By Christine Southwick

While watering my heat-stressed yard, I heard several Red-breasted Nuthatches making a fuss. Being a bird nerd, I quietly investigated the cause.

Imagine my surprise when I saw this lovely Barred Owl checking out my yard (which is adjacent to Grace Cole Nature Park). It was on a branch almost at my eye level!

What a great way to start the day!

Barred Owls eat mostly rodents, which is a good thing for them and for us.

Being adaptive generalists, they also eat birds that are smaller and which mostly move at night. Barred Owls are larger than Spotted Owls and have been outcompeting and eating the specialist Spotted Owls.

Northern Saw-whet Owls and Western Screech Owls, both small owls are in our area. There are reports of Northern Saw-whet sightings in Hamlin Park

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