To be perfectly honest, this isn’t about the garden. Well, let’s see if I can tie it in.
Okay. Saturday evening, we were sitting on the deck eating a dinner of scrumptious vegetables from our plot when I heard crackling in the greenspace behind us and saw a deer browsing in the brush, so I went to get my camera. I never did get a clear shot of the deer, but while I was watching, an owl flew onto a branch not twenty feet from us. Fortunately, my camera was right beside us. Unfortunately, I don’t have a zoom lens.
I was really hoping the shot turned out so we could identify the owl. It’s a poor photo, but I think what we have here is a Northern Spotted Owl. I found this picture for comparison and this description. I have heard the owl calling at night, but it was only a dream that one day I might get a chance to actually observe it.
Good story! I wonder if it might be a “Barred owl (?)” We have seen some in our neighbourhood in a suburban area of Abbotsford which has quite a few trees. Apparently the two types are very similar but the Barred owl is said to be more aggressive thant the Northern Spotted owl and is becoming more numerous in these areas while the latter declines.