Let's take a moment to celebrate the continued success of the Arboretum as a functional local ecology; we've got another photo of a barred owl (Strix varia)! Is it the same owl that was recently photographed by Professor Amy Hammond? If it's not, we've got at least two resident strigids. If it is, we've got one that is rather comfortable with us. We're winning either way.
The photos below were submitted by Centenary student Hilary Pillaro.
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| The owl is pictured in the center of the frame, fairly close to the ground. It is perched above a sprinkler that was operating the previous night. The arboretum's inhabitants (robins, rodents, bugs, squirrels, toads, etc...) have begun congregating around the sprinklers due to a month of hot & dry weather. |
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Barred Owl (Strix varia) photographed by Hilary Pillaro August 24, 2026 |
Keeping looking up!
