Wonderfully written story-just like being there. Great photo also! Hope you don't start losing your pond fish! Dave/Breaks ----- Original Message ----- From: Roger Mayhorn To: BCBC Listserve Sent: Monday, October 08, 2012 12:54 AM Subject: [bcbirdclub] Fishing Barred Owl Last night about 11:15 I turned on the outside light just in time to see a Barred Owl dropping down to the surface of our yard pond. It touched the surface then flew about 8 feet back up to perch on a post holding a bluebird nest box. I thought it had caught one of the 10 inch goldfish or one of the Green Frogs that inhabit the pond. However, when it perched I could see its yellow feet and black talons, and it had no prey. It sat there for over 2 hours staring intensely at the pond, only occasionally turning its head to look around the yard with those large, ebony eyes. Sometimes its body would get tense, as if it were preparing to drop down on prey, then it would relax again. I don't know what it was seeing or hearing, possibly a mouse near the edge of the pond or one of the fish moving among the pond plants. I suspect though, that once it made an attempt on the fish they went to the bottom and stayed there. I finally decided to try for a photo from a partially open window. The owl only blinked at the flash, looked in my direction for a couple of seconds and went back to its fishing. Roger Mayhorn Compton Mt