Night Visitor

[intertext]

As I drove up to my house after work, I saw the shadow of wings across my house. It was a bit spooky, and I couldn't think what bird would be flying in the complete dark. Then, as I walked up the path to the house, I looked over to my neighbour's front grass and saw what at first I thought was a small dog. Then I realized it was an owl! It flew up into a tree, and I was able to go into the house and grab my camera. Here it is...

Comments

[a-d-medievalist.livejournal.com]

that's an amazing picture!

[intertext.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I've since discovered that it's a Barred Owl. I was thrown off by reading in my out-of-date Field Guide that Barred Owls were rare in Southern BC, but subsequent research on Flickr reveals that they have apparently adapted and spread into urban areas, so that's the most likely. The unusual aspect, in fact, was seeing it at night; they are the owls most likely to be spotted in the daytime.