I was pedaling home, late the other night, just about dark and added a bird to my '09
birding list that I have not seen in some time. I have heard the Eastern Screech Owl in the area, but, as usual, you hear owls like the Screech more often than you actually see one. Can't say I have actually had a Screech Owl in the
birding binocular, since I left Nebraska, so it was a very welcome sight. I was in a commercial area with a lot of retention ponds and railroad right of way, so basically good habitat for this suburban little owl. The Screech flew right in front of the bike and I knew, immediately, what it was, so I reversed direction and slowly approached the tree it had chosen for a perch. In my little Nikon 5x15 monocular, which was all I had, I was still able to confirm an identification and enjoy the sight. I slowly backed, away, and left the little night hunter to its business.
By the way, I knew some folks who had a screech take up residence in their backyard and they report that this little owl was a voracious little guy and would consume astonishing numbers of mice and rats, and even some songbirds. The
All About Birds website (every birder should be using this great resource), confirms this, stating that the Eastern Screech owl consumes up to one-third its body weight in food each night. Man, in all his technical glory, could never design a better mousetrap than the Screech Owl.