I heard about it on our local birding email list. The homeowner was very generous in letting people come over and see it. For many people it was a life bird. They're usually hard to see because of their small size and because they aren't often seen out in the open. So it was fun to get this opportunity very close to home. Now if only it would fly a few miles to my house so I could get a cool new yard bird!

It's a funny thing, for all the birds in my favorites list (and there are many) I have always though Owl's to be the cutest! This one takes the cake and I agree Liz, you just want to take it home!

Nice portrait. Love to see owl pics. Two of my brothers took part in banding outside Steven's Point, WI a couple of years ago and had a great time. Need to get up there and do that. tj

ok, i have waited this long because i couldn't narrow it down. my first love at a raptor dates back to kindergarten- the bald eagle. actually it is pretty "ironic": i can remember asking my mom for a quarter to "help save the bald eagles" i don't know if it was the teacher, or if it was the school, but i remember i needed to take it to class. so, here i was 30 years later, fighting development of plum island as a preserve for their winter and nesting sight. i am proof that educating children and raising their awareness works! now, on the other extreme, i just love the kestrel. this is strange for me because i am a "bigger the better" kind of person- irish wolfhound definitely preferred over a small dg, give me a horse- make it a "heavy horse" there is just something about the spirit of the bird being bigger than its size. i really think they have taht warrior spirit despite that apparant fragility i have heard of when kept captive. although i have never had experience with them. owl are just too tough to decide between. again, the raptors seem to win me over despite size- oh, that screech owl's song! a am partial to barn owls simply because ot the endangered/threatened status. i have never seen one! the great horned does win over the barred, but that doesn't make the barred any less "endearing." i do like the turkey vulture, too. so that about sums it up (love red tails in flight calls, they are always saying something) i ahven't gone in to many species. mostly i am trying to stick to the ones of my area. but, the harpy eagle, now there is a magnificent bird! anyone see jeff corwin with the harpy on his arm? it kept pecking his head. i say pecking because with that kind of strenght it was more like a love tap!