Bear in the Yard

 This Black Bear came through our property at around 3:30 in the afternoon this past Friday.   It had been eating our neighbors apples a couple days before that.  It looks to be quite big.

Owl Hunts the Yard

 Yesterday, around 8:00 AM, we saw a large owl perched on our bird feeder pole.  I hustled to get my camera.  When I returned, it had dropped to the ground and was hunched over something.  It was a Barred Owl, a large owl that has made its way west from eastern North America.  Barred Owls have aggressively forced out the Northern Spotted Owl, a federally listed threatened species.  

On the ground and probably swallowing one of our many rodents.  Yeah!  The low light pushed the limits of my long lens.

Moments later, it flew across the river and landed about 20 feet up on a Douglas Fir branch.

Although we often hear Barred Owls making their "Who cooks for you" call, we seldom see them.

I moved to a different angle to show why we seldom see them.

The owl flew to the stair railing on our cabana, then up to a low branch.  We need more owls here as we have been overrun by chipmunks, mice, rats, and squirrels this year, exacerbated by feeding the birds this spring.  I stopped feeding the birds about a month ago.  Owls, do your work!