On Saturday, we had the first Great Horned Owl of the season in Central Park.  We’ve had one consistently over the last few fall/winters, so it was great news that one had arrived.  We’re having a great fall with Long-eared, Northern Saw-whet, and Barred Owls already having been seen.  Earlier this spring, we also had a Barn and Eastern Screech Owl in the park making 2018 a great year for Central Park owls.

The Great Horned Owl was in the Ramble and flew off on a long flight towards the northeastern shore of the lake.  This has been a common habit of previous Great Horned Owls.  I wonder if the noisy call of the ducks going to sleep on the shore of the lake, sounds like a dinner bell to the owl?

Central Park has had three Barred Owls this week.  Two have been in fairly consistent locations.  However, one has been moving around since it arrived, preferring deciduous trees but leaving a roost when the tree loses its leaves.  This has had the same owl changing trees by about 100 to 300 yards every few days.  So, the question about this owl, who has now been seen on two nights in a conifer this week, the same owl that had been preferring deciduous trees earlier in the fall?  Or a new owl?

A small group is respectfully watching one of the Barred Owl’s fly outs in Central Park.  They’re doing a great job of spotting the owl after it leaves its roost area. On Friday night the owl went to the small island in Turtle Pond, north of Belvedere Castle.  I’m happy to have company watching the owl now, since some of the newcomers have great night vision.  I was able to stay with the owl to 5: 30 p.m.  It gave a full “Who cooks for you” call before flying off into the dark.

Saw-whets are so small they can’t eat their prey all at once.  They are knows to roost with their prey and eat the second half of their prey during the day.  Today, I was lucky enough to watch the “Second Course”.  After picking at the White-footed Mouse, it eat the whole thing in one gulp.

One of the Northern Saw-whet Owls that is in the park was found sleeping with a mouse today.  It would wake up from time to time and take a bite.  Yesterday, the meal was a Northern Cardinal.  We won’t have to dissect pellets to figure out what this owl is eating.

Fly out was sudden and the owl went a few trees to the east, but folks had trouble seeing it.  I played a hunch and went to the east side of the Delacorte Theater.  I was joined by a photographer who was watching his first Barred Owl.

After about five minutes we heard two hoots and thanks to the photographer who had great night vision, got to see it on one of the stage posts.  It then few off, but returned to a branch about 20 feet from the Turtle Pond dock/blind.  It stayed for at least five minutes giving us wonderful, if very dark looks.

Wonderful sights like this really heal my soul.  New York City gets a little crazy at Christmas time, but this was so joyous and restorative.

(All pictures taken without flash.)