During the course of my life, I have only encountered a few owls in the wild, most of these while visiting Florida (see this post and this one). Thus far, my luck in Massachusetts has been dismal. That changed today while on an evening hike with Jeanine in Acton. There, we came across a magnificent Barred Owl. A knowledgeable woman at the site indicated that there are two owlets in the nest. Expect me to return several times in an effort to photograph the little ones.