May Nature Journal Entries

For May, I did a nature journal entry on Thursday, May 18th about a barred owl that I heard when camping at Afton State Park.

Sophia, Olivia, and I were camping in a yurt next to a forested area. As we were relaxing and enjoying the afternoon and early evening, we heard a variety of sounds we had learned about in the Wildlife Project Bowl through 4-H: coyotes, wild turkeys, a variety of birds, and then the call: "Who cooks for you? Who cooks for you all?"

BARRED OWL!! we all said at once. 

It was a lot louder than we thought it would be. Unlike other owls, this one will call and hunt during the day.

Some interesting facts about barred owls:

- they have no ear tufts;

- they have a large, round head;

- they eat mice, squirrels, shrews, rabbits, reptiles, and amphibians;

- the chest is barred (horizontal lines) with dark brown;

- the wingspan is 40-50 inches;

- the size is 17-24 inches tall;

- it likes to live in woods and wooded swamps; and

- it also can make sounds like barks, yelps, and screams.