Owls are a Hoot! Barred Owl [Part I]

 As the summer gets closer, my excitement for Country Island will continue to grow.... Not all of my blogs will be about Country Island, but I'll tie this one into it.  On Country Island, avian predators are prohibited because they predate on the chicks on the island.  With permits, we are allowed to use pyrotechnics and perform other non-lethal methods of predator control to get them to leave the island.

An infrequent avian predator to the island is the Barred Owl.  I've been lucky enough to have some really cool experiences with a Barred Owl this year at the University of Guelph Arboretum. This guy has been quite famous this winter, partly because it was at a very accessible site, partly because they're not often seen in the Arboretum, and partly because owls are just really cool animals!  I've seen him since November, and he has given me a lot of great photo opportunities!!!  Here are just a few of the looks I've got!

My next blog on Barred Owls will show a series of shots of this guy eating a Meadow Vole!!  Stay tuned
: )