The barred owl, with intent focus, glided over the flooded forest floor, stretching out its talons to swiftly snatch up its prey. Then it landed on a nearby tree branch to examine its prize. Carefully, it extricated its catch from collected debris. Aware of my presence, the owl took flight deeper into the woods to savor its snack in solitude.
“One of the very nicest things about life is the way we must regularly stop whatever it is we are doing and devote our attention to eating.”
– Luciano Pavarotti
walking on a country road 
whoo 🦉
what………he didn’t offer you a snack?
It wasn’t Halloween ‘trick or treat’ and if remember right from 66 years ago I soiled my britches ❗️
I enjoy your Eagle photographs but very few humans have seen a Great Horned Owl 🦉
thank you Washe!
Just as well, it really didn’t look that appetizing. 🙂
The scardest I ever was up in central Minnesota with full moon in 1959 I looked up in a tree and this 2 ½ or 3 foot tall bird glaring at me with giant eyes..It let off a hoot, louder then any steam ship I had ever heard
🦉 Great Hornd Owl ….70 year old now and have seen one since 😉
Sounds like a scary moment, but also priceless to have experienced.
It looks like a fish?! But why was it on the forest floor? What did you see?
After studying the photos and the video, I was thinking perhaps a red-winged blackbird. My husband thought some type of fish, with the black being debris from the forest floor but I’m thinking that what looks life fish fins may actually be owl feathers in the background.
Guess we’ll never know for sure!
After looking again, I agree with your husband. I stilled the video and went through frame by frame, at :02 sec. you can clearly see the fish’s head. Assuming you had flooding from Helene, it is possible that the fish became trapped in the forest once the flooding subsided. The owl has probably learned to capitalize on that. I enjoyed the mystery!
Great sighting! Looks like the owl caught a bird!
I was thinking maybe a red-winged blackbird.
Agreed!
Very nice. Owls should be moving back to ours swamps soon…can’t wait !
It’s always fun to see one.
Taking advantage of the wetness. Great shots and video.
Thanks, Timothy.
I hope one day I will be able to tell you I saw an owl. I liked the photos and the video Rebecca. At first I thought it captured a Red-winged Blackbird, then you said it got its snack away from the debris and flew away – the video seems like it had a fish. You were lucky to see this. I liked the Luciano Pavarotti quote – it applies to humans and wildlife.
The barred owl is the only owl that I’ve ever seen out in the wild. This is the first time that I’ve seen one hunting. I am always surprised at the speed in which they move. I hope that you will get to see one out on your nature walks too.
That’s amazing they are so fast since it was a large bird. I hope to see one too Rebecca. They have “Owl Prowl” events in one of the Metroparks, but they are in the dark and you go into the woods with a lantern. I think it would be fun, but I’m not game to walk into the woods in the dark. Yesterday I was talking to one of the Metropark rangers and where they have the “Owl Prowl” he told me that there are so many coyotes and deer running around that people drive up in their cars to take photos, but won’t get out due to the coyotes … so definitely I would not go into the dark woods.
Sounds like you are very wise! Sometimes I hear coyotes in the distance while we’re out walking in the evening, and I can tell you, nothing makes an old[er] woman walk any faster.
Yes, that howl – makes this old[er] woman take notice as well. This morning at the Park was a bit disconcerting. Two hawks cruising overhead and a coyote across the Creek, looking at everyone watching him/her. I didn’t get a photo, although I always have my point-and-shoot camera on me … it didn’t stay like that very long before running away.
A wonderful picture in your memory. 🙂
Yes!
Wonderful!
Thanks, Cindy!