On my way home yesterday from a great day at the Allegheny Front watching golden eagles, I decided to do a quick detour before going home to see if I might catch short-eared owls up over the hill from my farm on Rankin Rd. It was getting dark but there was enough light to still see. On the way up to Rankin I saw something on the power line out in some open fields. As I pulled up below it, I was surprised to see that it was a gray phase screech owl, head swiveling as it was looking to hunt. I can't recall ever seeing one so out in the open like this.
On Rankin, I had good luck almost immediately, as I saw the outline of an owl low over the cut fields carrying a mouse or some other prey, and then as I drove I could quickly see two other owls together flying right along the road and interacting with each other. As I got up to the spot, they continued up a dirt driveway and I could see a gray fox trotting along, his eyes glowing as he kept looking back at me. The owls continued hunting over the area, periodically dipping down over the fox as it scooted along. I don't know that the owls would take prey that size, I wouldn't think so but the fox looked a little wary. It got too dark to see much more but I was thrilled with just seeing those three, back for the winter hopefully, and having a great end to a day full of birds.
