I came home from work the other day and heard a cacophony of screeches and chirping in my back yard. My scrub jays were squawking like crazy. This usually means there is a hawk nearby. This time it wasn’t a hawk.

The various hawks in the neighborhood (like Coopers, Red Tailed) are easily spooked. If I’m lucky enough to see a hawk sitting on the fence in the backyard I have to be very quiet and still. As soon as I start moving around the house those hawks take off.

But not this guy.

He sat in my maple tree for a couple of hours. I even went outside to grill some steaks and he stayed in my tree. I think he just wanted to take a nap.

But Oddie and Scruffy, my scrub jays, kept squawking and harassing this poor owl. Oddie, the male, kept diving bombing the owl.

Eventually this Great Horned Owl had enough and moved on. I keep hoping he will come back.