Barred Owls, Strix varia, may have been howling and hooting as year-round residents of this hillside in Western Massachusetts for more than 11,000 years. Fossils of their species, that many years old, have been uncovered in Florida, Tennessee and as far north as Ontario. These raptors of night are typically hidden in layers of darkness but do sometimes hunt during daytime hours.  Looking out over the panoramic views of Flower Hill Farm Retreat, always stimulates the imagination. But last … [Read more...] about Beauties of the Night ~ Barred Owl