It is a Barred Owl....they can make a very wide and diverse amount of vocalizations and the behavior and habitat you describe is classic Barred Owl!


pete hammill
seattle wa
iwhonever at comcast.net

Subject: what owl?
From: "Ann Spiers" <spiers AT eskimo.com>
Date: Mon, 13 Oct 2008 12:54:40 -0700

What owl would swoop from behind, absolutely noiseless, and apply quickly,
but not grasp, talons on the side of the head of human walkers?. The owl
does a sharp turn and comes back for a second close fly by. These "laying on
of talons" occurred along a wide grass pathway through alder and good sized
firs. Artificial light falls on the path from nearby outbuildings. The
encounters occur most often immediately after dark. After listening to
Cornell's bird tapes and DNR guide with owl sounds on the web, I cannot
match what we all heard nite after nite to the notes or screeches on the
tapes. This owl emits one "hoo," not a succession of sounds nor is there a
pattern to it. The sound is one long low ooooooooooo with a fillip at the
end--sometimes up as if a question and sometimes just insistent. Sometime
one hoo and not another. Sometime hoo and then another but not close nor in
a pattern. On the tapes, I listened to Great Grey, Barn, Barred, Great
Horn,Spotted owls. Who has one long note?



I saw the owl take a turn in the dusk light after bonking me. Big wing span,
three plus foot wing span, grey on grey. But it was dark. Usually when hit,
the person hit does not see the approach and is in crouch mode so doesn't
see the bird at all on his return.