Apparently my little basketball sized Barred Owl buddy is becoming a quasi-regular at the tree outside my office window. It is easily seen fully from my deck with full sun in the late morning until noon with limb shadows popping up in early afternoon on. My camera isn't sufficient to take full advantage of his close and stationary proximity but I did have the thrill of watching it snag an early spring golden gopher from the edge of my house.
If you would like to take advantage of this opportunity to take pictures of the bird, hopefully with a telephoto camera, email your interest and we will see what we can set up and if the bird's and your timing coincide. Once it comes, it seems to stay for the day - at least 6 hours each of the three times in the last two weeks that I have noticed - mid-to-late morning until at least mid-afternoon. Still there now at 2:30 pm. Of course I wouldn't have spotted it today had it not gone after the ground squirrel - so I just have to remember to look for the cammied beastie. By the way, a wave of chickadees flew around it and landed on the branch it was on as well as adjacent ones. The owl didn't even open it's eyes. Same thing with the gray squirrels. Thomas Maiello Angel Environmental Management, Inc. Maple Grove, MN
