Northern Hawk Owl

A Northern Hawk Owl

The digest of VTbirds this morning had several reports of a Northern Hawk Owl about 10 miles from here.  It's a bird that I'd not seen and rather rare to Vermont -- one or two a year get spotted each year.

So the dog and I hopped in the truck this morning and went over to River Road and sure enough, there were a group of birders standing beside the road with scopes and binoculars looking south.  I knew several of them and they pointed out the bird sitting in a tree quite a ways off.  It is a life bird for me.

It was hard to see clearly without a scope -- which I had left in the truck -- but several scopes were already set up and all of us got some good looks.  The owl left to hunt for a bit and then cooperatively perched on another tree about the same distance away.  Since the word was out (and it was the start of a new year of counting) birders were showing up from all over upstate Vermont.

Later, I went up to visit my other bird, my Luscombe, and install a new canopy cover to protect it from the elements. It was a nice way to start off the new year. 

photo by seabarium