This morning, Karen and I hiked 6.6 miles total above Squilchuck State Park with about a thousand feet of elevation gain. With high heat, we stayed in the shade.
To our delight, we came across two young Barred Owls. It appeared they were waiting for their mother to feed them. They still had fluffy white down on their chests.
Karen spoke softy to the owls. "Good babies. Is your Mom around?" Unafraid, they answered with a low-pitched whoosh of air. They stayed put, waiting for mom.
Barred Owls have distinctive black eyes. Many owls have amber eyes.
What a treat! A magical, extremely rare encounter.
Photos:
Barred Owls.
Asters.
Nice owl photos, they are one of my favorite birds to photograph. It must have been a warm hike for you. I photographed a couple baby Great Horned Owls at Nisqually NWR a while back.
Great shot, Kathleen. Which is a good reward for your hike.
Thank you. It is extremely rare to see an owl while hiking.
Barred Owl Sounds:
Thank you for this wonderful video.