This photo shows how well camouflaged Houdini the Screech Owl is when he is next to a tree! How many screech owls have you passed by in the woods?

I was so excited to finally get a chance to photograph a Barred Owl in its natural habitat, not sitting on a perch or on a ranger's arm! One of the rangers at Frozen Head State Park showed us this beautiful owl he had spotted earlier in the day. This shows why snags of dead or damaged trees are so important for wildlife. This owl may nest in this decayed Beech tree and raise the next generation of owls here! Owls' nests can often be found because of owl pellets on the ground near the tree. Owls cannot digest feathers, fur or bones, so they regurgitate (throw up) them in little packets. Owl pellets can be dissected to see what the birds have eaten since the bones are still intact.