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Boston's owl-watching underground emerged en masse in the Public Garden tonight

The Proper Bostonians reports on the scene in the Public Garden, where owl watchers and photographers converged this evening to watch an owl in a beech tree (right near the fountain/statue that shows a mountain lion catching an owl):

A few more owl-watchers showed up as the light faded, having heard rumors from a bearded guy named Peter. As we talked and craned our necks, the owl finally took off, and we followed on the ground, exclaiming over the magnificence of its wings as it swooped through the trees. It landed on a high branch that gave us a much better view of its yellowish beak and dark, round eyes. Barred owls have beautiful brown, camouflage feathers and we had an excellent view of it now. Behind us, a group of serious photographers with massive telephoto lenses had materialized, setting up lights and tripods. One trained a spotlight on the owl. This troubled my owl-watcher friend and me, but the owl didn't seem to care. It stayed put and suddenly regurgitated a lump of whatever owls regurgitate... feathers, fur and bone fragments, I think.

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Comments

To the week a pigmy owl took up residence on the sunny side of Comm Ave. The best way to see the owl was to stand on the top step of a porch. The bird watchers got organized and each person got to stand on the steps for a few seconds, then let the next person step up. That was way before the internet was a thing, back when it was all dial up.

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...the boreal owl that roosted in front of 270 Comm Ave in December, 1996? I was one of the birders who "flocked" to see him: a great sighting!

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One of my favorite pieces of public art. A date of 1986 is given on the website you linked, Adam, but that piece has been there at least since I was child, the 1960's. Perhaps that date refers to a move to a current location in the park?

Suldog (not signed in from this computer)
http://jimsuldog.blogspot.com

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