A Distant Purr

Late last week we were warned of a cold front (finally) coming through.  Thus a few errands were in quick order two of which involved our family of birds.  We made sure the feeders were full and the water dish filled to the rim with fresh water.  It was getting dark before we finished outside chores.


As we were tying down the cover to the BBQ on the deck we heard a deep gentle repetitive sound in the ravine on the right side of the house.  There is something so magical when some small life form sings its territorial song with such bravery and self-confidence across the darkening and mysterious woods.  You cannot help but stop and listen.

My husband thought it was a frog because of the warmer weather.  But I knew in my heart that it was some type of owl.  I do not know why I knew this, because I am not an owl expert, but something made me sure.  I searched for owl calls on the Internet once I got inside and found out it was a screech owl, megascops aslo.  The sound was not at all what I expected from that sound and the owl's common name.  If you want to know what a screech owl sounds like, at least one of their more common sounds, click  here.  The sound that we heard was most like the first part of this sound and a little slower.  We never heard the horse neighing sound that comes later on this link.


Anyway, I hope my ankle heals sooner rather than later so that I may go searching for a screech owl nest.  These owls are very small, fluffy, and the color of the bark on the trees.  They will be hard to see.  Thus far in my small woods we have heard a screech owl and the great horned owl but I only saw the horned owl once and that was years ago.