Yes, there are Barred owls that live in my neighborhood in Henrico County, VA.  I have been  on guided birding trips and have seen Snowy owls in Duluth, Minnesota, a Northern Hawk Owl in NW Wisconsin, Boreal owls in Duluth, a Great Grey north of Duluth, Long Eared  and Short Eared Owls in Mission Valley, MT, Northern Pygmy Owls in Montana, Burrowing owls in AZ, Western Screech owl, Whiskered  Screech owl and  Flammulated owl on Mt Lemon in Tucson, AZ.  Elf owl in Coronado Forest, south of Tucson, AZ.  Great Horned in Portal, AZ. I would love to see a Barn owl, but someone told me that I need to know someone who either has a barn or knows someone who has a barn where I can be invited in to see the owl.

We've had burrowing owls (and barred, and great horned, and others) in our Florida neighborhood near the beach. I love these little guys with their long legs, round heads, and spooky call. We used to see them frequently in the evening, lined up in a row like a choir, often right at eye level on a live oak or sea grape branch. They didn't seem to have much fear and seemed to be curious about us, too. Now that more houses have been built, the gopher tortoises and the burrowing owls are rare.

Barred owl observed while walking my dogs in a local park mid afternoon just outside Portland, Oregon.

One evening while camping, I was sitting on the picnic table bench waiting for my husband to return from the bathroom so we could start setting up our tent when an owl swooped down next to me and picked up a mouse. It happened so quickly that I wasn't able to identify the species of owl, but it awesome to have this close encounter with nature. I was also surprised (and so was the mouse!) by how quietly this large bird could find and attack it's dinner. I was unaware of either creature until the owl swooped down.

I have been fortunate over the years to see & photograph 10 species of owls in Canada & the US -- Great Horned, Barred, Boreal, Snowy, Great Gray, Short-eared, Northern Saw-Whet, Northern Hawk, Long-eared and Burrowing plus 3 in Africa - Verreaux's Eagle-Owl, a Pearl-spotted Owlet and an African Wood Owl.  My favourite in North American is the Great Gray Owl, which to me has almost a regal bearing with a very intense stare when it focuses on you - I love the facial disk and the eyes.  I also like the Snowy which is always a treat to see standing in a snow covered field or on the move searching for dinner.  In Florida, I had my first experience seeing Burrowing owls, which actually popped out of their burrows within a sand bunker on a golf course!  Fortunately everyone seemed to know they were there and gave that bunker a wide berth.  I really enjoy seeing and photographing owls and love when we have any kind of irruption year ... even a mini-one! Thanks for offering this great course.

I have seen all four of the native species of owl that are found in the Southern U.S...Great Horned, Barred, Barn and Eastern Screech.  As a photographer, I've captured several great images of each.  The only owl that I still need to get a better photo of is the Barn Owl, but they are tricky to locate.  I have also seen, (and gotten a silhouette photo), of a Short Eared Owl that visited our area this time last year.  The highlight of my spring of 2021 was seeing two Great Horned owlets in their nest.  I also captured a fledged Barred owlet, and a non-fledged Eastern Screech in the red morph plumage.  I love to photograph all birds, but owls are hands down my favorite.  

In my dense urban/suburban patch (Chestnut Hill, MA) we had 6 Eastern Screech owls in 2020 and at least 4 Great Horned Owls in 2021. Hoping for a Snowy in 2022, but I suspect I'll have to travel further!

I have seen snowy owls on the tundra near Churchill, Manitoba, Canada while on a polar bear "tour". I was fortunate to see a Great Grey Owl near a parking lot at Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada, unusual to be on the coast more likely to be seen in the interior of the province. Most recently, a Barred Owl in Francis Pennisula Park, Pender Harbour, BC, Canada - chasing a Stellar's Jay, with another Stellar's Jay trying to prevent the attack.

We also have great horned owls in our area.  I live in the mountains of Colorado and we usually have a nesting pair near us.

I have seen a handful of Great Horned Owls and barn owls.  Growing up in rural Missouri it wasn’t uncommon to have one of these large birds spook you at on walks at night.

I live right near a large nature preserve in Alberta, Canada and I often see owls around my home.  Great- horned owls seem to be by far the most common ( there are several breeding pairs that nest within walking distance of my house each spring and I love watching the little ones!).  I have also seen Great Grey Owls, Northern Saw-whet Owls, Long-eared Owls, Boreal Owls, Barred Owls and Snowy Owls in my area as well. The Barred Owls also nest nearby.  I was also fortunate enough to observe some Burrowing Owls out on the grasslands while on a road trip. That was a huge highlight for me - they are so cute and enigmatic.

I've seen and heard Eastern Screech Owls pretty frequently in the city of Rochester NY. I'm going to build a nest box for them, as I've heard them right in my neighborhood in the middle of the city. Have also seen Snowy Owls up by the shore of Lake Ontario, Short-eared Owls in Buckland Park and Nations Road areas, Saw-whet Owls in Braddock Bay Park, and Great-horned Owls and Barred Owls in various places. I also once saw a Hawk Owl over near Medina, NY.  I especially love watching Short-eared Owls flying about silently just before dusk in winter. I hope to see a Barn Owl some day.

I saw a snowy owl while hiking in the dunes out at Race Point in Provinceton, MA in February of this year. Apparently they travel through there or may nest there that time of year and are so beautiful! The only other experiences I have had with owls were studying/banding barn owls in Nantucket, MA and rehabilitating great horned and screech owls while working at the New England Wildlife Center.

When I was little some great horned owls visited a big dead tree behind our house from time to time. We could often hear them calling to other nearby owls. On certain special nights my parents woke us up to see them, and up close through some binoculars. We loved it! They were some very special neighbors :)

I saw a Snowy Owl on Christmas Day in Northwest Indiana in 2017.  It flew alongside our car as we were driving to our family dinner.  I also saw two young Great Horned Owls in a nest in the Indianapolis, Indiana area in the spring of 2021.  These I was able to photograph.

I live in England and the owl that I have seen most often is the Barn Owl.   My house overlooks fields and last summer I had some great views of a barn owl hunting around the field in the twilight for several weeks.   A neighbour told me he knew of a nest nearby, so it must have been feeding young. Interestingly it always went along the edge of the fields where there is rough grass, but never in the middle which was arable crops.  I assume that all the mice and voles live in the rough grass themselves. I have regularly heard tawny owls calling, but never seen them.

We hear Great Horned Owls pretty regularly outside our house in late fall/winter. A few years ago we went outside to try and see them and could see them perched on rooftops on houses in my neighborhood. Occasionally, my kids and I would see them fly to the  to the next rooftop and would try to follow them.  Beautiful!

I have never seen a owl in real life but I have heard a Great Horned Owl when I woke up at night.

My dream is to see a Great Gray Owl. They are somewhere in the Blue Mountains in Oregon but birders keep spots pretty secret. Someday! I've only in recent years finally seen owls: Northern Pygmy Owl at a campsite this fall, plenty of Barn owls flitting by in rural areas, burrowing owls in Colorado and Eastern Oregon, Barred Owls are somewhat common even just hiking around the Portland Metro Area, and several Great Horned Owls at our lovely Ridgefield NWR. Here's a shot of what I think is a juvenile:

I have only seen two owls in my life, both were the Great Horned Owl and in December of two different years, several years apart. The first siting was in December, 2004 during a rare snowfall. The Great Horned Owl was sitting on a branch of a decaying tree along the right of way behind my house, not far from a tributary of the Brazos River. Due to the moonlight and the reflected snow, I could see very well the ear tufts with a chunky built bird. The other siting occurred in a grove of trees across the street from my house. I was out that night photographing my house with its newly strung  Christmas lights, when I heard some rustling of leaves behind me and a neighborhood cat named Midnight went running across the street into my flowerbeds to escape from a Great Horned Owl who was giving chase. It was a close call for Midnight and I saw him around later on in the week. My local HOA has removed both the trees along the right of way and the mixed grove of trees across from my house, so my chances of seeing owls close to my home are remote unless I travel to go "owling", which I may do soon. It is December of the year and a good time to see my friends, the owls.I have no pictures, only memories.

As a kid growing up, we had family friends with a barn owl living on their bookshelf. They found it in their yard as a young owlet ("who threw that cotton wool on our lawn?", was their line) and remained in their house for many years. Apparently it used to leave during the night to go hunting and then return to his bookshelf in the morning. I wish I had paid more attention to it all those years ago, I didn't even realize then how special that was! :)

Great horned owls are common in our area - Platte River Valley in NE We get to hear them call for a partner at night, and can catch a reply most of the time. Have also seen Burrow Owls in our pasture one season. Years ago - Most unusual was seeing a snowy owl in a field during the day in early to late spring.  I always wondered if this sighting was ok, or if it had something wrong.  Only saw it once.

I have seen an owl in real life. It was getting dark and I saw a huge bird that look like it had ear tufts that was sitting on top of a pine tree that was in my backyard. Right away I noticed it was the Great Horned Owl was so fascinating to see since I never seem them unless I hear them at night. I was on school trip for college and we went to a park that kept wildlife that were injured and being taken care of. I noticed they had raptor birds and an Owl that was the Barred Owl.

I was a young girl when I had my first owl sighting. It was a picturesque, snowy, winter day, when a barn owl landed on the top of my wooden swing set, on full display. My grandmother and mother called me quietly over to the window to see. I was completely captivated; it was the most magical thing I'd ever seen, and thus began my love for owls. As an adult, I still remember that moment like it was yesterday but would do anything to travel back in time to experience it once more!

I live in South Jersy and spend many days and nights at the Jersey shore. However,  I have never seen an owl.