Barred owl late morning yesterday in Hallowell

[cathie...@gmail.com]

Hi all, we found a Barred owl in beautiful plumage sitting about 8 feet above the edge of a recently mowed field yesterday around 10:45 am. It was scanning the field just below its perch very patiently. We were ~50 feet away with two small kids and a dog on a leash and watched it for about 15 minutes. It did not seem bothered by us at all. Eventually it turned and flew into the woods without any prey.

Does this seem like a first-year bird to you? Or might even a mature Barred owl hunt at this time of day at this time of year?

In any case, it was a real treat.

Cathie Murray

Hallowell