cooks for you-who cooks for you?"
~~Here's what they actually sound like: http://pelotes.jea.com/owlbard.wav

And here is what "ours" looks like:



Don't ask me how many pictures I took of him, this is where having a digital camera (and a good zoom lens) paid off!! But I think he (or she) is beautiful, don't you?