FreeLists / va-richmond-general / [va-richmond-general] Re: Owl

[WEalding <wealding@xxxxxxx>]

Barred Owls are somewhat diurnal


Wendy Ealding
Powhatan County

In a message dated 02/26/08 12:38:24 Eastern Standard Time, 
jimvb@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx writes:

 
 
Shortly before noon today, I went running in my neighborhood south of Chester. 
I ran into the woods behind the swimming pool to check up on some developers 
that were digging and causing noise in a nearby plot of land, when all of a 
sudden, I heard a whoosh noise. I looked to the left and saw a huge bird. I 
thought it was a hawk. But when I took a look at its front, I saw a huge 
ellipse instead of a point, with large dark eyes in it. I think that it was an 
owl. I looked in the bird book and concluded that it was a barred owl. It was 
really huge, definitely larger than a red-shouldered hawk. It did not have 
tufts, and its eyes were dark, ruling out a great horned owl or a great gray 
owl. I didn’t hear any “who cooks for you”.  Unfortunately, I did not have my 
camera.
 
I am wondering how often owls come out in the daytime. I thought they were 
strictly night birds. Perhaps I scared it from where it was with my running, or 
perhaps the developers have it on the run. 
 
Jim Blowers