On the chilly morning of Dec. 5, Alex Patton headed into a coffee shop in Utica. On his way out, he glanced across the nearby stream and noticed the bird in the accompanying photo. Sharp-eyed Patton ...

My love affair with owls bloomed slowly. In fact, until recently, they terrified me—I wanted to be nowhere near their hooked beaks, sharp talons and wide eyes. My phobia peaked when I shared a ...