A Barred Owl decided to roost for the day close to my house. The birds at my nearby feeders were a bit excited for a while but eventually settled down and ignored him or her. The squirrels were much more upset as you might expect. I made two quiet and slow approaches to get a good look and some photographs, being careful to note if the bird was getting nervous. He looked at me but didn’t react otherwise. Still, I am sure he would have preferred to be left alone and that is what I did for the rest of the day.
S/he tucked themselves into the branches so that they would be safe from being harassed. Blue Jays did converge on him but gave up rather quickly and resumed emptying my bird feeders.

I was able to get to another position for a better view using slow and quiet movements.

Owls have symbolized wisdom and are the companion of Athena, the Greek goddess of wisdom. They have exceptional night vision and Athena was supposed to see when others could not, another association. Is this not a wise face?

Now if I can only get a look at the Great Horned Owls that I hear during the night!
Nice work, Mike!
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Wow! Thanks Mike, I really enjoy all of your postings, but this is quite amazing.
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Thanks. And for once, the bird came to me! Hope to see you out in the field some time.
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Wow! Lovely.😊
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I live owls. These are wonderful pictures
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I meant I love owls! I hear them at night too. So soothing
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Thanks. Getting an owl picture is always a treat for me.
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What a nice visitor indeed!
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Nice job Mike!
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Sighting an owl is always super special, atleast for me 🙂
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Owls are a big deal everywhere. They are not easy to find in the day. I’m grateful for any chance to photograph them. Very carefully of course!
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