On a visit to her boyfriend’s South Dartmouth home on January 20, reader Chelese spotted an owl perched on the Prospect Street home. The bird stuck around for several hours before flying away as she snapped a few photos.

Although Chelese initially suspected the visitor was a great horned owl, Lloyd Center researchers Mark Mello and Jamie Bogart both agreed: it's actually an eastern screech owl.

Eastern screech owls are common in this area, Mello noted, but are rarely spotted with the naked eye because they are nocturnal, although residents often hear these animals outdoors at night.