Wildlife at Smoky Mountain Tower

Yes, there are bears and racoons and other wildlife that show up at Smoky Mountain Tower on occasion. But when we were there last week, our neighbor told us, "The screech owl is back."

Sure enough, he was in a hole in a dead tree just two houses up the road from Smoky Mountain Tower - about 200 feet from our front door. This is the tree:


From the top of the tree, look down to the spot where the first big branch goes off to the left. Just opposite that branch, on the right side of the tree is a dark spot. That's the hole where the owl lives.

Here's a little closer picture. The owl is just below the darkest piece of the tree on the right side of the trunk.


But he's still hard to see. So here's a close-up (yes, he was asleep):


You really need to stay with us at Smoky Mountain Tower. You never know "whooooooooo" you'll see!