Robin and I visited her Aunt & Uncle at their camp on Green Lake today; I was told that Bald Eagles have been spotted on the lake eating fish carcasses left by ice fisherman. When we arrived we talked for awhile about what has been going on since the wedding, miscellaneous animals that have been spotted on the lake.
Robin’s uncle mentioned that he heard some children talking about seeing an Owl in the woods; Robin, I and her aunt headed out into the woods in search of the owl. While starting out on snow mixed muddy trail we came upon the kids playing in the woods as they were constructing a tent out of dead branches and bark they stripped off from a tree. While talking with them I noticed in the corner of my eye a brown and white flying object. I walked of the path into the marsh-like woods where the snow had been compacted from constant melting and freezing of our day/night cycle. We had looked around for a few minutes and could not spot the Owl- discouraged I ended my search and headed back only to hear Robin say that she had spotted the Owl 20 feet from us about 20 feet up in an Evergreen tree. I looked and couldn’t believe I had overlooked the Owl, they really know where to blend in with their plumage. I kept thinking to myself how well God designed all of the animals and how they match with their natural habitats. We stood watching the Owl gaze back at us with its big black eyes, occasionally turning its head looking at the kids and their dog running around. While snapping off shots I noticed that Robin had moved closer, clicking photos in excitement. I’m not sure what was more enjoyable for me, having the opportunity to photograph the Barred Owl or watch Robin move forward, crouched, snapping photos with her beautiful smile.
The Barred Owl granted us a long enough time to get close enough to view it up close, almost directly under the branch. While backing away, it “hooted” and yawned- I think we were keeping it from its sleep. As Robin started to move away from the Owl's perch it spread its wings and fly close over Robin's head and landed in a closer tree where she took a really good shot.
Now that we have spotted our first Owl (Barred Owl) in the woods, we are going to keep our eyes peeled in any type of forest that we're hiking through; hopefully we will spot a Great Horned Owl, Snow Owl and a Barn Owl this year.