My favorite thing at VINS were the screech owls. Screech owls are just 8 to 12 inches long. They are the only small owls with ear tufts. Eastern screech owls have all red or grey feathers. The screech owls blend in really well.
Screech owls are very interesting.
We saw the VINS biologist remove a catbird from a mist net. He then weighed it, banded it, and checked it for age and condition. The bird was released within 10 minutes of capture. Another biologist talks to us about a great horned owl that has a permanent home at VINS due to a head injury. The owl did not like to have people behind it.