This morning, at 0330, I was awakened by the singing of a BARRED OWL from the woods way south of the house. In my 13 years here, this is only the second time I've heard this species from the premises. I got up, of course, and once outside picked up the begging calls of my resident juvenile GREAT HORNED OWL, coming from the valley to the north. It's been begging for almost 2 months now. (Two nights ago, a yard SCREECH OWL got me up with its whinnies and 1 trill.) At 0415 the local pack of COYOTES began yelping across the road; they followed with an encore at 0445. I must have uncharacteristically dozed for a few minutes, and upon arising at 0530, the juv. GHO was still clamoring to be fed. Yesterday afternoon, from the Yard, I saw a large, darkish raptor with a bright white throat and upper breast and a characteristic wing shape glide in low from the north. It reached the large hayfield south of the house and found a powerful thermal and began circling and soaring. Up and up. I finally lost it to the unaided eye, but continued following its spirals with binocs until it appeared no larger than a sparrow. I saw no wingbeats (from such a powerful bird) for many minutes, which was awe-inspiring. The PEREGRINE FALCON then straightlined south.
Steve Fast Brooktondale -- 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/ --
