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Subject:

Eastern Screech Owl

From:

Rick Sussman

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Sat, 27 Feb 2010 15:02:24 -0500

Hi all,
Shortly after noon I was out on the deck playing with the new tripod/head and my scope. Finding nothing too terribly interesting to look at, I noticed that the backyard snow had melted sufficiently that I might be able to trek across it to the backyard fenceline, where I could scan for the Screech Owl I saw just before the first big storm a few weeks ago. If nothing else, it would give me another opportunity to try the new carbon fibre tripod in the field.

So after taking the dog for a walk, I came in, got my boots and binocuars on, and stuck my cell phone in my pocket. Then I went back out and made my way across the top of the frozen snow, all the way to the fence. To my surprise, the owl was right where I had seen him last, sleeping in a cavity in a cherry tree along the edge of the woods behind my neighbors field. I immedietley called my daughter, who was in her room, and told her to come out. After I hung up, I watched as an adult Cooper's Hawk flew in, and landed in the very same tree as the owl, perching about 8-10 feet above it. Oh, no, I thought. This might be trouble. Could the hawk know the owl is down below, perched in its hole? Well, a moment later, the hawk took off, swooping along the tree line towards my neighbors woods, and I watched it with my bins as it left the area. Whew!!
 
But when I looked back, the owl had disappeared! I was able to see a tiny sliver of it, as it snuggled deeper down in its hole. By then, Alli had arrived, and I had to tell her she was too late :-(

Well, we decided to climb over the fence, and we walked along the back of our property, then out along the edge and into the field, where we were able to get really nice views of the liitle owl as it slept away deeper in its crevice. 

Wish I'd brought the camera with me, now, in hindsight.

Rick Sussman
Woodbine,MD