The owl was along the trunk of the Hemlock Tree when I arrived this afternoon. (It has been near the trunk on windy days.) It looked relaxed, so I went off birding. Much to my surprise when I returned, it had flown out early and was perched about 75 feet NW of the roost tree.

The owl was in to rush to go anywhere and kept its eye on about six squirrels. One decided to be a pest coming close to the owl. Two Cooper’s Hawks flew past, but they seemed more interested in each other than the owl.

The hawk then made a number of stops before settling down in the area where feeders are located for about fifteen minutes. I lost track of it but found it over a stream in a small tree that it has used many times before. This area has a regular animal feeder, who also feeds the rodents, so it must be a great place to hunt.

I tried using a 50mm lens tonight, which has a brighter aperture than my telephoto. I was rewarded with some nice flight shots, and a few hunting attempt. I was able to observe the owl until 6:30 p.m., the longest time I’ve been able to observe it.