Barred Owl (Strix varia)
This Barred Owl (Strix varia) saw me long before I saw it, monitoring my movements from afar while perched in this tree on a cloudy May morning. Those enormous dark eyes tracked me in a relaxed fashion as I was still rather far away when I noticed it. I had been watching several warblers and a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher before my eyes stumbled on this slightly larger species. Barred Owls are, of course, usually snoozing during the day, but not always – and the spring season is when I have seen them the most active diurnally. This bird did not wake up because I was there, nor was it sleepy....
Read MoreNorthern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) by Twan Leenders
It’s happening, no matter what the groundhogs say: spring is coming and the Northern Cardinals are among the first to celebrate. Snow, rain or frigid temperatures don’t matter – only the increasing daylight triggers hormonal changes in male Cardinals and usually around the last week of January their cheery song starts to warm our hearts. I heard my first Cardinal on January 31. If you haven’t heard one yet, I hope you will soon. The countdown to spring has begun!
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