Tonight ended up being a special night.  Two species of owls Barred Owl and Great Horned Owl flew out within a few hundred yards of each other within about ten minutes.

I watched the Barred Owl first.

Then, I choose to watch the Great Horned Owl, while other watched the Barred Owl fly out. 

The Great Horned Owl did its usual “Owl Yoga” before jumping up a branch, and then working its way to a higher branch.  It ended up being in a more open branch and flew out to a nearby tree.  But then it flew to a tree across a body of water, only to return to a tree near the roost tree.  It then went very low and ended up on a lawn after going after what looked to be a squirrel.  Then it was up to a small tree, and then high in a large tree.   Then it was a wide circle over water and I lost track of the Great Horned Owl.

I packed up my camera and got ready to go home after everyone else had left and something amazing happened.  The Great Horned Owl and the Barred had a little fight in the roost tree of the Barred Owl.  It was fantastic to watch them fight.  It was very much like an American Kestrel and a Red-tailed Hawk fighting.  The fight seemed to be just a territorial fight. One that wasn’t intended to injure either party.  I’d love on some future night capture at least one image of the interaction.

This wonderful evening was enjoyed by about fifteen folks. I doubt any of this behavior would have been observed if there had been a large walk with a leader used a flashlight and audio playback.  No one should be allowed to interfere with an other person’s desire to view natural avian behavior in a public park.