The Albany Owl

Deep in the trees of the Pine Hills neighborhood in Albany, an owl sits perched on a branch echoing a HOOT-HOOT!  I have heard the hollow call of the owl from my backyard in Albany, has anybody else?

Owls normally habitat woodsy areas in the Northeast & we have plenty of woods but the City of Albany is not a place I would imagine an exotic animal like an owl would habitat.

Every winter the Discovery Zone @ The Albany Pine Bush on New Karner Rd has their Owl Prowl, a night hike where kids learn the habits of the nocturnal birds & listen for their call.  It's possible an owl flew from the preserve into the city & has taken up residence I suppose, I just find it unusual being a city girl.

Well, I haven't been hiking at night around Albany, but I been hearing a HOOT-HOOT in the distance.  The closest I ever got to an owl was at a nature preserve in Tarrytown, NY while in the 6th grade besides the "Give a HOOT, don't polute" owl on tv or the Blow pop owl commercial.

In January 2009, a snowy owl was found dead on the rooftop of a downtown Albany office building. Check out that story here: http://hoaryredpoll.wordpress.com/2009/01/09/downtown-albany-snowy-owl-cause-of-death/

I find it very interesting that an owl has moved into my Albany neighborhood & I will be keeping my eyes wide open doing a little bird watching on the owl prowl to spot my new neighbor. HOOT-HOOT!

Credit: getty images