that's a great experience! I was watering the other day and hummingbird started playing in the water spray. He'd zip in and zip out, he was having a ball! But the best part, I was standing right up against a large lilac bush and as he flew away he came right towards me and landed on a branch not 6" from my face! I don't know how he didn't see me. He sat and swiped his beak on the branches and shook himself a little. I tried not to breathe, and he eventually flew away. I've never had a close encounter with a hummingbird before, what a thrill!

That's great! Mine haven't "said" anything yet but if I'm out there when they have the nerve to fly around to check me out, I do talk to them. I'd love to hear one one of these days... I did watch who I think is my regular female perched on one of my weigela branches about 30 minutes ago and she stayed there for at least 10 minutes while I futzed with the camera to try to get a closeup (the branch overhangs the rail and I couldn't get a good focus through the fencing). When I finally relented to go out to actually look at her in person, she flew off and then I saw why - there were 2 of them doing the famous chase... And my gosh, they were way way up in the sky above my building doing it too - at least 50ft above the roof (and I'm already up about 150ft from the ground).

woodswatcher: Although I claim to be no Barred Owl authority, I have observed them from near and far, for many years. I have called them up (with a Barred Owl call) while fully camoed in the early Spring, and had them land on limbs right in front of me. Twice in my life, I have called one up, while camoed and unseen by the owl--which confused him and got him calling and looking. A female came to his call, and the two mated on a limb right in front of me! I tried to nurse a Barred Owl with a broken limb (in my bathtub with the shower curtain drawn), but he kept pecking off the splint I so laboriously taped on his wing-bone, and it never healed. I used to go out in the country, and shoot into a flock of Starlings with a shotgun, and take the 5 or 6 home for owl feeders, that were wounded (generally broken wings) but still alive. I'd throw one in the tub, and draw the shower curtain, and later when the lights were out, I'd hear the Starling shriek as he was caught by the owl, and dispatched. (This, MANY years ago.) I've seen Barred Owls hunt in the daytime, when Winters were terrible, with snow 3' deep for months. Prey birds and animals died of starvation, or were underneath the snow, and Barred Owls were starving. In such disastrous periods, they hunt by day (and probably night, also). But I must say, I've never seen a healthy Barred Owl hopping around as you describe. Someone who studies Barred Owls exclusively would know WORLDS more about them then I. Just thought I'd check in because I know a bit about them, and have never seen such behavior. But I don't know enough about them to know if they go through a molt, which might incapacitate them as you mentioned. And, your thought about the owl being struck by a car is a very reasonable scenario, also. Where's a Barred Owl expert when you need one?

Remember you showed us another one of those ages ago that just about landed in that gum tree? Maybe, you should check the top of that tree for stray bottles of champers, or something?