Barred Owl Strix varia

One summer's evening in early August, I happen to glance out the window and saw a shadowy figure on my picnic table. It was dark, so I turned off the lamp and put my face closer to the glass. A face turned towards me. It was attached to a medium to large sized owl with dark eyes. "Hmm, spotted owl, I thought," but I knew that was wrong as I am the only old growth I know of around here.

It had to be a barred owl then, as they are very similar to their spotted cousins. I grabbed a loaded camera, attached the flash and 300mm f/2.8 lens, and quietly slipped outside. Perched in a nearby tree, the owl looked around, giving me only a cursory glance. This bird had work to do.

The owl flew off the branch (below), gliding to the ground, landing at the edge of a thick blackberry patch about 30 feet from where I stood.

My cat arrived, and began to rub against my leg. Noticing the owl, his purring stopped. Suddenly, the cat ran towards the bird. Just as I was about to yell a warning, the owl took off, flew over my head and landed in a nearby tree (left). I marveled at the absolute lack of sound -- not even a whispered "whoosh" as the bird's wings nearly grazed my head. Talk about a perfect adaptation!

The barred owl sat quietly as I snapped off a few more photos, then as suddenly as it appeared, the owl took off into the darkness. I had not seen any owls other then an occasional western screech owl in my yard in 23 years.

These photographs are © copyright 1999, 2003, Carl Cook. All rights reserved. May not be reproduced in any manner whatsoever without permission, including internet use. Photographs on this web site are protected by and registered with the Digimarc system. Prints are available. Send an e-mail to clcook@olywa.net for details and prices.

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