You may have to travel a long way to see this species. Inge saw it in south Texas, at the northern limit of its range.
A tiny owl with a longish tail, it is no bigger than an Eastern Bluebird. A daytime hunter, its wingbeats arent muffled as it darts from a perch like a flycatcher to catch insects, small reptiles or even birds.
[Friday posts suspended while the author is abroad]
According to legend, Robin Hood and his Merry Men hid from their pursuers in a hollow tree in Sherwood Forest during the harsh reign of King John (1199-1219). The tree still stands, albeit courtesy of props and wires, and called
I dash from the porch and promptly do battle with ice,Stagger to join rows of bundled-up neighbors, gentle as mice,They stamp frozen feet and wave with woolly mittsSlogans on floppy placards, too chill to move lips,And dream of springtime to
We heard a different owl calling in the woods behind our home today at twilight, not the familiar sound of Barred Owls. It hooted softly, as a tiger might purr to itself, watching a herd of antelopes. It was the