Spent some more time with the hawk owl from Hedbom Bog this afternoon. Once again, the owl proved intolerant of gray jays. This must be related to the cached voles that this owl has in the area and it's concern with gray jays stealing from it. The owl was mobbed by seven white winged crossbills for over fifteen minutes and never flinched. A male black backed woodpecker and at least two hairy woodpeckers came relatively close to the owl and it only eyed them up. But, a gray jay comes to the edge of a clearing near the owl and quick as a flash the owl was chasing the bird away. Then came an unexpected, exciting, but brief event. The owl was perched some twenty feet off the ground on a long horizontal perch extending from an isolated spruce tree in a clear cut area. Suddenly the owl, who was about three feet away from the main trunk of the tree, quickly hopped right next to the trunk of the tree, it's face toward the trunk and it's body flush with the trunk so that it appeared to be nearly flat up against the trunk. It then appeared to elongate it's body, pressing up against the trunk as close as it could. No sooner had this occured when a gorgeous Northern Goshawk, in perfect evening light, flew into this clear cut area and glided past the owl and myself. Clearly the owl sensed a threat from the Goshawk and saw it long before I ever did. Which of course led me to wonder if goshawks have predated on hawk owls before. Whatever the case may be, this owl clearly did not wish to tempt fate. Another fine evening in the Hedbom Bog. Good Birding to you, Regards, Shawn Zierman.
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