How excited we were to see that he's back!
I really can't explain it,
the thrill that comes over me when experiencing one of God's beautiful creations up close...
There he was,
sitting way up high,
in top of the tree that is right beside the front porch...
He chose the same spot as last time,
and again didn't seem to mind me snapping some pictures.
Of course I am far away, he's HIGH up in the tree.
I'm glad to have a zoom lens...
I know a little bit more about him now; he's a Barred Owl.
They are common and when mature are very large, up to 20" tall with a wingspan of almost four feet, and as you can see he is grayish-brown. Barred Owls don't have ear-tufts like some owls do. Their eyes are dark, he has a hooked bill and their talons are yellow and very sharp.
This owl lives in the woods, preferring pine trees and a water source. We have a creek that runs along the back of our property, maybe that's why he like this spot?
Like most owls, they are not very active during the day and do most of their hunting at night. They have excellent vision and hearing. Barred Owls eat small rodents such as mice, squirrels, and moles, as well as frogs, snakes, insects, and fish.
Isn't he beautiful!
And when he howls, he uses his whole body and it sounds like he's saying,
"Who, who cooks for you...who cooks for youuuuu...".
"Who, who cooks for you...who cooks for youuuuu...".
Take a listen...
"How many are your works, Lord! In wisdom you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures."
Psalm 104:24
Fascinating isn't he! Would love to hear about wild creatures landing near you...
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It seems those dark eyes are looking straight into yours. Amazing pictures. And I had to laugh because now I hear "who cooks for you" when I played the video!
ReplyDeletelucky you to have one of these owls so close by...he is beautiful...
ReplyDeleteHow cool is this??? Where we live in the woods right now, we hear owls but never see them. Where we are going not much wildlife but rabbits, a few deer and squirrels. It is ok with us 20 years of wildlife was enough for us and our two pups. Now they get to go be pups in our new neighborhood.
ReplyDeleteCynthia
Amazing how you captured it all! Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteMary @ Orphans With Makeup
Oh wow look at how beautiful he is....
ReplyDeleteLucky you, when I visit my in law in Florida, they have an owl that sits on top of their mail box, I just love looking at him ;-)
Smiles~
Mari
Cindy, he is GORGEOUS! What wonderful photos of him! There is one living the woods next to my house that I hear at night...the very same call...I would love to get a glimpse of him. Like you, there is nothing that thrills me like God's magnificent creations!
ReplyDeleteOh Wow, this is awesome. What great photos,and a video with sound. Love it, thanks so much for sharing.
ReplyDeleteHe is gorgeous!!! Owls are such intriguing creatures and like you I am always thrilled when I am able to see the glory that God has created for us-we have some handsome Herons nearby and their magnificent and stately stature delights me!
ReplyDeleteHave a lovely day,
Jemma
Javelinas and coyotes. But you don't want to get close!
ReplyDeleteYes, he is beautiful!!! I hope his return means that Spring is arriving soon.....You really did get some great shots.. I have seen and heard a few screech owls around here. I have seen a few hawks that are just as big....of course, we have our share of ceyote, deer, skunks, rabbits and the such....what a creative God we serve! Blessings!
ReplyDeleteWhat a magnificent gorgeous owl! I think it is good luck that he is there:)
ReplyDeleteHow wonderful! We would be thrilled to have an owl visit our yard. :)
ReplyDeleteAngela @ number Fifty-Three
totally amazing!!
ReplyDeleteHe is so cute I want to cuddle him but probably not a good idea! How great that you can be so close to him. Not anything exciting like that in my yard.....a skunk once and a wild turkey flew in!
ReplyDeleteHow gorgeous is he??? I love it.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely Amazing! Awesome photos!
ReplyDeleteOh, you lucky girl, you!!! He's magnificent AND he's in your yard. (keep an eye on your dog and cat, just in case he gets hungry)
ReplyDeleteAbout the only thing I'm seeing lately, is cats, not very nice cats at that. We are starting to see more and more of them.
Alligators, shorebirds, iguanas in South Florida, and Florida black bears. Oh, and manatees, eagles, and now coyotes. Owls, too, and I love yours. Oh.... And red tail hawks, egrets, herons, cranes, and more.
ReplyDeleteYou are so lucky to have this majestic creature living so close to you. Once when I was in my garden, an owl was in a tree near me and I was fascinated by him. I hear owls all of the time but rarely see them.
ReplyDeleteHe is a beauty! We have two hawks visiting here each day and finding their food around our pond. It is mating season and it is so fun spying them outside.
ReplyDeleteWhat stunning photographs! He's enchanting and oh so beautiful!
ReplyDeleteHave a great day~
Nancy
How perfect is the scripture that you chose to go with this post. This morning my husband and I were gifted with seeing a pilated woodpecker. A rarity in our neighborhood! By the time we returned from our walk he was happily pecking in the tree across the street. What a great way to start the day! :)
ReplyDeleteLoved these owl shots, oh my, he is a pretty owl. Liked the video too....they really do use their whole body, and it d
ReplyDeletedoes sorta sound like that..........so funny. Loved that he was looking right into the camera, pretty eyes, I have to say.
For the last several years we have been getting Sand Hill Cranes and Ibis...........we have lived here 33 years tomorrow, and never had either of those until about the last 4 years I would say. So it is sorta strange. We have
seen a lot of really cool wildlife and things around her over the years tho, and loved every bit of it.
Anything the Lord fashions is very interesting and intriquing for sure............
Hope you are having a good week hon.
Blessings..........
Nellie
Your photos are awesome. I was so glad to see this post. I just can't say how incredible your photos are. So glad you could get these.
ReplyDeleteWe had one of these owls last year. That was the first time we knew owls could be that large. We watched from our front porch while he got a small snake from the flower bed and fly away with it. We didn't even see the snake. I guess that's what they mean about the eyes of an owl. I just showed this to hubby and we both got a kick out of the video. Love what you did with the last pic. I hope you have that printed for framing.
xoxoGinger
What a gorgeous creature! Love the closeness of your picture showing all his amazing details! So glad he is back as I enjoy reading about him. Your painting of him is gorgeous! Thanks for sharing this majestic owl with us!
ReplyDeleteHow wonderful is that! So glad he decided to come back. Your pictures are absolutely wonderful. Appreciate you sharing this wonderful creature with us. :)
ReplyDeleteCindy, I love this Barred Owl!! He is so handsome. :) I've ALWAYS been fascinated by owls; they're such interesting birds. We have them around us because we hear often hear them at night. I can't believe you were able to get such good pictures in the daytime. Good for you!! Thanks for sharing with us and have a wonderful day.
ReplyDeleteBlessings,
Denise
What a gorgeous owl !! I need one of them in my back yard to get rid of the moles!...and the other pesky rodents!...Must be great to hear him at night!
ReplyDeleteHe's beautiful and how exciting to see him again. It's nice knowing he'll be hunting for little critters.
ReplyDeleteHow exciting to see him again. He's gorgeous.
ReplyDeleteCindy, you got some amazing shots. I'm going to pin one to my Animals Board.
ReplyDeleteI used to tell the scary witch owl story to my students at Halloween. They loved it! Whoooooo'll cook for youuuuuuu?
Great Waterlogue shot too. '-)
Beautiful pictures! and so nice to see such a bird........we have had an owl outside of our house a few different nights.......the call went on for so long, we were wanting him to leave during the night so we could sleep!! :) But we haven't been able to get a glimpse of him at any time....by the call sound, we think it may be a Great Horned Owl...........would love to see him as you were able to see yours. :) Thank you for sharing. Gentle Joy
ReplyDeleteWow, he is a beauty! We have a Lowe's rather close to us, and their garden center is the annual nesting spot for an owl couple. I don't know what kind of owl they are, but they do have the ear tuffs and are quite large. They usually have two or three babies, so the garden center is a popular place to wander around, look at the flowers and plants & keep a watchful eye on the Owl Family. In general, the most prolific owls around here are quite small. Of course, our big-time feathered friend, who actually does not fly, is the infamous "Roadrunner!" He really is so much like his cartoon counterpart!
ReplyDeleteOh he is just beautiful! I love owls! We have a couple of barn owls who visit our trees in our yard. I wasn't going to join Amaze Me Monday this week since the post is a letter, but I do have a pic of one of the owls. Maybe I'll post it. I hope that's okay. xoxo Jen
ReplyDeleteWell he certainly is a beauty! How lovely that you get to see him! I'm sure he gets some pretty good meals from the creek!
ReplyDeleteHe is absolutely gorgeous. I love owls. It's always so exciting when you see them in the wild. We have a rather large possum living nearby. He walks up my sidewalk and onto my stairs to get to some bushes that shelter him from the snow.
ReplyDeleteKristi
I love the photos that you share. I don't know how you manage to take those images, but I am grateful to see them. We, too, have owls but I never see them. I receive your blog post via email, but I have also come across it at Treasure Hunt Thursday link party. Ann Marie @ Iris Abbey
ReplyDeleteMay I make this image as a stained glass
ReplyDelete