There have been an extraordinary number of Barred Owls sightings in Connecticut and southern New England this winter, so many that they even made it onto a local television news broadcast. I see pictures of Barred Owls posted almost daily on Facebook wildlife photography pages and had friends text me pictures of them from their home or neighborhood wondering what kind of owl it is. Owl irruption years are a well known phenomenon, usually related to Snowy Owls, Great Gray Owls or other northern owls leaving their normal ranges. They fly south, often in great numbers, in search of food during the winter months. When irruption years occur, like the historic Snowy Owl invasion winter of 2013-14, it creates great excitement among birders and nature photography enthusiasts. The Barred Owl irruption this winter has not resulted in quite the same level of enthusiasm, since they are one of the most common owls in Connecticut. But, it's still a rare treat to see a normally well-hidden and nocturnal bird sitting in plain sight during the daytime, especially for newcomers to birding or nature photography.

Owls are rock stars of the bird world, and are one of the most sought after subjects of bird and wildlife photographers. When I first started photographing birds, it was my first sightings of a Short-eared Owl and Great Horned Owl that really lit a fire in me and cemented my lasting passion for photographing birds. For today's novice birder or nature photographer, the sight of a Barred Owl sitting on a bird feeder in their yard or a street sign or telephone pole on the side of the road during the daytime may ignite a similar and lasting love for birds. It's important to remember that it's often some sort of duress, usually a lack of food, that causes large numbers of Snowy Owls or Great Gray Owls to fly great distances from their normal winter range. Owl irruptions often occur after successful breeding seasons, when prey is plentiful and a large number of owl chicks survive the nesting season. When the owl population swells, the competition for food exceeds the local supply, especially in the tough winter months, leading to the nomadic wanderings in search of happier hunting grounds. Similarly, local bird experts believe that Barred Owls had a very prolific nesting season this spring, leading to a greatly increased population, especially of young owls. Since Barred Owls are not prone to flying great distances to find new hunting grounds, the pressure on the local food supply becomes greater. The struggle to find enough food is causing Barred Owls to hunt by night and day. That's what is responsible for the many sightings during the daytime, in more open areas when normally they're found in wooded areas and would be roosting in trees during the day, out of plain sight. This year I have seen Barred Owls hunting in open fields, along river edges and especially along the side of the road, all during the daytime.

While the irruption may lead to many more sightings and unusual photographs of Barred Owls, it's a terrible hardship on the birds. One of the saddest aspects of this irruption year has been the number of dead owls I've seen along the side of the road. I'm not sure why they hunt near the roadways, but I've seen nearly three dozen dead Barred Owls along the along the highways this winter, about ten times more than I can remember seeing any other year. Nature can be cruel and it has a way of keeping wild populations in check. In any normal year a high percentage of young birds of prey don't survive their first year, whether it's from not being successful enough hunters to survive, attacks from other predators or other random fatal mistakes. Competition for the best hunting areas often drives the younger and weaker birds into the least productive and least desirable areas. Sadly, even beyond nature's own checks and balances, hunting along the side of the road is just another peril for them in this winter of the Barred Owl.