Within a couple of days of putting up the Mountain Birding section in the Highlander, the weather was so beautiful and the trees just starting to bud, Mr. Highlander and I decided to go for a hike to the top of the mountain behind our house.

This beautiful creature must have known about the Highlander and asked to be our first star. We talked to him for a while and showed him his due respect, and he poised for a photo. Enjoy!

This is a Barred Owl. They are common in swampy areas, less common in the wooded areas. It usually nests in cavities of trees. The Barred Owl hoots 8 times in a row and does that in series of 4 to 7 times. They are not quite as big as the Great Horned Owl. They can be from from Florida to Canada.

We would like to invite other birdwatchers to share their Mountain Bird sightings. Please email us at publishers@theblueridgehighlander.com with a description and photo, we will put them on line along with a credit for your finding.