I tend to post stories about successful birding ventures . . . but to be honest, I fail as often as I succeed. Yesterday was a case in point.

An Eastern Screech Owl has been reported a handful of times in a tree on Peaks Island. Peaks Island could have been painted by Norman Rockwell with its stately homes, friendly folks coupled with a working waterfront. the island is accessible by a ferry that runs from Portland every 90 minutes or so.

The Eastern Screech Owl is a very common Owl throughout most of the USA, but is very rare in Maine . . . it’s just too damn cold. So I caught the 3:15 Ferry to Peaks Island to get the Screech.

Upon arriving I noted that a 20 mph wind blowing off the ocean on a 18 degree day is COLD. The 30 minute walk to the owl tree was miserable.

So I looked up in the tree and there was a Cooper’s Hawk staring back at me and he clearly wasn’t going anywhere. The Owl has reportedly begun trilling most evening around 4:00 as the sun began to set. Well he wasn’t gonna start with a Hawk sitting there.

After 15 minutes my fingers were frozen and my head ached . . . I was freezing.

F*** this . . . I jogged back to the Ferry and was on the 5:00 return boat.

I’ll try again on a warm, windless evening.