She's Baaack!

(Picture from owl-pictures.com)

Last night we heard "our" Spotted Owl hoot~hoot~hooting her familiar call. It's a distinctive sound that comes from afar, deep in the woods. We first saw her in 2006, the spring we built our patios on the east side of our house. We would set resting under the huge Oak trees, taking a break and we'd see her perched high above us. We were in her forest, her domain...how did we get here and why were we putting rocks and stones where she was able to find tasty mice and chipmunk snacks??? For about two weeks we saw her daily. She would stare at us, very interested in our progress. It was nesting time and we hoped she would choose one of the big Oaks around the house to raise her young. But, Mother Nature told her to find a more secluded place to nest and she chose the deep ravine behind the house and near the lake. It too has dense woods that gave her the perfect place for her babies to hatch, grow and learn to hunt. I feel so lucky to live here, on land that is home to so much wildlife. There's not a day goes by that we don't see a deer grazing or hawks circling. Our own piece of Paradise, at least for us!

The Spotted Owl, Strix occidentalis, is a species of owl. It is a resident species of forests in western North America, where it nests in tree holes, old bird of prey nests, or rock crevices. Nests can be between 13 and 66 yards (12 to 60 meters) high and usually contain two eggs (though some will contain as many as four). It is a strictly nocturnal owl, which feeds on small mammals and birds.

The Spotted Owl is similar in appearance to the Barred Owl but has cross-shaped markings on the underparts whereas the Barred Owl is alternately barred on the breast and streaked on the belly. Barred Owls are larger and grayer than Spotted Owls. In recent years the California and Northern subspecies of Spotted Owl have been displaced by Barred Owls, which are more aggressive, have a broader diet and occur in more varied habitats.
From owl-pictures.com

*Thanks so much to Olivia for featuring GrannyMountain as her Blog of the Week! It's such a compliment to be recommended! Click on the button at the top of the blog and go over to Olivia and Me for a visit...you'll be glad you did!