The action of the evening happened before I even had my camera out. Around 4:30 pm a juvenile Red-tailed Hawk flew directly at the roosting Barred Owl. The owl jumped to a lower branch in time to escape getting hit, but the Red-tailed Hawk ended up in the exact spot the owl had been roosting. This may be far game. The Barred Owl had gone after a roosting Red-tailed Hawk and a Cooper’s Hawk a week earlier.

The fly out seemed early, with the owl making a few stops near the roost site before going west. making at least three stops to go after squirrel cavities or squirrels out on branches. I’ve yet to see the owl catch a squirrel. But this post fly out period is perfect to go after them. The squirrels haven’t gone to sleep yet, so owl has a chance to go after them.

The group watching this evening was incredibly respectful of the owl. They were quiet, minimized movements, and calmly followed the owl. The careful actions of the group allowed us to watch this magnificent bird about ten minutes longer than normal.