~Long-eared Owl~

Spent the day with Carol and we saw this long-eared owl. People told us it was rare to see it here. Not sure if that's true but we felt lucky to see it.   There was another one to but it was deeper into the trees.        

           ~Long-eared owl description~
A common and widespread species, the long-eared owl can be recognized by its orange eyes, prominent ear tufts, and rounded, buff or rufous facial disk. The plumage is a mixture of black, brown, grey, buff and white on the upper parts, and whitish-grey and buff, with dark brown streaking and barring on the under parts. The wings are long and rounded, with a buff patch on the upper wing and a dark crescent below. Other distinctive features include conspicuous white eyebrows above the eyes and a white patch below the beak, along with densely feathered legs and toes. The feathers of this species are specially adapted so that, even when beating its wings, flight is almost noiseless. During the breeding season, the male produces a distinctive call consisting of a low "hoo, hoo, hoo” repeated 10 to 200 times, which the female responds to with a raspy buzz. When alarmed, this species will also make a barking “ooack, ooack, ooack” sound.  

Other facts are:
The long-eared owl has orange eyes and big ear tufts
Specially adapted feathers allow the long-eared owl to be almost silent when in flight
A proficient hunter, the long-eared owl catches mice in complete darkness by using sound to locate its prey
After catching its prey, the long-eared owl usually swallows its victim whole!