A Sacred Sighting

To see an owl in the wild is a very rare thing and such an experience leaves you feeling blessed and in awe of nature and all it’s wonders. This experience might only happen once in your lifetime.    We felt very  blessed to have had this beautiful Great Horned Owl juvenile here last Saturday morning.  It was a very cold rainy morning and he was perched on the arbor by the pond.  At times he was dive bombed by blue jays and bluebirds but his patience and stillness earned him peace eventually, where he even closed his eyes for a few minutes.  It is unusual to see a Great Horned Owl in the middle of the morning, but we had a feeling this young owl was just too hungry to go to bed for the day just yet.  The perch he chose had a perfect sight line to the busy bird feeders and he was bound and determined to have a bite to eat before he tucked in for the day.

Great Horned Owls are primarily nocturnal hunters and almost any small creature that moves is fair game, including fish, small mammals, birds, snakes, frogs and even rabbits and skunks.  During the breeding season, courtship starts as early as January and this is the best time to hear their hooting calls.  4-6 deep resounding hoots …hoo-hoo-hooooo-hoo-hoo.

Being one of the most common owl species in North America, the Great Horned Owl is very adaptable and makes his home in suburban parks, farm yards, and even the wooded edges of landfils or the town dump so of all the owl species that call Ontario home, this is the one you will likely have the privilege  to see.

Bluebird Meadows Bed and Breakfast has had the pleasure of adding these owl species to their back yard bird count through the years:

Great Horned Owl

Northern Saw-whet Owl

Snowy Owl

Great Gray Owl

I hope you get out and explore your own surroundings and enjoy the birds in your neighborhood.  You might even be surprised at what you find.  Or if you live in the concrete jungle of a city and need an escape to greener pastures and better birding a visit to Bluebird Meadows Bed and Breakfast might be in order.

#MidlandBampB #Ontario #birding #nature #accomodations #YourstoDiscover