At about 7 AM today, I saw an EASTERN SCREECH-OWL in our box - my first sighting since Thursday. It seemed to be preparing normally to retire for the day, with dilated pupils looking out indolently at nothing in particular. But then the owl burst forth, setting off little snow cascades from both the box roof and the near branch where it alighted. I had never before seen an owl flying out of the box in the morning.
I widened my view. Three squirrels had arrived. They and the owl fixed frozen gazes on each other. A dove perched, petrified, on our play structure nearby. The six of us remained paused like this for several minutes, watching to see what would happen next, hoping some combination of the others would leave. Alas, the owl departed first. I didn't see the bird as it left - just the empty nodding perch and another wisp of falling snow. Mark Chao --- This email is free from viruses and malware because avast! Antivirus protection is active. http://www.avast.com -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
