In addition to the trademark “who cooks for you,” the barred owl also adds many additional sounds to its repertoire – especially during the early spring nesting season. When an enthusiastic crooner goes into full "Monkey Mode," the sound will raise the hair on the back of your neck.
The barred owl’s signature greeting -- “Who cooks for you? Who cooks for you all?” – would be hard to mistake for any other sound. That distinctive call is currently echoing through winter woodlands statewide. Although once a rare sound across much of Iowa, the baritone hooting is becoming increasingly familiar to both rural and urban residents.
Slightly smaller than its great horned cousin, the barred owl is characterized by dark eyes, vertically striped breast plumage, rounded head, and a complete lack of ear tufts. Like most of their kind, barred owls are largely nocturnal, are equipped with silky feathers enabling totally silent flight, have excellent hearing, and poses extraordinary night vision. Less aggressive than the horned owl, barred owls are premier mousers and subsist largely on a rodent diet. They prefer to nest in natural tree cavities but will also utilize specially constructed wooden nest boxes.
A barred owl occupies a winter woodland. Easily distinguished by its large size, dark eyes, rounded head and lack of ear tufts, barred owls are becoming an increasingly common resident across most of Iowa.
Historically, barred owls were common inhabitants of the heavily timbered blufflands bordering the Mississippi River, and in southern Iowa’s extensive forest lands. But times have changed. Today, the species can be found wherever mature, cavity producing trees exist. And although no one can say for certain why the barred owl has recently expanded its range, there is no arguing that the species has proven to be extremely successful at that endeavor. No longer confined to the quiet seclusion of Iowa’s larger forests, barred owls are currently staking territories in farmstead windbreaks, along interior tributary streams, and in city parks across the state. During recent years, they have even become increasingly common residents of our most densely populated, residential neighborhoods.
Some barred owls, especially those living in urban areas, may exhibit an uncommon tameness, showing mild curiosity instead of fear when cautiously approached. Instead of taking wing, others will go “squinty-eyed” when spotting potential danger. The owls apparently think the behavior will aid in becoming invisible to intruders.
Of the half dozen owl species that inhabit our Iowa woodlands, none produce more volume or generate a greater variety of calls than the barred owl. In addition to the trademark “who cooks for you,” the barred owl adds many additional sounds to its repertoire – especially during the early spring nesting season. I won’t (and can’t) attempt to describe the species’ maniacal caterwauling. Let’s just say that when an enthusiastic crooner goes into full "Monkey Mode," the sound will raise the hair on the back of your neck.
But don’t take my word for it. Instead, don an extra layer of winter clothing, pull on your insulated boots, and go hear the sounds for yourself. You’ll find the excursion to be well worth the effort. Few landscapes are more beautiful than a snow-covered winter woodland bathed in full moonlight. Add the vocalizations of resident owls, fox and coyotes, and you’ll treasure the memory for a long time to come.
A closer look at the barred owl.
Included on my list of top areas for conducting your owl hike are The Nature Conservancy’s Clausen’s Cove Area located on Clear Lake’s south shore, Pilot Knob State Park near Forest City, and the Lime Creek Nature Center located at the north edge of Mason City. All three areas offer low impact trails that make nighttime navigation a piece of cake.
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Pine siskins are small, heavily streaked, energetic birds with yellow wing markings and notched tails. Gregarious members of the finch family, they are nearly identical in size to the more familiar American goldfinch and are often seen in their company. Migrating pine siskins may be a common winter sight at Iowa feeders one year, and then totally absent the next.
Washburn Outdoors
Pine siskins are small, heavily streaked, energetic birds with yellow wing markings and notched tails. Gregarious members of the finch family, they are nearly identical in size to the more familiar American goldfinch and are often seen in their company. Migrating pine siskins may be a common winter sight at Iowa feeders one year, and then totally absent the next.
Washburn Outdoors
A rooster pheasant gleans spilled grain from the edge of blacktop roadway near Farmer’s Beach.
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A rooster pheasant gleans spilled grain from the edge of blacktop roadway near Farmer’s Beach.
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Seizing the moment: Attila with late season cottontail. All the easy rabbits are long gone.
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Our hunts begin with the hawk anxiously riding my gloved fist.
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Iowa Cottontail: abundant, flavorful, and nutritious.
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A tailless black-capped chickadee on Feb. 7.
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A tailless male house finch on Feb. 7.
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An adult tiger salamander.
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A Canada goose sits out a cold snap by tucking its bill into warm back feathers while breathing the energy saving, preheated air trapped within interlocking layers of down.
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A mallard in a snowstorm.
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At day’s end, birds seek the warmest cover they can find. Downy woodpeckers disappear down warm natural cavities while winter winds rage.
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A red-bellied woodpecker. Regardless of species, winter is a hard time for wildlife.
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Survivors of the late January polar storm system, a mixed flock of goldfinches and house finches tank on sunflower seeds. Backyard feeders are never more beneficial than when extreme weather hits.
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Nonmigratory birds, like this hen turkey, are well adapted to handling the rigors of harsh winter weather.
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A frosty eyed, black-capped chickadee sits out a minus-30-degree cold snap. During extreme weather, chickadees fluff their feathers to trap warm air while taking advantage of the 'solar effect' provided by the sun.
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I watched in awe as a seemingly endless supply of ducks descended to the open water.
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A mallard honey hole. The scene was a gold miner’s equivalent of striking the Mother Lode.
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Pandemonium reigned. The scene became pure mallard mayhem.
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Catch and release. January wind chills can be brutal, but the duck hunting excitement is well worth the effort.
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Canada Geese dot the sky on Jan. 20 in North Iowa.
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Canada Geese dot the sky on Jan. 20 in North Iowa.
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The three-inch sapling that absorbed the full impact of a .58 caliber rifle ball and spared a sleek buck’s life.
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When late November and early December snowfalls began to blanket the landscape, North Iowa deer hunters thought the snow would get deeper, the temps colder, and the hunting better. It didn’t.
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Arrowed fox squirrel lies near deer hoof print.
Washburn Outdoors - Carolina Wren
A North Iowa rarity, most wildlife enthusiasts will never encounter a Carolina Wren. This wren has been seen visiting feeders in the Bayside area of Clear Lake’s south shore.
Washburn Outdoors - female Red Crossbill
Named for its outrageously peculiar bill, this female red crossbill is an inhabitant of northern forests where it subsists mainly on pine seeds obtained by tearing apart the cones.
Washburn Outdoors - Red-breasted Nuthatch
Cousin to the abundant and familiar white-breasted nuthatch, red-breasted nuthatches are an uncommon visitor to northern Iowa.
Washburn Outdoors - pine siskin
Often seen in the company of wintering goldfinches, pine siskins nest in the far northern forests of boreal Canada.
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The moment of reckoning had arrived. It was do or die, and I didn’t make my move until the closest Greenhead was back peddling for a landing.
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Spend enough time in the deer woods and, sooner or later, the pendulum will swing in your favor.
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A mature Iowa whitetail deer, the stuff of which dreams are made.
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North Iowa native Ben Anderson holds Canada geese near his decoys.
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Although few modern-day archers would be interested in hunting with homemade wooden bows and flint tipped arrows, the ancient tools are as effective today as when skin clad hunters first crossed the Siberian land bridge into North America.
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For America’s earliest inhabitants, hunting equipment – including stone arrowheads – had to made from scratch. These rare and ancient artifacts were found in Winnebago County by Rock Bridges.
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American redstart
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Nashville warbler
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A common summer inhabitant of Canadian pine forests, ruby-crowned kinglets migrate into Iowa during October. Most will spend the winter in the southern U.S. and Mexico. Ornithologists note that kinglets are unusual in that they are more closely related to Old World warblers than to North American species.
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If fall warblers have one thing in common, it’s that they are all hyperactive; rarely staying in one spot for more than a second or two. Sometimes a half-a-bird-snapshot it the best view you’ll get.
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A year-and-a-half-old buck peers through the trees.
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A buck peers through the trees.
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A warbler feeds on a mature hackberry.
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A migrating warbler feeds on insets in a hackberry.
Washburn Outdoors: Northern pintail ducks
Northern pintails arrive over an Iowa wetland. During the 1979 duck season, northern pintails appeared in unprecedented numbers across North Iowa.
Washburn Outdoors: 1979 duck hunt
An early season duck hunt in 1979 in Cerro Gordo County. From left, (back row) Lowell Washburn, Earl Leaman, Sterling Washburn, Leonard Washburn, Ed Kotz, Jr., (front row), Sandy the Chesapeake and Shad the Lab.
Washburn Outdoors: bighorn ram
A mature bighorn ram in the Black Hills.
Washburn Outdoors - wildlife researcher
University of Wyoming Rangeland Ecologist Abby Gettinger checks for a radio-collared bighorn. Working with South Dakota’s Department of Game and Parks, Gettinger is gathering data on disease, habitat use, movements, and current survival rates of Black Hills bighorns.
Washburng Outdoors - Ewe and lamb
Accompanied by this year’s lamb, a bighorn ewe looks down from a granite craig in the western Black Hills. A total of nine bighorn lambs were born in Custer State Park during 2018, the highest recorded since the 2005 pneumonia outbreak and subsequent population crash.
Washburn Outdoors - Black Hills bighorns
A group of bighorn ewes and lambs scramble to clear the way for a Black Hills logging truck. Although vehicle collisions claim their share of wild sheep, there are much bigger threats according to South Dakota Senior Research Biologist Chad Lehman. Mountain lions kill far more bighorns than cars, says Lehman.
Washburng Outdoors - marsh wren
Marsh wrens are among the first birds to greet the impending sunrise.
Washburn Outdoors - marsh wren
A marsh wren straddles the cattails as it investigates the arrival of a strange intruder.
Washburn Outdoors - marsh wren
A dark cap and distinct white eye stripe distinguishes the marsh wren from its look alike, kissin’ cousin, the sedge wren.
Washburn Outdoors: blue-winged teal duck
A blue-winged teal rests on a North Iowa wetland.
Washburn Outdoors - Shallow water blue-winged teal
A blue-winged teal rests on a North Iowa wetland.
Washburn Outdoors - Shallow-water rest stop
A mixed group of waterfowl enjoy the benefits of shallow prairie pothole.
Washburn Outdoors - Migrating blue-winged teal
Taking a break from migration, a concentration of blue-winged teal search for food on a North Iowa wetland.
Mallard brood
A hen mallard escorts her nearly grown brood across a North Iowa wetland. Mallards, along with most other duck species, enjoyed overall good production across much of the state.
Washburn Outdoors Custer State Park
A 2,000-pound bison bull keeps a watchful eye on a herd of cows at Custer State Park in western South Dakota.
Washburn Outdoors Prairie Icon - mature bull
A bison bull at Custer State Park in western South Dakota.
Washburn Outdoors On the Scrap
A mature bull searches for potential rivals.
Washburn Outdoors Prairie Duel
A pair of 4-year-old bulls butt heads as they vie for dominance. But victory will be short lived for the contest’s winner. Any gains in the herd’s pecking order will be quickly be usurped by mature 6- to 8-year-old bulls.
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An egret preens it feathers while relaxing on a North Iowa wetland. Great egrets can currently be viewed at most area marshlands.
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Great egrets make a stopover on a North Iowa wetland.
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Formidable winged predator – a soaring red-tail.
Red-headed Woodpecker
The red-headed woodpecker.
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The turkey moves closer.
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The turkey fully commits.
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A drake wood duck greets a newly arriving pair.
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In a display known as allopreening, a drake wood duck preens the head and neck feathers of his mate; a behavior that strengthens pair bonds.
Yellow Rumped Myrtle Warbler
Yellow Rumped Myrtle Warbler
Nashville warbler
Nashville warbler
Magnolia warbler
Magnolia warbler
Black & White warbler
Black & White warbler
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At close range, the strutting turkey loomed larger than life.
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A goose nest buried in wet snow on April 18 at Ventura Heights.
Sunrise GobbleFest
A pair of early morning spring gobblers sound off.
Song Sparrow
Song Sparrow with midge
Green-winged teal
Green-winged teal -bursting with color
Hermit thrush
A pair of hermit thrushes ride out the weather during a mid-April winter storm.
Hermit thrush
Only occurring in Iowa as spring migrants, hermit thrushes are poorly equipped to deal with harsh winter weather.
American robin
An American robin waits out yet another winter storm. Weather related spring mortality has been high in Iowa during 2018.
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After sounding his unique catlike call, a redhead drake further attempts to impress a hen with a vigorous head throw.
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A flock of lesser snow geese inspect the decoys.
Ring-neck Oasis - Smartweed Pond
Some of the several hundred migrating ring-necked ducks that were attracted to the Smartweed Pond.
Smartweed Pond
My moving camera lens had obviously caught the attention of this close up drake.
Smartweed Pond
After finding food and rest on a North Iowa wetland, a male ring-necked duck prepares to continue its migration. The long distance flight will lead to breeding grounds in the boggy, wilderness forests of northern Canada.
Early Light - Smartweed Pond
Once I got into the blind, this drake was one of the first birds to land in the decoys. In this photo, the extremely soft lighting helps to illustrate the ring-neck’s distinctive characteristics – the brilliant eye, faint chestnut collar, ringed bill, and plumage so black that it seems more like velvet than real feathers.
Hooded goshawk
Ready for the Hunt, a Hooded goshawk
Iced up geese
During the first week of January, Iowa was one of the coldest places on earth. It was so cold that when migrating Canada geese flew from open water, liquid turned to ice before it could run off.
Red fox
Winter standoff: A red fox and hen turkey square off in a high stakes game of chess.
Canvasback
The legendary canvasback — king of ducks.
saw whet owl
Occurring in Iowa as a winter visitor, the tiny blue jay-sized saw whet is our smallest owl. It is also one of the few owl species to conduct regular migrations.
great horned owl
Grim Reaper of the nighttime forest, the great horned owl is one of Iowa’s most efficient and savage predators.
Winter pheasant
Wildlife biologists blame habitat loss for the decline. From 1990 through 2016, the equivalent of a continuous 10-mile-wide strip of nesting cover running from Davenport to Omaha has been lost.
Ten Yard Marker
A sleek white-tail inspects the ten-yard marker.
Washburn buck sunrise
A North Iowa buck silhouetted against a November sunrise.
Canada geese
A flock of giant Canada geese descend to the decoys. Considered an extinct species until it rediscovery in 1962, the giant Canada has emerged from the ashes to become one of the world’s most abundant and recreationally important species of waterfowl.
Don Humburg decoy
A sociable hen wood duck attempts to strike up a conversation with a Don Humburg decoy
Migrating teal
A trio of blue-winged teal speed across an Iowa marsh. No other duck species migrates earlier or travels faster down the flyway.
Blue-winged teal
A flock of blue-winged teal swim across a North Iowa wetland. DNR conservation officers reported good duck numbers, a strong hunter turnout, and good success when the teal season opened last Saturday.
Female ruby-throat hummingbird
Hovering on invisible wings, a female ruby-throated hummingbird arrives in North Iowa. Most ruby-throats will spend the winter in Central America. With wings beating in excess of 50 times per second, they will cross the Gulf of Mexico in a single nighttime flight.
Male ruby-throat hummingbird
An adult male ruby-throat sips nectar from a jewelweed. Hummingbirds are adept at locating natural food sources. During fall migration, dozens may concentrate around nectar rich patches of jewelweed.
Hummingbirds fuel up
Fuel stop. Migrating hummingbirds compete for food at a backyard feeder.
Morning hunt
In 2016, 9,700 hunters spent 25,300 days afield and harvested 128,000 doves.
Mourning Dove
Mourning dove. A 2016 survey found 279 doves in the lower 48 of the United States.
Land snail
A yellow Globelet feeds on a mossy log. Iowa land snails have two sets of tentacles protruding from their heads. The bottom pair helps in locating and identifying food. The top pair aids in smell; the top of each stalk is also equipped with a primitive eye. Correctly identifying any of the state’s 120-plus species of land snails can become a daunting task. Even the scientists who study such things [malacologists] frequently disagree on which snail they have in hand.
Mallard brood
Mallards, along with most other duck species, enjoyed good to excellent production across much of the northern U.S. and southern Canada during 2017. The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service is predicting a strong fall migration.
Mother Hen
A hen mallard (right) escorts her nearly grown brood across a North Iowa wetland.
Prairie Chicken
Greater prairie chicken. Once so abundant that it threatened North Iowa cropland.
Turkey vulture chicks
A pair of half-grown vulture chicks occupy a nest inside a hollow sycamore.
Turkey vulture portrait
An increasingly common scavenger, the turkey vulture derives its name from the featherless, red head of adults.
Deer Antlers
With its still growing antlers developing an impressive shape, a white-tailed buck feeds across a grassy meadow. Nourished by a covering of soft velvet, deer antlers exhibit their greatest growth spurts during June and July when length may increase by more than 1 ½-inches per week. In August, antler growth will suddenly cease as velvet dries and falls away. Nowhere on earth do deer antlers have the potential to grow bigger or better than right here in Iowa.
Hide & Seek
An adult female keeps a suspicious eye on the photographer.
Full House
A pair of ready to fledge, 30-day-old pileated woodpeckers prepare to leave their crowded home. The nest, located in Clear Lake’s Tanglefoot Area, contained 2 females and 1 male.
Meal Time
A male pileated woodpecker delivers lunch to its hungry brood of youngsters located in a nest in Clear Lake’s Tanglefoot Area. Nesting pileateds subsist largely on carpenter ants with broods consuming thousands of eggs, larvae, and adult ants each day.
Ruby-throated hummingbird
A ruby-throated hummingbird sips nectar from the flower of a prairie blue flag.
Ruby-throated hummingbird
A ruby-throated hummingbird sips nectar from the flower of a prairie blue flag.
Hoodie or woodie?
A day-old hooded merganser duckling prepares to leap from the nest. Merganser broods are becoming increasingly common across Northern Iowa.
Hooded Mergansers
A pair of hooded mergansers rest on a North Iowa wetland.
Hooded Merganser
Spring beauty: A drake hooded merganser.
Hooded Mergansers
Increasingly common — a pair of hooded mergansers rest on a North Iowa wetland.
Nashville warbler 2
A Nashville warbler hunts for insects in a North Iowa woodland.
Nashville warbler
A Nashville warbler eyes the camera lens.
Magnolia warbler
A Magnolia warbler makes a brief stop in North Iowa during its spring migration.
Den of baby raccoons
Den of baby raccoons
White-tailed fawns
White-tailed fawns
Bald Eagle 3
An immature bald eagle in the sky over Ventura Marsh.
Bale Eagle 2
A mature bald eagle perches in a tree.
Bald Eagle 1
A mature bald eagle comes to land in Ventura Marsh near Clear Lake.
Squeeze play
Flying in perfect synchrony, a pair of show off drake mallards make their best attempt to impress the hen.
Spring ballet
A group of seven pintail drakes participate in a high speed aerial spring ballet as each male competes for the attention of a single hen. By the time the birds reach their Canadian breeding grounds, the female will have made her choice.
Hancock Cty snow geese
A flock of northbound snow geese descends to a stubble field east of Garner.
Snow geese Hancock County
Northbound snow geese fill the Hancock County sky near Garner.
Final Approach snow geese
Final approach. A flock of migrating snow geese descend to the decoys.
Snow Geese Cerro Gordo
A blizzard of migrating snow geese arrives in Cerro Gordo county where tens of thousands of the white birds took a time out from migration to refuel on waste grain. Although the snow goose migration usually peaks during mid-March in northern Iowa, this year’s flight arrived three weeks ahead of schedule.
Cottontail
A cottontail hides in the snow.
Goshawk
A goshawk perches on a cottontail carcass.
flying female pileated woodpecker
A female pileated woodpecker takes to flight.
pileated male
An adult male pileated woodpecker excavates a nest site in a basswood tree. These huge woodpeckers seem to be increasing across northern Iowa. Extremely popular with the birding community, they are a welcome addition.
WHITETAIL DOE BY WASHBURN
A white-tail doe makes its way along a woodland trail.
canvasback by washburn
Swift of wing and unique in profile, the regal canvasback reigns as the undisputed King of Ducks.
washburn turkey touchdown
A wild turkey sails in from its treetop roost.
pair of goldeneyes
A pair of late season goldeneyes.
beehive
Migrating waterfowl cloud the skies above an open air hole near Clear Lake’s south shore.
washburn eagle photo
A mature bald eagle looks for geese at Clear Lake’s Woodford Island last week.
Waterfowl on south shore of Clear Lake
Migrating waterfowl clog the skies above the south shore of Clear Lake last Friday.
WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH
ABOVE: A red-breasted nuthatch visits North Iowa.
LEFT: A white-breasted nuthatch.
Red-breasted nuthatch
A red-breasted nuthatch visits North Iowa.
geese descending
Canada geese descend toward decoys.
The loner
The loner.
surprised honker
A surprised honker.
october canadas
Canada geese fly past October foliage.
sunrise honkers
Canada geese are etched against an October sunrise.
warbler CHESTNUT SIDED
The chestnut-sided warbler
Nashville warbler
The Nashville warbler nests on the ground and feeds almost exclusively on insects.
Myrtle warbler
The Myrtle warbler is one of more than 30 species that may pass through Iowa by the time the autumn migration is complete.
Female hummingbird washburn
A female ruby-throated hummingbird passes through North Iowa on her way to wintering grounds in Central America.
Hummingbird 3 -- washburn
A migrating hummingbird takes a rest break. Attract hummers to your backyard feeder with an easy-to-make solutioin.
Washburn Hummingbird 1
A migrating hummingbird tanks up at a backyard feeder.
washburn hen mallard, brood
A hen mallard leads her brood across a North Iowa wetland. Mallards and other duck species enjoyed excellent production during 2016 as did waterfowl nesting across much of the northern U.S. and prairie Canada. The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service is predicting a strong migration during 2016.
Washburntoad 1
The adult American toad is a valuable backyard resident.
BALD-FACED HORNET
A bald-faced hornet is a fearsome deliverer of pain.
Opossum moving day
Making her way to a new den site, a female opossum carries her litter of eight youngsters across the lawn of Clear Lake’s Iowa Regular Baptist Camp.
Cerro Gordo County wild turkey
A turkey in Cerro Gordo County, which had the highest number of gobblers bagged during the recent spring season.
Washburn trio of gobblers
A trio of North Iowa turkeys.
wood duck close-up
Wood ducks possess the most stunningly colorful plumage of any duck.
wood duck pair on bill's pond
For nesting wood ducks, Bill’s pond is nothing short of paradise.
TRUMPETER TOUCHDOWN
A trumpeter swan touches down on Mallard Marsh.
Trumpeter trio
A trio of graceful trumpeter swans in flight.
pair of trumpeter swans
A pair of graceful trumpeter swans.
Trumpeter swan in flight
A trumpeter swan in flight. With wingspans of eight feet and weighing more than 30 pounds, they are impressive in the air and on the ground.