Close encounters of the bird kind

This barred owl was spotted off the Cedar Point – Lily Point trail on Monday, July 27. More commonly found on the east coast, barred owls have been moving steadily west in recent decades.

According to Wikipedia, their usual call is a “series of eight accented hoots ending in oo-aw, with a downward pitch at the end. The most common mnemonic device for remembering the call is ‘Who cooks for you, who cooks for you all.’”

This eagle was just trying to catch a quiet moment; however, two crows were determined to make him fly away. Even the arrival of another eagle didn’t shake the crows’ focus – eventually, the eagle flew off to find another, less acrimonious, perch.

Photos by Pat Grubb