For the past several weeks we have seen a barred owl just about every morning
near our feeders.  The resident birds seem not to mind the visitor and it
seems clear that the owl is simply looking for the resident rodents.  The owl
seems not to mind our observing and moving about inside the house.  What a
wonderful bird with those depthless eyes....

In the past few days the owl has gotten bolder, perching closer and closer to
the house, and this morning was perched on the small branch supporting the
thistle feeder just beyond the edge of the porch.

The chickadees continued to use the suet feeder also hanging from that branch
and within a foot of the owl.  The jays, mourning doves and cardinals seemed
to ignore the owl as well.  The few goldfinches we have were not in evidence,
nor were the titmouse pair that are regulars.  Nor have we seen our sparrows,
juncos and woodpeckers this morning, but that may just be chance.

The owl is a realtively bulky bird perched on the branch, while the feeder is
slim and long, but the overall visual effect is that the owl is clutching the
thistle feeder or that the thistle feeder is somehow a pendant extension of
the owl.  Most incongruous and quite magical.

Deb