My wife called me from the road this morning: "there's an owl along I-270 right by route 118! I thought it was a saw-whet, but it looks too big, I'm not sure what it is. Maybe you can check it out when you head in to work."

The directions were spot on.  I could see the owl as soon as I pulled onto the median and it was immediately obvious it was too big to be a saw-whet.  As soon as I could make out some detail I knew it was a long-eared owl.  I pulled up, opened the door, grabbed it and tossed it into the passenger seat.

It was near weightless, only 189g, so not a fresh killed owl. But it is one of the most beautiful creatures I have ever seen. Closer examination makes me wonder why they don't call it the "long-winged owl."  Those wings seem longer than necessary.  The exam also revealed that there was some nasty brain matter leaking out of the ear onto my hands. Ewww! I bet there wasn't anyone else beginning their workday like that.

There was a raptorial pizza further down the road near the 270 split, but the traffic makes it no-mans land and I was unable to investigate it.  It may have been another long-eared owl.

One of my mini-dachshunds was barking at the realtor across the street Saturday morning.  Then a muffled barking sound responded.  I thought perhaps my other dachs was in a hole or had gotten into someplace he should not be.  But he was at the door looking into the trees along with my basset.  The first dachshund barked again and there was another response, but it came from the trees.  Then the culprit cawed and made its muffled bark imitation again. An American Crow speaking in German dog!

I know of the ability of some birds, including corvids, to mimic other sounds very well.  But this was fascinating in that the bird was imitating a sound that had just been made.  It sounded like a muffled echo of the bark, matching cadence and pitch of each bark.  Must be a product of the Avian School for the Gifted and Talented.