Barn Owl Greetings From Temecula Front Porch: Patch Photo Of The Week

TEMECULA, CA — On a quiet night in Temecula, one family alerted to movement on the porch. Opening the door, Patch reader and retired city councilwoman Maryann Edwards came face to face with this delightful barn owl.

"This is life in Southern California Wine Country," she said, noting that the barn owl spent an evening on the porch.

Barn owls are not considered dangerous and will fly away upon being approached by humans or other animals, according to AvianReport.com. When a barn owl looks straight at you, its pale and oval face and piercing dark eyes may give the impression that the bird is facing off, but that's just the owl's face, according to that website.

Though there is much lore surrounding the barn owl, seeing one is not a bad omen; however, they are protected under federal law, as are all birds of prey. You may have seen and heard more barn owls than usual lately, and that's no surprise, according to a Senior Wildlife Biologist Supervisor of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.

“The easiest explanation for more sightings is wet weather (this and last winter, last summer), which is likely to grow lots of rodent food and, in turn, rodents," they told Patch. "Barn owls hunt rodents, including around homes, where people are likely to see them. It’s a good thing."

Do you have a photo of the week to share? Please send it to your Patch Editor, along with a little bit about where you were when you took it, for a chance to be featured on Patch's Photo of the Week.

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