I’m just back from walking the dog at Shepherds
Lookout and, even for a non-twitcher like me, it was rather pleasing to flush a
Barking Owl. Interestingly the most recent endorsed record was from the same
spot in autumn, albeit in 1998. The bird was unmistakeable – so much
bigger than a boobook, and quite differently marked. After the initial flush, it
obligingly perched quite close and peered at us for a few minutes, affording an
excellent view. Whether it would still be there, I don’t know, but for
anyone wanting to look for it, it was around the western side of the dirt track
leading to the lookout, before the track leading down to Uriarra Crossing. b
