I've not shared this widely, but on 7 March, 2012 at about 9:30PM, while in the
field in front of the Nature Center at Bells Bend Park looking for American
woodcock to photograph, I heard the unmistakable sound of a Barn Owl coming
from the barn. As excited as I was that evening to have already procured some
decent shots of said shorebirds, I wandered over to take a peek into the
structure. Just after stepping through the door, a large bird flushed just past
my head; my first Davidson County Barn Owl!
I dashed out just in time to see it land in the treeline to the north of the
visitor center, and slowly crept closer. Though the only available light was
from the moon, I was able to get a few documentary photos.
This all said, it was an overall bittersweet experience, as I've dealt with the
guilt of flushing the bird from the barn....
Ed Schneider
Davidson Co.
________________________________
From: tn-bird-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx <tn-bird-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> on behalf of
Joe deGraauw <jdegraauw@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Monday, October 29, 2018 8:03 PM
To: didymops07@xxxxxxxxx
Cc: Graham; tn-bird
Subject: [TN-Bird] Re: white owl at Bells Bend
Granted, it's a captive setting but our snowys at the zoo perch quite a bit
also.
On Mon, Oct 29, 2018, 7:54 PM Richard Connors
<didymops07@xxxxxxxxx<mailto:didymops07@xxxxxxxxx>> wrote:
Let's hope his first thought was right! Bells Bend birders will be on the
lookout for anything unusual I'm sure.
Sent from my iPhone
On Oct 29, 2018, at 7:42 PM, Graham
<grahamgerdeman@xxxxxxxxx<mailto:grahamgerdeman@xxxxxxxxx>> wrote:
Nice! I'm sure you are correct about the likely Barn Owl, Richard - and I'm
excited to hear of a recent sighting. But for what it's worth, Snowy Owls away
from the tundra will, and do, certainly perch in trees from time to time. I've
seen them on posts and buildings - not in trees myself, personally, but Google
"Snowy Owl in tree" and you'll find plenty of examples. The tree alone does not
eliminate Snowy, especially if on the edge of a field.
Graham Gerdeman
Nashville
On Mon, Oct 29, 2018 at 7:33 PM richard connors
<didymops07@xxxxxxxxx<mailto:didymops07@xxxxxxxxx>> wrote:
Oct. 27, 2018
Davidson Co. TN
A gentleman contacted me with report of a white owl seen this past Sunday,
along the mountain bike trail at Bells Bend Park. He wondered if it could be a
snowy owl, so I was excited to hear his report. He said it was a large
all-white owl, and he was sure it was an owl. On close approach it flew from a
perch in a tree as he and his daughter rode under - large, all white
underneath. I informed him that the tree part eliminated snowy owl,
unfortunately, that a snowy owl would be on the ground, and that what he saw
was most likely a BARN OWL, and that there was known barn owl or owls resident
in the Bend. Still a good sighting, I assured him, and thanked him for the
report. This might be a good year for a snowy owl to show up in TN.
Richard Connors
Nashville
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