Always good to see an owl. While the above was taken in Ottawa, PEPtBO banded between 18 to 22 barred owls this fall. Last time they had those numbers was in fall 2012, the last irruption year for great gray owls, northern hawk owls and boreal owls. Usually a 4-year cycle, this fall and upcoming winter will be the 4th year.

Over the past several decades it has mostly been every 4 years and occasionally 5 years that we see an irruption of great gray owls, northern hawk owls and boreal owls.