Barred Owl & Orioles - July 10, 2011

A stop by the Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary on the 10th found a large group of folks camping near the parking lot, I hope the Owls serenaded them for a portion of the evening! The Mulberry Tree still had plenty of fruit and Red Squirrels but few birds. My rather hasty retreat from the Sanctuary was rewarded with a Barred Owl flying in front of me across the road within a mile of the Sanctuary. It posed just off the road for the image below.

A return home later in the afternoon found a young Blue Jay loudly begging while it sat inches from the food supply the adult was shoveling into it's mouth...:)

The Orioles are still visiting the feeders with the youngsters just now starting to quiet down and feed themselves. Several years of offering oranges and jelly through the nesting season have increased the number of visitors each year with a recent count of 14 Orioles being the highest to date.

The male below must have reached the end of his patience with this youngster, or maybe it wasn't his offspring, either way the youngsters visit to the feeder was short lived.