Cruising along US Route 1 today, I spied a bundle on the edge of the road. As I passed I processed what it might be and my curiosity got the better of me. I turned around and headed back. It’s rare to see a bird on the edge of the road, but in this case, it was a small Barred Owl. My heart felt so heavy.

dead barred owl

Over the past few weeks, there have been many owl sightings in this neck of the woods. Knowing my affinity for owls, friends have reported their sightings in Milbridge, Cutler, Columbia, and Harrington. Just yesterday, Hannah excitedly shared that as she and Paul drove home from ball practice, an owl swooped down and flew beside the truck with them for a short while before swooping up to rest on the power line. They’ve all been daytime/early evening sightings including my own sighting a couple of weeks ago.

Owls are so striking, yet elusive, teasing us with their “who-who, who-who” at night. Why so many owl sightings in such a short period? Are we simply becoming more aware of our surroundings? Is there a reason why the owls are on the move during the daylight? Are we seeing more owls because the population is growing? Or something else altogether?

I’d hoped the little owl on the side of the road was just injured, but she was dead. It appears as if she collided with a vehicle. Is it morbid to snap a picture? Maybe, but she was so beautiful that I wanted her to be remembered.

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