I was so thrilled to have my 2nd identifiable sighting of an owl that might breed here last night: I saw my 1st ever barred owl in my atlas block! Unfortunately, it was just hunting, so I didn’t have any breeding activity clues. It caught my eye when it flew up to a telephone line, and then hunted the ditch below. It dove, but I’m not sure if it caught prey. Then, it flew off from the ground toward the lake. I lost it as it flew through a yard behind a house.

Here in MN they should start ramping up vocalizations soon! I wonder where it’s headed, and will have to go to potential areas nearby in the evenings to listen.