The Lord of Leisure1 Photo Gallery
Barred Owl
Lord of Leisure writes:
Like the Red Tailed Hawk featured last week, the Barred Owl is a raptor. This particular specimen lurks in our back yard, keeping an eye out for the small varmints that routinely filch food from the feeders. Barred Owls dive on their prey from a perch.2
The “barring” on the chest is the origin of the Barred Owl’s name. This owl is also known as the “eight hooter” for its call which sounds like, “Who cooks for you, who cooks for you-all.” After a few beers I can do a pretty good imitation of the barred owl call.
Footnotes
- Lord of Leisure was previously known in these posts as Mr. Science. Both Lord of Leisure and Mr Science spend most of their time disguised as Neil Ellis, mild-mannered, retired teacher at a great suburban school system, who can identify a bird by its call, complete the New York Times Friday Crossword in ink, and snap a heck of a photo.↩
- According to The Owl Pages, the owls prefer “meadow voles, followed by shrews and deer mice, the owls also feast on mammals such as rats, squirrels, rabbits, bats, moles, opossums, mink, and weasels. Birds are taken occasionally, including woodpeckers, grouse, quail, jays, blackbirds, and pigeons. They also eat small fish, turtles, frogs, snakes, lizards, crayfish, scorpions, beetles, crickets, and grasshoppers. Birds are taken as they settle into nocturnal roosts, because they cannot catch birds on the wing. They will also swoop down to the water’s edge to catch frogs, other amphibians, and occasionally fish. Barred Owls are attracted to campfires and lights where they forage for large insects. Prey is usually devoured on the spot. Larger prey is carried to a feeding perch and torn apart before eating.”↩
3 responses so far ↓
1 Collectibles // Mar 5, 2008 at 11:45 pm
Such a nice picture, the Owl has the unique feature that it can able to view even in the darkness.
2 MindSpin // Mar 6, 2008 at 4:46 pm
I think the Lord of Leisure is Merlin himself to take such pictures of wild birds. Of course, a good lens is a bit of magic. I’d do well to see the bird in the first place.
3 red tailed hawk new // Mar 7, 2008 at 11:36 pm
[...] hawk, Cooper&39s hawk or owl - has always resided with him and his wife. …www.pasadenaweekly.comBarred Owl Joins Photo MenagerieThe Lord of Leisure1 Photo Gallery Barred Owl Lord of Leisure writes: Like the Red Tailed Hawk [...]