Date: 3/9/26 4:19 pm From: Gregory Hanisek via CTBirds <ctbirds...> Subject: [CT Birds] a Classy mis-ID
Birds belong to the taxonomic Class Aves, which means they are not, among other things, Insects or Spiders, Reptiles or Amphibians, or us. I wasn't thinking about taxonomy recently while driving slowly and alertly through one of my favorite roads in rural Watertown, I hit the brakes when, out of the corner of my eye, I saw a silhouetted head with well-spaced erect ear tufts. Immediately flashing through my mind: Great Horned Owl looking right at me.
As I reached for binoculars I also quickly focused mentally and visually at a bulky body at modest height in a rather nearby tree, and saw the head looking at me was
BOBCAT!
Usually I manage to get IDs at least into the right taxonomic Class.
Greg Hanisek Waterbury
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