Spring Walkabout Birds | Barred Owl The Barred Owl is sometimes known as a Hoot Owl due to its distinctive call. This owl was scouting for prey in a far off tree as I was crossing a foot bridge along my walkabout trail in a wooded forest preserve. Barred Owls are most active at night. Sometimes they’ll hunt in the daytime as well. This owl appears to like late afternoon. It really blends into its surroundings. In the spring before the leaves fully grow out, it’s possible to spot them when they are hunting. Binoculars can be very helpful to spot them against the tree branches. Without bins, finding a Barred Owl in a forest is nearly impossible; really just luck. Even with bins, it’s difficult. The only way I’ve been able to reliably spot them is to watch where they land. For the whole story with all images, see Spring Walkabout Birds | a 7 Image Story.
