Yesterday morning, July 28th, my wife and I visited and birded Fort Ebey
State Park on Whidbey Island. While looking at several *White-crowned
Sparrows*, a couple pf *Spotted Towhees* and an *Orange-crowned Warbler *at
the bluff just north of the gun batteries, a lady asked if we would like to
see an owl. Of course! Just up the bluff trail was a* Barred Owl*, sitting
about 10 feet up in a pine tree. It was not concerned about humans present
and did not seem to give a "hoot". It prompted me to go back to the car to
get my camera.

When I returned however, a couple of people advised me that the owl had
flown up the trail. I was able to relocate it about 75 yards further up,
again on a low branch. It was posing nicely and I managed to take a picture.
Next thing I knew, the owl stretched and really craned its neck, seemingly
fed up with the picture taking - or so I thought. Before I knew what was
happening, it flew straight at me, hitting my head with its wing feathers.
It flew over my left shoulder and as I twisted around, I found that I had
not been the target at all. Instead it had pounced on a prey item, but
apparently missed. With it's back to me, it sat on the ground watching for
the missed prey. Suddenly it leaped forward a couple of feet and pounced
again. When it flew up, it was carrying a small garter snake about 12-16
inches long.

When the owl flew at me, my first thought was that the famous British nature
photographer Eric Hosking, lost an eye while photographing a Tawny Owl in
Britain. Many years ago, I also had an angry *Great Horned Owl *come at me
at Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon. I had come too close to a
nest in a willow and only instinctively raising my tripod and spotting scope
above my head, saved me from having my hair parted by those fierce talons,
In any case, the encounter with the Barred Owl certainly is another exciting
life time birding moment!

Good Birding!
--
*Hans Feddern*
Twin Lakes/Federal Way, WA
thefedderns at gmail.com
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