Here’s something you don’t expect to find on your porch!
Night Visitor
I was on the phone with my cousin, when I heard a heavy “thunk” at the back of the house. Neither dog lifted an eye. Not surprising for 16 year old Tucker who is now stone deaf, but even Bodhi didn’t stir. I hesitantly investigated on my own, not sure I wanted to see the cause of the thud. I was relieved to find a majestic AND conscious barred owl on my back porch. (Someone told me it was a barred owl, I myself have no such bird identification qualifications.)
The picture is not great, but I was lucky to get even that before this beautiful specimen dusted himself off, after what I assume was a collision with a glass sliding door, and fluttered away. Alain checked the back yard an hour or so later, not wanting him to try to survive the night on the ground, as there are foxes and the occasional coyote and coywolf around here, but there was no owl in sight. The next day, in daylight, we were unable to spot anything, so our chosen belief is that he found his way back to where he calls home, and all is good.
Mar 18, 2025 at 5:43 PM
What a honour to have such a beautiful visitor arriving even with a "thunk"! And happening on my birthday! Glad he was on his way safely. Keep your eyes open - maybe he is living in your area and looking for a mate. Birds now have family building instincts going on.