Over the past few weeks, there have been numerous reports that Barred Owls here in the state have been acting kind of strange. So what's going on?

Patrick Comins is the executive director of the Connecticut Audubon Society, and he talked to the News Times to shed some light on the situation. First off, his office has already had 69 barred owl spottings recorded, and that was just in the first three weeks of January. Compare that with the last few years, when the numbers had been considerably lower. Last year, there were only 39 sightings in January, 40 for January of 2017 and 32 for January 2016.

Furthermore, the Connecticut Audubon Society says that the owls, which are usually known to be nocturnal hunters, are now making daytime hunting trips. Also the birds, who are seen mostly inland, have now also been spotted in several towns along the coast, where they have never been or are seldom spotted.

So what's with these owls and why have they been acting out of the ordinary?

Comins, from the Audubon Society, thinks the strange behavior has something to do with a good breeding season. Those young owls that were born last summer are now starting to make their move out of the nest. Comins also believes the lack of small rodents is forcing the owls to hunt outside of their normal places and times.

For the most part, these barred owls are pretty common and are spread around throughout the state, however spotting them is not always that easy since they are usually nocturnal. Plus, they have their own camouflage, which makes it harder to spot them.

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