I spied a lovely new friend this morning just after sunrise, watching me intently from her Barn Owl penthouse set high in a pine tree above a nearby field. All was quiet in the family room so she’s probably still incubating up to a dozen eggs. I’ve heard her mate screeching at night – Barn Owls don’t hoot – perhaps boasting about his prowess on nightly, hunting forays for rodents and small rabbits which are plentiful this spring. Unfortunately, there’s a dilapidated, tubular metal fence bordering the field, and over the course of ten years or so, I’ve found two of their predecessors with broken necks from chasing prey just above the ground and not seeing the fence in time. But for now, all is well and it’s exciting to have a new family installed. I’ll be checking daily for any sign of white fluffballs.