Night Owl

Shakespeare – Belcarra’s Night Owl

We have an owl living in Belcarra. When walking at night its calls echo against the rock cliffs. It is often seen sitting on the gravel near Midden Road or perched in a nearby tree. We’ve named it Shakespeare, as it is a Barred Owl.

The other night we went looking for it ... binoculars, flashlight and camera in hand. We looked for awhile and couldn't see it, but on the way home -- there it was – on a tree branch near Turtlehead and Belcarra Bay Road. We stopped and gazed at it for a long time then it spread its wings and flew high up into a tree.

We bumped into neighbours who were out owl-searching and as we talked, the owl swooped down low over us and we had to duck our heads. It landed in a tree, 10 feet away from us, seemingly as curious about us as we were of it. It wasn’t afraid at all -- it gave us a good show of his head-turning capabilities.

Keep your eyes open, slow down a bit and maybe you will have a chance to see it one day soon!

Wahoo -- or is it Whoo-hoo?

The Barred Owl is a medium-sized gray-brown owl streaked with white horizontal barring on the chest and vertical barring on the belly. It has a round-head, brown eyes, and yellow beak. It is a nocturnal bird and hides in dense foliage during the day, usually high up. The Barred Owl is a highly vocal Owl giving a loud and resounding "hoo, hoo, too-HOO; which is often phrased as "Who, cooks, for-you? A Barred Owl can sometimes be seen hunting before dark for mice, squirrels, bats, and birds.
picture and information from: http://www.owlpages.com/