Mid-July, near dusk and near the end of “Jeopardy,” my wife Jane noticed a hissing sound outside our back screen door. To me it sounded like a canned hawk cry you might hear on a wilderness documentary. We turned down the TV and heard it again.

    Since it was just getting dark, I thought it could be an owl, but I’ve only heard barred owls here. Barred owls are fairly common in Sandisfield, but this was not their usual “Who, Who, Who cooks for you” call.

    We looked outside and right there on the porch railing was a barred owl. I just had time to aim my phone and zoom in. I tried for a second shot but the owl took off into the woods. He didn’t go far. We could still hear it calling.

    We heard it over the next few days, usually in the evening but sometimes in the morning. The owl looked small and may have been a youngster looking for company.