The Barred Owl that I watched for over six hours from my back porch at Lake McQueeney on the afternoon and early evening of April 14, 2021.

A Day In The Life of An Owl

As you may know, I am fascinated by owls (see Owlmania).  I enjoyed watching a Barred Owl on an almost daily basis during the Summer and early Fall of 2020, on and around my property at Lake McQueeney, Texas.  But once the leaves dropped (late October/early November), the Owl was nowhere to be seen.  About a week ago, I was walking out to open my gate early one morning, and I caught a glimpse of the Barred Owl perched high on one of the Pecan trees out front.  This sighting gave me hope that I would soon be seeing the bird again on a regular basis, once the leaves on the trees came out in full.  Today, shortly after noon, Bitsy and I were sitting on the back porch, enjoying an overcast day that included a cool breeze coming from the lake.  Just before 1:00 p.m., I heard the distinctive call of a Barred Owl– a hooting call of 8–9 notes, described by birders as “Who cooks for you? Who cooks for you-all?”  The bird called twice, then went silent.  It took me about twenty minutes, but I finally located him high up in one of the Cypress trees down by the water.  When I first saw him, it was difficult to get a good picture because of the overcast day and the shadows in the tree.

This is one of the first pictures of the Barred Owl that I took in MBY on April 14, 2021. The sky was very overcast and the shadows made getting a good shot difficult.

Since it was a pleasant afternoon, I decided to watch the owl, hoping to catch him hunting, or perhaps with a mate, or showing me the location of his nest.  I ended up watching him for over six hours.  He never left his perch, until about the last fifteen minutes when he turned around and faced the lake.  He slept most of the afternoon, but occasionally, would wake up and preen or stretch.  A couple of times a curious squirrel got very close to him, but he stayed as still as a statue.  

Can you see the owl? This picture shows the context and view from my "perch" on the back porch. I had to use binoculars to see any detail at all.
Another shot that shows the context of the owl's roosting spot.
Most of the afternoon, the owl appeared to have his eyes closed but, occasionally, he would open one eye and check things out.
Occasionally, he would wake up and scan the ground around his roost, but he never moved.
During the course of the afternoon, the owl took time to look after personal hygiene. Here, he was working on a claw.
On several occasions, a curious/careless squirrel got amazingly close to the owl, which is one of its natural predators.
One final picture. As the sun set, it cast a golden glow on my friend, the owl. What a beautiful sight it was!

I really enjoyed the six plus hours that I watched the Barred Owl from my back porch.  But, since there were long periods when he was asleep, I was grateful for the antics of my little bully — the Ruby-throated Hummingbird.  One of the feeders that he spends the day guarding and dominating was just a few feet from my perch, and I enjoyed watching him dive bomb and chase away any and all intruders.  What a bossy little fellow he is!

I never get tired of watching this energetic little fellow!
Dorothy, checking out the roosting Barred Owl. I am lucky to have such a supportive and involved spouse!