On Tuesday, December 11, 2012 6:26:30 PM UTC-5, Jim Nelson wrote:
> I meant to post this on Monday. In the early hours of Monday morning (about
> 2:15 am), I was awakened by loud, strange sounds.� As I got awake enough to
> focus, I noticed a pattern that sounded a bit like the Barred Owl hooting but
> mixed with lots of other raucous sounds.� The source of the sound was
> obviously very close to our house, but I wasn�t able to get to a window fast
> enough to find the culprit before the sounds stopped.� Yesterday, I did
> research on Birds of North America Online and found the following about Barred
> Owl sounds � �Raucous Hoot/Caterwauling. Associated with dueting pairs, this lasts up to 2 min
> and consists of a raucous jumble of cackles, hoots, caws and gurgles. It was
> heard at 28% (n = 25) of Virginia sites tested with call
> playback by McGarigal and Fraser (1985). Call also given occasionally when large prey are
> being subdued.�� I�m not sure if there were two voices or
> just one, so it might have been a single Barred Owl or a pair that I heard (no
> signs of subdued prey lying around in the daylight later).� The recording
> of a Barred Owl caterwauling on the BNA Online site was exactly what I
> heard.� Very cool and an interesting way to add a yard bird for this
> year.
>
> �
>
> Jim Nelson
>
> Bethesda, Montgomery County
Nice Jim! I still haven't seen or heard one here in our yard. I regulary hear and sometimes see screech owls, hear Great Horned a couple of times a year, and even have Red-shouldered Hawks nesting nearby, but so far, no Barred Owls! Seems odd to me...
But congrats to you for yours.
Rick Sussman
Woodbine,MD
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