While paddling in the marsh near Taylor's Island this weekend, I heard a very deep Who-who-who shortly before sunset.  Then the next morning I was serenaded by owls from about 6:00 to 6:15 am.  There were three or four, two fairly close, one or two much further away.  The loudest would call Who-who who who, and the next loudest would answer, who-who-who who who in a somewhat higher tone.  It was an amazing and wonderful way to wake up!  I wonder about the calls--they did not have that slurry ending of a barred owl's "Who cooks for you"--could they have been Great Horned Owls?  And why are they calling now--I thought they were mostly vocal during mating season?  and why that morning and not the three other days when I was there?

Any info about this would be most interesting---thanks,
---Hank D.