Pat Stoodley snapped this photo of a gray phase screech owl in Marlborough.  The bird was observed from Church Street on January 26th, where it sat on a wire for six hours.  Pat was alerted to bird by an attending mob of blue jays.

Screech owl, Marlborough, January 26th, 2011. Photo by Pat Stoodley

Screech owls, like all owls, are under-reported due to their secretive and nocturnal nature.  That being said, they are quite uncommon in New Hampshire, especially away from Rockingham County or the southern CT River or Merrimack River Valleys.  This is one of only a very few reports that I have ever received from the Monadnock area.

Congratulations Pat on a great find.