another Barking Owl record (?)

["Philip Veerman" <>]

Yesterday I talked to Maria Lukacs who reports that on Sunday night (27-5), a bit before 7 p.m. she was out with her dog and a torch in her yard, at Hazelwood Street Queanbeyan, and had a good close sighting of an owl in flight and perched for several minutes (looking at her into the light of a good torch). Her conclusion and description (on size, colour, facial pattern, underparts markings) fits best and probably only, a Barking Owl. The time of night suggests its day roost would not be that far away (there is all of the bush around Mt Jerrabomberra that is only a few minutes flying time away). I know she is familiar with the Boobook (we have seen some) and she is sure it was bigger than that with a quite different face and body pattern. She also said it had a clearly notched tail. I don't know if they differ in that or it was just moulting its central tail feathers. (HANZAB pictures appear to show that as a difference between the Barking & Boobook.) Timing seems close to other (of the few) GBS records, inasmuch as being during colder months.

 

Philip