LONG-EARED OWL AT FIVE RIVERS

It was a nice spring day so I decided to stop by 5-Rivers on the way home. There was not a cloud in the sky and this combined with calm winds gave the sun some spring warmth.

One of the first birds that I spotted was this White-winged Crossbill. It was just hanging out in a dead tree by the Beaver Pond, basking in the brillant sunshine. I thought it might be possible to get a little closer to get some nice pictures, when all of a sudden....

....an epic Canada Goose fight broke out nearby. This confrontatation was incredibly loud and brutal. It lasted quite a bit longer that most and in the end one of the combatants was left visibly injured. The crossbill flew off when the ruckus started and I continued on once it had died down.

The main reason I had stopped by today was to see if this bird was still there. I had found a Long-eared Owl in a stand of White Pine yesterday and sure enough it was in the same general area.

The bird was still quietly roosting and seemed to be doing very well. The Crows and Jays were not bothering it and judging by the amount of pellets in the immediate area, it was eating good and had been there a while. I contemplated whether I should let some folks know about this bird, but in the end I decided against it. After seeing the way that some of the Snowy Owls in our area had been treated this winter, I just couldn't do it. This would end even worse as the bird was on public property not far off a well traveled trail. I decided to let the bird enjoy it's seclusion and kept mum about it. It was the right thing to do.