The Barred Owl

Why is today's post about a barred owl....also known as the rain owl, wood owl, striped owl, and the eight hooter (not to be confused with the eight footer), but most often referred to as the hoot owl. The main reason is that my room mate saw one as she was mowing a friend's yard on Saturday and got some amazing pictures. (Shelly's pictures were unavailable, these are from the internet.) I saw a Barred Owl myself last February and was so amazed I turned the car around to get a longer view. The adult owl is 17 inches tall with a wingspan of 44 inches. It is the only typical owl of the eastern United States which has brown eyes; all others have yellow eyes.
Recent studies show suburban neighborhoods can be ideal habitat for barred owls. Using transmitters, scientists found that populations increased faster in the suburban settings than in old growth forests.

OK, if this sounds a little like a quote from wikopedia, it is. I don't know much about Florida birds but what I've seen is beautiful and plentiful. I pass high rise osprey nests every day on the way to work. There are several varieties of huge cranes, not to mention anhinga and cormorant.

I don't know that I will ever be interested enough to be a birder like by room mate, Shelly, but I can still appreciate God's amazing handiwork.